New name, new chairman
Now in its fourth year, the renamed China Tourism & Attractions Summit took place last month in Shanghai, attracting developers, operators, suppliers and consultants of entertainment venues in this fast-growing market.
Preparations for this year’s event, formerly known as the China Themed Attractions Summit, were finalised fairly late in the day, but it nevertheless attracted nearly 100 high level delegates. This year’s venue, the Sofitel Hyland Hotel was slightly less majestic than the Grand Hyatt used previously, but more central, located just off the Nanjing Road.
Organised again by the Avail Corporation, who did a great job in providing notes and translation in both English and Mandarin, the summit welcomed in a new chairman for its fourth year. Gary Goddard replaced his old contemporary Tony Christopher of Landmark Entertainment and got the ball rolling on Thursday, July 5, after a presentation on the state China’s tourism industry from Zhang Jianzhong of the China National Tourism Administration Committee.
Whereas previous summits have examined in great detail places like Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai, this year’s event attempted to provide an insight into second tier cities like Chengdu, Tianjin and Qingdao, each of which still boasts populations of several million.
At the end of day one, Madame Tussauds hosted a visit by delegates to its
Shanghai outlet, a welcome addition to the programme, compensating for the lack of any social events or site tours previously.
Sponsors at this year’s Summit, which came to a close on July 6, included Action Park, Electrosonic, Jack Rouse Associates and Gary Goddard Entertainment. Park World was again an official media partner, and we look forward to bringing you news of future events.
