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New West Lake International Expo turns international
Updated: 2009-10-13 18:14 The Hangzhou Municipal Government is raising the international profile of the 11th West Lake International Expo, which showcases the city’s efforts to build itself into a destination for international conferences and the capital of festivals and celebrations in China. Expo organizers will cooperate with professional exhibition and event-organizing institutions worldwide to stage a memorable and world-class event. Foreign consultants in Shanghai will take part in promoting cultural exchanges and showcasing their nations, including South Korea, the Philippines, Spain and France. Other international events include the 2009 Hangzhou International Sister City Mayors Summit, the Global Livable City Forum, the 9th Finance Outsourcing International Forum, the 11th West Lake International SME Seminar, the 17th International Transmission and Coverage Seminar and the International Fireworks Show.
The 11th West Lake International Expo will be launched between October 17 and November 7 in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang province. With the theme “Confident Hangzhou, Quality Expo”, the event, to be held at numerous venues around the city, will include about 30 conferences and 40 festivals to display the daily life of local people and showcase eight fields in Hangzhou, including real estate, the auto industry, tourism, telecommunications, trade, culture, fitness and the Internet.
Historical review of West Lake International Expo With the goal of "improving manufactured products and developing the nation's industry", the First West Lake Expo was the first exhibition ever held in China. In the 128 days of the First West Lake Expo, over 20 million people attended. Although the Expo made a huge impact to the country and the world, it was suspended for several years. It was restarted in 2000 by the Hangzhou government and has been successfully staged for eight consecutive years. With "Guests gather at the grand gathering, top-quality products are assembled at the West Lake Expo" as the theme, the Second West Lake International Expo boasted 23 professional exhibitions with 7,034 booths, attracting over 2,500 exhibitors from more than 30 countries and regions. The Third China Hangzhou West Lake Expo had 46 exhibitions, conferences, cultural and tourism events, also achieving great success. Over 800 journalists from more than 300 media outlets from home and abroad came to Hangzhou for interviews and coverage, with the number of reports totaling more than 6,000 (including photos). The 2001 West Lake Expo created added value, totaling 985 million yuan. The Fourth China Hangzhou West Lake Expo consisted of formal projects and eight support projects, which attracted the participation of a large number of local and international celebrities. A total of 5,729 overseas professionals and representatives from over 40 countries and regions participated in the Expo’s conventions and exhibitions. Diplomatic envoys from 46 countries to China, 13 overseas political figures and mayors (speakers of the House) from international sister cities, and art groups from 16 countries gathered in Hangzhou to participate in the West Lake Expo. Nearly 1,000 journalists from over 350 news media organizations from home and abroad came to Hangzhou to cover the Expo. |