Germany pulls out stops to woo China

EUROPE – The German Convention Bureau (GCB) has stepped up its efforts to capture the Chinese market. The bureau has appointed Mr. Henghong Yang (pictured) to head its new Beijing office. The new China office is the second international location of the GCB (headquartered in Frankfurt), along with its New York City office that covers the US and Canadian meetings markets. Mr. Yang has extensive experience in marketing European destinations in the China market through his previous work for the Austrian National Tourist Office and Switzerland Tourism. He has also worked in the MICE practice, and other areas, at tour operator China CYTS. This latest development with the GCB in China builds on initial marketing activity with its strategic partner, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) in 2014, including media interviews, education tours and an online training class, which has been completed by over 1,000 Chinese planners and meetings professionals to date. With the appointment of Mr. Yang, Chinese planners and partners will now be able to enjoy all of the benefits that a local GCB office provides including knowledgeable and extensive support that addresses the specific needs, requirements and guidelines of local meetings markets. For example, more and more companies and associations in China are looking to place events in locations that correspond with their fields of interest such as automotive, pharmaceutical & health, technology and energy which lines up with the GCB’s industries expertise strategy. This synergy can lead to even more meetings potential for Germany, as the two countries have strong business ties and Chinese meetings in Germany are on the rise. “16% of all outbound trips taken by Chinese travellers in 2014 were business trips.  Of the Chinese travellers who visited Germany, 32%  came on business.  A long-term marketing strategy is required to tap into this huge and ever-growing potential,” explains Petra Hedorfer, chief executive officer of the GNTB and Chair of the Board of Directors of the GCB. “Our new team member Mr. Yang brings just the experience we need to solidify our marketing and relationship development work in China. The Chinese market holds great promise and we are delighted to have the office up and running under Mr. Yang’s leadership,” added Matthias Schultze, managing director of the GCB.