ICCA increases footprint in China at Xiamen International MICE Week

ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath and his Management Team met in Xiamen during the 5th edition of the 2019 International MICE Week during the ICCA Global Executives Round Table Conference. The ICCA team joined the Xiamen International MICE Summit and welcomed new members in Xiamen, as well as signing an MOU to increase further collaboration. ICCA had been invited to attend Xiamen International MICE Week by its three members in the south eastern China port city: the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Convention & Exhibition Affairs, C&D Global Tourism Group and ITG MICE Group. It was the first time ICCA had held a Global Executive meeting in a city outside the its Head Office in Amsterdam. City CVB, the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Convention & Exhibition Affairs, joined ICCA in 2016. ICCA’s Director Asia Pacific Noor Hamid visited Xiamen for training and knowledge exchanges and in October of this year, and General Director Jeoven Wong led a delegation from Xiamen to participate in the 58th ICCA Congress in Houston, USA, also in October. Jeoven Wong said: “The convention and exhibition industry plays an important role in promoting the urban economic transformation and industrial upgrading of Xiamen. ICCA is one of the most important global partners to reach out to the international MICE business. I am honoured by the large delegation ICCA brought to Xiamen and thankful for their contribution to the educational content of the 5th edition of Xiamen MICE Week. We are looking forward to further intensify our long-term strategic cooperation with ICCA to further develop Xiamen’s international convention and exhibition industry and win more association meetings business.” ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath added: “Xiamen is a great example of a destination where the public and private sector effectively work together to win more meetings business. The city has a very good foundation and great potential to organise more international meetings. We have increased our collaboration and support this week and look forward to further support Xiamen’s international strategy to bring more MICE business to the many impressive meeting facilities in this beautiful city. We want to thank Xiamen for their hospitality and for hosting us and look forward to continue to intensify our collaboration with Xiamen and the entire Chinese meeting market.” With currently 84 member-organisations, China-P.R. is the country with the most ICCA members. And this number continues to grow. During this visit to Xiamen, ICCA welcomed new member Shaanxi Meton Conference and Exhibition Management LTD as a new member. Photo, L-R: Mr. Qiu Guoyue, Xiamen ITG MICE Group; Senthil Gopinath, ICCA; Jeoven Wong, Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Convention & Exhibition Affairs; Noor Hamid, ICCA Asia Pacific; Huang Xiuyun, C&D Global Tourism Group