Grand Hyatt workshop raises Shanghai skills

The event was organized to bring together key corporate buyers and event bookers in the city and provide them with greater knowledge and skills in organising events. Peter Hildebrand, regional director of marketing, China and Taiwan, and director of marketing, Grand Hyatt Shanghai, welcomed the group to the award-winning property in the Jin Mao Tower. Other members of the Grand Hyatt team contributed sessions on the tactics of accommodation and function-room bookings, and food and beverage tips. The buyers were also taken on a tour of the hotel's kitchens. Hildebrand said: "The feedback we received is hugely positive. Clearly we hope to increase awareness of the property itself, but the aim of the workshop is broader and more educational." Ian Stuart, former president of the Meetings Industry Association of Australia, led a number of 'how-to' sessions on aspects of conference planning, including the key issue of budgeting. The workshop was put together by Turning Point Solutions, an Australian based events specialist, which has recently opened a Shanghai office. Peter Pecotic, managing director of Turning Point Solutions, said he believed the event had demonstrated the potential of the city's events industry.