Hangzhou targets events

Shanghai's growth in fortunes has helped neighbouring secondary cities to grow in turn. Hanghzhou, just a couple of hours from Shanghai by road, is a perfect example. The city is an important industrial centre in its own right and has achieved annual GDP growth rates of over 12 per cent per annum, with annual exports of around US$10 billion. Multinational corporations that have significant investments in Hangzhou include General Motors, Merck, Motorola, Bosch, Siemens, Panasonic and Toshiba. Historically the city had a strong link to silk production and today is a major centre of women's fashion. Yet apart from business, the city has a legendary reputation for its beauty. So much so that there is a Chinese proverb that says: "Above is heaven, below is Hangzhou." The West Lake is Hangzhou's main attraction. It has been extended westwards to the adjoining hills. Whether walking along the promenades or taking a boat to islands in the lake, Chinese tourists flock here. Overlooking the lake is the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou. This 390-room property opened last year but has already made its mark. Adam Simkins, executive assistant manager, believes one key factor has been the hotel's strength in food and beverage. Popular catering "Our buffet restaurant, The Café, is already one of the most popular outlets in the city with a mix of different cuisines. It's a place to be seen for the city's business people," he says. Peter Zhou, executive chef, is often to be seen doing the rounds of the tables at 28 Hu Bin Road, the hotel's Chinese restaurant. "We like to use local recipes and local ingredients as well as other more familiar Chinese dishes, but we give them a special twist. One of the restaurant's trademark dishes is dongpo pork, which is hugely popular." Demand for business events is strong both locally and out of Shanghai. "Our ballroom holds around 800 people and we have nine other function rooms," says Simkins. The Hyatt group is pioneering a new approach to meeting spaces with its Residence concept, which the Hangzhou property has adopted. "The idea is to create a more homely feeling and move away from the harsher functionalist style of meeting spaces. Here we bring coffee breaks and dining together with the meeting room in a way that is more informal and relaxed, allowing people comfort and letting them network more easily," says Simkins. Aside from the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou, the city has some other deluxe properties such as the 383-room Shangri-La Hotel with 21 meeting spaces with the largest able to cater to 582 people; the Sofitel Westlake Hangzhou with seven function rooms and a maximum capacity of 150, and the 239-room Howard Johnson Oriental Hotel with ten meeting rooms and a largest single capacity of 1,000. "Hangzhou has tremendous potential for the meetings and incentives market. This is true not only within China but for inbound groups looking for something different from the big cities of Beijing or Shanghai. "We have an international airport with steadily improving direct links to major Asian cities, such as Hong Kong. As people become increasingly familiar with the gateway cities, places such as Hangzhou offer a different experience," Simkins says.