Beijing

Beijing, the busiest technopolis in China, is one of the most preferred MICE destinations for international and domestic event organisers. With more infrastructural developments taking place, the city has adapted itself to host much bigger events. The Nanyuan Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport are some of the ambitious steps that have helped the city attract large MICE groups and corporates. The city is also a host to 196 major multinational corporations.

Beijing boasts of several large convention centres. For instance, the China National Convention Centre (CNCC) located adjacent to the ‘Bird’s Nest’ and ‘Water Cube’, came into prominence when it partly hosted the fencing preliminaries and pistol shooting competition during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It has also been the venue of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). Presently, it is considered to be the leading MICE venue in Beijing since its formal opening in 2009. CNCC is close to the airport and the railway station which makes it easily accessible. The Centre is a 398 m long, eight floor congress, convention, exhibition venue complete with a dedicated shopping mall.

Since its inception in 1985, China World Trade Centre (CWTC) has been hosting several large MICE events. The entire 17 hectare plus property including its Phase I and II projects is one of the most sought after MICE venues in the world. CWTC is a joint conglomerate of China Shi Mao Investment Co and Kerry Industrial Co and hosts the world’s luxurious offices, hotels, malls, exhibition centres and more in its premises.

Beijing International Convention Centre (BICC), opened in 1990, has been the main hub of conferences in the heart of the Asian Games Village. Situated next to the ‘Bird’s Nest’, BICC has hosted more than 1000 conferences till date. The close proximity to the Beijing Capital International Airport and the city centre makes it easily accessible for delegates coming for international meetings and conferences.

Located in the business district of Chaoyang, China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC) is a joint venture of China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) and China’s international trade promoting body. With over 27 years of experience in arranging exhibitions for both the overseas and domestic arena, CIEC has grown to become one of the most sought after MICE conventions in Beijing.

Though Beijing has a number of convention centres, there are also notable hotels that cater to conventions of varying sizes. For instance, Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel, overlooking the famous Forbidden City on Wangfujing Street, offers Renaissance Hotel’s signature REN Meetings programme. The hotel is equipped with 10,006 sq ft of ballroom space and five additional meeting rooms. Park Hyatt Beijing, located in the heart of CBD, is one of the city’s most popular business hotels. The hotel offers 12 flexible event venues for any occasion, from top-level meetings to private events. Other notable business hotels include – JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central, Pentahotel Beijing, New World Beijing Hotel, Crowne Plaza, Waldorf Astoria Beijing, Hilton Beijing Wangfujing to name a few.

Places of interest

Beijing has been the political, economic and cultural centre of China for over 800 years since the Yuan Dynasty. Presently, it stands to be one of the most preferred choices for travellers visiting China. Forbidden City, an imperial palace for over 500 years, is the largest and the best-preserved imperial palace complex in the world. It has 9,999 rooms with just a single room short of the number that ancient Chinese belief represents ‘Divine Perfection’. The Great Wall of China is one of the ‘Eight Wonders of the World’ and is enlisted in the World Heritage Directory. This wall was built to keep out invaders as well as to retain the inhabitants. It spans five provinces from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west. In the downtown area, visitors can climb the Badaling Great Wall.

The Tiananmen Square is the largest central city square in the world. Visitors to this courtyard can witness a variety of significant edifices such as the Tiananmen Tower, Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, Monument to the People’s Heroes and National Museum.