Industry veteran Mr. Martin Sirk, the CEO of ICCA (International Congress and Conventions Association) based in the Netherlands, will deliver the Keynote Address - China’s Century: Fulfilling its Destiny as a Mega Meetings Destination - at the opening ceremony of IT&CM China 2012. More than 2,000 delegates are expected at the three-day event.

Mr. Sirk, who has more than 20 years of industry experience and who has been the CEO of ICCA since July 2002, will draw on his vast experience to talk about the critical role of international meetings in a country’s development, and why it is yet to be properly understood by policymakers. The presentation will also explore how China can become one of the top global meetings destinations.

With the rapid growth of the China MICE market and the global attention it has been grabbing, this year’s IT&CM China seminar sessions have been designed to address this growing interest and educate participants on the important trends.

The eight seminar sessions this year will cover:-
• Seminar 1A: How to Organise a Successful China Outbound MICE Trip
Mr. Li Zhuyuan, General Manager of CITS International MICE, China, and Mr. Chundo Yang, Head of Marketing, Jeju Convention & Visitors Bureau, Korea, will present a case study on how CITS put together an outbound MICE trip to Jeju. The speakers will share the learning achieved as a result of organising the trip.

• Seminar 1B: Global Meetings Procurement and China
In this session, Ms. Gerilyn Horan, Director, Global Market Development of HelmsBriscoe, based in the U.S, will share her insights on how globalisation has resulted in significant changes in meetings procurement. The session will also talk about how buyers and suppliers can work together to achieve success in a rapidly changing global environment.

• Seminar 2: Innovation in Meetings Payment Solutions
With the frequency and size of meetings in China on the rise, it is important for meeting planners to learn how to manage successful events. The speaker for this seminar is Ms. Rennis Li, Vice President, Global Commercial Products, Asia-Pacific/Middle East/Africa of MasterCard, Hong Kong.

• Seminar 3: Strategic Meetings Management (SMM)
Learn about visibility in meetings spend, control on expenditure, improving supplier relationships, the financial and security risks in organising overseas meeting, and more, from Ms. Lisa Hopkins, Managing Director, Asia Pacific of BCD Meetings & Incentives, Singapore.

• Seminar 4A: Training and Retaining MICE Staff
Ms. Alicia Yao, Vice Chairman, Site China Chapter and Ms. Henrietta Ho, EAM, Marketing of Hyatt on the Bund, China, will address the challenges faced by companies in finding the right staff, training them well and turning them into loyal employees.

• Seminar 4B: How International Associations Make their Meeting Decisions
Keynote speaker Mr. Martin Sirk shares his knowledge and expertise on how a complex decision-making process can be broken down into simple categories, thus enabling decision-makers to formulate successful strategies.

• Seminar 5: Mobile Technology and the Impact on the Events Industry
Mr. Gu Xuebin, Managing Director of Info Salons China, China, and Ms. Alina Chow, Business Development Manager of Crowdcomms, Singapore, will address the power of mobile technology and how it can be used to innovate and grow businesses.

• Seminar 6: Fundamentals of Selecting a DMC or PCO
Ms. Alicia Yao addresses audiences again, with Ms. Jennifer Gao, Vice President, Head of North/Northeast China, Citi Shared Services, Citi Bank (China). They will talk about the ABCs of what a company needs to know when choosing a partner to help organise an event inside or outside China.

To enhance the experience for participants from China, the keynote address and seminar sessions will be conducted in English, with simultaneous translation in Mandarin.

This year, IT&CM China is once again collaborating with the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration (SMTA) to be part of the Shanghai Business Events Week (SBEW) from 16 to 20 April 2012. IT&CM China 2012 joins other leading events such as SMTA’s China (Shanghai) International Meetings & Conferences Forum, ICCA’s Association Database Workshop, the IMEX-MPI–MCI Future Leaders Forum and the TTG China Travel Awards during this week of MICE activities in Shanghai.