Officials, market insiders and company representatives share their insights on Chengdu.

"Chengdu, with its advanced infrastructure, lives up to its title of an excellent tourist destination and Asia's first 'City of Gastronomy', as commended by UNESCO. All these ensure sound momentum of the MICE (meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition) sector of Chengdu."

Wang Xin, deputy director of the Chengdu Bureau of Exposition and vice-chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade's Chengdu branch

"The joint venture of Inform a Exhibitions and the China Beauty Expo achieved outstanding results in three years. Merging and acquiring the Chengdu Beauty Expo forged a multilateral partnership of great strength. A more efficient business platform should be built for China's beauty sector."

Pang Dawei, chairman of Informa Exhibitions China and president of Shanghai Baiwen Exhibition Co Ltd

"Chengdu is well-equipped with industrial and exhibition facilities. The advanced facilities definitely draw more major exhibition enterprises and agencies, especially when the services provided by the government is of high quality and efficiency."

Sang Jingmin, founder of China Beauty Expo

"Chengdu is rising to become a megacity, following Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The newly released report ranked Chengdu in the fifth place, indicating the overall growth of the city. Chengdu has now blazed a trail of rapid development, with the aim of becoming a megacity of international fame."

Chen Xianjin, honorary chairman of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, director of the China National Standardization Committee for Exhibition Industry and chairman of the Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industries Association

(China Daily 11/30/2016 page11)