CHINA‘S tourism industry is moving in fast forward. Inbound numbers grew to 56 million arrivals. Logically, the international demand for conferences in the Middle Kingdom will increase substantially as well.

Doing business in China is not easy. Issues such as language, mentality, experience, infrastructure and sometimes politics can be very demanding on the way to achieving successful event management. There are some golden rules to observe when doing business with the Chinese.

Moderate your expectations: Be aware of the huge size of the domestic market. In China, thousands of local meetings, events, congresses and exhibitions are held every single day. They might not be of the same standard which international customers expect, but they are a fact of life, and they pay the bills. Your one project, as big as it may be for you, represents only a tiny little fraction in China’s MICE pie.

Humbly keeping this in perspective is important in moderating ones demands.

Set critical standards early:
Preaching the “Western” way is useless and people will not respond to it, as the Chinese have their own set of priorities which can be very different. Patient education concerning international behaviours and requirements is important, but cannot be done during operations; and certainly not under pressure. Identify which behaviours you expect your service provider to exhibit early on.

Invest in translation:
In China, any agreement of importance will be published in two languages, in Chinese, and the preferred language of the foreign partner. However, the contracts in the foreign language tend to be merely a translation. Although signed and sealed, the foreign-language document has no value when it becomes part of a legal conflict or even a court case.

It is therefore important to invest time and money in excellent translation work, in order to truly and fully understand what the Chinese documents say. Good simultaneous translation work is also required during the initial verbal meetings, even if both parties bring their own translator. And if in doubt, ask again, and again.

Politics taboo: Even if you feel tempted, don’t talk politics. Generally speaking, politics can be a prickly topic not relevant to the normal conduct of successful business. About this, there is a wonderful Chinese proverb 和谐 尽管 分歧, which means Harmony despite Differences.

Long leads for special venues:
Chinese authorities influence the decision-making process heavily; particularly when it comes to giving permission to use outdoor locations or special venues, which often are controlled by several governmental departments at the same time. An event planner has to clear many levels of seniority to get the go-ahead.
Plan well in advance if you want to organise an event in an unusual setting.

Time transfers to allow
for traffic: When planning transfers (particularly to evening events) always allow time contingencies. In Beijing, for example, traffic can come to a complete stand-still at any given time during the day or the evening.
In fact, several coaches could leave at the same time and some might arrive as planned, and others 30 minutes later. Traffic is unpredictable.

Also know that most drivers and even some guides, either due to language barriers or inexperience, find it hard to propose alternative solutions or short cuts.

Check sound levels: The notion of noise is rather different in China. The sounds of a meeting next door can sometimes be quite disturbing (also partly due to a lack of soundproof infrastructure at many venues). Entertainment and public announcements often come at ear-splitting levels. Test runs with
sound technicians would help; with clear instructions as to your preferred volumes.

Specify taste: F&B is an important issue. Mainland Chinese have very different ideas regarding consistency, quantities, storage temperatures, and even the presentation of a dish. Make sure you see and taste what will be served to clients; particularly when planning an event in a special location which requires outside catering.

Limit changes: Be prepared that on-site flexibility can be limited. As such, if you need to change the programme or other factors at the last minute, focus only on the key issues. Never raise your voice, and apply lots of patience.

With regards to international meetings, incentives and conferences, China is a brand new destination. Expect nothing; be ready for everything, and help your clients accept that differences are part of the exotic appeal of this ancient culture.




IN China, detailed plans long ahead of project implementation is necessary as domestically, labour-intensive processes utilise a lot more human resources. Planning might start a year-and-a-half ahead.

We still receive lots of last-minute change requests from clients, and we have been asking larger domestic companies to adopt more international practices regarding timelines etc.

I think it would take up to three years for the changes to be seen and for MICE practices to be more aligned to international standards.
There are a large number of government- or state-owned agencies among buyers, but many have not adopted centralised procurement due to conflicting interests within the company. Chinese companies do not have very transparent processes where the bid process is concerned. People find vendors through their contacts, which is why so many small companies still thrive. I feel our government needs to have market-oriented reform to make the whole process more open.






MOST of our clients are the top 500 companies. If we had to nail down differences in the organisation of events here and in the West, I’d say overseas, the cooperation between the planners and event organisers tends to be multi-dimensional.

In China, several service providers handle different components such as transport, venues, marketing etc. The planner is the layer between client and these vendors.

In the domestic market, because of cost control, many companies prefer horizontal communication with suppliers, communicating directly with different components.

Chinese companies have not begun to see service providers as strategic partners in achieving their marketing or communications aims. The companies don’t tend to think long-term in building the relationship with their suppliers yet.

Where DMCs are concerned, Chinese culture is such that the customers consider themselves to be of a “higher priority or standing” and you cannot react poorly to this superior attitude. If you take offence, they would think your service is poor.

Chinese also pay lots of attention to effectiveness. If a demand is raised, they expect a quick response.

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