With new hotels, an ultramodern infrastructure, affordable prices - and the most stunning collection of historical sites of any Asian capital city - Beijing seems a no-brainer for Mice planners seeking a destination that has ancient culture and modern comforts.
But the window of opportunity is somewhat limited, given the brutal northern winters that make December, January or February visits to China's capital less than appealing. The southern port city of Shanghai, although lacking an ancient China portfolio, does have a mild climate year round and a compact layout that makes visiting its limited attractions easy and convenient.
Both cities are blessed with some of the world's newest and most stunning hotels and conference facilities, partly as a result of staging major events. In Beijing's case, it was the biggest of them all - the seamlessly-organised 2008 Olympic Games - while Shanghai snagged the World Expo.
Although the two most important cities on the mainland will always be the focus for major Mice events, other, secondary cities are attempting to lure away business. The port of Tianjin, now just 30 minutes from Beijing thanks to a high-speed rail link, recently saw the opening of the five-star Raffles hotel.
'The city is swamped with special events,' says general manager Gilbert Madhavan. This month, we'll have the Summer Davos, and then late September to early October, there is a conference about climate change. Most of our business comes from within China - Beijing and Shanghai are two of our largest feeder cities. Tianjin is not a famous Mice destination, it's always been overshadowed by Beijing. However, it is worth consideration. It's a modern city, yet it's full of culture and heritage.'
In Beijing, Mice business is on the up. David Wilson, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, expects the Mice traffic to expand by 15 to 20 per cent next year, particularly with smaller-scale, niche events. Recently, the hotel was involved in staging functions for Mont Blanc, iPhone and Cartier.
'As a Chinese cultural icon, Beijing continues to attract Mice events,' he says. 'The new infrastructure after the Olympics has helped boost more interest. The city also has diversity, as well as the cultural aspects, it has entertainment and unique venues.
