CHENGDU, China, Nov. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The launch event of China City Conference and Exhibition Industry Competitiveness Index and High-level Academic Forum 2016, hosted by the China Convention and Exhibition Society (CCES), was held in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, on October 21, 2016. It is the first time that CCES has released an index that measures the competitiveness of the convention and exhibition industry on a city-by-city basis nationwide. The index will be updated and the forum will be held annually.

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During the launch event, CCES standing vice president Chu Xiangyin announced the findings that were the results of the research that was conducted to compile the index and determine the rankings of exhibition cities. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu placed at the top of the list, with Chengdu ranking fifth nationwide. Chengdu also led the Midwest China category. The list was produced based on in-depth research and evaluation by over 20 top industry experts, who used four key criteria in determining the rankings: the exhibition city's overall competitiveness, overall environmental competitiveness, competitiveness in management and services, as well as visitors and exhibitors' satisfaction with the city's competitiveness, with a focus on comparing each city's key competitive elements.

The head of the Chengdu Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT-Chengdu) explained that over the last few years, Chengdu has put in place a state-of-the-art industrial infrastructure that boosts the collaborative development of the city's advanced manufacturing, modern service and modern urban agriculture industries. The city has also established a large number of modern manufacturing and service industry clusters across a wide range of sectors, among them, industries where competitiveness is key, including the electronic information and automotive sectors, as well as strategic emerging industries, including aerospace, rail transit, biopharmaceuticals and intelligent manufacturing, in addition to several stalwart sectors, among them, software and information services, modern logistics, technology, finance, commerce, trade and tourism. Chengdu is now home to 278 companies that rank among the Fortune Global 500, demonstrating the city's strong industrial foundation and unique position as a major destination of choice for conventions and exhibitions. Chengdu is China's fourth and the inland's first city to announce the 72-hour visa-free policy, following Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Airlines serving Chengdu have launched 89 international and regional routes connecting passengers to 199 cities around the world, with comprehensive coverage extending into major hub cities in North America, Europe, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The Chengdu-Europe high-speed railway provides the most convenient and fastest land port for goods destined for Europe. Today, Chengdu is among China's tier 2 cities requiring the fewest administrative approval procedures and the only one in the western part of the country to rank among China's Top 10 Best Cities for Service-oriented Government.

Website: www.cbecd.com

SOURCE China Council For the Promotion of International Trade Chengdu Sub-council