Suzhou Is Proving To Be China's Highest Quality MICE Destination

SUZHOU, China, Aug. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Suzhou successfully hosted the 53rd World Table Tennis Championships in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, Armani announced the world premiere of the leading international fashion brand's latest premium perfume, Pivoine Suzhou, in Suzhou's Humble Administrator's Garden, an event serving to kick off the landscape design awards events being held in the city.

Easy Access -- Suzhou, a mere 60 kilometers from Shanghai, is known as that city's "back garden."

Transportation in and out of Suzhou is very convenient. Suzhou is only a short 20 minutes from Shanghai via high-speed railway and no more than a five-hour trip by different forms of transport from China's large cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou, as well as cities in Japan and South Korea.

An Attractive Environment -- Suzhou has many times been named one of "China's Top 10 Livable Cities", "China's Top 10 Charming Cities", "China's National Landscape Garden Cities" and "International Garden Cities", thanks to its temperate climate, beautiful scenery epitomizing the classical portrait of a Chinese city, as well as convenient modern services and facilities.

In recent years, Suzhou has increasingly become the destination of choice for organizing conferences and exhibitions, as the transport, lodging, food service, tourism and commercial facilities have all been upgraded. The city is home to six professional exhibition venues and four professional conference centers. Suzhou ranks third in China in terms of the number of five-star hotels, the city is well positioned to meet the needs of any number of high-end exhibitions, conferences and other events. In addition, the government has taken action to create a good environment for the conference and exhibition industry by putting in place a series of favorable policies and supporting facilities.

Economic Vitality -- Suzhou now ranks among the top five across China and takes the first spot as a prefecture-level city in terms of GDP. The city comes out on top in terms of many important economic indicators including foreign investment in actual use, total imports and exports, gross industrial output value and consumption per capita.

As one of the most economically developed cities in China, Suzhou has brought together a large number of exhibitors and professional buyers, thanks to its strong economic development, solid industrial foundation and active market, providing a compelling opportunity for those who are seeking to organize successful exhibitions and conferences in the city.

Cultural Connotation -- There are more than 60 well-preserved classical gardens, of which nine have been awarded World Cultural Heritage status and represent the highest level of traditional Chinese gardening and landscaping. Kunqu, the oldest opera in China, was included on UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001.

With its unique humanistic advantages, Suzhou is attracting organizers of the world's most internationally recognized events from the four corners of the globe.

Farsighted Planning -- In recent years, the Suzhou government has divided the city into a core central district and four surrounding towns by applying a holistic approach to urban planning. The well-preserved downtown area shoulders the responsibility for maintaining the historic culture, while the four new towns help promote the development of secondary and tertiary industries. Suzhou has been able to strike a balance between economic development and preservation of its heritage while, at the same time, remaining a livable, dynamic and distinctive city.

The city's unique charm has attracted many conference and exhibition organizers to Suzhou, a city that in ancient times as well as today has always been and continues to be hallmark and definition of quality.