Jo Chan is the event manager of a US-based experience marketing company with China offices in Beijing and Shanghai. She is responsible for planning meetings and conferences for multinational clients in the Greater China region.

What criteria do you use when selecting a venue for events you are organizing?
The facilities are the most important, especially the conference venue. I will take into account whether the conference hall is able to accommodate the participants, if there is adequate space in the foyer for demo displays or tea breaks.

Then I consider the rates and level of service and whether the staff are willing to go the extra mile to ensure the success of the event.

The brand comes next.

Then the surroundings need to be considered. Are they conducive to the event I'm organizing?

I look at the level and quality of the food and beverage outlets.

Finally, I consider the hotel's location. Is it located by the sea, and does it have a park view?

Which hotels are your favorite when you arrange company MICE?
I enjoy working with the China World Hotel and the Peninsula Beijing because of their comprehensive conference facilities, excellent food and beverage and professional staff.

What is the biggest problem you've ever met when booking?
Long response times from hotel sales staff.  The lead time in organizing events in China is usually very short. As event managers, we need all our partners, not just hotels, to work quickly in supporting us so that we are able to revert to our clients as soon as possible and keep to project deadlines.

What would you like to say to hotel general managers and marketing directors?
My colleagues and I count on the support of hotels to organize successful events so I hope that they understand how important their role is. Having a professional hotel partner allows event managers to take our minds off a huge part of the project so that we are better able to focus on other details that require attention. It's a win-win situation because I will definitely recommend such a hotel for future events.

What are the main problems for a domestic MICE organization?
They need to familiarize themselves with needs and wants of the international clientele because as China opens up, local hotels can expect to receive a lot more visitors from all over the world. A local hotel is also a player in the hospitality industry, thus every staffer should be expected to have a high level of service and hospitality attitude.

As we know, MICE products include not only ballroom, facilities and simple service, but also exterior service as training on outward bound in today's MICE selling, how do you feel about this sales approach?
Yes, I think it's important that bookers receive training and information beyond the conventional MICE facilities such as hotel accommodation, conference venues and F&B. These days people attend company events and stay on an extra few days to see what the MICE destination has to offer. Our clients rely on us to recommend the best places to go to, the most interesting golf courses, the most pampering spa, the most colorful dive spot, so definitely the best way to enlist bookers' help in selling a MICE package beyond the traditional offerings is to immerse us in what a particular destination has to offer.

Which city do you find the best and where does your company hold MICE events most?
Sanya in Hainan is the best.

China Hospitality News and its daily website are considered as the first bilingual travel media products. As an international event marketing agency with lots of high-end businesses overseas, what do you think about our English products?
As English is my first language, I have been reading the English content of your China Hospitality News products.  It's a great way to keep up with developments in the tourism and hospitality industry in China and I will definitely make it a habit to check out your website regularly.  To make your publication even better, I suggest more pictures of new hotels and their facilities.  If possible, floor plans and measurements of conference venues would be extremely helpful.

What inbound or outbound destinations do you recommend?
I'd recommend going to Siem Reap in Cambodia to see the Angkor Wat temple complex. They are absolutely magical and I have a feeling that they will be closed to the public in a few years for conservation purposes. The locals are also some of the friendliest people I've ever met.

What are your travel plans in the near future?
I will go to Lijiang for a project soon, I'm really looking forward to visiting Dayan Old Town and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. I also hope to visit Malapascua in the Philippines in the next year to obtain my diver's license.