Pudong Shangri-La paradise for MICE travelers
Print Edition
PUDONG Shangri-La, East Shanghai stands out in the local MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) market thanks to its large and flexible meeting spaces, experienced service staff, talented international culinary team and forward-thinking management.
According to Peter Clarke, area manager and the hotel’s general manager, 2016 is shaping up to be a banner year for MICE business.
Just last month, in fact, the hotel hosted the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting. In the coming months, the hotel is looking forward to hosting an array of other high-profile events.
“We saw 10 percent growth in our MICE business in 2015, and are expecting 30 to 35 percent growth this year,” said Clarke.
MICE is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the local hotel market. At Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai, 30 percent of guests last year were taking part in MICE functions. Clarke sees many big companies, after attempting to hold meetings in cities like Beijing and Bangkok, choosing to come back to Shanghai thanks to its well-developed infrastructure and maturing hospitality industry.
“Disney Land will open soon, which will attract more event planners ... My experience in the US shows that a theme-park opening will stimulate long-term growth in local hospitality,” said Clarke.
With one of the largest combined meeting spaces in the city — at some 8,000 square meters — Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai is well positioned to benefit from the boom. With meeting rooms of various sizes and functions, the hotel promises the perfect space for any event. For big events, there’s the Grand Ballroom, with its 6.8-meter-high ceilings and space for 1,500 guests; as well as the China Hall, with 7.9-meter ceilings and room for 1,700 guests.
Top-notch talent
“Meeting rooms are both spacious and flexible, and can be freely separated according to an event planner’s request,” the general manager added.
The hotel has 952 rooms and is conveniently located along the Huangpu River in the heart of Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district. Guests can reach the Hongqiao International Airport within 40 minutes, and the Pudong International Airport within 45 minutes.
The hotel’s experienced staff are ready to assist guests and make their stay more convenient and comfortable. Around one-quarter of all staff have been with the hotel for a decade or more, making them well-equipped to handle unforeseen situations.
After meetings and during coffee breaks, the hotel’s international culinary team offers distinctive menus to refresh guests.
“Our standard is to present banquet food with restaurant quality,” said Clarke, who described the hotel’s culinary team as both highly-organized and attentive to detail.
Those who want to venture beyond banquet food can enjoy the hotel’s nine restaurants, which offer Chinese, Japanese, European, Malaysian and Indian flavors.
To enhance MICE guests’ experience and ensure their privacy, the hotel recently opened a new dining and lounge venue, The Exchange Bar & Grill, in the basement of its River Wing. The 630-square-meter venue includes six private rooms, with names like the Wall Street Room and The Credit Room in reference to the surrounding financial district. The Victorian-themed bar offers a wide selection of craft beers, including the Exchange Lager, a private brew created just for the bar. There’s also a menu of pub favorites, including grilled meats, craft burgers and desserts.
According to Clarke, the space was originally conceived as a temporary area where attendees at one particularly large event could interact and socialize. The warm response toward this venue though convinced them to make it permanent.
Looking toward the future
Clarke observes that event planners are now concerned with more than just food and facilities.
“Integrating CSR (corporate social responsibility) values and environmental issues into meeting planning is a new hot topic,” said the general manager.
To stay ahead of the curve, the hotel now invites its MICE guests to take part in a charity program organized in cooperation with Fudan University Children’s Hospital to help children diagnosed with leukemia.
Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai offers various environmentally friendly services and programs. To conserve water, guests can put “do not wash me today” card on their beds and in their bathrooms. Its restaurants use farm-to-table ingredients and remind guests to respect the environment.
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