Journal of Service Science and Management
Vol.6 No.2(2013), Article ID:32824,9 pages DOI:10.4236/jssm.2013.62015

Research on the Tourism Effect and Marketing Strategy of Convention & Exposition Industry: A Case Study of Shenzhen City of China

Rong Wu, Mu Zhang*

Department of Tourism Management, Shenzhen Tourism College of Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.

Email: *zhangmu@163.com

Copyright © 2013 Rong Wu, Mu Zhang. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received February 11th, 2013; revised March 12th, 2013; accepted March 20th, 2013

Keywords: Convention & Exposition Event; Urban Tourism; Tourism Effect; Marketing Strategy; Shenzhen City

ABSTRACT

There is a close natural connection in tourism and Convention & Exposition (C&E) since they are mutually affected and promoted. This study attempts to theoretically analyze the tourism effect and marketing tactics of the C&E industry. To do this, the inductive method and value train theory are introduced to analyze the supply and demand of tourism. Findings reveal that not only can C&E produce positive influences such as synergistic effect and cluster effect on tourism, but also negative result which is characterized by spillover effect. Taking Shenzhen city of China as an example, several marketing strategies are found. It is concluded that such strategies on C&E and events exhibition can meet the needs of Shenzhen, and improve the tour image of this city, so as to help expand its influence on tourism.

1. Introduction

The economic effect caused by Convention & Exposition (C&E) event is a kind of new economic phenomenon and it not only produces direct economic performance, but also has become a new power to promote related Industries’ development. More cities in China are looking for new attraction to guarantee tourism sustainable development and they have found out the C&E is one of the appropriate industries. After years of development, more cities include Shenzhen have become important C&E city in China. They hold more meetings, conventions and exhibitions every year. So the C&E have become importance constitute part of urban tourism in China.

Tourism and C&E are inseparable from the industry characteristics, bears the natural link because they are mutually-affected and promoted. C&E usually prefers the favorable city tourism environment which will bring a great number of urban tourists with providing the consuming power for the hotel and the transportation. As the same time the tourism will guarantee the reception condition for the C&E. Therefore, C&E shares the similar function with urban tourism. From a global perspective, the in-depth integration model, “Tourism + C&E” which is emerging in the C&E city such as Las Vegas and Macao taking shape and it is possible to replace the traditional single-mode of two industry separation.

Along with this new industry popular appearing in many cities, more theories and operation issues such as its influencing factors on tourism industry, industry connection and the beneficial output should be studied clearly in advance. Shenzhen is as a selected case to do an analysis about the tourist supply and tourism need system with C&E background. Then the tourism marketing strategies and counter plans of the C&E event need to in-depth research yet.

2. Overview

2.1. Literature Review

C&E is called as MICE, in a broad sense and its narrow definition refers to the industry formed by operating all kinds of conference and the exhibitions for the purpose of commodity marketing. Sometimes the convention is named as C&E (Convention and Exposition) or M&E (Meeting and Exposition), only includes the conference and exhibition. The connotation of MICE is also deepening with new meaning. E in some research of MICE represents the exposition, exhibitions, and the Event as well.

Internationally research of C&E began in the late 1990s. The representative event was the world’s first specialized publication on the MICE industry, “Journal of Convention & Exhibition Management” published officially in 1998. With the development of the society and economy, Oppermann [1] thought that C&E already became one of most active departments in the regional economies with presenting the minimum reaction to the movement of price, and less seasonal “peak volatility”. C&E can make an important economic contribution to tourist destination, mainly embodied in employment, income, and other aspects of the economic impact of national, regional and city [2,3]. At the same time, MICE industry brings the destination of the immense intangible wealth including social and cultural interests, information communication, the cultivation and development of business relations, technology transfer and cooperation, marketing development of education and training etc. [4-6]. MICE industry has such a marvelous contribution with tremendous potential to the tourist destination, so it is known as the “sunrise industry”. Because of foreseeable significant economic benefits and social benefits, many governments have recognized that this industry is an important value-added economy, they have increased their support to it in various ways [3,7-9] to promote the MICE industry global development. As the destination of MICE activities tend to locate in urban areas, and it is an important component of the urban economic, the development of the MICE industry generally is regarded as an urban development strategy [10,11]. In some developed countries of Europe and America as well as Japan, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong China and other countries and regions, MICE has become an important industry sector in economic structure [12]. Most academic research activities are from mature MICE destination, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, which are specific studies on a particular country [2]. From the view of research, most foreign academic studies this industry are concerned with its influence to the economy and choice of location for the C&E. [2,4]. The study results of International MICE industry show that [1], “Services”, “Cost”, “Location”, “Facilities” will be the most important factors which affect the staff’s decision on selection of the location. They also became the 4 main points to be considered when many places such as guesthouses, hotels, attractions, airlines, travel agencies etc. develop MICE industry [13,14].

Generalized C&E is generally called MICE, and its narrow definition refers to the industry formed by operating all kinds of conference and the exhibitions with the purpose of commodity marketing. Sometimes the convention is called C&E (Convention and Exposition) or M&E (Meeting and Exposition), including only the conference and exhibition. The connotation of MICE is also deepening and given new meaning. E in some research of MICE represents not only the Exposition, and Exhibitions, but also the Event.

In China, the practice of C&E is ahead of theoretical research. By now, the number of cities which announced to build “International Exhibition City”, “International Conference Center”, “China HKCEC City”, the “China Key City of Exhibition”, “China’s Regional Convention and Exhibition Centre” have exceeded 30 which includes Shenzhen [15]. Relevant academic activities focus on Empirical Analysis on specific area. For example, they study the present situation of local C&E development and the advantages and disadvantages so as to make constructive recommendations to the countermeasure of development. [16,17].Cities such as Wuhu [18], Shanghai [16,19], Guangzhou [20], Kunming [21] are actively developing the C&E industry, which can not only bring economic benefits to the city and region, but also improve and upgrade the city’s image. It will provide new support for the city to improve the core competitiveness of the tourism industry.

The global space development pattern of C&E industry expands form Europe and America to other parts of the worlds. Major expansion direction includes: 1) Congregate to the region with rapid economic development. It’s consistent with the corporate strategy of the multinational corporations, “to find new customers and markets”. China has become the important goal for MICE market expansion; 2) Qualified travel destination; 3) Some area with good location, for instance China Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. In view of these angles, China will become the great nation of Tourism and important destination of C&E in the future.

2.2. Description of Research Area in Shenzhen

The C&E of Shenzhen has obtained breakthrough in development recent years, and it is emerging rapidly as the key city of convention and exhibition of China. In terms of scale of facility, the construction area of The International Convention and Exhibition Center of Shenzhen built in 2004 has reached 280,000 square meters, and the exhibition area is 97,500 square meters. The Center incorporates exhibition, meeting function into an organic whole, there are 9 exhibition rooms, which can hold 6011 pieces of international standard exhibition stand. Longgang Convention and Exhibition Centre (the former Hi Tech Fair Exhibition Center) is in course of rebuilding, with exhibition area about 50,000 square meters. In addition, there are exhibition hall of rich garden of gardens and exhibition hall of the international raw materials city of South China. By the look of industry’s operation, the scale of convention and exhibition is expanding rapidly, the international influence of the brand convention and exhibition is extending constantly and the marketization degree of the convention and exhibition is improving constantly as well. In 2005, there will be 12 exhibitions with construction area more than 30,000 square meters, 8 of them have reached 45,000 square meters, and 4 have 60,000. The Hi Tech Fair and the Furniture exhibition area of exhibition reach 100,000. The Hi-Tech Fair holds every year and it has already become an important platform for science and Technology of China to the world and the world science and technology into China. The Cultural Industry Fair attracts more than 1500 visiting groups and exhibiters both at home and abroad.

Shenzhen tourism strength can be viewed from several angles. 1) Total economic output and efficiency indices. On the main economic indicators, the overall size of Shenzhen tourism industry is in the top class of the nation. Among them total income of tourism, exchange revenue of the travel makes Shenzhen become 4th main tourist city in China. The total income of tourist will realize 46,091 million Yuan in 2006, exchange revenue of the travel is 2265 million dollars. In respect to the number of received people in 2006, the number of visitor reached 61,305,600, among them, overnight inbound tourists are 7,127,400. Shenzhen has been No.1 in large and medium cities of China for ten years with receiving 1,391,600 foreign visitors overnight and occupying the 4th place among large cities; 2) Scale of industry. By 2006, the direct employees of tourism of Shenzhen are up to 169,000 people. It has already built up more than 50 main scenic spots, 140 travel agencies, and 1600 travel lodging facilities. Among them, more than 400 hotels, 161 Star hotels, 12 five-star hotels, can get accommodation capacity for 150,000 people every day. Shenzhen has built up a meaningful many theme parks represented by travel industrial zone of OCT, is regarded as the first-class in China with enjoying reputation abroad. It also becomes the leading characteristics of Shenzhen Tourism Brand. Shenzhen has formed 8 kinds of characteristics of tourism products and tourism routes. They are Theme park trip, the city’s characteristic trip, coastal leisure trip, golf tours, human history tours, tasting and shopping tours, Shenzhen has formed the tourism characteristics represented by business tourism, coastal resorts and cultural theme park; 3) Professional assessment. In “China’s city tour competitiveness billboard” which the announced by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on October 28, 2006, Shenzhen ranks in the 4th in China, tabulates after Guangzhou with small disparity. In the travel competitiveness billboard of China which announced by International Tourism Association, APTO and the China Institute of Marketing in January of 2007, Shenzhen has been named one of the top internationally competitive tourist cities in China.

In “Shenzhen national economic and social development 11th 5 year master plan”, the local government’s goal is turn Shenzhen into “international Hi-Tech city with important influence of Asian-Pacific area by 2020, pivot city of the international logistics, international finance trade and Convention and Exhibition Center, international cultural information exchange centre and international tourist city”, tourism and C&E are one of the targets.

According to the statistics, Industry’s total amount of tourism and C&E has shared a large proportion of GDP. In 2006, it will account for 3.1% of GDP according to traditional statistics of the Shenzhen City caliber added value of tourism to the GDP of 3.1%. However, the current system of national accounts, the value-added of Tourism is dispersed and calculated in a lot of fields such as the food and beverage, traffic, commerce, it is unable to reflect its exact contribution rate. According to the approach of “Tourism Satellite Account”, and in the light of the core cultural industries, and related external layer of the statistical standards, the experts estimated that the increased value of Shenzhen City generated by tourism activities has reached 5.6% of GDP. Adding the valueadded of C&E industry, the actual share of Tourism and exhibition industry has already exceeded 6%.

Consider such factors as the GDP of Shenzhen keeps steady growth for long time in future, the economic shape will be entered the Post-industrial era, the development of modern service trade is in the accelerated period, the trend that growth rate of value-added of Tourism and exhibition industry is faster than the service trade has already appeared, the Tourism and exhibition industry combined, the share up to about 8% - 10% of pillar industries in the total supply and demand can be realized.

3. Tourism Effect and Marketing Strategy

3.1. Tourism Effect

3.1.1. Synergistic Effect

Organizing convention activities will bring a large number of people, materials, and the flow of information to the host country with positive impacts on transportation, telecommunication, Hotel, catering, finance and insurance industry , especially to the tourism industry development. Therefore, MICE industry and the tourism industry need to coordinate with all components as a whole. By combining mice business industry with the tourism industry, the exhibition host country can offer more comprehensive and professional services to the exhibittor’s and the visitors. While the tourism can also help to promote the value and awareness of the exhibitions, which helps to improve the competitiveness of the exhibition industry.

For example, the China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF) is organized by Ten ministerial-level units of central government and the Shenzhen government which fully demonstrates the importance of the CHTF, it is possible to become “The No.1 hi-tech trade show in China”. There were 36 countries and regions among the 102 delegations, 3527 exhibitors, 16,067 investment projects and 3487 investors participated in the display, transactions and negotiations in the ninth CHTF 2007. The number of visitors totaled 580,000, professional customer sentiment index reached 157.7. According to the research, participate in the fair in Shenzhen, the local service providers of this fair include: 1) Travel and accommodation sector: such as travel agencies, airlines, hotels, etc.; 2) Hardware suppliers: audio-visual equipment providers, electricity suppliers, landscaped, platform structures, security departments, professional furniture rental companies; 3) Services companies: registration services companies, logistics companies, photography companies, translation companies, advertising planning, souvenir manufacturers, the legal consulting firm; 4) Information services: Internet, satellite, digital services companies, such as the press media. These local authorities guarantee a complete collaborative network services to make sure the high-tech fair goes smoothly.

Convention and tourism competitive advantage is a growing concern, whether the synergy between convention industry and tourism is good or not depends on the degree of their coordination relationship. Therefore the establishment of a strategic partnership between tourism and exhibition could guarantee the optimal performance of exhibition industry.

3.1.2. Cluster Effect

As tourists and exhibitors bear the feature of mobility of space, they have to be the commuters to and off the office. So people can conclude its local and aggregate feature, but the specific activities and MICE tourism should be arranged in the destination carried out with local and aggregation.

Combining tourist enterprise with enterprise of convention both of which are geography near to each other with business relationship will help to improve the local overall image, and strengthen competitive advantages. The local enterprises of convention and exhibition and the tourist enterprise are devoted to exerting of one’s specialty, so as to support each other, thus to strengthen the travel effect brought from the incident of regional convention and exhibition forms.

The original aggregation of convention and tourism will bring them mutual benefit and self-improvement with convent shared channel in addition with fast and constant flow of information.

For example the trade fair of international cultural industry in China it is the only national-level, international, comprehensive cultural industry exposition, which held in Shenzhen every May. In 2007, 9 main venues and 17 branch halls attracted 1,760,000 domestic and international visitors, people could enjoy many rich and colorful relevant activities, there is a fair art festival lasting for more than one month with the performance of more than 10 foreign excellent dramas during the exhibition, 90 professional exhibitions held in every professional exhibition hall and branch hall, more than 60 forum meetings, nearly 20 tournaments, more than 50 specific events. It has already become “engine to promote the development of national cultural industry”. The incident of convention and exhibition regards culture as the theme, so it is the event of convention and exhibition closely related with tourism attractions which will attract not only professional guests, also include a large number of domestic and international tourists, embodying the characteristics of typical (Peaking). In other words, the cultural exposition will enlarge the travel effect greatly with indicating the high relevance between convent, and tourist.

Gathering of large number of visitor requires the jointly act by the relevant departments of the tourism and C&E with adjusting and making the development tactics together in order to promote the development of local tourism. The original aggregation is realized by specialization of dividing the work. The result is that reasonable geographical distribution and coordination of the area make the industry chain of the convention and exhibition more specialized with low cost.

3.1.3. Spillover Effect

Exhibition runs some side effects to tourism. First, the large-scale exhibition causes the sharp, increase of urban price, aggravate the financial burden of visitors and residents. After the large-scale exhibition activity, the consumption ability of some countries has improved dramatically which goes beyond their reach, the rise of the cost of life aggravates the residents and visitor’s financial burden and result’s to the reduced of the travel competitiveness. Second, during large-scale exhibition activity, a large number of participants pour in short time will produce “Peaking”, limited star hotels are monopolize by exhibitor and visitors, tour group in the travel agency can't book the berth nor get tickets, the agents are unable to receive the guests for holidays. The large-scale incident has very typical prescription; the normal life of the local and tour activity of general visitor are affected by such aspects as traffic, accommodation, noise and offal. Its short-term peak effect and rigidity supply of tourism have formed the bottleneck of development. During the exhibition, if the demand growth rate is greater than the growth rate of supply will produce the inflation. Meanwhile, because supply needs to meet the “Peaking” demand of exhibition, and market demand withers sharply after exhibition, the achievement state will keep the situation for that supply outstands demand for a relatively long time. Third, the visitors who plan to travel to destination will choose other places or change leisure approach in order to avoid huge travel peak. This kind of possibility absolutely exists for the mature travel consuming groups.

Shenzhen international Garden and Flower EXPO Park with an area of 660,000 square meters is a five-star municipal park that combined horticulture, display of the flowers, mass culture, popular science, travel, exhibition etc. The fifth Chinese international garden flowers fair opened from September of 2004 to April of 2005, the garden have 8 country, 40 domestic cities make the investment and build 91 outdoor garden scenic spot, there is solar energy system of MW power which is of demonstration project of recycle economy in Shenzhen. The park as the host of the fifth China international garden flowers fair of rich garden of the garden, fully protect and utilize changing existing topographical vegetation, with setting up the garden masterpieces in various styles. Doing the mode of the provisional gardening used in all previous International Garden and Flower EXPO, it adopted the new unified mode in garden and convention.

In September 2004 after the opening of Garden and Flower EXPO, there were 25 countries, 67 domestic cities, more than 300 units and enterprises participate in the Park. It has attracted a large number of visitors with achieving good social and economic benefits. Thereafter it succeeded in undertaking the High-level Forum of “the ecological garden city and sustainable development”, advocated the ecological civilization. Considering the positive effect, it makes the indirect economic benefits form energy reduction, environmental improvement, the surrounding real estate value, public affair receiving transfer payment, solar energy etc. But after the convention and exhibition, its effect of exhibition is weakened rapidly, in addition, the attraction of scenic spot to visitor in static garden is relatively low, the direct economic benefits of the garden are unsatisfactory.

The statistics show, after the exhibition of the Garden and Flower EXPO Park is transferred to the use of municipal park in May of 2005, it has received 789,162 tourists by June of 2007, 1012 persons every day on average, 1/10,000 of the population in Shenzhen, only including no visitor’s if other places and companion investigation.

Because the Garden and Flower EXPO Park has periodicity and uncertainty of host location, the negative effect from can be expected. But obviously, this kind of effect can be dissolved by implementing the activity strategy and establishing the regulation before and after incident of convention and exhibition.

3.2. Exhibition Events for the Service Chain: A Theoretical Problem

3.2.1. Tourism Supply System

Supply system of Travel destination mostly includes two levels, the first level is attractive system and destination tourism products, including sever elements such as basic tourism products, supplementary tourism products, tourist destination image, external accessibility to destinations, tourism products internal accessibility, attractive tourism products. The second level is that the destination tourism and environmental policy system. Momentous event have a different impact on the destinations tourism supply market in two different levels.

In the first level, Momentous event as a new tourist attraction of destination has been an important component part of tourist destination. In order to enhance the attractiveness of basic tourism products, destinations tourismrelated sectors will increase the grade and size of the complementary tourism products, and improve appropriately the conditions of external traffic of destinations and internal infrastructure construction and so on, thereby increasing the accessibility to external and internal destinations. At the same time the improvement of basic tourism products and complementary products and media publicity of events will improve the image of tourist destination, so as to enhance the attraction of tourism product destination more effectively.

In the second level, the momentous event has a tremendous impact on the organizational capacity and strategy of the destination government and the tourism industry. Destinations Government should seize the favorable opportunity of organizing activities, and establishes the development of regional tourism planning and the tourism industry corresponding policies so as to promote the development of tourism destination. For example, in order to grasp the chance of 2000 Sydney Olympic Games time, Australia Tourism Commission established the Olympics tourism strategy.

For example, the 26th World University Summer Games(WUSG) will be held in Shenzhen, August of 2011, it requires to complete 54 sports facilities construction, includes 32 rebuilding ones, 9 reconstruction ones, 13 new buildings .In the near future, the focus of development in Shenzhen will transfer to outside of city, with the new construction area as the core, to promote the high-end development and delicacy of the civilization out of Shenzhen sophisticated and development, and rapidly bridging the gap between urban and suburb planning, construction, management and the quality of the population, etc. Shenzhen should take sports new city as the starting point which brings the focus of Shenzhen in the Northeast district, thereby creating the central eastern part integrated with set sport, education, culture, convention, leisure and entertainment. So sports new city will become urban development strategies and the support resources hub in the East Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta. With the rapid rail transit and urban road network as the foundation, eastern region forms the eastern growth center which relies on Longgang district as developing centre; while western regions forms growth centers with Bright industrial district as the centre, area of Baoan as the foundation. These changes of urban planning will provide greater and better platform for Shenzhen city tourism.

• 3.2.2. Tourism Demand System

• Factors of the tourism composing MICE tourists can usually be carried out in accordance with the following two sub-standards: 1) In accordance with the order of travel time and the event, it can be divided into: pre-event tourists, in-event tourists and postevent tourists. The vast majority of the first two don’t participate as private citizens, but the representatives of the government, organizations or enterprises. So what they concern is qualified facilities and services the beauty of environment and guarantee of security, but concern less about the price. For example some worldrenowned tourist destinations become world-renounced for hosting large-scale international conferences, such as the Schengen Norway, Switzerland, China, such as Hainan Boao town. As long as there are advanced, first-class conference facilities and services, it would become a Convention and Exhibition Centre with the capacity of holding an international exhibition. Shenzhen’s high-tech Fair Trade Fair and cultural exposition help to enhance city’s image greatly. The latter one is due to the attractiveness of the original exhibition and pluses the successful convention, though the target of tourists is not the exhibition, but success of holding the exhibition would contributed to the tourism decision-making; 2) In accordance with the motive of tourism, it can be divided into different specialized tourists and the events-attracted tourists. The former is to participate and experience the major events as the motivation, such as various kinds of games, matches athletes, organizers, journalists and spectators watched sports competitions, there tourists direct motivation, they are just to participate in and watch the game, but not the focus on marketing. The latter is due to the organized events, in order to expand the impact of potential tourists to make decision-making more favorably, this group of tourists come for the event, and they should be the focus of marketing.

• Tourism motivation Tourists travel motive is internal dynamic or power to promote a direct tourism activity. The motive of MICE tourists includes: 1) motivation for work: participation in the exhibition, interviews and reports exhibition, business activities, access to the latest technical information; 2) The purpose of entertainment: sightseeing, and participate in recreational activities, such as shopping; 3) Interpersonal and prestige purpose: To make friends, and receive respect etc. In a MICE activity, the same exhibition participants can handle more than three purposes. But MICE tourism participants have primary and secondary motives. And different participants have different primary and secondary purpose. For example, the major tourists’ motivation of WUSG is work and the other is the secondary motive. However, the families of them will take pastime as their major motive. Despite the various types of tourism exhibition participants have different motives, they may have a common motivation, for example they are eager to visit famous scenic spots and participate in important social activities. Therefore, when we are offering the service to tourists, we should take their tourism motivation into account to meet their needs.

• Consumption patterns behavior of Event tourists tourism The most representative of theory about the Consumer buying behavior is stimulateresponse mode. The incentives for tourists (including destination tourism products, environmental factors) through the communication channels (including destination marketing channels and relevant social groups) transmitted to the potential tourists decision-making “black box” where can be converted to observed the response of tourists (including the purchase of tourism products, tourism, consumer evaluation, tourists’ response on price, brand, quality). For the travel dealers who hold the events, factors they can control are the stimulated communication and transmission factors, which should become an important marketing are controlled conditions to deserve full attention.

3.2.3. The Tourism Value Chain of Basing on the Events Impact

Taking the planning of World University Summer Games in Shenzhen (WUSG) as an example, one of the effective ways to mutually promote WUSG and tourism is to plan activities based on the festival events, and transfer relevant promotion with other festival activities, to develop a strategy translate base on tourism Value Chain (specific planning see Table 1).

Tourism value chain refers that the regular tourist activities are regarded as a link for tourists to increase the

Table 1. The tourism value chain of Basing on the events impact.

value which includes: 1) the optioning of target customers; 2) the positioning of target customers; 3) the design value of tourism products; 4) the formulation value of tour price; 5) the option value of tourism channels; 6) the promotion value of tourism image.

3.3. Tourism Marketing Strategy of Exhibition Events

3.3.1. Stage of Tourism Marketing Strategy

Exhibition generally can be divided into three stages: tourism activities before the exhibition, tourism activities during the exhibition and tourism after the exhibition.

Planning and preparations are the major jobs before the exhibition. The activities mostly include as follows: exhibition inspection, exhibition propaganda, selection of the exhibition place, making the reservation and scheduling the transport ticket for the attendees, as well as discussing the related services issues and the travel arrangements and exhibition meeting after exhibition, with the tourism or service company and so on. During this period, the tourism industry should fully play its role, and the cooperate with the exhibition principal for providing professional services. Therefore, tourism should strengthen study, exploration and exchange of experience and constantly improve the professional level of the exhibition market. At the same time, tourism should gradually develop professional design, product specialization, professional reception, and professional services. What’s more, tourism should focus on high-value products, and maintain the high-end of the exhibition market to avoid disordered price competition.

In the exhibition, most of the participants are on the purpose of the exhibition activities. Tourism agency during the exhibition is mainly responsible for the participant’s shuttle, basic services such as catering, at the same time, they can conduct some theatrical entertainment, and on the one hand, it is good for the exhibition participants who can ease the pressure and fatigue. On the other hand, it will also help to enhance the visibility and attractiveness of the exhibition.

After the exhibition, it does not mean that relevant exhibition tourism activities end; on the contrary this is active and busy tourism time. At the same time, participants have a strong sense of business with good education background, strong purchasing ability, and strong sense of time. Therefore they are usually independent. After exhibitors they tour the nearest or on the way. So the travel agencies should develop some follow-up tourism products such as some trips on short distance.

Take Shenzhen City as an example, the logic of relevant product design is: 1) Special tourism products such as investment inspection tours etc. In the process of tourism, travel agencies can arrange for professional counseling, the provision of local markets, the laws and regulations and economic policies, and other related information; 2) The short and quick tourism of the cities periphery. This travel focus on highlights of the local culture and leisure schedule including half of a day, day trips or two-day tourism.

China International Hi-Tech Fair (CIHTF) is another example, the tourists who participate in the China International Hi-Tech Fair, may choose visit well-known scenic spots in Shenzhen, such as Happy Valley, Window of the World, Splendid China and so on, or shop in the Shenzhen Commercial Street or choose to play golf, or to enjoy the waterfront bath, and other leisure-tour.

3.3.2. Marketing Strategy of Brand Tourism

With the acceleration of world economic integration and the development of information technology, brands as intangible assets have become an important part of a competitive tourism. Establishment of brand is good for enhancement of a city tourism image, thus to form a unique competitive advantage.

Brand is not only the soul of development of exhibition industry, but also the key of exhibition industry to achieve continual development. Based on the unique geographical and cultural advantages of the Shenzhen, more exhibitions of Hong Kong and international events will by held in this city by CEPA. Hong Kong has relatively high quality of professional services, processing management, facilities management models, personnel. If Shenzhen wants to attract and foster large-scale and professional level exhibition, it should take advantage of this golden opportunity with strengthening cooperation with Hong Kong and learning the advanced experience from it. At the same time, in order to create more international brand exhibition, Shenzhen should rely on its own high-tech industries strengths, to develop and expand the original brand exhibition of Shenzhen, such as CIHTF, watches and clocks exhibition, furniture exhibition etc.

3.3.3. Marketing Strategy of Regional Cooperation in Tourism

Exhibition industry of Shenzhen has a good foundation and broad positioning. But positioning of exhibition and tourism of Shenzhen is a question needs further discussion. Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou are closely linked, so there is a very small possibility for three cities being the centers at the same time. From a regional perspective, isolation is not good for Shenzhen without help of Hong Kong and Guangzhou. The only way out is the cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. This will not only make use of Hong Kong’s advantages, but also take advantages of inland. The positioning of Shenzhen exhibition industry should not stress independence, but admit that the Hong Kong is the leading role and the exhibition center of Guangdong. Shenzhen, as an integral part of the regional economy in Guangdong, should learn how to cooperate with Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Shenzhen can exert their own advantages, to develop exhibition market, such as coastal leisure, business travel, international conference, high-tech exhibition etc. As “the capital of Asia’s trade fairs”, Hong Kong, is reputeble in Asia-Pacific region for events size and international fame. In the exhibition season, exhibition of Hong Kong needs 150,000 square meters to accommodate all of the exhibitors, but the Convention and Exhibition Centre of Hong Kong only has 64,000 square meters, and can not meet the demands of local and overseas exhibitors. Advanced Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, take GTF as foundation and PRD cities have launched their own exhibition brands which has a certain scale and industrial advantages. such as high-tech fair in Shenzhen, Zhuhai Air Show, Daobohui Foshan, etc. PRD not only provides products for Hong Kong, but also can make up for Hong Kong’s deficiencies of on exhibition venue.

In addition, tourism resources in Hong Kong and the PRD can be shared. PRD, which has rich natural and cultural tourism resources, and good leisure facilities, can enhance competitiveness of Hong Kong in the international exhibition market. As the link between South China and even the whole country with Hong Kong and overseas, Shenzhen shall, in accordance with their own advantages of high-tech industries, rely on the strength of the entire PRD region to enhance the cooperating with Exhibition Industry regional of HK and GZ and Making full use of CEPA opportunity to develop an excellent exhibition environment. We should take Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Guangzhou as a triangular tourism market to. Achieve complement each other, information interaction and resource integration with reducing the number of exhibition, to avoid the recurrence of similar show between Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. It will be conducive not only to Tourism and exhibition market integration process among Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao and PRD, but also conducive to participate in the international competition and co-founder of the world-class exhibition industry regional centers.

4. Conclusion

Based on natural close relationship of the tourism and exhibition industry, this paper theoretically analyzed the tourism effects and marketing strategy of exhibition industry with taking exhibition industry at home and abroad as examples. Main points include: 1) The exhibition industry can promote the tourism industry efficiently, such as cluster and synergies effect , spillover effect to represent the negative effects with relatively little impact; 2) It analyzes the application of Shenzhen’s local practice based on the tourism supply and demand system of exhibition industry, and we conclude the tourism value chain based on the event activities; 3) We found that the development stage, tourism marketing strategy with branding and regional cooperation is in line with the actual situation of Shenzhen City. These strategies can enhance the tourism image of Shenzhen and are beneficial to expand tourism influence by major exhibition and exhibition industry.

5. Acknowledgements

This work was partially supported by the 2012 Higher Education Reform research project, namely “Combining study of the student’s international perspective development and cross platform practice teaching system in tourism management major”, of Guangdong provincial department of education; the 2012 National Training Programs of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Undergraduates under Grant No.1210559117.

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NOTES

*Corresponding author.