PolyU to Host International Forum on China Hotel Brand Development

Co-organised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Jiangsu Provincial Tourism Bureau, and co-hosted by PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) and Jinling Hotels and Resorts Corporation, the 3rd International Forum on China Hotel Brand Development will take place in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China from 27 to 28 April 2009.

The Forum is sponsored by the K. Wah Group and supported by the China Tourist Hotels Association.

In response to the fast expanding opportunities in the hospitality industry in China, PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management initiated the International Forum on China Hotel Brand Development in 2007.

The Forum has been successful in providing an invaluable platform for industry practitioners, academics and government officials to discuss the development and management of hotel brands in China, and it has since become one of the most important forums in fostering open discussions on this important topic.

Professor Kaye Chon, Chair Professor and Director of SHTM, said, “I am pleased to note that, due to our location and history, our school is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in facilitating the development of China’s hospitality industry. I am certain that the forum will provide impetus to the further development and management of branding particularly for Chinese hotel chains.”

“This year, I am delighted that we have the strong support from the Jiangsu Provincial Tourism Bureau and the Jinling Hotels and Resorts Corporation. I also thank the K.Wah Group for sponsoring this Forum for the third year,” he added.

The forum will be organised around, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Views of the top leaders in China’s hotel industry
• The “crystal ball”: Seeing through 2009 and beyond
• Effective strategies to develop new brands
• Re-branding strategies of established hotel chains
• Development strategies of state-owned hotels, privately-owned hotels, deluxe hotels and budget hotels
• Investing in brands: How to bridge the gap between hotel brands and owners
• Development of Chinese Leadership in hotel industry
• Case studies on developing successful brands

Experts in the hospitality industry will also share their views in the forum. Speakers include:

• Professor Kaye Chon, Chair Professor and Director, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, PolyU
• Professor Dai Bin, Deputy Dean, China Tourism Academy
• Mr Tang Wenjian, Chairman and President, Jinling Holdings Ltd
• Mr Zhang Rungang, Chairman, BTG-Jianguo Hotels and Resorts Management Company
• Mr Chen Miaolin, Chairman and President, New Century Tourism Group
• Mr Yang Weimin, CEO, Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels (Group) Company Ltd
• Mr Sun Jian, CEO, Home Inns and Hotels Management Inc
• Mr Bernold O. Schroeder, Senior Vice President and Managing Director – Hotel Operations, Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts
• Ms Belinda Yeung, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Regal Hotels International Holdings Ltd
• Mr Andrew Hirst, Operations Director, Asia, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
• Mr Romain Chan, Group General Manager, Miramar Hotel Group
• Mr Stephen Ho, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Development, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels and Resorts
• Mr Lin Cong, Vice President of Hotel Development (China), Marriott International

China has become one of the most visited destinations of the world, with international tourist arrivals recorded at 53 million in 2008. It is also forecast by UNWTO that China will become the first destination in the world by 2020 and the fourth largest source market.

PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management is a leading provider of hospitality education in the Asia Pacific Region. It is ranked No. 4 among the world’s top hotel and tourism schools based on research and scholarship, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research in 2005.

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