Punt on Shanghai certain to pay off
BUSINESS and industry leaders are hoping their “Hi Shanghai” could do for the Gold Coast what “G’day LA” has done for wider Australia – and this year your business is invited.
The Gold Coast Suns “home game” on May 19, at Shanghai’s Jiangwan Stadium, will form the centrepiece of a five-day expo of business and trade, centred on The W hotel, which will be transformed into a GC HQ.
While last year’s inaugural China match was spearheaded by Port Adelaide and the AFL, the Suns have taken charge of their own delegation for 2018, hosting up to 200 people looking to grow their business in the world’s most populous city.
Those wanting to attend can buy packages from $3990 per person plus flights.
Suns CEO Mark Evans said, as well as the game itself, delegates on the five-day program could attend a banquet, training sessions, sightseeing and a showpiece Shanghai Surf Club Cocktail Party, with The W themed in Gold Coast style – complete with surf lifesaving flags by the pool.
“Last time, we joined into most of the AFL activities and this year we decided to very much stand alone and promote Queensland and particularly the Gold Coast,” he said.
“All of our events are tied in with tourism, education and industry and running our own delegation means that we’ll take over a part of Shanghai and ‘Gold Coastify’ our venue.
“We’ll hopefully be able to connect Australian and Chinese businesses and explore some opportunities.”
The delegation will include representatives from Gold Coast Tourism and Study Gold Coast, as well as State Government trade officers.
Study Gold Coast chairman Rob Borbidge said the trip would include a study mission, which would see the renewal of a deal with the city Chengdu which has sent high school students for familiarisation trips to the Gold Coast.
“China’s not a place you just go once.
“You’ve got to keep at it and you’ve got to build those relationships over a period of time.”
Mayor Tom Tate said following up last year’s Shanghai Suns match showed the city was not a “one-trick pony”.
Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan said the trip would be a GC-themed “mini-expo in Shanghai”.