Event The 3rd Participants’ Meeting of the World Exposition Shanghai China 2010
Venue Sheraton Shanghai Hotel and Residences, Pudong 
Client Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination Committee
Group size 700

The brief
The organisers of World Expo Shanghai 2010 wanted to update participants on the progress of Expo preparations. The event also needed to address any questions or issues about the Expo’s organisation.

Challenges
One of the key challenges was the operational preparation and execution of on-site check-in for all delegates. 

The diversity of the group meant several different dietary requirements had to be taken into account by the kitchen staff at Sheraton Shanghai Hotel and Residences, Pudong. The hotel’s catering team held a series of coordination meetings two months prior to the event to ensure every department remained fully briefed and updated.

Execution
The first liaison meeting was held in 2007 and the second was held in early 2008. More than 700 delegates from the Shanghai Expo Pavilions attended the 2009 event.

Attendees signed 35 contracts to participate in the 2010 World Expo, bringing the total to 182 countries and 45 organisations. A celebration dinner in the hotel’s grand ballroom followed the first-day signings.

In addition to the main event, a series of commissioner general’s interviews were held in three other meeting rooms. These rooms were located on the same floor, which enabled easy movement. The rooms were later transformed into themed cocktail reception and dinner venues for the final night.

Comment
The Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination Committee was so pleased it has decided to use the meeting as a benchmark when planning future events.

Zhou Hanming, deputy director general of the bureau, says he was extremely pleased with Sheraton as a venue choice. “Genuine and caring professional hotel associates, 1,000 beautifully appointed guestrooms and 4,600 sqm of meeting space all made this event a most impressive one,” he says.