The 10th West Lake Public Relations Forum and the Unveiling Ceremony for Hangzhou West Lake Public Relations Foundation take place in Hangzhou, China

HANGZHOU, China, Oct. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 26, 2019, the 10th West Lake Public Relations Forum and the Unveiling Ceremony for Hangzhou West Lake Public Relations Foundation, hosted by West Lake Public Relations Association, were held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, at which more than 500 guests from around the world, with the largest groups coming from China, France, Indonesia and Ireland, engaged in discussions based on the theme of the forum, International Sports Events and Urban brands.

Several recent and upcoming sports events in Hangzhou, including the 2022 Asian Games, are helping boost the development of the city and enhance it as an urban brand. Like other cities that have successfully hosted the Asian Games, including Beijing, Jakarta and Paris, Hangzhou is expected to deliver a unique and outstanding experience during the event.

In the keynote session, Justin Green, President of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, delivered a keynote speech entitled Urban brands and Economic Development: Celebrities, Sports and Urban brands. Another keynote speaker Wang Taiping, an expert on Japan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Consul General of Consulates General in Fukuoka, Osaka and other locations across the country, looked at how the Asian Games in Tokyo has helped enhance the city's brand. Other keynote speakers included Alexis Lavis, a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and a professor at Sciences Po Paris who spoke on the Olympic Games and the Building of Paris as An Urban Brand, and Zhou Haoli, Indonesian ambassador to China, who gave a speech entitled From Jakarta To Hangzhou: How Major International Sports Events Help Boost the Development and Rise of the Host Cities as Urban Brands. These keynote speakers exchanged their ideas and views on a number of topics, including public communication, sports events and urban brand communication.

At the roundtable themed the Reflection on Urban Brands and Their Soft Power in the New Era that Results from the National Flower Debate among Chinese Cities that was held in the afternoon, government leaders and industry experts from Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, engaged in in-depth discussions on how to enhance cities as urban brands with formidable soft power. In addition, the Forum also included two open parallel forums where speakers engaged in interactive discussions on the twin topics of the Development of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Sectors and Urban brands and the Global Communications of Chinese Enterprise Brands.

The West Lake Public Relations Forum, sponsored and established by the Public Relation Association of Hangzhou in 2010, has become an influential event in both Chinese and international markets. The forum annually invites industry experts and scholars to discuss the key achievements of the Chinese government for the year as well as hot topics that have emerged during the year. The aim of the forum is to bring together top professionals from all walks of life to facilitate excellence in new urban construction and social governance by leveraging their respective expertise.

The Unveiling Ceremony for the Hangzhou West Lake Public Relations Foundation was held during the forum. Incorporated by the Public Relations Association of Hangzhou on September 30, 2019, the Foundation is the first charitable institution in the Chinese public relations sector and is expected to play an active role in promoting professional exchanges, talent education and brand support across the sector.

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