On the afternoon of June 17, 2021, the final review meeting for the “Xi’an Exhibition Talent Recognition Research” by Shanghai MICEE Institute was successfully held in the Chan-Ba Ecological Zone in Xi'an. The review experts included Prof. Chu Xiangyin, Executive Vice Chairman of China Convention Exhibition Event Society（CCEES）, Chen Aixin, Board Member of UFI and Vice President of DonghaoLansheng Exhibition Group, Zhang Yunping, Deputy Director and Second-level Inspector of Xi'an Expo Affairs Center, Wang Zhigong, Director of Exhibition Industry Development Division of Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Kong Weiqiang, Deputy Director of Talent Division of Xi'an Municipal Party Committee Organization Department, Prof./PhD Supervisor Feng Zongxian, Director of Belt and Road Free Trade Zone Service Trade Research Center at the School of Economics and Finance of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Prof. Xu Dehong, Dean of Logistics College of Xi'an Foreign Affairs College, Jia Xin, Supervisor of Shaanxi Exhibition Industry Association and General Manager of Xi'an Qianqiu Exhibition Planning Co., Ltd., Sun Jianjin, Head of Xi'an Silk Road Expo Incubation Park Management and General Manager of Xi'an Giant Business Incubator Co., Ltd. Leaders from Chan-Ba Ecological Zone Management Committee, Industry Promotion Bureau, Free Trade Zone Office, Europe-Asia Expo Garden Office (Exhibition Office), Chanba Exhibition Co., Ltd., Silk Road World Expo Exhibition Management Co., Ltd. and Silk Road International Convention & Exhibition Center attended the meeting. Representatives of the project executor Shanghai MICEE Institute Executive Dean Prof. Zhang Min and Director of Information Technology Committee of China ConventionExhibitionEvent Society Hu Qingyuan were present. The project team leader Associate Researcher Nie Xinyan of Shanghai MICEE Institute gave the final report. The research received high attention from Xi'an Municipal Government and Chan-Ba Ecological Zone. After half a year of preliminary research, project initiation report, draft preparation, mid-term review, expert seminars and modifications, the project team finally presented the results and passed expert review successfully.

At the review meeting, Prof. Zhang Min, Executive Dean of Shanghai MICEE Institute, introduced the policy basis, research process, survey findings, and structure of the final report of the "Xi'an Exhibition Talent Recognition Research". Prof. Zhang pointed out that Xi'an's exhibition industry has entered a critical period of development, and high-quality growth requires high-level talents to lead the way. Commissioning this research at this juncture not only grasped the crux of the issue and met Xi'an's exhibition industry development needs for the future, but also made Xi'an the first exhibition city in China to study and formulate a catalogue for the classification and grading of exhibition talents. The project team leader Nie Xinyan gave a detailed report on the project content. The research consists of five sections: "Interim Catalogue for Classification and Grading of Exhibition Talents", "Measures for Recognition and Introduction Incentives of Exhibition Talents", "Implementation Rules for Recognition and Introduction Incentive Measures", "Three-Year Action Plan for Exhibition Talent Cultivation", and "Ways to Recommend and Introduce Exhibition Talents", based on the reality of Xi'an's exhibition industry, adapted to the city's direction and high-quality development goals, with scientifically benchmarked international methods, and primarily based on Xi'an's practical exhibition talent needs. It divides exhibition talents into three types: application, research, and entrepreneurship; and four levels: A, B, C, and D. There are two approaches: domestic cultivation and external introduction; two major bases: academic education and on-the-job training; two sets of methods: full-time introduction and flexible introduction. It proposes competitive, attractive and motivating criteria and assessment methods for the different characteristics of incremental talents, stock talents and entrepreneurial talents. At the same time, the Three-Year Talent Cultivation Action Plan aims to tap talent potential and revitalize human resources through elite selection, backbone training, supporting services, master teacher programs and other relevant initiatives. The research expects Xi'an to leverage its advantages in science, education and strong industries to encourage universities at all levels to actively set up exhibition majors and cultivate high-level talents, take initiative to introduce professional courses and training programs, build school-enterprise collaborative exhibition training bases, and foster a vibrant local exhibition talent team that is sufficient in number, excellent in quality, optimized in structure, and reasonably distributed to support the construction of "Belt and Road" renowned exhibition city.

Leaders of relevant departments fully expressed professional opinions on behalf of their departments. The review experts carefully examined the final report, and unanimously agreed through Q&A exchanges and discussions that the project had advanced concepts and the report had high standards. Based on the reality of Xi'an's exhibition industry development and aimed at gaps in exhibition talent needs, the report had solid, comprehensive and complete contents with a professional system and operability. It has important guiding significance and reference value for the building of Xi'an's exhibition talent team and the construction of a "Belt and Road" renowned exhibition city. The expert panel fully affirmed the wisdom, hard work and achievements of Prof. Zhang Min and the Shanghai MICEE Institute project team for Xi'an's exhibition industry development.

Ma Zhisheng, Deputy Director of Chan-Ba Ecological Zone Management Committee, gave concluding remarks at the review meeting. He highly appreciated the work of Shanghai MICEE Institute and sincerely thanked the experts for their valuable opinions and suggestions. He pointed out that the exhibition industry is the leading industry in Chan-Ba Ecological Zone. So far, the exhibition industry has 20 billion yuan of direct investment and 50 billion yuan of indirect investment in the zone. The whole region is determined, confident and perseverant in developing the exhibition industry, willing to contribute, capable of contributing, and courageous in contributing. The new exhibition hall of the Xi'an Silk Road International Convention and Exhibition Center located in Chan-Ba Ecological Zone is clear evidence. Although affected by the COVID-19 pandemic since its opening, under the joint efforts of the whole region, its inaugural exhibition has received extensive attention and acclaim within and outside the province, boosting the morale and enterprising spirit of Xi'an's exhibition community. The exhibition industry is the leading industry in modern services. Exhibition talents are the primary resource for the development of the exhibition industry. It is hoped that the research can fully play its incentive role in future practice. The hope for a "Belt and Road" renowned exhibition city lies with exhibition talents.

The Shanghai MICEE Institute is a specialized exhibition research institution jointly established by the Shanghai Municipal Government and Shanghai University under the inter-governmental cooperation framework between the Ministry of Commerce and Shanghai Municipal Government. For years, the Institute has upheld its founding mission, made good use of the combination of industry, academia, research and government as well as the comprehensive opening up research mechanism, gathered strengths from academia, industry and government, relied closely on its first-mover advantages in high-level disciplines, high-quality teams, international perspectives, and long-term academic achievements, continued to break new ground, and provided solid and reliable think tank support for building China into an exhibition powerhouse and Shanghai into an international exhibition capital. Its representative achievements include "Exhibition Blue Paper - Evaluation Report on Domestic and Foreign Exhibition Industry Dynamics", feasibility studies and 13th Five-Year Plan for the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), research series on the three-year improvement action plan for Shanghai International Art Festival, comparative research on international exhibition industry development in the context of globalization, organization and implementation plan and related research for the China International Import Expo (CIIE), research on the CIIE spillover effects, research on building Shanghai into an international exhibition capital, research on exhibition legislation by the Legislative Affairs Commission of Shanghai Municipal People's Congress, 14th Five-Year Plan for Shanghai's exhibition industry development, and research on exhibition industry development in Pudong, Zhuhai, Tianjin, Xi'an, Wuxi, Ningxia, Anqing, Kunshan, Yiwu and more.

Photos & Text | Nie Xinyan