TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
A B2B event, China Visitors Summit 2024 will take place from September 5 to 6 in Dubai and September 9 to 10 in Doha. With TRAVTALK as its media partner, the event comprises face-to-face meetings between 150 suppliers and 150 buyers. The summit comes back to Dubai an Doha in 2024 after its success in the past year, says Alexander Glos, CEO, China i2i Group.
Dr. Shehara Rizly
Could you share a bit about how it led you to found the China i2i Group?
I hail from Manhattan. I graduated from Columbia College and Columbia Business School. After my Post-Graduation, I honed my skills at Merrill Lynch and The Garter Group before venturing into the ITE Group in London and Moscow. The China i2i Group was incepted in 1999, propelled by my interest in China’s dynamics and its global impact.
What prompted the creation of the CVS?
The genesis of the Chinese Visitors’ Summit dates to 2008 when our China-focused travel agents voiced frustration over excessive expenditures on exhibitions. They sought meaningful interactions with handpicked Chinese global travel buyers. We aimed to shift the paradigm towards quality and personalised interactions, eschewing the ‘bigger is better’ ethos.
What sets the CVS apart from other events?
The CVS is not confined to exhibition spaces; it is entrenched in the market. Operating in Dubai, Doha, Europe, South East Asia, and North America, the CVS offers buyers an immersive experience of the destination, while facilitating face-to-face meetings with prospective partners.
What can suppliers anticipate at the Summit?
Customisation is the key. Suppliers—be it hotels, destinations, or attractions—can cherry-pick the buyers they wish to engage with. Whether targeting group and leisure travellers, luxury segments, or M!CE, suppliers have the autonomy to curate their meeting roster.
What distinguishes Chinese buyers at the CVS?
Chinese buyer selection hinges on their existing business ties with the CVS host destination. Each buyer delegate must demonstrate procurement responsibility and invest in the registration fee and airfare. This underscores their commitment to forging direct relationships with local suppliers, bypassing intermediaries for quality assurance.
Where do you envision the CVS is heading in the future?
The trajectory of the CVS is undeniably international. With upcoming editions in Dubai, Doha, Madrid, and Barcelona, we are poised to announce/organise an CVS for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Moreover, we are introducing side discovery experiences in the Sultanate of Oman, Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Maldives this year. The journey is exhilarating—our inaugural CVS in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi in 2012, marked the dawn of a new era. Today, the Chinese buyers are well-versed with global destinations, and CVS serves as their conduit to the world.
