At a breakfast hosted by Austcham Shanghai this morning, Ms Lyndall Sachs, the newly appointed Commissioner General for Australia, announced that planning was well underway for around 200 of Australia's planned 200-250 events,including high-level government visits, trade missions, investment promotions, launches and seminars. All business program events will be held in the Australian pavilion's dedicated VIP facility, designed to impress visitors with fine Australian food, wine, bilingual staff, and cultural performances.
The business program is a key component of Australia's $A83 million commitment to Shanghai 2010, the largest investment Australia has ever made in a world expo.
The program will cover a diverse range of industry sectors including Australia's world class financial services; green building and renewable energy; resources; biotechnology, education; and information and communications technology.
Ms Sachs, on her first visit to Shanghai as Commissioner General said, "Our targeted business program will provide a valuable platform for strengthening Australia's already strong relationship with China and showcasing Australian creativity, innovation and commercial capability."
Ms Sachs said, "I am delighted to see that Australia's program of business events is taking shape so rapidly. This is testament to the importance Australia places on the Shanghai World Expo, and on China, and I look forward to welcoming our Chinese and Australian guests to the pavilion next year."
For further information about the Australian pavilion's business program, visit http://www.australianpavilion.com.
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A snapshot of Business Program planning:
In May, the pavilion is expected to play host to the international launch of Brand Australia. A Liveable/Sustainable Cities of the Future Forum - a national promotion coordinated by Victoria - will headline a series of events across expo aimed at highlighting an Australia perspective on urban development challenges. Victoria week (17-23 May) will promote trade and
investment in a range of industry sectors, and highlight the success of the Victoria-Jiangsu sister relationship. Tourism Australia will launch a major promotion, and education will feature strongly, including the second Australia-China Alumni Association Awards. Austrade events are expected to include environmental industries and building and construction, highlighting Australia's credentials for post-expo site development and further afield.
The expo's eyes will focus on Australia on 8 June, both within and beyond Australia's pavilion, when Australia will celebrate its designated national day. A Queensland feature week (20-26 June) will highlight that state's innovation, green building and education credentials, while underlining the maturity and mutual benefit of the twenty-year Queensland-Shanghai sister
relationship. Austrade-led promotions in clean technology and bio-technology will draw attention to Australia's scientific and research capabilities. Highlighting Australia's ascendency in world rankings of financial sector development and stability, financial services capabilities are expected to be on show this month. Creative and food industries will also feature.
Legal services and legal education will feature early in July. A nanotechnology event, held in partnership with some of Australia's Learned Academies, will draw focus on Australia as home of leading scientific research. An Australian automotive trade seminar will highlight Australian expertise and complementarities with China's growing automotive sector. New South Wales week (12 -18 July) will highlight that state's unique business, cultural and academic assets. The Australia China Business Council is expected to host a feature event, and an Australian Capital Territory trade mission is expected.
August is Oceania month at World Expo. Australia's approach to climate change, including in a regional context, will be one of this month's highlights. The pavilion will host a focus on the Northern Territory, home of Australia's nearest capital to Shanghai. In Austrade's sights for trade and investment promotion in August will be resources, mining equipment,
technology and services, and film.
September will include a focus on the "brilliant blend" that South Australia offers in terms of trade and investment opportunities. Western Australia will present one of its three focuses for the business program: this month demonstrating its built environment credentials as part of a wider in-country mission drawing on the extensive WA-Zhejiang relationship.
Austrade's contributions will include the third in a series of events promoting Australia's "Wanwu" clean energy initiative. Information and communications technology will also feature.
The pavilion's six-month program concludes in October, which features an Australia-China Science Academies' Symposium, and further energy and minerals showcases. An event held by AustCham Shanghai to honour the finalists in the Australia-China Business Awards will be a memorable evening in the pavilion's well-appointed facilities. Australian wine and fashion promotions will set a festive mood to celebrate the end of a successful expo.
Throughout the six months, the pavilion's sponsors will host a number of corporate hospitality events as part of sponsorship agreements.