Prevue May/June 2011 - (Page 10)

planners pick Chinese Acrobats CITY OF SPECTACLES Jimmy Xie General Manager China Travel Service, CA TO CREATE AN EVENT IN BEIJING, JUST TAKE A WALK IN THE PARK. OR BOOK AN EMPEROR’S PRIVATE QUARTERS. Here’s the scene. The street is closed off to public in front of the Shangri-La China World Hotel in Beijing. Inside, over 700 attendees with a global electronics company are gathering in the grand lobby to depart for a dinner by the Great Wall of China. When it’s time to leave, 60 couples walk out the front door where they’re greeted by 60 drivers standing beside new Audi coupes. “Everyone else, the silver and bronze winners, had to walk to the 24 buses—in the alley,” says Jimmy Xie, GM of Los Angeles-based China Travel Service. “It was beautiful, all the Audis were black. Shiny.” Often working as a 3rd party planner, Xie has hosted groups from the Three Tenors to 600 IBM delegates for an international technical conference. “We can put these type of events together very easily,” he says, “because Beijing has so much history bringing people together. Like, 5,000 years of history.... We are one of the richest cultures in mankind.” Emphasizing his point, Xie describes that most U.S.-based groups want to visit five venues in particular: The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Imperial Tombs, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace. For VIPs, he can gain privileged access for 50 pax within the Forbidden City, inside the living quarters and private gardens of Ming Dynasty Emperors. There are other classic group activities such as dining on Peking Duck at the world famous Quanjude Restaurant, available for 500-person buyouts; the Kung Fu show at Red Theater, galas at the magnificent Great Hall of the People, etc. And since the end of the 2008 Olympics, the Beijing Olympic Park is popular for experiencing authentic local life. Xie loves this. “Life in China is so much different than the U.S.,” he says. “In Beijing, if you walk into a park at six in the morning, there’ll be a 1,000 people practicing Tai Chi, or singing or dancing. It’s so impressive and you feel better, healthier right away.” Xie says groups often ask for private Tai Chi lessons and Chinese Acrobat/Kung Fu shows in the many parks. “People in Beijing get used to going to the park and they can’t stop. It makes your mind clear.” 10 | prevue magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue May/June 2011

Omni ChampionsGate Kissimmee
Beijin + China Travel Service
Radisson Blu
Atlanta/Las Vegas/Toronto
Clean The World
The New Luxury
Lausanne Palace, Switzerland
The Call of The Sea
PGA National Resort, Florida
St. Augustine + Ponte Vedra
Oahu
Groups Gone Gaming
South Africa
Scotland

Prevue May/June 2011

https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/MarchApril2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/JanuaryFebruary2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/NovemberDecember2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/SeptemberOctober2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/fl2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorrida
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/SeptemberOctober2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/clubmed
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/JanFeb2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/july_august_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/may_june_12
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/march-april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/jan_feb_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/nov_dec_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/sept_oct_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/prevue/july_august_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/may_june_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/march_april_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/prevuejan_feb_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/Nov_Dec_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/sept_oct_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/july_aug_2010
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com