China Newswire

SriLankan Increases Flights to Middle Eastern

englisheditor — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:55:03 +0000

Sri Lanka (July 1, 2008) /China Newswire/ — SriLankan Airlines is closely supporting initiatives by the Government of Sri Lanka to spark a boom in Middle Eastern tourism to the country, by adding more weekly flights to the region.

With this initiative, SriLankan will have 37 weekly connections to nine cities in the Middle East – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Muscat, Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah and Kuwait. Additional flights are to three cities – Doha which increases from the present 4 flights up to 6; Bahrain which goes from 5 to 7; and Dammam which will have 3 flights, up from the present 2.

The Government has identified the Middle East as one of four major thrust markets to Sri Lanka, and has launched a series of marketing campaigns to raise awareness of the island's attractions. There has been an 80% increase in Middle Eastern tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2008.

Mohamed Fazeel, Regional Manager Middle East, Africa and CIS, said: "We are strengthening our Middle East network, as there has been a significant increase in demand for flights in the region, and we see a lot of potential for growth. Our focus is on leisure travellers, and airline's leisure arm SriLankan Holidays has unveiled several packages to cater especially to Middle Eastern tourists who want to visit Sri Lanka."

Sri Lanka is growing in popularity as a leisure destination among Middle Eastern travellers, and western expatriates working in the region who are drawn to the island's golden beaches, mist-swathed tea plantations, and ancient cultural sites. An increasing number, including women travellers, also try out the country's many adventure sports. Sri Lanka also provides the kind of wholesome fun that is ideal for Arab travellers who often travel in family groups.

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Tourism has taken a keen interest in promoting the country in the Middle East. The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Board has launched a series of advertising campaigns in major media in the Middle East to increase interest in Sri Lanka as a leisure destination. More campaigns are planned for June and July. The National Carrier has supported these measures, and actively participated in the region's biggest travel fair – Arabian Travel Mart a few weeks ago – where many joint initiatives were discussed.

The airline's new packages include ‘Kids Go Free' which encouraged family vacations by offering free packages to children under 12 when their parents bought packages; and ‘Island Breaks' which promoted short stopover holidays in Sri Lanka among travellers transiting Colombo to other leisure destinations.

Sri Lanka's award winning carrier now flies to 41 destinations in 22 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and the Far East.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Jessie Lu
Tel: +86 10 84470844 ext.601
Fax: +86 10 84470483
E-mail: yclu@lavender-media.com

Isabella Zhao
Tel: +86 10 84470844 ext.607
Fax: +86 10 84470483
E-mail: yczhao@lavender-media.com
Add: B1601, International Harbor(GUO JI GANG),
No. Wu 2, Dongsanhuan-beilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100027

Technorati Tags:
SriLankan Airlines | Adding More Weekly Flights

Qatar Airways To Fund Rebuilding Efforts In Earthquake - Hit Sichuan Province

englisheditor — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:56:55 +0000

Airline To Build New Schools For 1,500 Children To Support China Youth Development Foundation's Project Hope

Beijing, China (June 20, 2008) /China Newswire/ — Qatar Airways will fund two schools to educate children affected by the recent earthquake in Sichuan province, which caused massive devastation and loss of life. At a signing ceremony held at the offices of China Youth Development Foundation (CYDF) in the Chinese capital of Beijing today, Qatar Airways formally committed funds towards the project.

The undisclosed donation to CYDF's Project Hope will facilitate the building of new education facilities that will accommodate up to 500 children, whose schools were destroyed in last month's earthquake. The donation will also support the erection of prefabricated buildings to be used as temporary classrooms (will accommodate up to 1000 children) while the permanent school is constructed, said by Ms. Gu Xiaojin, the Executive Chairman of CYDF.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, deeply touched by the level of destruction caused by the quake, approached CYDF with an offer to provide financial support for the affected children.

"The devastation in Sichuan province has occurred on a massive scale," he said. "It was a terrible tragedy and many thousands of people lost their lives. But the survivors are also affected, as whole towns and villages were completely destroyed and people now have to re-build their lives from nothing.

"Over 7,000 classrooms were destroyed as a result of the earthquake, leaving those children who survived with nowhere to learn. We decided the best way the airline could help with the rebuilding efforts was to fund the construction of a school for children who have been left stranded," added Al Baker.

"We can offer hope to those children who are in desperate need. Education is their key to the future and it is our responsibility as compassionate humanitarians to do what we can to help."

Qatar Airways Senior Manager Commercial Operations East Asia & South West Pacific Marwan Koleilat and Qatar Airways Regional Manager Greater China Paul Johannes attended the ceremony held to recognise the airline's efforts. Koleilat spoke of Qatar Airways' pledge to help the needy as part the airline's social responsibility role.

"We are committed to the rebuilding process taking place in Sichuan Province. I hope that this gesture will change the lives for the better, as many children have been affected by the devastation, "said Koleilat.

The State of Qatar and People's Republic of China are celebrating 20 years of diplomatic relations in 2008. Warm bilateral ties between the two nations have seen increases in trade and industry in recent years.

Qatar Airways currently operates 21 scheduled flights a week from its hub in Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, to China. The capital Beijing is served four times a week; Shanghai five weekly; Hong Kong daily; and Guangzhou with five flights a week.

In March the airline launched services to the southern industrial port city of Guangzhou. CEO Akbar Al Baker led a delegation on a tour of China, where he officially opened Qatar Airways' new sales and reservations offices in Beijing, Shanghai as well as Guangzhou, rounding off launch activities in Guangzhou, where he briefed a packed press conference on the airline's development in China.

Qatar Airways is one of an elite group of carriers with a Five Star ranking for service and excellence awarded by Skytrax, the independent aviation industry research company. Skytrax also named Qatar Airways' cabin crew as Best in the Middle East for the fifth year running in 2007 following a survey of more than 15 million passengers. During the 2007/08 financial year, Qatar Airways expects to have carried around 10 million passengers worldwide. For more information, log onto www.qatarairways.com

Qatar Airways will operate a fleet of 110 aircraft by 2013 – almost double the existing size. During 2007, Qatar Airways ordered 80 Airbus A350s, together with 60 Boeing 787s and 32 Boeing 777s. The airline has ordered five of the twin-deck Airbus A380 ‘super jumbos' for delivery from 2010. Qatar Airways moves to the New Doha International Airport in 2010, when the first phase of the new facility opens. For more information, visit www.ndiaproject.com

The China Youth Development Foundation (CYDF), a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, was founded in Beijing in March 1989. The CYDF has devoted itself to the well-being and development of Chinese youth, primarily with regards to education, science and technology, culture, physical education, health, and environmental protection.

The CDYF's main programme, Project Hope, seeks to help China's poverty-stricken rural children continue their schooling. Project Hope has been involved in the building of over 3,000 schools since it was established.

Technorati Tags:
Qatar Airways | Fund Rebuilding Efforts In Earthquake

United Airlines Flies Inaugural Group of Chinese Leisure Travelers to the United States

englisheditor — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:29:54 +0000

Travelers part of newly established Approved Destination Status program

Beijing, China (June 19, 2008) /China Newswire/ — United Airlines, the world's largest trans-Pacific carrier, helped make history today when the airline flew the inaugural groups participating in the Approved Destination Status (ADS) program from China to the United States. United facilitated flight arrangements for groups departing from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to the U.S. after the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to open up the group leisure travel market last year.

Each group comprised of around 80 people, with China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Chairman, Shao Qiwei, leading the inaugural PRC tour group on United's Capital-to-Capital service from Beijing to Washington, D.C. today.

"United Airlines is proud to be part of this historic occasion and views today as yet another step in our on-going effort to connect the cultures and commerce of China and the U.S," said Sidney Kwok, director, People's Republic of China, United Airlines. "2008 has been an eventful year for United in China, and we look forward to one of most exciting and eagerly anticipated summers ever with the Summer Olympic Games in August."

On December 11, 2007, during the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Beijing, CNTA and the U.S. Department of Commerce signed The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the United States of America to Facilitate Outbound Tourist Group Travel from China to the United States. Under the MOU, PRC travel agents will be able to work with U.S. companies to organize and market packaged group holidays to the U.S. In addition, U.S. travel and tourism authorities will be able to market their states and individual destinations in China.

"United is proud to be able to provide more service between China and the U.S. than any other U.S. carrier with a total of five daily nonstop flights departing Beijing and Shanghai each day," Kwok continued. "We will continue to invest in this market by providing the best available products and enhancing our services."

2008 has been a very busy year for United. In March, United moved into Beijing Terminal 3 to remain close to its Star Alliance codeshare partner, Air China. Similarly, in April, the airline moved into Shanghai Pudong Airport'sTerminal Two along with Star Alliance partner, Shanghai Airlines.

Following the tragic earthquake in Sichuan, the airline called upon its customers and employees for donations and has successfully raised more than US$1.3 million in cash donations for earthquake relief. United gave 500 bonus miles to Mileage Plus customer that donated US$50 or more to the American Red Cross through united.com up to 5 million frequent flyer miles. United's charity Foundation also matched employee contributions.

Later this year, United will provide travel to the US Olympic team for U.S. athletes to compete at the summer Olympic Games. United has provided air travel for America's Olympic-hopeful athletes to training events, international and national competitions, as well as to the world's biggest sporting events, since 1980.

About United
United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAUA) operates more than 3,200* flights a day on United and United Express to more than 200 U.S. domestic and international destinations from its hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Washington, D.C. With key global air rights in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and Latin America, United is one of the largest international carriers based in the United States. United also is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides connections for our customers to 965 destinations in 162 countries worldwide. United's 55,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. News releases and other information about United can be found at the company's Web site at united.com.

*Based on United's flight schedule between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2008.

About United in China
United Airlines, the world's largest transpacific airline, celebrates more than 20 years of flying to the Asia Pacific region. Commencing service to China in 1986, United was the first U.S. carrier to launch nonstop services between China and the U.S. United currently offers five daily transpacific flights between mainland China and the U.S. with easy connections to more than 160 cities in the U.S.

United's China services include daily nonstop flights from Beijing to Washington D.C., Chicago and San Francisco, from Shanghai to Chicago and San Francisco. In 2007, United carried almost a million passengers between China and the U.S.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Ogilvy Public Relations Beijing
Contact: Shawn Huang
Tel: 86-10-85206539
Email: shawn.huang@ogilvy.com

Technorati Tags:
United Airlines | Approved Destination Status program

Care for Children's Foster-care Training reaches out to Thailand

englisheditor — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:13:38 +0000

Bangkok, Thailand (June 19, 2008) /China Newswire/ — June 16th, 2008, nearly 250 participants traveled across Thailand for the foster-care training held by Care for Children at the Shangri-la Hotel in Bangkok. These people included national social development officials, directors, and social workers. Child welfare protection officials, policy and planning analysts, and psychologists from Social Development and The Bureau of Anti-Trafficking in Women and Children joined the workshop as well.

This conference is not only a pilot training for social-work professionals as international communications, but also a high profile dialogue on policy influence. From the UK, HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO gave a key-note speech at the very beginning, followed by an opening address by Minister of Social Development and a report given by Permanent Secretary of Social Development.

On June 17th, accompanied by Robert Glover, Executive director of Care for Children, Prince Michael's team visited Phythai Babies' Home and foster care programme in Nonthaburi Province and Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok. This training conference aims to create a relationship and start potential training by Care for Children in Thailand, enabling the organization to enhance its success in China as a positive influence and further support to the Thai foster-care programme.

After the Pilot training, a team of four senior officials from Thailand will visit Care for Children in Beijing. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security in Thailand will provide guidance on policies and regulations to Care for Children and supervise the process to ensure the success of the cooperation. In addition, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security will select and invite the most needy and suitable delegates from institutions or departments across Thailand for further training.

About Care for Children Care for Children facilitates orphaned children leaving institutions and becoming part of loving long-term foster families; a remarkable project that changes and saves lives. Care for Children is registered in China, Hong Kong, UK and the USA and has been working in partnership with the Chinese authorities since 1998.

Care for Children is shaped by the conviction that the long-term benefit to children of loving in a family of their own is of primary concern. This is achieved through the training of social workers and orphanage staff, based on robust professional standards, in a programme that can be replicated across the country. Today, Care for Children is active in over 180 orphanages in 30 provinces, and has placed thousands of children, who have spent their lives in China's state and private orphanages, into foster homes.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Kay Zhang PR & Communications Manager
Care for Children Beijing Riviera No 1 Xiangjiang North Rd Jing Shun Rd, Chaoyang District Beijing China 100103 kay@careforchildren.com.cn Tel: 86 10 84702735-617; Fax 86 10 8470 2235

Technorati Tags:
Care for Children | foster-care training

New Bi-lingual Dating Site Targeting Chinese Professionals and Foreign Expatriates Launches Across China

englisheditor — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:59:10 +0000

Shanghai, China (June 19, 2008) /China Newswire/ — China has a new online dating site. www.yuanlaishini88.com is uniquely bi-lingual and targets the busy over 25 working professional who has limited time to meet new people.

The bi-lingual Yuanlaishini88 (English and Chinese) breaks down communication barriers and provides a unique online dating service that brings Chinese and Foreigner professionals together in a safe and sophisticated environment.

The owner of Yuanlaishini88, China's newest and exclusive dating site had a vision; to provide a unique environment where busy Chinese and Foreign professionals can meet new people online anytime and from anywhere. 'China is in the midst of an economic boom, and is fast becoming the World's most powerful economy,' said Eve La Rosa, founder and CEO of Yuanlaishini88. 'Chinese and Foreign workers alike are finding they have less and less time available for dating and meeting new people. Yuanlaishini88 provides an anonymous and secure environment for these busy people to meet,' Ms La Rosa concluded.

According to the 2006 China Online Social Networking Research Report released by iResearch, China's online social-networking market reached RMB175 million in 2006, up 169.2% from the year before. At the same time, it is expected that the market will reach RMB1.2 billion by 2010, with a compound annual growth rate of 84.7%. With the rapid development and maturity of Internet users, the market size of online friends-making will continue to grow and is estimated to reach 991 million RMB in 2008 (USD $127 million).

Why Is www.yuanlaishini88.com Different?
Not only is Yuanlaishini88 bi-lingual and focuses on the over 25 professional worker, but in creating a sophisticated environment, Yuanlaishini88.com decided not to allow advertising or sponsorships. 'Many internet users find flashy advertising distracting and annoying,' Ms. La Rosa said, 'we don't have advertising or sponsorships so our site is clean, sophisticated, and easy to navigate. To encourage growth we are offering free 1 year VIP memberships to the first 20,000 members.'

'Customer retention is an on-going challenge facing all internet dating sites. We plan to continually add innovated services and exciting programs over the year to meet this challenge.'

Safety
Safety is a major concern for all users of online dating sites. Each www.yuanlaishini88.com member uses an anonymous Profile Avatar that protects their identity until they are ready to reveal their true identity. 'Protecting our member's safety and anonymity is paramount', Ms. La Rosa commented. 'To achieve the highest level of security, Yuanlaishini88's programmers built a proprietary multi-level security system to protect member's personal information. In addition, all photographs are reviewed and must be approved by the administrators before they are uploaded to ensure appropriateness,' Ms. La Rosa concluded.

INTERNET LINKS

http://www.yuanlaishini88.com

Company Background
www.yuanlaishini88.com is owned by Yuanlan Business Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd., a WFOE. Yuanlan Business Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd. is based in Shanghai and is owned and operated by its CEO and Director Eve La Rosa.

Eve La Rosa wanted to create a fun, and feature-rich website that targets a small but exclusive market of the over 25 professional Chinese and Foreign worker who have little time to meet new people, date and who are seeking a life partner. 'In a world where dating websites are commonplace, and cater to the mass market, this new bi-lingual dating website caters to a niche-market and provides them with services that increase their chances of finding Mr. or Miss Right,' she said.

www.yuanlaishini88.com is the first of 5 sites planned for release this year. 'Each site will be dedicated to small underrepresented niche markets,' Ms. La Rosa commented.

Eve La Rosa has lived in Asia for over 34 years, and has worked in China on and off for over 21 years. Ms. La Rosa has primarily worked in marketing, public relations, and the communications industry. Ms. La Rosa's main experience lies in the areas of strategic marketing plans, public relations and media relations strategy development, event planning and management, change management, business development, direct marketing and market research and analysis.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Eve La Rosa
Founder and CEO, Yuanlan Business Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd.
Building 3, Suite 919, 1486 Nanjing Lu, Shanghai
Tel: (21) 63841523
Mobile: 138186474
Email: evelarosa@yuanlaishini88.com

Technorati Tags:
Yuanlaishini88 | Bi-lingual Dating Site

Air Berlin: More flights to Copenhagen and Helsinki

englisheditor — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:51:09 +0000

Berlin, Germany (June 13, 2008) /China Newswire/ — Air Berlin, the second largest German airline, will be doubling its direct flights to Copenhagen and Helsinki when its new winter schedule comes into operation. From November 2008 onwards there will be a morning and evening flight to the two Scandinavian cities from Berlin on weekdays. At weekends there will be one flight a day. While the capacity from Berlin-Tegel to Copenhagen is being increased, the number of flights available from Düsseldorf to Helsinki will be doubled.

"The Scandinavian market is becoming increasingly important to Air Berlin. We are pleased that we can expand our capacities to cater for the strong demand," commented Joachim Hunold, Air Berlin's CEO. "On account of the convenient times of the flights, the two routes to Helsinki and Copenhagen are particularly attractive for anyone travelling on business between Germany and Scandinavia."

About Air Berlin:

Air Berlin is the second largest German airline and the fourth largest airline in Europe. It was founded in 1978 and has been enjoying steady growth ever since. Its route network includes major international cities and holiday destinations, as well as an extensive network of flights within Germany. The attractive price-performance ratio appeals equally to passengers travelling on business and for pleasure. The airline has won several awards for its high standard of service. In 2007 Air Berlin welcomed approximately 28 million passengers on board and achieved a turnover of 2.54 billion Euros. The Air Berlin Group is comprised of Air Berlin, the Austrian airline NIKI (24 %), the Swiss airline Belair (49 %), the Munich-based airline dba (100 %), and since March 2007 also the Düsseldorf based airline LTU (100 %). The Air Berlin Group currently operates 127 aircraft.

Technorati Tags:
Air Berlin | More flights to Copenhagen and Helsinki

Marriott International To Add 18 More Properties To Its China Portfolio Through 2012, 9 Announced Today

englisheditor — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:26:24 +0000

Additions will bring Marriott International's China presence to 59 properties, 22,489 rooms

Beijing, China (June 11, 2008) /China Newswire/ — Marriott International (NYSE:MAR) will expand its China portfolio with 18 new hotels now through 2012, nine of which are being announced today.

When all 18 hotels are opened, the Marriott International portfolio in China will encompass 59 hotels providing a total 22.489 rooms, spanning five lodging brands—JW Marriott in the luxury tier, Marriott and Renaissance in the upscale segment, Courtyard by Marriott for the upper-moderate segment and Marriott Executive Apartments for upscale extended stay travelers. The company's The Ritz-Carlton Hotels division also has three hotels under construction in China. All properties operate under long-term management contracts.

"We are thrilled by the continued growth of our hotel portfolio in China,"said Ed Fuller, president & managing director of international lodging for Marriott International. "In just 11 short years, we have been able to significantly grow our presence in mainland China in primary urban centers and now we are expanding our reach into secondary markets and territories throughout the country. Thanks to our diverse brands portfolio, we are providing consumers with a wide choice in accommodations in terms of the type of hotel travel experience selected and the price paid."

Announced today are nine properties which will open in Nanjing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Huizhou, Suzhou and Beijing. Additional hotels are under construction in the following Chinese cities and territories: Shenzhen, Beijing, Hangzhou, Macao, Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

Marriott International's global pipeline of hotels in development or under construction stands at just over 130,000 rooms. Of those, 55,000 are already under construction; over 60 percent of the company's pipeline of full-service rooms is located outside of North America.

INTERNET LINKS

http://www.marriott.com

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) is a leading lodging company with more than 3,000 lodging properties in the United States and 66 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Md., and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2007 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry's most admired company and one of the best companies to work for by FORTUNE®, and has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2007 Sustained Excellence Award and Partner of the Year since 2004. In fiscal year 2007, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $13 billion.

Technorati Tags:
Marriott International | China portfolio

China Now Clubfootball Exchange

englisheditor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:38:43 +0000

Beijing's first grassroots sports ambassadors train to travel to Britain

MULTIMEDIA ELEMENTS

Charlton, UK (June 4, 2008) /China Newswire/ — China national captain and Charlton Athletic player Zheng Zhi is getting fully behind the CHINA NOW ClubFootball Exchange that encourages kids in China to play football afterschool and has expressed his hopes that the project will signal the start of more communitybased
sporting exchanges between Britain and China.

Speaking at Charlton's training ground in London, Zheng said that, "it is important that kids start enjoying football at a young age and this project gives a great chance for kids in Beijing to learn more about football the way it is played in Britain. Beijing and London are both Olympic cities and this is a great opportunity to build bridges through sport at all levels".

As key supporters of CHINA NOW, the UK's largest ever festival of Chinese culture, Charlton Athletic will be hosting sixteen young players from ClubFootball in July this year as they travel the country exploring Britain's football culture. According to Sean Daly from Charlton's Community Scheme, "the ClubFootball kids will find a warm welcome from the staff here and will mix in with kids from around the world they are going to have a lot of fun".

Welcoming Zheng Zhi's personal support, ClubFootball Chairman Rowan Simons said, "Zheng has been playing in England for over two years now and many English fans are very impressed with him as a player and also as a role model. He has seen how positive football can be for young people in the UK and he is the perfect man to inspire Chinese kids to get playing as well."

Simon Heale, Chief Executive Officer CHINA NOW, commented, "The CHINA NOW ClubFootball Exchange project is one of the key elements in our 6month celebration of Chinese culture and we are pleased to be working in such close partnership with Charlton Athletic. Our aim is to create longlasting links between the UK and China by creating and supporting projects that increase understanding and initiate dialogue between the two nations."

CHINA NOW, is a 6month nationwide festival of over 1000 Chinese events including exhibitions, performances and activities spanning Chinese film, cuisine, comics, art, literature, music, design, science, technology, business, education and sport across the UK.

Visit www.chinanow.org.uk/events for full details of all events.

About CHINA NOW:

CHINA NOW is an independently funded, nonprofit organisation which aims to build partnerships between artists, cultural leaders, schools, businesses and communities across UK and China.

CHINA NOW was conceived by the UK business community and is chaired by Stephen Green, Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings Plc. Alan Parker, Chairman of Brunswick Group LLP, and James HughesHallett, Chairman of John Swire & Sons Ltd are CoVice Chairmen. The Chief Executive is Simon Heale, the former Chief Executive of the London Metal Exchange.

The CHINA NOW website can be viewed at www.chinanow.org.uk

About ClubFootball:

ClubFootball is Beijing's first joint venture football club and has broken new ground in developing the game of football in China through a variety of high profile and grass roots projects and initiatives that have earned the company recognition throughout the business, sporting and wider community. ClubFootball runs courses for kids between 4 and 18 years old at a number of locations around Beijing. More information is available on the club's website(s) at www.wanguoqunxing.com (Chinese) and www.clubfootball.com.cn (English)

About the CHINA NOW ClubFootball Exchange:
ClubFootball, Beijing's biggest football network, is teaming up with CHINA NOW, the UK's largest ever festival of Chinese culture, to promote grassroots football and give 16 footballloving Beijing youngsters the tour of a lifetime to Britain in the run up to the 2008 Olympic Games.

All Beijing boys aged 1213 who are enrolled in ClubFootball courses in Beijing this Spring will have the chance to win a place on the CHINA NOW tour. The tour will take place in late July and will include training sessions at Charlton FC (club side of Team China captain Zheng Zhi), visits to Old Trafford (the home of Manchester United), Hampden Park (the home of the Scottish Football Association), lunch at the FA Headquarters, and a series of friendly games against British youngsters.

The project is also being supported by the Middle School Times, and, students on the tour will contribute stories and photos about their trip and what they learn about British football culture.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Unit A10, Jingdu Business Hotel, 26 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, PR China. 100016
Tel: +86 (10) 5130 6893/4/5/6 Fax: 5130 6897
Web sites: www.wanguoqunxing.com or www.clubfootball.com.cn

Technorati Tags:
CHINA NOW | ClubFootball | CHINA NOW ClubFootball Exchange

UNI Strategic Mastering Media Relations in the Age of Social Media and Web 2.0

englisheditor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:00:12 +0000

Studies from countries around the world show an increasing reliance on skilled and savvy media-spokespersons. Companies, government agencies and not for profit organizations now recognize that representing themselves before the media takes a lot more than marginal skills. Spokespersons must not only speak and think well on their feet, they must keep pace with the dizzying amount of information from the Internet to global television news.

Singapore (June 4, 2008) /China Newswire/ — UNI strategic Mastering Media Relations in the Age of Social Media and Web 2.0 will be held in Amara Hotel, Singapore from 14th August to 15th August 2008. This 2-day workshop with leading media expert emphasizes on the critical elements required for effective communication with the media, by learning techniques and then developing the right strategies.

Media relations are often viewed as a 'soft' part of public relations: not as complex as issues management; not as urgent as crisis management; not as personal as community relations; and not as specialized as financial relations. But since media relations often plays a part in each of these areas of PR (and many others), it is more useful to recast it as providing important access points and communications avenues for the industry as a whole. A strong working relationship with the media translates into smoother practices right across the spectrum of PR activities and functions.

If you talk to the media without advanced preparations and training, you have a death wish. Lives and businesses are destroyed daily by the media, but those who are trained properly learn how to turn it into a profitable experience. You will learn important lessons about the wants, needs and desires of the media, plus lessons on how to answer both positive and negative questions.

Learn how to handle even the toughest interview with total confidence and powerful message focus. Discover techniques for creating memorable messages, retaining them under fire and delivering them with credibility. You will also learn to create quotable sound bites every time you speak to the press. Finally you will gain valuable skills you can teach to your top executives. Includes "on air" video practice and review.

You will specifically learn to craft messages to make reporters take notice; working effectively with reporters to make sure your story gets told; preparing for media interview – no matter what the topic is; taking control of a media interview, even when the news is bad and proven strategies and tactics for better media relations.

The course facilitator has confessed that social media is the scariest thing he has seen happen to communications in the past decade. In this age of instant communications, companies and executives are seeing their perils and profits determined in part of how well they communicate to the news media. So, in addition to the above, he will address the rise of consumer-generated media and its effect on PR strategy and how it should change yours.

The learning will be accentuated through discussion of case studies; through which, best practices that characterize highly media savvy organizations will be reviewed. This provides an opportunity for delegates to benchmark against best practices. In addition, the course facilitator will incorporate sophisticated tools and various media scenarios to maximize the knowledge gained from this workshop with practical work and provide individual attention to issues that will be raised by delegates throughout the workshop.

Mastering Media Relations in the Age of Social Media and Web 2.0 is proudly endorsed by Hong Kong Direct Marketing Association and media partnership with ChinaTechNews.com, ChinaCSR.com and ChinaNewswire.com.

INTERNET LINKS

http://ww.unistrategic.com/index.php/component/option,com_eventlist/Itemid,4/did,63/func,details/

About UNI Strategic
UNI Strategic is a vibrant and dynamic company with a passion for delivering exceptional business intelligence solutions through our Conferences, Summits and Training. Our clients are the Top-Level Management of Fortune 500 and MNC's companies around the globe. Established in early 2002, UNI Strategic Pte Ltd is the key provider of bespoke corporate and training events. We remain a leader in providing quality business to business information platforms to provide companies with the critical edge in corporate strategy today. We identify and develop key market segments across all industries and make headway into new and proven frontiers, bringing you the very best and latest in all our programs.

At UNI events, we listen to our executive clientele. The result is an open concept training platform developed in response to our client's needs with lots of interaction between audience and speaker alike.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Joyce Ho
Marketing Executive
Tel: (+65) 6825 9674
Email: joyce.h@unistrategic.com with subject code "BD-MMR"

Technorati Tags:
UNI Strategic | Social Media and Web 2.0