2011 World Leisure Expo Debuts with Worldwide Marketing Campaign Kicking-off in London

LONDON, April 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The World Leisure Expo Committee recently launched a worldwide marketing campaign for the 2011 World Leisure Expo in London. Mr. Shi Yongsheng, Deputy Director of the 2011 World Leisure Expo Committee, addressed excited attendees during a press conference at the Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square on April 7th. The kick-off event was held to promote the campaign and to allow Mr. Shi to send his personal invitation to citizens from around the world.

Mr. Casey signs contract to confirm attendance at the 2011 World Leisure Expo

Mr. Shi introduced the Expo that will be held from September 17 to November 18, 2011, in Hangzhou, China. Promoted under the theme "Leisure - Enhancing the Quality of Life," the eagerly anticipated international Expo will cover a multitude of leisure activities, while also providing a full-on leisure experience. The organisers have invited 50 cities and 50 leisure-based enterprises to share their culture and experiences on how best to drive the leisure industry's development.

When asked about why London was chosen as the first stop in their worldwide campaign, Mr. Shi expressed his excitement, noting that it was because the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London marked the beginning of a new era in world fairs. Drawing on the connection, Mr. Shi hopes that the 2011 World Leisure Expo will blaze a trail for the prosperity of the world's leisure industry, changing people's lives for the better.

Mr. Shi said, "We aim to foster collaboration and communication among cities from home and abroad, and we are dedicated to providing a platform to present the latest developments in the leisure industry. We are determined to advocate the academic research of leisure, and ultimately, we believe, help transform the industry by helping to shape new modes of leisure."  

Also in attendance were committee members of the World Leisure Organisation. Chairman Derek Casey signed a contract to confirm his attendance at the Expo in Hangzhou. He noted that he would confer the 2011 International Innovation Prize then, which is regarded as a supreme honor for any organization that seeks to nurture local, national or international leisure culture for the benefit and development of individuals and communities in a creative way.

This new cooperation is actually the second time the Hangzhou Municipal Government and World Leisure Organisation have cooperated with each other. In 2006, they successfully held the 1st World Leisure Expo and made striking achievements. It lasted 6 months and welcomed 88 cities from 26 countries, such as Nimes, Leeds, Berlin, Oviedo, Hague and Pisa. 34.22 million people attended the Expo, while 233 business events brought Hangzhou over GBP 620 million in foreign capital and a trade turnover of about GBP1.3 billion.

Compared with the 1^st Expo, the 2011 Expo will be more internationalized. Many new multicultural programmes are introduced, such as International Leisure Carnival, International Concert and Beer Festival. Meantime, the Expo committee is exerting every bit of effort to publicize the grand leisure feast. Next on the campaign trail will be France and Germany.

For more information, please visit http://en.wl-expo.com/.