China will have a greater prominence at AIME this year when 10 exhibitors including hotels and tourism operators representing some of the country’s leading brands take part in the Melbourne based exhibition on 6 & 7 June.

Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Co., Ltd. is the largest hotel management company in China and has experience dating back to the 1920s. The company manages over 80 star-rated hotels around China.

It is part of the tourism conglomerate Jin Jiang International Holdings Co., Ltd that has hotel operation and management, catering, travel and transport as its main businesses. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company has 6 divisions and total assets in the vicinity of RMB 16.8 billion.

China CYTS Business Travel International, another AIME exhibitor, is part of China CYTS Tours Holding Co., Ltd, a company that brings into China 680,000 tourists annually. Listed on the Shanghai stock exchange, the company received 3.3 million tourists between 1998 and 2004, and had a total turnover of 8.3 billion yuan.

The company has a diverse offering of tour products and integrated solutions for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions and can assist professional meeting planners with air transport, hotels, simultaneous interpretation, audio visual, themeing and pre and post tours.

Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administrative Commission is exhibiting for the first time at AIME. The Commission markets Shanghai as an ideal MICE destination in Asia and as one of the world’s great cities. In 2001, Shanghai received more than 2 million international tourists among which 50% were overseas meetings arrivals, who attended over 200 meetings in Shanghai.

Seven hotels from Beijing, Sanya, Shamian Island Guangzhou and Shanghai will exhibit at AIME 2006.

Great Wall Sheraton Hotel Beijing is an international five-star hotel with 850 guest rooms and 11 meeting rooms which can accommodate up to 1,200 people. Beijing's central business district and diplomatic district are nearby, as are the Agricultural Exhibition Center and the China International Exhibition Centre.

The St. Regis Hotel Beijing is located in the business and shopping districts and has 273 elegant guest rooms and suites. But one of the hotel’s most impressive features is the renowned St. Regis Butler Service, offering round-the-clock personal attention for every guest. The hotel has 15 meeting rooms the largest of which can hold 240.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is reputed to be the largest international operator of upmarket hotels in China with 25 hotels open or under construction.

The Westin Beijing is located in Beijing’s Financial Street area, and the hotel is part of multi-purpose complex that houses the hotel in one tower and serviced residences in a separate tower. In addition to its 500 guest rooms, The Westin Beijing Financial Street features 216 residences and approximately 27,000 square feet of meeting and function space. Notable hotel facilities include five dining outlets, sports and recreational facilities, a health club, an indoor swimming pool and retail center.

The Westin Shanghai is the first five-star international hotel to make its debut in the city's elegant Bund area. The 26 storey, 301-room and suite hotel is a five-minute walk from the waterfront of the Bund - sometimes referred to as the birthplace of Shanghai. The Hong Qiao International Airport in Puxi is about 20 minutes from the hotel, while a trip to the Pudong International Airport will take about 45 minutes. The hotel has 13 meeting rooms the largest of which seats 800.

Sheraton Sanya Resort is a 511-room beachfront resort hotel, situated on Hainan Island overlooking the Yalong Bay’s white sandy beaches and surrounded by tropical gardens. Known as the "Hawaii of China," Hainan Island is the ideal destination for travelers seeking a memorable retreat. The hotel has 15 meeting rooms the largest of which seats 1250.

The White Swan Hotel is located on Shamian Island, Guangzhou, and is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. The Hotel was awarded one of the first five-star hotels in China in 1990. It was selected as one of "A Hundred First-Class and Fifty Best Star Hotels of China" by National Tourism Administration of China in 1996. It has received over 40 heads of states and governments including the British Queen Elizabeth II and President Bush of the United States.

The 825-room and suite Grand Hyatt Beijing offers over 1600 square metres of meeting and function facilities that comprise ten versatile meeting rooms suitable for every type of event. The meeting rooms range from an impressive Grand Ballroom, five Grand Salons that can be utilised as one large salon or partitioned into five separate meeting rooms, four stylish Drawing Rooms, two Boardrooms including the Residence with day light, ideal for high-powered business meetings.

AIME 2006 is at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from 6 – 7 June. It includes 850 exhibitors from 45 countries. For further information visit the AIME website.