TOP minds from the world's leading corporations will gather in Shanghai this weekend and brainstorm ways to make the city a better business market.
They will give their views and share their experiences with Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng at the 23rd International Business Leaders' Advisory Council themed "bolstering the market system" this year.
About 500 foreign and Chinese delegates will take part in the forum, including consul generals, senior government officials, heads of major state-owned companies and top private firms.
This morning, a book full of insights on how to improve Shanghai's business environment was made public, and it lifted the curtain on this grand annual forum, which provides a convergence point between global experience and the city's aspirations.
Based on a pre-forum survey, the book "Overseas Perspective On Shanghai's Business Environment," collected constructive opinions and advice from senior executives at multinational companies and overseas financial media professionals working and living in Shanghai.
The book is sponsored by Shanghai Daily and the Oriental Morning Post, and supported by the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipality, the Foreign Affairs Department of the Shanghai Municipality and Shanghai Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment.
The book, to be presented to a broader audience at the forum, has won praise among its first batch of readers.
Jacob Wallenberg, chairman of Investor AB who will chair this year's council, deemed it a worthy and rewardable effort.
"Change of information is always good," said Wallenberg today at a press briefing, saying he will read it carefully.
Apart from the book, this year's forum also upped its game by creating a logo and a website to illustrate its growing clout and members' long-term commitment.
Designed by the WPP, the logo is a round label constituted with many triangles in blue with different shades. It indicates that business stars from around the world will gather in the city for the forum and let their wisdom shine.
The website will make a paperless forum possible - a forum managed in a more environmentally friendly way.
The IBLAC forum was initiated in 1989 by Zhu Rongji, mayor of Shanghai at the time who later became Chinese premier.
He envisaged it as a platform for the world's top business leaders to provide strategic advice on Shanghai's development and the challenges it faced.
The council has grown into an international think-tank for Shanghai's mayors.
It started with 12 members from seven countries, and has grown to 50 members from 16 countries. They come from various industries including finance, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and retail.
Source:shanghaidaily