The festival, together with tourism and real estate economy, is called the three "smokeless industries" in the new century, which are important drive force in urban development and an major aspects of modern urban competitiveness. The economy has transferred from the speed growth into the quality promotion,these festivals could promote effectively on co-casting city fame and competitiveness.
Festival Promotes Urban Development
Weifang International Kite Festival, Shandong-Taiwan Economic and Trade Fair, China-Japan-South Korea Industrial Expo, Cultural Exhibition and a series of major festivals activities came into being, which has sped up the urban development. Driven by these festivals, almost every county and city has its own special festivals, such as Shouguang vegetable Expo, Qingzhou Flower Fair, Changle Gem Fair, Changyi Green Expo, Gaomi Red Sorghum Culture Festival, Zhucheng Shun Culture Festival, Linqu Rare Stone Show, Binhai Kite surfing Competition and so on. With its unique ascendant,these activities assist the urban development and promoting Weifang economic and social competitiveness.
Cultivating new growth point of regional economy, International Kite Festival, Shandong-taiwan Economic and Trade Fair, Shouguang Vegetable Fair, Qingzhou Flower Fair and so on are base on the local characteristic and the industry superiority to attract more investments, technology and talented person. For example, Weifang as the host city of Shandong-taiwan Economic and Trade Fair, through the festival to attract a large number of Taiwan-funded enterprises to invest in Weifang, such as listed companies, Dacheng Group, Wangwang Group, Chenglin Group, have settled in Weifang. Only on the 24th session, 38 projects,with the total investment of 26.369 billion yuan had been signed.
The acceleration of opening to the world. Each event is not only a gathering of wisdom, information and wealth, but also a concentrated presentation of new ideas, new concepts and new achievements. The event provides opportunities for cross-regions, cross-industry and cross-border exchanges of modern knowledge, information and technology, and speeds up the opening to the world in an all-round way. Weifang adheres to the mission of festival services for economic and trade, from a anonymous city at the beginning, to the current success of tied with more than 190 countries, and has attracted remarkable investments. In 2018 alone ,233 projects with investment of 145.8 billion yuan had been signed with the cities outside the Shandong province.
Expanded the influence of the city. Weifang Festival developed influential rapidly,like added "power" to the development of characteristic industries, become a"booster" of the local economy, and rapidly enhance the influence and the competitiveness of the city. In recent years, Weifang City has been rewarded the titles of National Environment Protection City, National Health City, National Garden-like City, China's excellent tourist city, National Advanced City of Science and Technology Progress, National cyclic utilization demonstration City, National civilized City, etc., and won the Chinese Top Habitat Environment Award. Weifang ranked the sixth of Forbes’s 2018 "top 30 prefecture-level cities in Chinese mainland" list certified the urban comprehensive competitiveness has improved further.
Suggestions on developing economy and expanding city influence
Weifang is located at the intersection area of Bo Sea Economic scope and Peninsula City groups. Its obvious location advantage, strong industrial foundation and abundant natural resources noted its strong comprehensive capacity and bearing capacity, Thus it still could be improved greatly.
Innovation and development. Only innovators win. Innovation is the soul of improving the economy and sustainable development of the festival, and it is also the force to keep the city’s vitality. All kinds of festivals should always adhere to innovation, integrate innovation into fame promotion, create new activities, actively build new brands, explore new modes of festivals, and accelerate the realization of new achievements. We will continue to hold all kinds of festivals with new ideas and hard work, to give full play in the infinite potential energy of the festival, and to inject strong impetus and lasting vitality into Weifang fame building as well as playing a good leading role.
Pay attention to quality control. Quality is the soul of the brand.Anyone marked brand all count on its excellent quality. From project planning to venue layout, from design to implementation, from arrangement to service, all of the practices of building brands must pursuit to excellence and quality.Only the craftsman spirit of being specialized, refined, meticulous and practical, is a proper approach to gain the exquisite "gold-lettered signboard ". To enhance the city influence and maintain the good image, we must firmly improve the quality of the festival, adhere to the concept of excellence and work out the fine products with perseverance efforts, first-class work to create a new situation of work, strive to city influence promotion.
Speeding up the talents training. Talent is the foundation of rejuvenation, the vital section of people enriching. At present, Weifang is lack of this professional personnel obviously. Strengthening the related training and reserve of high-quality talents who are familiar with business and good at management,the festivals could be realized the sustainable development and create Weifang's exquisite city image.