Keeping up with the times

On Aug 22, a video ad for the 17th China International Fair for Investment and Trade, an international investment promotion held every September in Xiamen, Fujian province, was aired in Times Square in New York for the first time.

The six-minute promo, which displayed details of the investment fair and showed the picturesque scenery of Xiamen ran 120 times a day for 20 days, was displayed on 513-meter LED screen

According to Liao Bin, an official with the Xiamen Bureau of Convention and Exhibition Affairs, the broadcast was operated by Dalian Vastitude Media Group, an outdoor media company and a strategic partner of the fair, which leased the screen in 2012.

"It was the first time we had shown an ad in Times Square. Our aim was to upgrade the event's brand," Liao said.

The ad strengthened the fair's influence, given the prominent location and the vast numbers of people - estimated at 500,000 - that pass through the square every day, he added.

"It was a 'name card' activity for Xiamen. The commercial faded out with the word 'Xiamen', so it not only promoted the event, but also allowed more people to know about the city," he said.

Xiamen hosted the final round of the International Awards for Livable Communities, or LivCom, from Nov 28 to Dec 2.

Lin Dezhi, a Xiamen official involved in organizing the event, considered the LivCom Awards a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present the city's image to the world.

As the world's only competition for local communities that focuses on environmental management and the creation of livable communities, the event will drew cities and communities from all over the world, according to Lin.

"It was a great chance for us to show global visitors a vivid picture of Xiamen, especially as the city government has been working on the 'Beautiful Xiamen' program, a strategy that aims to build a city based on ecology, civilization and harmony," he said.

Sun Li in Xiamen, Fujian