Hainan Rendez-Vous' Lawrence Wang On 2014

What vision do you have for the new Hainan Rendezvous?
"Hainan Rendezvous is not just an exhibition of lifestyle with a mix of yacht, business jet and lifestyle brands, but also an advocacy of high-end lifestyle in China, and a leader in the concept of noble lifestyle of Chinese HNWIs. This is the original intention of Hainan Rendezvous and will remain as our long-term vision.

The year 2014 is meaningful for Hainan Rendezvous – the 5th China Exhibition of Yacht, Business Jet and High-end Lifestyle is scheduled to be kicked-off on March 27. As part of the efforts to welcome the fifth anniversary of Hainan Rendezvous, we especially devised such theme concepts as High-end Lifestyle Pavilion, Oriental Pavilion and Art Gallery, repackaged the Superyacht Area as we work to present rich and colorful lifestyle experiences to client base.

As for the new session, we will step up investment across the board, add more lifestyle experiences, and devise charitable and public-goods events. We hope exhibitors, partners and the public could join hands with us to make Hainan Rendezvous a paradigm of high-end lifestyle in China. As things stand, today’s Hainan Rendezvous is not just a large exhibition; rather, it comes as a carrier advocating China’s high-end lifestyle and a new card of Sanya, an international tourism city. In addition, it is an important window for global business jet, yacht and high-end lifestyle into China, and the best platform and bridge of communication for exhibitors, clients, governments and media to engage in information exchanges and trade talks."

What are you doing to attract potential clients and renowned industry representatives to the show?
"Up to now, the industrial recognition of Hainan Rendezvous goes far beyond our expectation and we’re surprised by the growth of China’s HNWIs’ demand for experiencing high-end lifestyle. Essentially, the Organizing Committee of Hainan Rendezvous has been sticking to the concept of “true to the original intention”, that is, to enable more Chinese HNWIs to experience international high-end lifestyle.

While the left eye is a microscope, the right eye is a magnifier. After each Hainan Rendezvous wraps up, we need to broaden our horizon to gear up for the next session while looking into the shortage of each session. Take the 2014 Hainan Rendezvous as an example. We put forward the concept of “innovative service” to elevate the overall service quality of the event from all aspects, such as layout of the exhibition, design of each activity and showcase of on-site service function while taking into account the demands of clients and client base."

What can a potential yacht or jet buyer expect to see next year?
"As a Chinese saying goes, what’s suitable is the best. As the consumption concept of high-end client base in China changes, seeking the most suitable brand becomes the first threshold for a buyer.

To begin with, we consult with exhibitors to show latest products of 2014. For instance, Ferretti will display 7 yachts at the 2014 Hainan Rendezvous and most of which are new arrivals of 2013-2014.

Second, we reasonably invite exhibits at different price levels. The client base of Hainan Rendezvous basically maintains their demand at medium and high-end levels. New products of medium yacht market represent the key focus of client base, thus enjoying more sales volume. In addition, High-end products demonstrate personalized and customized service, which is the top consideration for buyers with strong financial standing.

Last but not least, it’s about the shaping of brand culture. We change lifestyle brands every year and at the 2014 Hainan Rendezvous, we focus more on cultural shaping. The path defined by the combination of Chinese and western elements will bring an unprecedented feast to client base. Delivering brand culture to buyers and enabling them to find suitable brands is what buyers expect the most on Hainan Rendezvous."

Is the increase in Chinese HNWI leading a drive in demand for luxury yachts?
"I would like to make three points. First, yachts are the most high-end product in the luxury sector and represents the part Chinese HNWIs experience the least. Second, the development of Chinese yachting marketing is approaching its peak, which is evidenced by numerous market data of yacht brands. Third, the involvement of brands in the 2014 Hainan Rendezvous indicates the huge potential of Chinese consumption market which affords no underestimation."

What is the regional HNWI of China looking for in a luxury experience like the Hainan Rendezvous?
"First, they demand for product experience. At the 2013 Hainan Rendezvous, world-class shipbuilding plants from European and America showcased 130 breath-taking yachts; among them, 7 are 30-50m long giant yachts.

Second, they call for platform experience. What distinguishes Hainan Rendezvous from other exhibitions is that it is expert at creating platforms for business networking, where clients could communicate with those who have same identity, come from same industry, sector, or different sectors after buying yachts and jets. Hainan Rendezvous works to provide more experience and exchange networks for its client base with similar recognition, such as the art platform of Art in Hainan, Yacht Forum, Business Jet Forum and Economic Summit, to name but a few."

What do you see for the future of the Chinese yachting industry?
"The Chinese yachting industry has got off the ground, developed and matured in recent years and played an important role in China’s yacht economy and tourism economy, especially that of the international tourism island. With regard to policies, China hasn’t put in place full-fledged laws and regulations, which is the largest bottleneck for the development of yachting industry in China. At this point, the yachting industry is managed by referring to international regulations on merchant ships, which impedes and comes short of the industrial development. I hope China would release new policies for or regulations on yacht management and seaworthiness at an early date. The industry will, in its own right, improve standards for hardware facilities and software environment so as to integrate with international standards. I believe the yachting industry will embrace a promising prospect as with the auto industry 20 years ago and the golf industry 10 years ago."

What do you believe sparked the demand for an ultra-luxury showcase like Hainan Rendezvous?
"From the macro perspective, as the Chinese economy develops, many wealthy people call for high-end channels and events to meet their pursuit for high-end lifestyle. Similarly, the tourism economy, yacht economy and exhibition economy of international tourism island need to be driven by high-end exhibitions, such as Monaco Yacht Show and Cannes International Boat & Yacht Show. In this case, Visun Group rolled out the brand of Hainan Rendezvous after looking into and absorbing the operational experience of Cannes International Boat & Yacht Show, Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, and other top-notch yacht shows in the world. Over the years, we’ve been committed to the operation of that specific rank."

What do you see for the future of the show?
"It’s all about “true to the original intention” as I mentioned earlier. We will develop Hainan Rendezvous into a world-renowned lifestyle show as with Monaco Yacht Show, where international brands could easily and precisely find a window into the Chinese market, and we could build more precise communication platform for brands, consumers, media and distributors, and promote communication and cooperation among them; thus positively affecting China’s consumption pattern at last."