Greater Shepparton City Council Chief Executive Officer Peter Harriott described the visit as highly successful. “The trip was extremely busy but also highly productive with several key leads for us to follow up on our return”, explains Mr Harriott.
One of the most significant opportunities was at the City Alliance Dialogue session where six Victorian regional cities and 10 cities from the Jiangsu province were able to provide an overview of each regional city including opportunities for business.
During this session a Mandarin version of the “Greater Shepparton . . . . Great Things Happen Here” hero commercial featuring Charles Wooley was presented and warmly received by the Chinese delegates in attendance. “It is pleasing to see that our marketing material can not only hit the mark locally but be of equal merit in conveying the Greater Shepparton message overseas,” said Mr Harriott.
Outcomes of the visit include:
- Strong promotion of Greater Shepparton to a large Chinese market where the Victorian Government have established a strong relationship for over 37 years.
- Setting the foundation for possible market and investment opportunities by the signing of a letter of intent regarding a friendly city relationship with Jintan District Government.
- Similar foundation setting with Songjiang District Government.
- Better connections with the Victorian trade and investment group.
- Specific business opportunities which will be discussed with individual businesses and industry groups.
“As well as these outcomes Greater Shepparton is now in a position to finalise an international business engagement plan which will include comprehensive mapping of existing and potential trade and investment for our area,” explains Mr Harriott.
Mr Harriott went onto say that “Greater Shepparton City Council thanks the Victorian Government for their support in funding and co-ordinating the business mission to China and looks forward to building on the relationships established by supporting returning visits in the future.”
