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Shenzhen, China 12 January 2010 – BPA Worldwide and the Shenzhen Science & Technology, Industry, Trade and Information Committee (SZSITIC) within the Shenzhen Municipal Government have announced a collaborative effort whereby BPA will provide event auditing services as part of a larger program which includes government subsidies to organizers of events held in Shenzhen.

This initiative is expected to strengthen the fast-growing event industry in Shenzhen as the resulting certified data about attendee quality and quantity will provide both event organizers and exhibitors with more accurate event evaluation and comparability between events. Of the approximately 80 events held annually in Shenzhen, as many as 30-40 events are expected to be audited by BPA during 2010, the program´s first year of operation.

"We are pleased to collaborate with the Shenzhen Science & Technology, Industry, Trade and Information Committee to conduct event audits in Shenzhen," said Glenn Hansen, President and CEO of BPA Worldwide. "Our cooperation is a landmark for Shenzhen and the country as a whole for the development of professionalism in event organization. It marks a new beginning in event measurement in which BPA can provide event organizers and exhibitors verifiable information on an objective basis to help potential exhibitors make better participation and resource allocation decisions."

"This collaboration with BPA will enhance the competitive position of Shenzhen´s events sector," said Lin Gao, Deputy Director General of SZSITIC. "BPA´s world-leading experience in accurately measuring event attendance will add credibility to information provided by Shenzhen event organizers and inspire confidence in the value of Shenzhen events among potential exhibitors."

With an average annual growth rate exceeding 20 percent, the Shenzhen convention and exhibition sector has benefitted from the rapid expansion of industry within Shenzhen, as well as the city´s favorable location at the entrance of the booming Pearl River Delta. Another key advantage is its adjacent position to global financial powerhouse Hong Kong, the largest source of investment in Southern China and proximity to the important regional business center Guangzhou. As a result, nearly 80 large scale exhibitions have been annually organized in Shenzhen. The exhibits within the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center occupying more than 1.8 million square meters has ranked third overall in mainland China during 2008. New funding to support the convention and exhibition sector are presently being formally promulgated and implemented by the Shenzhen Municipal Government.