File photo: A man tries out an intelligent sports facility at the 20th West Lake International Expo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/IC]

Hangzhou will hold five major events in the second half of this year, including the Hangzhou West Lake International Expo and the World Conference for Hangzhou Entrepreneurs, local media reported on Aug 2.

In recent years, Hangzhou has made a name for itself hosting both international and domestic events such as the G20 Summit, the FINA World Swimming Championships, and the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Conference.

Hangzhou was ranked as the 74th best conference destination in the world and third among Chinese mainland cities, closely following Beijing and Shanghai, on a 2019 list released by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) in May.

Over the past decade, Hangzhou has hosted 253 international conferences in line with ICCA standards.

Here are the five major events to be held:

Hangzhou West Lake International Expo

This is an annual event usually held from October to November. It features a variety of themed exhibitions, forums, and cultural events on various topics, including economic development, industrial upgrading and transformation, the cultural and creative industries, the fashion industry, and digital education.

Digital Hangzhou Convention and Exhibition Cooperation Conference

This event is part of the 2020 Hangzhou International Day and is meant to expand the global influence of Hangzhou's convention and exhibition industry.

World Conference for Hangzhou Entrepreneurs

Hangzhou boasts a large number of world-renowned entrepreneurs, including Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba, and Zong Qinghou, founder of Wahaha. In October, many Hangzhou entrepreneurs will discuss business cooperation at the event.

12th China Hangzhou City Exhibition and Convention Development Conference

This conference is a platform for Chinese cities to discuss how to boost the exhibition and convention industry and forge cooperative ties.

Top 500 New Economy Event

Hangzhou will be hosting this event for the first time this year, and it will include a session of selecting the top 500 new economy companies in China, as well as a press conference for releasing the list of the top 500 new economy companies.