From November 14 to 17, 2012, the wisdom of innovation of cities around the world will gather in Guangzhou, as the Metropolis Board of Directors Meeting will take place at that time. On behalf of Metropolis and the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government, we are pleased to invite you to attend such a remarkable event.

Guangzhou is a culturally famous city with a long history of more than 2200 years. It was the starting point of the Ancient Maritime Silk Road, the forefront of China’s reform and opening up, as well as one of the most dynamic metropolises with the fastest growth in southern China. In the golden autumn, Guangzhou, the City of Flowers, will welcome the distinguished guests from around the world with the renewed look and open-minded attitude. 

Urban Innovation will be the core theme of the event. A Metropolis Mayors’ Forum on Innovation with high-level political representatives will be held in order to offer a profound discussion on innovation trends on urban development.

Moreover, the event will enable participants to attend the Ceremony of the First Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation, a global recognition of innovation that aims to encourage and reward advanced concepts and successful practices of  innovation undertaken by cities, and to promote healthy, sustainable, and harmonious development of cities worldwide. The award is open to all cities and local and regional governments, including United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and Metropolis members.

In addition to the Statutory Meetings, the work of the recently launched Metropolis initiatives will be presented in their preliminary stage, addressing problems that affect large cities and discussing ideas on city trends and evolution. The Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV) will hold its Board of Directors Meeting and the METROPOLIS Women’s International Network will organize an internal meeting. 

We look forward to seeing you in Guangzhou to work together for the future of our cities.