"Let's go to Chengdu!" An invitation was sent out Monday to the world by 
leading lifestyle magazine Monocle in Hong Kong and Chengdu synchronously. On 
November 4, the first Monocle Cities Series Conference will be convened in the 
southwestern city of Chengdu. Co-hosted by the U.K.-based Monocle and Chengdu 
Media Group and organized by National Business Daily (NBD), the gathering will 
bring together more than 150 big names from the fields including fashion, 
architect, design and retail to shed deeper insights on how to improve the 
quality of life. 

Chengdu is a modern city that boasts a profound history, rich cultural heritage 
and natural resources, and a quality lifestyle. "The world deserves a better 
understanding of Chengdu and its leisure lifestyle," said a person-in-charge 
with Monocle Asia Pacific.

The forthcoming conference will deliver a perfect mix of high-quality lifestyle 
and business opportunities, and present at the forum will be Tyler Brule, 
founder and chairman of Monocle, and heads of over 20 big-name companies 
including Lagardere Travel Retail and MVRDV.  

To strengthen the brand image and worldwide influence of the conference, 
Monocle's sister company Winkreative, a world-famous creative and branding 
agency, has specially designed a mascot for the event and the fascinating 
design will be unveiled at the one-day conference. 

Moreover, the limited-edition postcards specially designed by Panda Post for 
the Cities Series Conference will be released. Featuring a design concept of 
"laid-back lifestyle, energetic future," the postcards will board Sichuan 
Airlines' international flights to woo the world. 

Monocle founder Tyler Brule and many other moguls to be present

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in London, Monocle is an English-language 
monthly lifestyle magazine with a focus on global affairs, business, culture 
and design. 
 
"Monocle is more than a magazine," noted the source with the monthly 
publication. With correspondents spread across more than 100 countries and 
regions, Monocle satisfies everyone's curiosity by offering fresh news that 
couldn't be accessed on social networks. 

To date, Monocle has held a string of Quality of Life Conferences in 
international metropolises, including Lisbon, Vienna, Berlin, Zurich and 
Madrid. With brainstorming ideas inspired by elites from all walks of life, the 
event has been leading the trends and changes of lifestyles.

The first Cities Series Conference will be staged at the Temple House in 
Chengdu. The event, from its topics and venue design, is created by the Monocle 
team and will continue the exquisite style as always. Monocle's founder and 
chairman Tyler Brule, who seldom appear on public occasions in China, will come 
to Chengdu for the forum.

Brule has a legendary personal experience. Brule went to the U.K. before 
graduating from university and joined BBC as a journalist. He was shot twice in 
Afghanistan. In 1998, Brule founded style and fashion magazine Wallpaper which 
was later acquired by Time Warner. In 2007 when the global publishing industry 
suffered from digital shock, he started Monocle which immediately became a 
must-read magazine for global elites.

Besides Brule, over 150 high-profile figures at home and abroad in the fields 
of fashion design, luxury hotels, high-end cars, tourism services, airlines, 
film & TV, cultural creativity, among others, will be present at the forum.

Those distinguished guests who are experienced in improving urbanization, 
quality of life, business environment, etc. and representatives of China's 
quality enterprises will share their insights on "quality". 

The speakers include Winy Maas, co-founder of MVRDV, Martina Luger, chief 
marketing officer of Ennismore, Eudes Fabre, CEO of Lagardere Travel Retail 
China, Hiroyuki Isobe, executive director of Wonderwall, Marie-Louise Theile, 
director of New Initiative, Robert Greenwood, managing director of Snøhetta, 
Don Taylor, director of Swire Properties, Christopher Lim, Consul-general, 
Australian Consulate-General, Chengdu, and Daniel Mitchell, culture & creative 
director of Potato Head.

The qualities that help Chengdu stand out

Why Chengdu stands out from so many cities and becomes the first stop of 
Monocle's Cities Series Conference has become a talk of the world.

The executive with Monocle Asia Pacific said Chengdu is a fast-growing city 
with immense opportunities. Through quality of life survey, the magazine 
noticed the city leads lifestyles in a variety of ways.

"It is just like a great 'melting pot' where you can savor delicious cuisines 
and at the same time be closer to nature and development opportunities," the 
executive noted. With an open mindset, independent character and innovative 
ideas, Chengdu is attracting more young people. 

In the economic front, people there are more willingly to pay for "luxury" 
products. They'd like to enjoy a meal for couple of hours and stay up late in 
the night. Such life-loving and free-spending philosophies make the city a 
seedbed for creative communities.

Monocle believes Chengdu is right on track to become a national central city, 
which is evidenced by its high-end hotel industry, booming tourism, 
full-ecosystem retail, convenient aviation system, panda-themed city brand, and 
myriads of consulates. 

To improve the international influence of Chengdu through professional branding 
is exactly where Monocle's Cities Series Conference should come in. 

In the coming month, the city will be immersed in an environment of art and 
fashion as a string of design and fashion weeks are going to kick off. The 
Monocle executive said the Cities Series Conference will be a start to explore 
quality lives in the city. 

Source: National Business Daily