It seems like an impossible mission to enable a foreigner to experience China's 5,000-year history in just a few hours, but Mark Zhou, a Chinese, and Alex Koi, a Singaporean, have done just that.

In an effort to enable people to get to know China, they have launched "urban safari" activities, in which the participants in a simulated environment can enjoy all kinds of food, videotapes and a detailed explanation to get an intimate feel of China's history, culture, arts and folk customs in just six hours.

Zhou is chairman and CEO of HighTeam Communications Co. Ltd., one of China's top 10 public relations companies, and Koi is the company's president. Clearly, their "urban safari" is another smart PR activity.

Discussing how they came up with the idea of an urban adventure, Koi told Beijing Review that eyeing the country's rapid economic development more and more multinationals are investing in China and an increasing number of foreigners are coming to visit or live in China. Whatever their purposes are, they must first understand China, its past and future.

"Urban safari" is a unique service provided by HighTeam. Industry experts think it will come into full play during the Olympics next year, when the 17th World PR Conference will also be held.

In the view of many industry insiders, the 2008 Olympic Games are an opportunity for China's public relations industry to make a big breakthrough.

Seizing an opportunity

"The opportunity that the Beijing Olympic Games brings to China's PR industry has three aspects: branding, profit and internationalization," said Zheng Yannong, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of the China International Public Relations Association (CIPRA). For top sponsors like Lenovo, the largest PC supplier in China, the Olympic Games are an international platform to further promote their brand and reputation, while foreign partners and sponsors are more focused on their influence on China's domestic market. For small and medium-sized food and travel companies, PR activities are directed at one simple goal: making a profit from the Games.

The government is also paying increasing attention to its public relations efforts. For the first time, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the Beijing Municipal Government have hired professional PR companies to promote the image of Beijing and the Games.

In the days when China was bidding for the 2008 Olympics, PR work was highlighted.

Zheng noted that a PR team composed of people proficient in foreign affairs and communications was formed right after the establishment of the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee.