On December 12, the 2019 "Gingko Cup" Tourism & Hospitality + 2019 Sichuan "Gingko Cup" Tourism & Hospitality + University Student Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition, co-sponsored by the Sichuan Education Foundation and the Gingko College, was held in the multi-function hall of the Gingko College. The competition attracted 22 projects from 19 colleges and universities, including Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu University of Information Technology and Xihua University, and received great support from Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Education Department of Sichuan Province, Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League and relevant departments of Chengdu Municipality. Leaders and guests present at the opening ceremony included Lu Feng, second-level inspector of Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism; Di Zhijun, vice chairman and secretary-general of Sichuan Education Foundation; Ma Yinjun, director of Sichuan Provincial Higher Education Student Information and Career Center; Li Hao, deputy director of Students' Affairs Office of the Education Department of Sichuan Province; Gao Bo from Higher Education Office of the Education Department of Sichuan Province; Tan Xiaoxue from Sichuan Education Foundation; Huang Chunsheng, director of Sichuan Provincial Career Training Center (Sichuan Provincial Entrepreneurship Service Center); Yuan Yong, director of Entrepreneurship Service Office of Sichuan Provincial Career Service Management Bureau; Zeng Zhigang, former deputy director and Liu Yang, fourth-level investigator of the Employment Promotion Office of Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Sichuan Province; Huang Shuliang, director of School and College Department of Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League; Xie Feng, deputy secretary and Xie Song, deputy director of the School and College Department of Chengdu Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League; He Bin, deputy secretary of Party Committee of Chengdu Municipal Career Service Management Bureau; Liu Juan, deputy director of Maker Service Department and Wang Junyan from Investment Promotion Department of Pidu Innovation and Entrepreneurship Management Committee; Jia Ren, vice president of Aba Teachers University; Yang Yang, secretary of Party Committee of School of Tourism and Culture Industry of Chengdu University; Wu Zhenmin, director of Training Department of Borun Education Research Institute; President Li Ming, deputy secretary of the Party Committee Sang Zuoyin, utive vice president Yu Yuan, deputy secretary of the Party Committee, secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission and chairman of the Labor Union Gong Yan, vice presidents Wei Zhao, Fu Jing and Yuan Ding, assistants to the president Huang Fang and Chen Bo, assistant to the chairman Li Jingjing of Gingko College of Hospitality Management.

President Li Ming, on the behalf of the Gingko College, delivereda welcome speech to all leaders, experts, teachers and students participatingin the competition, and introduced the background and purpose of thiscompetition. This event, according to Li, leveraged the College’sschool-running advantages in the tourism & hospitality field, and fulfilledthe needs of various industries for innovation and entrepreneurship to solvepractical issues, in an effort to focus on the "tourism &hospitality+" innovation and entrepreneurship, forge new momentum, and fostera new ecosystem in the industry, featuring industrial integration and robustinnovation and creativity. The Gingko College would be committed to meeting therequirements for development of the tourism & hospitality, deepen thereform in education and teaching, and continue to host "Gingko Cup"activities and expand its influences, he added. Li also hoped that the"Gingko Cup" would make greater contribution to talent training andthe development of tourism & hospitality in Sichuan province.

Speech by Li Ming, President of Gingko College of Hospitality Management

Di Zhijun, chairman and secretary-general of Sichuan EducationFoundation gave a speech as a government guest and highlighted the importanceof innovation and entrepreneurship education to the national innovation-drivendevelopment strategy and to the improvement of talent training in highereducation. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Party and thegovernment have stressed the need for innovation, which has also become thecommon theme for various sectors. Catering to the practical innovation needs oftourism and hospitality industry, this event spurred the robust development ofthe industries.

Speech by Di Zhijun, Chairman and Secretary-General of Sichuan Education Foundation

Following the speeches, the mentor employment ceremony was held. Six experts from China Agricultural University (CAU), including associate professor Hou Biao, were hired as judges and mentors, nine industrial representatives, including Zhou Kai, artistic consultant of Chengdu Nongyuan Culture and Art Promotion Co. Ltd., and seven academic representatives, including Li Qiang, deputy secretary of Chinese Communist Youth League Committee of Sichuan Normal University, were engaged as guest mentors.

The competition was conducted in the form of project pitch, where 22 creative and innovative projects of tourism & hospitality were presented by colleges and universities in Sichuan. Based on their understanding of the tourism & hospitality industry, students presented their innovation & entrepreneurship achievements with confidence and enthusiasm, winning applauses from guests, teachers and other students.

In the end, the project "New Identity of Hotel AI" presented by students from the Gingko College won the recognition of all judges and was awarded with the first prize. The competition unveiled one first prize, three second prizes, five third prizes, six awards for excellence, and fifteen awards for best organization.

Awarding Ceremony

Li Songwei, one ofthe participants from Gingko College said, "Now we have a better understanding of the future of tourism and hospitality industry, and I've learned how to apply the theories learned to form effective marketsolutions". Zhang Yi, a participant from Aba Teachers University said,"It's a memorable experience, and I've benefited enormously from the competition, because it taught me a lot and gave me a sense of accomplishment"