DALIAN: Participants of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) New Champions 2009 can sense Dalian's preparedness as soon as they set foot on this coastal city in Liaoning province.

At the airport, signs pointing the way to the shuttle service to the hotels are prominently displayed. If you do miss them, there are the several special service counters manned by volunteers, set up especially for the Summer Davos.

The city is all geared up for a successful meeting that gets under way today, according to Xu Guochen, vice-director of the city's coordination office for the event.