On October 15, 2012, the appointing ceremony of the Technical Committee of the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation ("Guangzhou Award") was launched. The committee consisting of eight experts from four countries will evaluate 153 cities from 56 countries. Co-hosted by Metropolis, UCLG, and Guangzhou Municipal Government, the Award aims to reward innovations to improve the socio-economic environments in cities and regions, promote sustainability, and hence advance the livelihood of their citizens.
The Technical Committee will select 15 candidate cities and 30 expert-recommended cities from the 153 cities, and the review committee will select five winners from the 15 candidate cities. The award evening party will be held in Guangzhou on November 16, 2012 in the framework of the Metropolis Board of Directors meeting.