20 Scenes From HP's Global Influencer Summit In Shanghai

Modern City, Cutting Edge Products

At Hewlett-Packard's Global Influencer Summit in Shanghai, China, company officials took the wraps off some 80 new products, including new Ultrabooks, all-in-one printers and other offerings that illustrate the growing influence of consumerization.

Shanghai is in the midst of a dramatic modernization that includes the construction of some of the world's tallest skyscrapers. HP has been doing business in China since 1985, and Shanghai is the site for one of HP's Printing and Personal Systems R&D centers.

"I'm not sure there is a better city in the world than Shanghai to showcase these capabilities," Todd Bradley, HP's PPS executive vice president, said at the event. "No platform in the world is more mobile and connected than Shanghai.

Following are 20 scenes from the Global Influencer Summit that capture the dizzying energy of the event -- and of Shanghai itself.

Making Technology Work For You

A banner outside the Shanghai Convention Center welcomes attendees and makes it clear that the theme of this event is all about how HP products can change people's lives for the better.

Kicking Things Off

Steve Hoffman, vice president and chief of staff in HP's Printing and Personal Systems group, opened the conference by touting that HP's Printing and Personal Systems Group, which was formed in March with the merger of HP's Personal Systems Group and Imaging and Printing group, had a combined total of $65 billion in sales and constituted some 120 million devices sold last year. That's an average of 4 devices sold every second, he pointed out.

New PPS Leaders Take The Stage

HP PPS executives pose for photos with Anya Ayoung-Chee (second from right), model, fashion designer and former Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe 2008, who won season nine of the reality TV show "Project Runway."

From left: John Solomon, head of the Americas division of HP's PPS division; James Mouton, who leads the Personal Computers unit of PPS; Anya Ayoung-Chee; and Steve Hoffman, PPS vice president and chief of staff.

Hands-On With HP's Latest Mobile PCs

Attendees had a chance to test out HP's latest Ultrabooks, including the EliteBook Folio 9470m, an Ultrabook that is 19mm thick with a 14-inch, high-definition display. At roughly 3.5 pounds, the EliteBook Folio 9470m comes with Ethernet and VGA ports built in, a measure of flexibility that HP believes will be a selling point with enterprises.

Buildings Of The Bund

Shanghai's iconic Huangpu River waterfront, known as the "Bund," is home to dozens of historical buildings that once housed banks and trading houses from the U.S. and many European countries. Recognized around the world as one of China's most enduring landmarks, the Bund conjures memories of Shanghai's internationally influenced history.

HP Shows Off Z1 All-In-One Workstation

An HP representative opens up a Z1 Workstation, showing attendees the tight design that allows components to be packed together into a small space. The Z1 is priced starting at $1,899 and began shipping in the U.S. last month.

The Z1 fits inside a 27-inch, white LED display with 30-bit color support and a palette of over 1 billion colors, and its panel flips open like a car hood, giving users easy access to internal components, including a 400-watt power supply and space for two hard drives or SSDs. The Z1 display offers a 178-degree viewing angle and an in-plane switching panel.

Express Yourself With HP

Model Anya Ayoung-Chee, who uses HP PCs in her fashion design business, poses with models wearing some of her products at the event.

Striking Poses

Models showed off the latest and greatest creations of fashion designer Anya Ayoung-Chee.

HP's First Touch PC

In a session on all-in-one PCs, HP brought out the HP-150, the company's first touch screen PC, which debuted in 1983 and allowed users to create graphics, move text and find files. Bet you didn't know HP had a horse in the touch screen race at such an early stage, even if it was primitive by today's standards.

The 2674A Internal Thermal Printer

Another relic from the distant past, HP's 2674A was the HP 150's optional internal thermal printer. Discontinued in 1985, it offered a whopping (for that time) 90 dpi resolution and maxed out at 120 characters per second.

Shanghai's Growing Skyline

Pudong, Shanghai's newest developed region, is home to three of the world's tallest skyscrapers, with another -- the 2,073 foot tall Shanghai Tower -- set for completion in 2014. For visitors to the Bund, Pudong provides the perfect futuristic backdrop.

Figuring Out What's Next

Global Influencer Summit attendees chat during a break between sessions on HP all-in-one PCs.

HP's Plan For Windows 8 Tablets

Todd Bradley, executive vice president of HP's Printing and Personal Systems group, was peppered with questions from Chinese reporters about why HP does not have a horse in the tablet race yet. He responded that HP is planning consumer and business oriented tablets once Windows 8 arrives.

"I'm very comfortable with where we're going in tablets," Bradley told attendees. "Our stated tablet strategy is around Microsoft and bringing Windows 8 tablets to market. … That's not to say that [the Microsoft partnership] is forever -- markets evolve."

Meg Whitman Makes A Surprise Appearance

HP CEO Meg Whitman showed up to talk about why China is such an important market for HP, the world's largest PC maker. HP, which started doing business in China in 1985, has seven R&D and manufacturing facilities in the country and is committed to the Chinese market, Whitman told attendees.

"We could have done this launch from any location in the world, but we chose to do it in China," Whitman said at the event. "This reinforces China's position as a top technology area and our dedication to China."

Intel China Chief Weighs In On Ultrabooks

Sean Maloney, executive vice president and chairman of Intel's China operations, talked about China's emergence as the world's largest PC market and how Intel's third-generation core i7 processors, and Windows 8, are going to power a new wave of high-end desktops, Ultrabooks and all-in-one PCs.

HP's Controversial Envy Spectre

In a Q&A at the conference, a Chinese reporter asked Stacy Wolff, HP's industrial design chief, if Apple might sue HP for copying the Macbook Air design in the Envy Spectre Ultrabook.

The Envy 14 Spectre and Macbook Air are similar in color, but that is not an intellectual property issue, according to Wolff. "I'm sure the guys in Cupertino would love to say they own silver, but they don't," he said. "In no way would HP try to mimic another company."

World's Third Tallest Building

At 1,614 feet, the Shanghai World Financial Center is China's tallest building, and the world's third tallest. That will change when the Shanghai Tower opens next door in 2014, but for now, this strikingly architected building reigns as the best place in Shanghai from which to catch a view of the surrounding region.

"The Shanghai World Financial Center is a magnet in every sense of the term," according to the skyscraper's official website. "Its magnetism attracts leaders dedicated to growth and change, professionals whose activities exert a powerful influence worldwide."

Frenzy Of Activity

Global Influencers chat, drink coffee and post blogs and videos during a break in the event schedule at the Shanghai Expo Center.

Pudong Skyline By Night

As impressive as it is to see during daylight hours, Pudong's burgeoning skyline is even more of a visual feast once nighttime has settled across the region and the neon lights come on.

Facing Tough Questions

Meg Whitman and Todd Bradley faced tough questions from Chinese media at the event.

"What is the appropriate way to work with the HP board?" one Chinese reporter asked during Q&A, implying that it must be tough given all the recent turmoil.

"We have a saying at HP: We cannot change the past, but we can change the future," Whitman responded. "We are focused on the future with what I think is a very good board, with many new members in the last year. This board is deeply engaged, and we are all about plotting a better future for HP."

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