Hong Kong is riding the rapid return of face-to-face events, and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has recently announced that the destination will be welcoming two more tradeshows back to its shores, as well as securing four new tradeshows.
The two shows returning are the APLF Leather, Materials + & Fashion Access 2024, and Vinexpo Asia 2024, which will return to Hong Kong in March and May respectively.
Meanwhile, this June and July will welcome four new exhibitions staged in Hong Kong for the first time. They are the DMP Greater Bay Area Industrial Expo; the three-in-one expo BioCHINA 2023; Greater Bay Area ESG & Sustainability Exhibition; and the 13th JCtrans Global Freight Forwarders Expo 2023.
Other successfully completed shows include the Global Sources Hong Kong, which packed out all 10 halls with over 100,000 buyers at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE), and HOFEX, an F&B tradeshow that attracted over 30,000 buyers from around the world to Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).
Kenneth Wong, general manager, MICE & cruise, HKTB, said: “The return of the world’s leading trade shows highlights Hong Kong’s attractiveness, its friendly trading policies, and solid fundamentals; Hong Kong also enjoys promising growth potential with the Greater Bay Area and comprehensive government support for the industry. We are highly delighted to see organisers of both old and new shows choosing Hong Kong.”
He was previously resort manager of Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas.
With over 20 years of experience in the leisure and business hospitality industries, he was most recently general manager of Centara Mirage Resort Mui Ne, Vietnam.
Teune’s most recent position was as director of operations at The Reykjavik Edition, Iceland.
International amusement park and attractions show IAAPA Expo Asia, last held in Singapore in 2017, was “sold out” with 287 exhibitors, including 64 first-timers, taking up 7,000m2 of space at Marina Bay Sands.
The show took place from June 13-16, 2023, and hosted 47 exhibitors from North America, 83 from Europe and 150 from Asia; comprising sellers from China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Macau, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, according to IAAPA. China and Hong Kong made up the biggest block with 118 exhibitors and 107 were from the mainland.
June Ko, executive director and vice president, IAAPA Asia Pacific, told TTGmice that some brands which had merged since 2019 returned this year, and the association managed to bring in new buyers from new regions like Europe.
The four-day event recorded 5,330 registered attendees from 75 different countries and regions, including 3,764 qualified buyers from 2,145 companies.
Exhibitor highlights this year included entertainment design company Legacy Entertainment showcasing its “destination dining initiative” in North Jakarta which combines retail and entertainment in a sustainable way.
Described as a floating metropolis, the Batavia Pantai Indah Kapuk mega-development is billed as the world’s first overwater retail destination featuring more than 40 restaurants, retail outlets, attractions and live entertainment.
Opened in early June just ahead of the expo, a spokesperson said the project, which is the size of San Francisco, will be completed by end-2023.
On the technology front, DOF Robotics specialising in AR and VR immersive attractions gave attendees the chance to test its enhanced Hurricane VR 360 attraction and the debut of its new VR movie Homeland: Rise of Nomads.
The expo agenda included 11 EduTours, some across the causeway to Genting SkyWorlds and Gamuda Cove in Selangor, 30 EduSessions, and a Young Professionals Forum and Reception special event.
IAAPA Expo Asia 2024 is scheduled to take place in Bangkok from May 27-30.