Asia - Hong Kong |
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Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
30 %. Everything else you can bring in without paying duty . Being a free port and such a fantastic city , as well as the connections we ’ ve got , it ’ s an ideal city to be organising trade fairs .”
“ We ’ re in a good spot now and the government support for the exhibition industry has been extraordinary ,” Bailey adds and underlines the importance of the Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy scheme .
“ You ’ re effectively getting a free venue . The new HK $ 1.4bn scheme may not pay 100 % of your venue rental , but it ’ s likely to pay a good proportion of it and that ’ s for anybody . As an organiser who wouldn ’ t find that attractive ?”
Marilyn Tham notes there has been a bit of rescheduling of the calendar but that there is already a full list of exhibitions ready to come back to Hong Kong . It is worth remembering that this is a destination just four hours flight time from half the world ’ s population and passport holders from
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170 countries can come visa-free .
Tham also notes that , in July this year , a new MTR station opened called Exhibition Centre Station , which is right next to the HKCEC . “ That ’ s really good news because it links us with the Kowloon peninsula .”
Bailey adds the international airport now has its third runway open , plus high speed trains coming in and out of China . “ Hong Kong is really well connected to everything .”
Tham adds that , at the Kaitak Sports Stadium , which ASM is managing , there will be a new 60,000-seater stadium , plus indoor arenas .
The Greater Bay Area is another initiative illustrating that Hong Kong is already an international city with Western characteristics as well as Chinese influence .
“ We ’ re moving towards free movement of goods , people and capital between Hong Kong and the Greater Bay area . People are going to move increasingly more friction-free between these places ,” says Bailey . “ You can get a high speed train that takes 14 minutes between downtown Hong Kong and Shenzhen .
Hong Kong is a diversified destination yet there ’ s always something new , including worldclass developments like the West Kowloon Culture District , Central Market , Tai Kwun , The Mills , PMQ , great for creating unique meeting experiences for smaller scale meeting and social events . And there are theme parks open for private events , including Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park Hong Kong both of which have expanded their offerings .
Fifteen new hotels have sprung up over the past two years bringing the total number of hotels in the city to 320 .
AsiaWorld Expo A lot of investment has been going into exhibition venue AsiaWorld Expo which is expanding and has
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“ We ’ re in a good spot now and the government support for the exhibition industry has been extraordinary ” – Stuart Bailey . |
a $ 600m renovation project ongong which covers a new hybrid meeting facility , Mobile Studio , and the worldfirst CLeanTech sanitisation device .
AsiaWorld Expo says it is already attracting 100,000 local visitors a month , with successful events including the Revive Tech Asia , Hong Kong Brands and Productions Shopping Festivals all contributing . A series of B2B shows followed suit , including trade exhibitions such as the Global Sources October 2022 show , which attracted visitors from Mainland China .
To cater to the increasing demand for hybrid events , the renovated Meeting and Hospitality Centre of AsiaWorld- xpo provides a flexible workspace , bringing participants together in a mixture of in-person and virtual settings .
In addition to the upgrades , AWE is committed to introducing high-tech solutions and digitalisation , which play an essential role in helping organisers and business partners extend promotion channel and promote their brands effectively .
The HKSAR Government Policy Address recently revealed AsiaWorld Expo expansion beginning in 2023 will be targeted for commissioning in 2027 .
AWE will build an indoor performance arena with over 20,000 seats and add more convention and exhibition facilities .
Apart from the expansion of AWE , the facilities at SKYCITY , where AsiaWorld Expo is located , are under large-scale development . Adjacent to AsiaWorld-Expo is 11 SKIES , Hong Kong ’ s largest retail , dining and entertainment complex . It is opening in phases from 2022 to 2025 . This landmark will feature more than 800 shops . The first phase of 11 SKIES , consisting of three Grade A office towers , commenced in 2022 .
Other significant developments in SKYCITY , such as the Airportcity Link , will undoubtedly draw more visitors from the Greater Bay Area for a new EXPOtainment experience .
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