Hong Kong: Expecting positive market developments

Preparations are already in full swing for the eight biggest autumn fairs organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

The product portfolio of the events comprises a variety of industries - from light, electronics, ICT, optical products, wine and spirits, construction materials and environmental protection to sports equipment. The HKTDC wants to continue with good performance of last autumn when it brought together approx. 8,700 exhibitors with over 200,000 buyers from 163 countries. The visitor figure was even up five per cent. For emerging markets like Brazil, China, Indonesia and Malaysia gains were even in the double-digit region. Trade fairs generated an estimated 130 million euros for Hong Kong. “According to our statistics every business traveller spent approx. 1,043 euros on average,” Benjamin Chau speaks of 120,000 international guests. “And this doesn’t even include earnings from business activities at the fair,” says the Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC. 

Forecasts for the current year are looking good – as a survey performed by the market research company Ipsos on behalf of the HKTDC goes to show. The survey addressed visitors of the autumn editions of Electronics Fair and Lighting Fair and included questions about the outlook of the respective markets, export prospects and product trends. Almost sixty per cent of the 1,600 informants expect further positive market developments for 2014. Around 33 per cent claimed that they are expecting no changes. China, the ASEAN Region and Russia were identified as countries with particularly favourable market conditions. However, “Australasia”, North America and Western Europe have the largest growth potential. Another major topic for 65 per cent of informants was sustainably manufactured products.

Small order sizes are increasingly in demand. The HKTDC has accounted for this by creating Small Order Zones at the different events, for which it won a UFI award. The Light and Electronics Fair there featured around 430 manufacturers with 1,000 products who received over 31,000 requests for business. “Hong Kong-based companies find it easier to spread their risks if they can expand their customer base by accepting smaller orders,” claims Benjamin Chau (www.hktdc.org).

From 1 to 4 April Hong Kong-based organiser UBM Asia hosted the first Jewellery & Gem Fair Europe in Freiburg. And the date was no coincidence: The event coincided until 3 April with Baselworld, the World Watch and Jewellery Show, in Basel – just 50 kilometres away, as the crow flies. This simultaneous staging of the two events some visitors from Basel to Freiburg. The choice of the southern German city as a meeting place for the jewellery world was influenced by the initiator’s roots.   Wolfram Diener, Senior Vice President of UBM Asia, who is responsible for the Jewellery & Gem fairs, was born in Freiburg. In addition, Freiburg is a convenient destination for the industry – as the German “jewellery capitals” Pforzheim and Idar-Oberstein are also located in the south west of Germany. The premiere of the Jewellery & Gem Fair featured 400 exhibitors from almost 30 countries (www.jgf-europe.com).