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).
Author: Peter Borstel
This article was published in TFI issue 2/2014
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