Hong Kong: New momentum

Hong Kong’s exhibition and event industry is recovering strongly, resulting in an increased number of event participants last year. This growth is being stimulated with government support.

Hong Kong recorded 1.3 million MICE overnight arrivals in 2023, which means they were back up to 66 percent of the pre-pandemic level, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). All visitors who stay in the city for at least one night are counted as overnight arrivals. The recovery of the exhibition segment also picked up pace and accounted for about 25 percent of all MICE overnight arrivals during the year. Helped by the HKTB stepping up its promotional efforts, Hong Kong has won 60 major bidding processes for events. These will bring in an additional 210,000 high-yield overseas MICE visitors to the city, which is located in the Pearl River Delta region. Some of these are events that are returning to Hong Kong after being held elsewhere during the pandemic. Others are being held in Hong Kong for the first time.

The HKTB provides far-reaching support to both local and overseas organisers, including comprehensive assistance with bidding processes for events, a matching service that connects companies with local trade bodies, and financial support for publicity and bidding processes overseas. Organisers can even receive incentives in the form of contributions in kind. This collaboration between the HKTB and its industry partners is certainly paying off: there are many new and major shows lined up in 2024. The Super Terminal Expo will debut in Hong Kong in November 2024, and the Global Origins Expo is another new trade show being launched in the city this year. This will showcase products imported into the Greater Bay Area (GBA) from around the world. In 2025, Hong Kong will be welcoming the IBTM Asia Pacific and the UFI Global Congress. These successes are solid examples of exhibition organisers’ confidence that Hong Kong can deliver great results, according to the HKTB.

To continue the momentum from 2023, the HKTB intends to roll out an impactful MICE brand campaign to highlight Hong Kong’s unique status as the MICE hub of the GBA, a market of 86 million people that offers great potential for sponsorship as well as to both buyers and exhibitors at trade shows. The exhibition industry is also being stimulated in other ways: the well-received venue rental subsidy provided by the Hong Kong government for recurring shows is set to continue for a further three years. Over 200 shows will benefit from this scheme, which is costing the government 1.4 billion Hong Kong dollars (168 million euros). Eligible organisers stand to receive a venue rental subsidy of up to 100 percent of the cost of renting a venue. However, this is capped at 20 million Hong Kong dollars (2.4 million euros). The city is thus redoubling its efforts to stimulate its considerable event industry and giving the organisers of exhibitions and other events even more reasons to stage them in Hong Kong (www.mehongkong.com).