Driven by UFI (The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) and IAEE (The International Association of Exhibitions and Events), the first ever Global Exhibitions Day will be staged on Wednesday 8th June 2016 to highlight the exhibition industry’s benefits for the economy and the fun of working in the industry.

To support and to celebrate the Global Exhibitions Day, we are delighted to inform you that the Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association (HKECIA) 26th Annual Dinner as well as the first Global Exhibitions Day Conference will be held on Wednesday, 8th June 2016 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. All members and industry professionals are cordially invited to join the two events.

To reserve your seats at the Global Exhibitions Day Conference and the Annual Dinner, please Register Online on or before 20 May 2016 (Friday).

The tentative schedule on 8 June 2016 is as follows:

11:00 – 11:30         Annual General Meeting (Members Only)
15:00 – 18:00        Global Exhibitions Day Conference
18:00 – 19:00        Cocktail Reception
19:00 – 21:30        Annual Dinner

Online Registration for Conference, Click here>>

Venue: Meeting Rooms N106-108, Level 1, HKCEC, Wan Chai

Global Exhibitions Day (GED) Conference (8th June 2016, 15:00 – 18:00)

The brand new GED conference by HKECIA will focus on China’s Belt and Road Initiative. We have long heard the idea of belt and road and of how it will open up new trade routes across Asia, but practically speaking what will it really mean. What are the opportunities for Hong Kong and the Pearl River delta area and how will it affect trade exhibitions and where they take place in the region?
This conference will address the issue of what is belt and road and how could it benefit the trade show industry and provide new opportunities for organisers to expand.

Conference speakers/ Panellists/ Moderator include:

Mr. Jon Sivertson, Director, Infrastructure Advisory, KPMG Advisory (Hong Kong) Limited
Mr. Nat Wong, Principal Consultant, Nat Wong Consulting (Singapore)
Mr. Raymond Yip, Deputy Executive Director Hong Kong Trade Development Council (Hong Kong)
Mr. Mathias Kuepper, Managing Director, Koelnmesse Pte Ltd (Singapore)
Mr. Chen Zhong-Qiu, Secretary General of the Guangdong 21st Century Maritime Silk Road International Expo (China)
Mr. Mark Cochrane, UFI Regional Manager, Asia Pacific

S.I. service (English – Mandarin) is provided by Quadra Technic ICS Ltd.

China’s Belt & Road Initiative – Tentative Programme 

With over 19 years of experience, Jon Sivertson has advised governments and the private sector on infrastructure transactions worth over US$12 billion. Jon’s work has included assessing the feasibility, development and expansion of convention and exhibition facilities in Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong.  A recent focus for Jon and KPMG’s Infrastructure Advisory practice is assisting clients in understanding how best to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road initiative, while minimising the associated risks.

Nat Wong has 30 years of top-level experience in the international MICE business. He pioneered many successes and possesses the unique experience for having held senior positions in MNCs in every aspect of the industry.

His notable highlights included new launches like SingaPort (now Asia-Pacific Maritime), SIAL Asia, InfocommAsia and ITMA Asia. Nat has been recognized with several industry awards and speaks regularly at UFI, IAEE, AFECA and IELA conferences and training sessions.

Involved in China since 1990, Nat’s last appointment was President of Reed Exhibitions Greater China from 2012 to 2015 before starting his own consulting business, including an appointment as Strategic Consultant for AMC Marketing Communications Group.  

Raymond Yip is the Deputy Executive Director, Marketing of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the statutory organisation responsible for promoting and developing Hong Kong’s international trade in products and services.

Mr Yip has worked in a variety of positions and offices at the HKTDC, including New York, Tokyo and London. His recent postings include: Director, Industry Promotion; Director, Exhibitions; Director, Information Service (E-commerce development); Regional Director, Western Europe/Middle East and Africa (based in London).

In his present position, Mr Yip is responsible for HKTDC’s marketing and external relations, as well as the organisation’s network of over 40 offices worldwide. He also oversees promotion of the product and service sectors, in addition to corporate marketing and communication.

Mr Yip graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with an honours degree in Business Administration. He attended the Columbia Senior Executive Programme in 2003, and holds a Graduate Professional Diploma in E-Business, awarded by Michigan State University. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing of the UK.

As Managing Director of Koelnmesse Pte Ltd in Singapore, Mathias Kuepper plays a pivotal role in managing the business activities and operations for Koelnmesse in the Asia-Pacific region.

In the past 14 years, Mathias has held a variety of positions in event operations, project management and strategic business development for Koelnmesse across Asia. After stints in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing, he assumed his current position of General Manager for Koelnmesse Singapore in August 2014.

Koelnmesse is one of the world’s largest trade fair companies, organizing around 80 trade fairs annually including leading global events for 25 industry sectors.

Mark Cochrane is the UFI Regional Manager, Asia Pacific. He is also the Managing Director of Business Strategies Group (BSG), a business intelligence and strategy consulting firm focused on the B2B media industry in Asia – with a particular emphasis on exhibitions and events in Asia. Through its consulting practice and its relationship with UFI, BSG works with major exhibition organisers, venues and governments across Asia.

Mark has been based in Hong Kong for 18 years and joined BSG in 2006. Prior to BSG, Mark worked in a variety of roles primarily focused on B2B media and market research including three years at Global Sources in marketing roles and three years at The Gartner Group as a senior research analyst. Mark earned an MBA from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management, in 1997. Mark is on the board of the Business Information Industry Association and presents regularly on the exhibition industry at various conferences and events in Asia.

* The Global Exhibitions Day Conference has incorporated the 9th Guangzhou/ Hong Kong/ Macau Exhibition Industry Cooperation Forum.