Welcome Remarks

Mr. Stuart Bailey, Chairman of HKECIA

Guest of Honour Remarks

Mr. Edward Yau Tang-wah, GBS, JP, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development

Together Towards New Horizons

Mr. Dane Cheng, Executive Director of  Hong Kong Tourism Board

Hong Kong’s tourism industry has battled through a period of unprecedented challenges with resilience, agility, and innovation over the past two years, and the city is now geared up with potential and new opportunities.  Mr Dane Cheng will present the up-to-date global tourism market outlook, the HKTB’s plans for tourism recovery, and the overall strategy for the Conventions and Exhibitions (C&E) industry.

Opportunities for the Hong Kong Exhibition Industry in the National 14th Five-Year Plan (tentative title)

Mr. George Leung, CEO of Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce

Since the onset of the pandemic, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has plummeted along with our hard-earned reputation as an international city. As with certain sectors in Hong Kong, the exhibition industry has been pummelled by Covid-19. On a positive note, the vaccination rate for vulnerable groups such as the elderly is picking up and Covid caseloads from the 5^th wave have begun to trend downwards. Conditions remain challenging but Hong Kong’s economy is quite resilient. That quality combined with the Central Government’s support as set out under the 14^th National Five-Year Plan will help burnish Hong Kong’s reputation and consolidate our appeal as the MICE hub for the Greater Bay Area and the wider Asia Pacific region. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, the city will return to normality and the exhibition industry would reap the benefits of post-Covid reopening, as well as the opportunities arising from Hong Kong’s integration with the Mainland.

NFT, Metaverse and the Future of Exhibition

Mr. Napoleon Biggs, Chief Consultant of Dentsu International Hong Kong

During his talk Napoleon will answer the big questions surrounding this topic; What is the “Metaverse” and why should we care? What are NFTs and how can we apply them to the convention & exhibition industry? What are the early adoption mistakes to watch out for? And how to get started?

Panel Discussion: The Journey to Sustainable Exhibitions in Hong Kong

Moderated by Mr. Chris Brown, Founder & Director of ReThink Hong Kong

Panellists:
Ms. Monica Lee-Müller, Managing Director of Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (Management) Ltd
Ms. Amy So, Program Director, Asia Sustainability of Informa Markets Asia Ltd
Mr. Cramond Wong, Managing Director of AMC (Exhibits) Ltd

Live events, and trade exhibitions in particular, are powerful platforms for increasing awareness and addressing the challenges faced by industry – the multi-stakeholder nature of brining a business community together presents a huge opportunity to influence many at the same time.

At the very highest levels the global exhibitions industry has acknowledged its responsibility to accelerate the transition towards global net zero emissions, and to play its part in helping to deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement and ensuring a just transition. By demonstrating that cities, venues, organisers, contractors and exhibitors can adapt and drive meaningful progress through a system-wide approach, the ambition is still to deliver exceptional live events that have a positive impact on commerce, communities and the environment.

Our panel will discuss the specific challenges faced by stakeholders of the Hong Kong exhibitions industry, socialise the ambition for an Members’ Charter and open the discussion up to delegates to share ideas on how all stakeholders can contribute.