Dec 22, 2020

HKTDC pivots event dates for the first half of 2021

With the pandemic continuing unabated and international travel still greatly affected, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will reconfigure its industry trade fairs and conferences in the first half of 2021, as part of its ongoing efforts to find ways to help Hong Kong companies continue doing business during the pandemic.

In addition to enhancing its hybrid model that combines online fairs with physical fairs and symposiums, the HKTDC will also organize new local exhibitions and hold a number of its key international conferences online, including those targeting the finance, creative and marketing sectors.

New online-to-offline exhibition – International Sourcing Show

Exhibitions are a vital component of the business of SMEs, helping to secure an average of 40% of orders for such companies. The fact that it will still be difficult to stage local trade shows in a physical form in the first half of 2021 will have a significant impact on SMEs.

The HKTDC is reacting to this new situation in a flexible way, launching a brand-new sourcing event, the HKTDC International Sourcing Show, that will consolidate seven HKTDC trade fairs originally scheduled to be held in spring. The new event will run from March to July 2021 and will be held in online and physical formats, exploring business opportunities across a range of industries.

The seven exhibitions include:

• HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair
• HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair
• HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware Fair
• HKTDC Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair
• HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week
• HKTDC Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair
• Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair, co-organized with CIEC Exhibition Company (HK) Limited.

Several of the HKTDC’s physical fairs have been migrated online since the onset of the pandemic, with a brand-new artificial-intelligence-driven business matching platform – Click2Match, helping to bring buyers and exhibitors together. The fairs have received a positive response with exponential growth in the number of business matching meetings arranged.

The International Sourcing Show is the first hybrid fair in both online and offline formats to be launched by the HKTDC, with participating buyers and exhibitors able to use an exclusive online exhibition platform for business matching and video conferencing beginning from March 2021.

The physical fair will be held in Hong Kong in July, helping companies to discover more new business opportunities once the pandemic situation has eased. The online-to-offline (O2O) format of the International Sourcing Show will help buyers and sellers alike be better prepared for the “new normal” business environment in the wake of the pandemic.

In addition to the seven above-mentioned fairs, the HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewelery Show and the HKTDC Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show have been rescheduled to run at AsiaWorld-Expo from Jul. 2-6, 2021.

Sourcing Platform: hktdc.com

In addition to organizing physical and online exhibitions, the HKTDC will launch a year-round business promotion through its hktdc.com Sourcing platform to connect local SMEs with global buyers. The theme for the promotion in the first quarter will be “Everything from Home”, focusing on popular products such as computers and peripherals, fitness supplies, video games and kitchen appliances associated with the rapid rise of the stay-at-home economy.

In addition, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will provide additional resources to expand the scope of the SME Export Marketing Fund (EMF) – support that will help local SMEs explore more business opportunities through O2O promotional platforms.

New Public Fair

To assist trading companies in getting a foot in the retail market and help their businesses recover from the pandemic, the HKTDC will launch a new public exhibition, HKTDC Lifestyle ShoppingFest, to be held from Apr. 28-May 2, 2021 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Details will be announced in due course.

Food Expo and concurrent fairs postponed to mid-2021

With the safety of the public and exhibitors remaining the top priority, a decision has been taken to reschedule the HKTDC Food Expo and three concurrent public fairs to the second half of 2021. Moreover, the HKTDC Education & Careers Expo, rescheduled to run from Jul. 15-18, 2021, will now be held concurrently with the HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair and HKTDC Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo, Jul. 14-20, 202 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. For details, please refer to the table here.

Global Hub

The HKTDC continues to be at the forefront of promoting Hong Kong’s excellence in various areas, including the finance, creative, marketing and professional services sectors, to reinforce the city’s role as a two-way global investment and trading hub. The Council will migrate a number of its key international events online to enable industries to overcome pandemic-related restrictions and keep the city connected with business leaders from around the world. These events include the Asian Licensing Conference and HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show (Jan. 11-15, 2021), the Asian Financial Forum (Jan. 18-19, 2021), HKTDC Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (Jan. 15-18, 2021) and MarketingPulse (March 2021).

The HKTDC understands that uncertainties remain and as such will continue to monitor pandemic developments and maintain close contact with all stakeholders. The Council remains deeply committed to promoting Hong Kong businesses and will strive to provide a safe and efficient platform through which industry can overcome the current challenges and generate new business opportunities.