(Hong Kong, 7 March 2013) -(ASIA TODAY)- The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (“HKCEC”) has continued to expand its impressive event portfolio by securing five new exhibitions and 29 major conferences for 2013. This is in addition to its hosting of over 100 annually recurring exhibitions, 11 of which are the largest of their kind in the world or in Asia.
In addition, more than 1,000 corporate functions, meetings, banquets and entertainment events such as concerts and film shows are expected to be staged at the HKCEC over the year.
The strong line-up of new and major events for 2013 is the result of effective marketing strategies combined with world-class services delivered by the venue’s professional private management company, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Ltd (“HML”).
The five new exhibitions that will launch at the HKCEC in 2013 are organised by five different organisations. Two of these are based overseas, and three are first-time customers of the HKCEC. The five new exhibitions cover affordable art, luxury watches, property investment and management in India, home interiors and social services, and their range further expands the remarkable diversity of events and organiser portfolios that HML currently caters for so successfully.
CBRE Indian Property Show 2013 and Caring Company Partnership Expo 2013, were successfully concluded at the HKCEC in January. Another new exhibition, In-Home Expo 2013, to be held in June, will cover home interior related products and services and will feature local interior designers.
Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong 2013 will be staged at the HKCEC for the first time on 15-17 March. Founded in 1999 in London by a UK-based company, the Affordable Art Fair aims to make contemporary art accessible to everyone in an inspiring and friendly atmosphere, allowing visitors to appreciate original paintings, prints, sculpture and photography all under one roof. The art works on offer are priced between HK$1,000 and HK$100,000 (between US$130 and US$13,000). The Fair has become a leading showcase for contemporary art in 15 cities including London, New York, Amsterdam, Milan and Singapore. The inaugural Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong will showcase art works from over 80 galleries from all over the world, with a 60% focus from Asia.
Ms Camilla Hewitson, Fair Director of the Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, said, “The fair will attract both seasoned collectors and new art buyers. We expect that 30% of visitors will have never bought an original work of art before. By creating a new generation of collectors and making art accessible to more people, the Fair is playing an important role in developing the art market in Hong Kong. The HKCEC is an ideal venue for this unique fair, given the HML team’s experience in co-ordinating world-class art events and servicing event attendees from around the world.”
Another highlight of the year is Watches & Wonders – Asia Haute Horlogerie, organised by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie of Geneva, Switzerland. The event will be held at the HKCEC from 25 to 28 September, in response to spectacular growth in the Asian market for fine watches. Thousands of Asian retailers will join collectors, journalists, and all those who are passionate about exquisitely crafted timepieces at the HKCEC. The culture, expertise and heritage of fine watchmaking will be showcased by the 13 exhibiting Maisons in magnificent booths in Hall 1 of the HKCEC.
Mrs Fabienne Lupo, Chairwoman and Managing Director of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, comments, “The HKCEC has a long established reputation for its high quality services and has delivered numerous world-class events, and so it is the obvious choice as a venue for this exclusive event in Asia. Even at the booking stage and during our site visits, we were assured of the expertise and professionalism of the HKCEC team. What’s more, Hong Kong is widely recognised as an efficient and international city that is also a centre for the luxury business. All 13 Maisons do business in Hong Kong.”
The 29 major conferences to be held at the HKCEC in 2013 are expected to bring around 30,000 high-level delegates, experts and government officials from all over the world to Hong Kong, making significant economic contributions to the city. These conferences cover a diverse range of topics, from statistics and yoga, to dentistry, dermatological science and spinal care related subjects. Of the total, 15 are international conferences and 11 are new arrivals at the HKCEC.
Ms Monica Lee-Müller, HML’s Managing Director, said, “At HML, we offer powerful incentives to attract new events and encourage continued growth of recurrent exhibitions. In the light of the construction or redevelopment of numerous facilities in other Asian cities, we firmly believe that it is just as important to ensure exceptional high quality service by a team of professionals as it is to continue investing in facilities to enhance our competitiveness.”
Photo Caption: The operation team of Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (“FHH”) and the HML team met to conduct another site inspection and discuss the event details last week
(4th from left - Jessica Wong, Event Planning and Coordination Manager, HML; 5th from left – Matthieu Humair – Operations and Events Manager, FHH; 6th from left - Jérôme Cazenave, Operations Director, FHH; 7th from right - Veronica To, Director of Marketing and Business Planning, HML)
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About the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
This award-winning 306,000 sqm building, first opened in 1988, offers 91,500 sqm of rentable space. An iconic Hong Kong landmark, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (‘HKCEC’) is located on a prime waterfront site in the central business district of Hong Kong. It is owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
About Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (‘HML’) is a professional private management and operating company responsible for providing day to day management for the HKCEC, where it oversees administration, marketing, booking, scheduling, event co-ordination, maintenance and security. It also manages food and beverage operations at the HKCEC, including restaurants and catering services. HML provides world-class services for users, visitors and guests of the HKCEC, a venue which has been consistently awarded the title of ‘Best Convention and Exhibition Centre in Asia’ by leading industry professionals. Over 1,200 events are held at the HKCEC every year, including exhibitions, conferences, corporate meetings, entertainment events, seminars and banquets. These events contribute significant economic benefits to the city, and help raise the international image of Hong Kong.
HML is a member of NWS Holdings Limited. NWS Holdings Limited (“NWS Holdings”, Hong Kong stock code: 659), the infrastructure and service flagship of New World Development Company Limited (Hong Kong stock code: 17), embraces businesses in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Macau. Its Infrastructure portfolio includes Roads, Energy, Water and Ports & Logistics projects. Its Services division comprises Facilities Management (the management of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and Free Duty), Construction & Transport (Hip Hing Construction and bus and ferry services) and Strategic Investments (Tricor, Haitong International, Newton Resources and securities investments).
Issued by Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Ltd.
For further information, please contact:
Ms Mabel Hung, Communications Manager
Tel: +852 2582 7837
Mobile: +852 6295 6570
E-mail: mabelhung@hkcec.com
Website: www.hkcec.com