HKTDC April Fairs Bring in More Than HK$1.5 Billion

Seven Fairs Welcome Over 210,000 Buyers to Hong Kong

6 May 2013 – The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) organised seven trade fairs last month, covering a variety of industries: lighting, electronics, information and communications technology, houseware, home textiles and furnishings, gifts and premiums, and printing and packaging.

Exhibitor, Buyer Records
Collectively, the fairs welcomed more than 11,000 exhibitors and 210,000 buyers, new records in each case. Among visitors, 6,466 exhibitors and 124,000 buyers came from overseas. According to Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association estimates, the fairs brought in more than HK$1.5 billion to Hong Kong.

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said that the fairs were highly international, with buyers coming from 170 countries and regions. “The fairs benefitted many industries, and the contributions they made to the Hong Kong economy were significant.” Mr Chau added that the fairs helped Hong Kong solidify its position as an international trade hub.

Fair Survey Findings
The HKTDC commissioned Ipsos, an independent survey agency, to conduct surveys during the lighting, electronics, houseware, and gift and premium fairs. They interviewed 1,051 exhibitors and 1,506 buyers and found that 70 per cent of the buyers met new suppliers during the fairs, and that close to 80 per cent of the exhibitors used Hong Kong’s trade fairs to launch new products. Nearly 80 per cent of those interviewed expect the volume of products sold or sourced via Hong Kong to increase or remain unchanged in the future.

“Interviewees generally consider Hong Kong’s competitive edges to be compliance with safety and environmental standards, along with outstanding product quality and supplier services,” said Mr Chau. Other major findings included:

Exhibitors and buyers interviewed were positive about this year’s prospects, with 85 per cent of those interviewed expecting this year’s market to perform better or the same as last year.

Almost 50 per cent of buyers interviewed expect retail prices to remain unchanged and sourcing prices to rise this year, while 45 per cent of exhibitors interviewed expect export prices to remain unchanged and production costs to jump.
For traditional markets, North America and Australia are seen to have better prospects, and are expected to enjoy better growth in the coming two years.

For emerging markets, the Chinese mainland tops the list, followed by Russia, ASEAN and Latin America.
The trend toward environmentally friendly products will continue. More and more suppliers are willing to invest resources on eco-friendly manufacturing equipment, energy-saving products and green packaging.

Small-Quantity Sourcing
The surveys also found that buyers place frequent orders for a variety of products in small quantities and demand fast delivery from suppliers. More than 40 per cent of the buyers interviewed said that their order quantity for each product was less than 1,000 pieces.

Mr Chau said that the Small-Order Zones set up during the April trade fairs attracted 65,000 buyer visits, generating 79,000 business connections. “Suppliers are embracing the sourcing opportunities presented by small orders. Since its inception in April 2012, the Small-Order Zone at HKTDC fairs has helped 1,000 suppliers capture new business opportunities, creating 160,000 business connections.”

The HKTDC’s seven April trade fairs were: the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition), the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition), International ICT Expo, the Hong Kong Houseware Fair, the Hong Kong International Home Textiles & Furnishings Fair, the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair and the Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair.

Media Enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Corporate Communication Department:

Joe Kainz
Tel: (852) 2584 4216
Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org