The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has taken top honours in the 2002 Meetings & Incentive Travel Awards in London.
The HKTB's conference and incentives team was named Best Overseas Convention Bureau in the Meetings category and Best Convention Bureau in the Incentive Travel category. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) collected the award for Best Overseas Convention
Centre.
The success of the HKTB in meetings and incentive travel has been guaranteed for over 25 years by its specialist team of professionals, dedicated to advising and assisting international and regional events planners. Established in 1977 as the Hong Kong Convention & Incentive Travel Bureau, the team now forms part of the HKTB's Business Development Division. To ensure that all events in Hong Kong are professionally organised, the division works with, and supports, organisers from the very first bidding session right through to the final gala dinner at the close of an event.
HKTB Executive Director Ms Clara Chong said that 2001 had been a good year for conventions and exhibitions.
"During the year Hong Kong hosted 393,131 overseas visitors here for these events - a 27% increase on 2000," she said. "Their average per capita spending of HK$10,575 was more than twice that of visitors to Hong Kong as a whole, while their length of stay was nearly 60% higher at 4.8 nights. This clearly demonstrates the high yield nature of these visitors."
Ms Chong added that 2002 was expected to be another good year with the Air Cargo Forum in September (3,000 participants), the 41st OSEAL (Orient and South East Asia Lions Forum and the 2002 World Congress of Accountants each with 6,000 participants, both in November, and ITU (International
Telecommunications Union) Telecom Asia 2002, with 15,000 participants in December. "To date, over 120 new conventions and exhibitions have been confirmed for 2002 to 2010," she noted.
In February, 30 international events organisers participated in "Hong Kong - Meeting Your Choice" - a four-day programme designed to allow them to experience facilities in Hong Kong and meet their local counterparts. These organisers alone represent the potential for 30 conventions and exhibitions in the years 2003 through to 2012.
In 2001, corporate meetings also showed an increase of 27%. The Herbalife Asia Extravaganza alone drew 9,000 delegates in July 2001. Ms Chong said that the outlook for 2002 is positive. "A number of major events have already been confirmed for Hong Kong, including the Unicity Network Conference in August, with 10,000 participants from the region," Ms Chong added. "The Forbes Global CEO Forum in September is expected to attract around 350 top figures from the business world."
For the Corporate Events sector that includes corporate meetings and incentive travel, the HKTB has aggressive marketing programmes for short-haul markets in 2002/2003. Investment in the long-haul markets will continue through roadshows and trade shows and the development of special packaging highlighting new activities in Hong Kong. In addition to overseas promotions, a new programme will target the Hong Kong offices of multinationals to increase corporate meeting business, especially from the region. |
