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Mega Events Energise Hong Kong

Hong Kong's convention and exhibition venues have been buzzing over the past week, as a wide array of financial summits and international exhibitions drew industry leaders and visitors from around the world. Beyond attracting visitors and generating business opportunities, these events extended Hong Kong's roles as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" beyond finance and trade into lifestyle and visitor experiences, fostering exchanges, creating value and giving the local economy a clear boost.

Although diverse in theme, these events all attracted large numbers of industry leaders and high-value visitors from Hong Kong and beyond. Among them was The Festival of Connoisseurs (TFOC), held at AsiaWorld-Expo and brought to Hong Kong for the first time by a renowned international exhibition organiser. This year's Budget earmarked HK$100 million to attract large-scale international exhibitions with new elements to Hong Kong, and TFOC was the first to benefit from this funding. The event took less than a year to progress from concept to delivery, welcoming more than 3,000 visitors from around the world over three days.

Speaking at the Festival of Connoisseurs Grand Opening Ceremony last week.

In a group photo with Mrs Vivian Cheung, Chief Executive Officer of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (left), and Mr Patrick Martell, Chief Operating Officer of Informa PLC and Chief Executive of Informa Markets (right), on a yacht at the exhibition after the Festival of Connoisseurs Grand Opening Ceremony last week.

Spanning nine lifestyle sectors, TFOC stood out for its ambition to move beyond the traditional single-venue exhibition format. It brought displays to landmarks and locations across Hong Kong, presenting exhibits in real-world settings while offering visitors an immersive experience and a taste of the city's unique appeal. AsiaWorld-Expo, for example, refurbished its waterfront facilities and built a dedicated pier to showcase yachts on the water, creating Hong Kong's first exhibition on dual-stage experience across land and sea. The success of this waterfront showcase offers an exciting glimpse of the potential of the yacht bay planned for SKYTOPIA, our Airport City.

The SKYTOPIA yacht bay will provide around 500 berths, including some capable of accommodating superyachts over 80 metres in length. Advance works on the project will begin next year, with the first phase expected to be completed by the end of 2028. With arrangements for northbound yachts travel from Hong Kong and southbound yachts from Guangdong introduced in succession this year, cross-boundary leisure yacht travel is now possible in both directions. This is expected to attract more high-value visitors to Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, the 18th Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai was equally lively. This year's fair brought together more than 620 exhibitors from over 25 countries and regions, showcasing wines and spirits from more than 40 places of origin. Several Mainland baijiu brands used Hong Kong as a platform to expand into international markets, while wine merchants from Georgia, Romania, Slovakia and Uruguay took part for the first time. Their participation underscored Hong Kong's role as an international wine and spirits trading hub.

Speaking at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2026 last week.

In a group photo with fellow guests at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2026.

I visited the fair on its opening day and spoke with exhibitors. I was particularly impressed by the creativity of some of our young local drinks entrepreneurs. One had crafted a gin inspired by salted lemon 7UP, a familiar Hong Kong favourite. Another combined tea and coffee notes in a spirit to recreate the flavour of yuen yeung. By blending innovation with local character, these entrepreneurs are carving out new markets in a highly competitive industry through distinctive products and experiences. This year's fair also featured an AI sommelier and an automated cocktail-making machine, drawing visitors keen to try them out.

This succession of investment summits, financial conferences and lifestyle exhibitions creates opportunities for the events to reinforce one another. Business visitors attending Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026 could extend their stay to explore exhibitions and experience the city, while buyers sourcing products in Hong Kong could bring their families along to enjoy concerts, fine wines and good food. A packed events calendar encourages visitors to stay longer and spend more, spreading the benefits across hotels, restaurants, retailers and other service industries.

After several years of sustained effort, the number of exhibitions held in Hong Kong has rebounded significantly, accompanied by encouraging growth in the number of high-value visitors. Last year, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo alone hosted more than 360 convention and exhibition events, recording a combined attendance of 7.7 million. Hong Kong also recorded 2.51 million visitor arrivals for meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), up 7% year on year. Around 60% of these visitors stayed overnight.

According to industry research, international exhibition visitors spent an average of about HK$9,300 per person, roughly 70% more than the average overnight visitor. The research also estimated that the exhibition industry generated more than HK$50 billion in economic benefits for Hong Kong in 2024 and supported around 67,000 full-time jobs, benefiting the wider economy and local businesses.

Speaking with exhibitors at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2026.

Hong Kong's economy grew by 5.2% year on year in real terms in the third quarter of this year. Growth over the first three quarters reached 5.1%, the fastest rate for the corresponding period in five years. Visitor arrivals in October rose by 11.8% year on year. The value of total retail sales in September increased by 6.4%, while total restaurant receipts in the third quarter grew by 3.1%. This renewed vitality is also evident on our streets: tables at restaurants in many popular districts are harder to secure, and traffic in our core business districts has grown heavier.

We will continue to promote major events across different sectors and improve supporting infrastructure and services to help high-value tourism and the convention and exhibition industry thrive. AsiaWorld-Expo Phase 2 is expected to be completed in 2028, adding a multi-purpose arena with a capacity of around 20,000. The Wan Chai North Redevelopment project is also moving ahead at full speed. Together, the two projects will increase Hong Kong's large-scale convention and exhibition space by more than 40%, giving organisers more scope to bring new ideas to life. The Hong Kong Tourism Board will also continue to work with the industry and other organisations to develop distinctive experiences and services tailored to high-value visitors.

Hong Kong's events calendar will remain packed over the next two months. The Hong Kong Tourism Board's Hong Kong WinterFest opens in Central this month, with its light shows extending to Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay to offer residents and visitors new winter experiences. There is plenty more to come: the Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival at the Central Harbourfront, an international badminton tournament and major concerts at Kai Tak Sports Park, and the New Year countdown celebrations. Together, these events will bring a vibrant and colourful 2026 to a spectacular close!

November 8, 2026