As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect industries and economies across the globe, Hong Kong’s fashion talents have been striving to overcome the challenges by forging new and more creative opportunities. One example comes from Enzo Chan, New Talent Award winner at last year’s Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest (YDC), who has collaborated with renowned fashion retailer JOYCE to launch a crossover collection that is now on sale at JOYCE, Pacific Place.
With his collection “SINCE 1996”, Enzo Chan claimed second runner-up spot as well as New Talent Award, sponsored by JOYCE, at the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest (YDC) 2019. Mr Chan launched his own brand VO-YAGE, after taking part in the YDC and has collaborated with JOYCE to launch an exclusive crossover collection now available at JOYCE, Pacific Place.
Mr Enzo Chan
A graduate of the Institute of Textiles and Clothing at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Mr Chan created the “SINCE 1996” collection drawing inspiration from his childhood memories. In addition to winning the New Talent Award, which was sponsored by the JOYCE Group, the collection also earned him second runner-up honours at YDC 2019. After winning the competition he launched his own brand, VO-YAGE, and collaborated with the JOYCE team to create this limited-edition capsule collection. The collection is an evolution of SINCE 1996 that builds on the retro and casual wear styling of his original collection. The elegantly designed clothes feature exquisite detailing, such as tops and jackets embroidered with a pattern using personal photographs, a double-sided blazer and corduroy trousers featuring detachable elements.
Organised since 1977, the YDC has nurtured and promoted an abundance of local fashion design talent. Through various channels and platforms, winning designers from the YDC are supported to take part in overseas exchanges as well as launch their personal collections. The young designers gain invaluable first-hand industry knowledge that can set them on a path towards launching their own fashion labels.
Speaking about the assistance he received from the YDC and JOYCE in developing his first fashion collection, Mr Chan said: “Through my collaboration with JOYCE, I have learnt a lot about the different ways to operate a fashion label, such as leveraging a brand’s distinctive attributes to meet market demand. Most importantly, the experience has allowed me to determine the potential direction and presentation of my personal brand.”
YDC 2020 will be held on 19 September, moving online as part of CENTRESTAGE. Further details of the event will be announced in due course.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
Click2Match digital platform connects global exhibitors and buyers
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to physical exhibitions around the world being cancelled or postponed. However, despite this impediment to economic activity, sourcing demand has continued to grow. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) acted swiftly to change its strategy at the onset of the pandemic, actively developing new business channels and services. The HKTDC’s most recent online exhibition has concluded successfully, laying the foundation for a future hybrid model that combines physical and online trade fairs.
Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE, an online trade fair organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, concluded on 7 August, attracting more than 13,000 registered quality buyers from 118 countries and regions.
Over 4,500 video meetings were arranged during the online exhibition for buyers and exhibitors to forge collaborations amid the global pandemic.
Multiple webinars and online symposiums were held, including “Tech Trends Symposium 2020 – The Future of Intelligent Connectivity”, “Asian Lighting Forum 2020 – Shaping the Future of Lights” and “WGSN Presents: Lifestyle & Interiors Trends Spring/Summer 2021”, attracting more than 31,000 views.
In view of the pandemic, nine of the HKTDC’s planned physical exhibitions (see below) were migrated to an online exhibition, Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE. The exhibition employed innovative online solutions which combined key elements of business matching from physical fairs to facilitate business discussions between buyers and exhibitors.
Benjamin Chau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: “The uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic have led more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to focus on online promotions and operations, which has quickly become the ‘new normal’ for conducting business. Given that the pandemic has prevented buyers and exhibitors from meeting in person, the HKTDC has introduced online business matching to enable networking and deal-making.”
Click2Match, the business matching platform employed at Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE, used big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically match exhibitors with prospective buyers, enabling both parties to forge closer business connections. The HKTDC also leveraged the strong business networks of its 50 global offices and the support of its Hong Kong team to offer real-time assistance to buyers and exhibitors, enhancing their confidence and readiness to discuss business online. The expertise of HKTDC colleagues combined with sophisticated technologies led to a successful outcome, with more than 4,500 video meetings arranged.
Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE creates global sourcing opportunities
Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE concluded on a high note on 7 August. The online exhibition featured more than 1,300 exhibitors and attracted over 13,000 registered quality buyers from 118 countries and regions. During the fair period, multiple webinars were held to enable global suppliers and buyers to stay abreast of the latest market intelligence amid the pandemic, attracting more than 31,000 views. The most popular webinars included “Tech Trends Symposium 2020 – The Future of Intelligent Connectivity”, “Asian Lighting Forum 2020 – Shaping the Future of Lights” and “WGSN Presents: Lifestyle & Interiors Trends Spring/Summer 2021”. Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE also boosted traffic to the online hktdc.com Sourcing platform, with the number of page views reaching 1.5 million, a year-on-year increase of 60%.
Gifts and lighting the most-searched products
The majority of overseas buyers joining the online exhibition came from Mainland China, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and the United States, confirming the global nature of the exhibition. In addition, the HKTDC invited numerous major buyers to participate through the online platform, including representatives from Sichuan Impression Property Group Co Ltd, Guangdong Sanyuan McDonald’s Food Company Limited, and Chengdu Ito Yokado Electronic Commerce Co Ltd from the Mainland; Eslite Spectrum from Taiwan; Amazon India; Singapore’s Lightcraft Pte Ltd; Supervalu Inc and NeweggBusiness Inc from the US; Elgin from Brazil; and local representatives from Gap International Sourcing Limited.
Analysing the consolidated figures for the online exhibition, the product categories most searched for were, in order of popularity, gifts, lighting, medical and healthcare products, mobile phones and accessories, desktop organisers, clocks, audio speakers, watches, backpacks, and auto parts and accessories.
Online exhibition boosts business deals
Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE featured the Click2Match business matching platform, using multiple new technologies to enhance matching efficiency. It also covered meeting scheduling, video meeting, live chat and online seminars run by industry experts, all of which helped to provide a better online sourcing and networking experience for buyers and exhibitors. Participants on both sides agreed that the online exhibition helped them connect and continue making deals in the face of a difficult trading environment.
Jun Wong, Managing Director of fashion manufacturer MsEnvy Corporation Limited, said her company had successfully connected with new customers through the platform. “The unique Click2Match business matching platform in Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go Online is a timely and effective tool that has helped us to find potential buyers amid the pandemic. A Japanese retailer and a buyer from the United Arab Emirates expressed their interests in buying our new collections based on their patterns. We expect that the initial orders from these two new buyers will amount to US$50,000,” Ms Wong said.
Mainland Chinese manufacturer Ningbao Hongyi Garment Co Ltd showcased its “Alice in the Wonderland” collection through the online exhibition. Pearl Yu, the company’s General Manager, said: “We have successfully connected with three new buyers via the Click2Match platform. A buyer from the Netherlands sourcing promotional gifts wants us to produce homewear based on his own designs – an order valued at US$50,000,” Ms Yu said.
Ognjen Vucic, Managing Director of Linea Media from Montenegro, said: “Building trust with new suppliers during the lockdown period has been difficult for buyers. The HKTDC’s innovative Click2Match customised business matching platform has made it much easier to make connections and is likely to facilitate orders worth around US$50,000 for our company.”
Survey: buyers still want physical fairs
The HKTDC conducted an online survey during the fair period which found that more than 70% of exhibitors were participating in an online exhibition for the first time. Nearly 70% of exhibitors surveyed said they achieved their objectives for joining the fair, including generating new sales leads and meeting new customers, leveraging online platforms to promote and launch new products, as well as promoting their company image and brand. Over 40% of respondents agreed that they will utilise both online and offline channels for future promotions.
For buyers, 80% of those surveyed indicated they were participating in an online exhibition for the first time, while 80% of respondents said their objectives for joining the fair were achieved, including finding new products and suppliers, gathering market intelligence and gauging product trends. Over 80% of buyers surveyed found the communication tools of Click2Match useful for connecting with exhibitors, saying that the exhibitors referred by AI largely matched their product and service areas (84%).
Moreover, nearly 70% of buyers said they would consider participating in the HKTDC’s physical fairs again in the coming 12 months, showing that physical events remain crucial for buyers and exhibitors to establish connections and build trust during trading. Additionally, nearly half (46%) of the buyers surveyed consider the hybrid online and offline model to be the future trend for sourcing.
HKTDC upgrades digital sourcing platform
Mr Chau noted that the global sourcing model is becoming more focused on digital solutions following the pandemic, and it is envisaged that an online and offline hybrid model will be adopted for future HKTDC trade exhibitions. The HKTDC’s online sourcing platform, hktdc.com Sourcing, provided the perfect complement to Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE. While the former offers a year-round online showcase for suppliers, the online exhibition brought together suppliers and buyers for specific collaborations.
As the pandemic persists, the HKTDC will organise its next online exhibition, Autumn Sourcing Week | ONLINE, in November. Meanwhile, it is also working to upgrade the hktdc.com Sourcing platform, using advanced technological solutions to enhance matching efficiency and ensure that SMEs can continue to make deals during the peak sourcing season.
* The nine physical exhibitions that were switched to the Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE include the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition), HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition), HKTDC International ICT Expo, Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare 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, and the Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
Futurist sheds light on ‘new normal’ at E-Day seminar
Local start-ups have been rising to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic with agility and creativity. This year’s HKTDC Entrepreneur Day (E-Day), organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), underwent a transformation in terms of format and content, with a series of seminars broadcast live on 16 and 17 July giving start-ups valuable insights into finding a path forward during this difficult time.
Running under the theme “Revive x Redefine”, the 2020 E-Day invited a high-powered panel of speakers to speak at 19 online seminars.
Renowned futurist Gerd Leonhard addressed the “T-Chat: Futurising Your Business: Renaissance from the Age of Digitalisation” seminar and was joined for the discussion by (from left) Karena Belin, CEO & Co-Founder of WHub, Toa Charm, Associate Professor, Business School, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Herbert Chia, Venture Partner at Sequoia Capital China.
At the “Revive, Redefine” plenary session, Crystal Pang, Co-founder of Pickupp, shared tips on entrepreneurship and their personal experiences of turning creative ideas into viable business ventures.
Running under the theme “Revive, Redefine”, the 2020 E-Day invited a high-powered panel of speakers to speak at 19 online seminars, offering insights into areas such as entrepreneurship, regional opportunities and technological developments to equip start-ups for future challenges. Virtual business matching sessions were also arranged, connecting local start-ups with companies in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States to help them continue to capture business opportunities amid the current economic adversity.
Insights into the future: four “bigs” and 10 “game changers”
Broadcasting from Switzerland, globally renowned futurist Gerd Leonhard, CEO of The Futures Agency, shared in “T-Chat: Futurising Your Business: Renaissance from the Age of Digitalisation” the trends for entrepreneurship and opportunities for start-ups to thrive in the “new normal”. Mr Leonhard explained that there would not be a post-COVID-19 return to normality, and that the new normal would be very different.
The world is undergoing a Great Transformation, he said, with four “bigs” playing a leading role – Big Tech, Big Media, Big State and Big Health. “Technology is everywhere. Without technology, we wouldn’t be working from home, we couldn’t find new ways to address the crisis. We couldn’t analyse all the data. Without the AI (artificial intelligence), we couldn’t have early warning systems,” Mr Leonhard said. He added that the state helps to figure out how to restart the economy and to support the people, and that healthcare is becoming the number one issue. “We are going to have to put more money, more research into healthcare development and biotechnology,” he said, “We all are addicted to the media now because we are at home. Big media is exploding. These four things together have huge opportunities.” The result, he said, would be “HellVen”, explaining it could be heaven or it could be hell, depending on how it is handled.
The future presents utter uncertainty, Mr Leonhard posited. Businesses needed to abandon traditional, pre-COVID ways of doing things and adapt to the VUCA normal – volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. He advised entrepreneurs to flip VUCA and turn around the threats of the pandemic with “velocity, unorthodoxy, co-creation and awesomeness – to respond with speed and come up with new ideas, to work together, and to create solutions that can make a difference.”
Technologies are developing extremely fast, and the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating this further. The crisis and technological potential would drive extremely rapid and very disruptive change, he said, with more progress over the next decade than the world had seen over the previous century.
Mr Leonhard said 10 game-changers would shape developments over the coming decade, with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the impetus for change. The first game-changer would be “data everything” – with data as the “new oil”, businesses need to have the numbers at hand to go forward. “Lots of start-ups in Hong Kong and all over the world are dealing with data,” he said. This leads to the second game-changer – “cloud everything”, with vast amounts of data calling for copious storage space. The next game-changer would be “connected everything” – through the Internet of Things (IoT) not just everyone but everything, be it appliances or vehicles, will be connected through the internet.
Another game-changer would be “compute everything”, with quantum computers that are virtually unlimited in computing power. The next game-changer is “understand anything”, whereby natural language processing will enable us to speak to machines as if they were humans. “Smart everything” will see machine learning greatly increasing the ability of machines and systems to adapt to change. Transactions will join communications as a game-changer, as blockchain technologies greatly expand the scope for, and reliability of, transactions.
Mr Leonhard said another game-changing development that will have great relevance to anyone trading in goods is the distribution of production. Improvements in the scope and quality of 3D printing mean items can be produced anywhere. “We will be able to print anything, from our tennis shoes to our wrist watches,” he explained. Massive increases in the power of media technologies will expand the scope of media offerings, enabling people to “see everything” in the future through technologies such as virtual reality – and the current trend for working from home had given this a big boost. Improvements in genetic engineering mean it will be possible to “change anything” – a development that has massive ethical implications.
Panellists who appeared alongside Mr Leonhard at the seminar included Karena Belin, CEO & Co-founder of WHub; Toa Charm, Associate Professor, Business School, the Chinese University of Hong Kong; and Herbert Chia, Venture Partner at Sequoia Capital China. Mr Charm said that many Asian conglomerates rejected technological innovation in the past, and it was only when faced with growing competition that they began to open their doors to change. Referencing the current rapidly transforming business environment, he said: “All Asian conglomerates are opening up their doors to new technologies. They are thinking: ‘I don’t know about this, but I need it because my shopping malls, my hotels, my properties – nobody goes there to buy now’. I think this presents a golden opportunity for all of us – start-ups and technology companies, and enablers like incubators and accelerators.”
In response to a question about leadership and how human skills are becoming more valuable, Mr Chia, said: “At this moment, when talking to a lot of CEOs in the field, I find there’s a gap between the knowledge they already have and the knowledge needed to translate a business problem into a technology solution. Or, the other way round, where I have a technology solution, but I don’t know what to fix.” He believes successful leaders will be those who can bridge this gap and give their companies a clear direction.
Agility and understanding social norms
At the “Revive, Redefine” plenary session, William Ip, Managing Director of Carousell Hong Kong, and Crystal Pang, Co-founder of Pickupp, shared tips on entrepreneurship and their personal experiences of turning creative ideas into viable business ventures.
Mr Ip shared three tips with the audience: be agile, be a good listener and keep your business alive. Quoting celebrated scientist Stephen Hawking, who said that intelligence is the ability to adapt to change, Mr Ip highlighted the importance of agility for start-ups and entrepreneurs, especially in a challenging climate. He said that business drivers will change, and that development teams must be ready to adapt. “Being a start-up, we need to act very quickly and stay very close to the market. Sometimes you make decisions that seems to be correct at the time, but we also have to be prudent, agile, and humble – if that decision doesn’t turn out to be the right decision, we need to change quickly,” Mr Ip explained.
His second tip was to be a good listener. Businesses have to listen to their target audience and address the needs of the market segment, he said. As the retail sector has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, Carousell has been leveraging its platform to help small and medium-sized enterprises get online and connect with more customers. Lastly, Mr Ip said the most important goal for start-ups must be to stay alive as a business. Enterprises need to prepare for an uncertain future and think ahead to understand what the world will be like tomorrow.
Ms Pang offered insights into the classic question of how both technology and understanding social norms can be used to improve services. Customers want things cheap, flexible and traceable. She noted that while it is now very inflexible to operate a traditional logistics fleet, crowdsourcing was a viable option. “There is a lot of idle capacity in the city, and a lot of people with downtime,” she said. “Students, maybe they work until 3pm then have four or five hours of downtime. Semi-retirees, they are still very healthy and can run around and do neighbourhood deliveries. Are we able to utilise them effectively, as long as there is good technology to trace and do quality control?”
Ms Pang also explained how advanced computerised systems were necessary when employing a more flexible and dynamic delivery system. For Pickupp’s platform, thousands of deliveries will go out at any given time, all with different weights and dimensions, which need to be bundled together at the lowest cost.
Creating happiness can lead to growth
Katherine Cheung, Chief Marketing Officer at online education platform Snapask, shared on how the start-up has been able to grow its business in a difficult environment at a seminar titled “From Crisis to Chances: Unleashing Opportunities in Challenging Times”. She described online education as “hard to start, harder to win”.
With the goal of offering the best online learning experience, the Snapask team conducted in-depth research and ran numerous surveys to identify what would make users happy. They found that an instant experience and instant support were important for online learners, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the start-up made one small product change, to move all the fast-responding and always-online tutors to every single page possible whenever users log in so they can offer immediate support. Ms Cheung said that faster matching of students and tutors has resulted in more referrals and retentions, so “creating happiness means growth,” she said.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
Contact:
Please contact Creative Consulting Group or HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Creative Consulting Group
June Wong
Tel: +852 3159 2909 / +852 6986 5822
Email: june.wong@creativegp.com
Peggy Mak
Tel: +852 3159 2982 / +852 9482 3144
Email: peggy.mak@creativegp.com
HKTDC
Leslie Ng
Tel: +852 2584 4239
Email: leslie.ss.ng@hktdc.org
Creating new businessopportunities during the pandemic
In view of the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has acted swiftly to change its strategy, migrating the nine physical exhibitions originally scheduled to be held by the end of July onto an online platform. In addition, an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled business matching service is being introduced to help suppliers and buyers close more deals. Organised by the HKTDC, Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE opens today (27 July) and runs until 7 August.
The HKTDC-organised Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE opens today (27 July) and runs until 7 August. Benjamin Chau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, hosted virtual media briefings today to introduce the virtual exhibition.
This 9-in-1 virtual trade exhibition has attracted more than 1,300 exhibitors, featuring lighting, electronics, information and communications technology (ICT), medical and healthcare, houseware, fashion, home textiles and furnishings, gifts, printing and packaging products. This brand-new online exhibition platform will help global buyers to replenish supplies and assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in exploring new business opportunities during a difficult time.
Benjamin Chau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: “Although the COVID-19 pandemic is presenting huge challenges for businesses globally, it also offers the prospect of online business opportunities for enterprises. The HKTDC has initiated various online promotions, including the Spring Virtual Expo in April and the Summer Virtual Expo in late June and July, to assist SMEs and international buyers overcome the challenges during this difficult period. Now, to further boost business connections between global exhibitors and buyers, we are launching Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE, an advanced online virtual exhibition that runs for 12 days starting from today and features the AI-enabled Click2Match business matching platform to help SMEs forge more connections and opportunities.”
Mr Chau added that Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE is one of the HKTDC initiatives helping to expand the e-commerce capabilities of Hong Kong businesses. “The HKTDC is actively equipping SMEs to embrace the digital economy. In addition to strengthening cooperation with a number of technology partners to provide Hong Kong companies with more cost-effective digital solutions, the interface and functions of our hktdc.com Sourcing online marketplace will be further enhanced and relaunched later this year, utilising a variety of new technologies to improve business matching efficiency.”
New AI business matching platform
The one-month Summer Virtual Expo drew to a successful close on 24 July, helping more than 22,000 suppliers connect with buyers from around the world. From April to July, the number of buyers browsing the hktdc.com Sourcing online marketplace increased by nearly 20% to 4.2 million compared to the same period in 2019.
Building on these achievements, Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE helps exhibitors from the nine physical fairs build a virtual presence to connect with global buyers. The virtual exhibition offers multiple new functions that make it easy for buyers to source online. These include the Click2Match business matching platform that operates automatically using big data and AI technology, and other functions covering meeting planning, video meetings, live chat and online seminars run by industry experts, all of which will provide a better online sourcing and communication experience for buyers and exhibitors alike. The HKTDC’s 50 global offices have been keeping in touch with buyers who attended its physical fairs previously along with newly registered buyers. Over 5,000 business matching meetings have been pre-arranged to increase business opportunities.
Online seminars unveil future technologies and lifestyle trends
The Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE portal highlights featured products and details of the nine fairs for participants’ easy reference. The Intelligence Hub introduces various webinars, including “Tech Trends Symposium 2020 – The Future of Intelligent Connectivity” (28 July), which will address the impact of the artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT), the smart home, 5G technology applications and other related issues. Elsewhere, representatives from WGSN, the global authority on consumer and design trends, will share their views in “WGSN Presents: Lifestyle & Interiors Trends Presentation S/S 2021” (29 July), while the “Asian Lighting Forum 2020 – Shaping the Future of Lights” (30 July) will analyse the prospects of smart lighting from a human-centric perspective. The “Trendwatcher – The Reshaping of Retail Landscape” seminar (31 July) will feature representatives from internationally renowned market research agency Euromonitor International and local branding consultancy REALLY DESIGN.
Anti-epidemic products highlighted
Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak began, local scientific research companies have worked to develop a range of anti-epidemic products for better hygiene and health protection. The online exhibition presents a variety of disease prevention and control products, with the Smart Health Hong Kong zone showcasing a wide range of locally developed healthcare products. They include an antibacterial and antiviral coating, a disinfection robot, nanofibre-technology air filters, air sanitisers, an AI-assisted body temperature screening system, quarantine tracking technology and more.
The stay-at-home economy has also been driving demand for consumer electronics and home entertainment equipment. The virtual fair features a broad selection of smart home and lifestyle products.
Exhibition subsidies benefit exhibitors
To assist enterprises in overcoming the challenges brought about by the pandemic, the HKTDC is providing a special subsidy of HK$5,000 for each exhibitor taking part in Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE. The original participation fee for the fair was HK$10,000. After deducting this special subsidy, local companies that meet the application criteria for the SME Export Marketing Fund are eligible to apply for an additional 50% subsidy based on the original participation fee. This means that their participation in the virtual expo will be free of charge.
# Note to editors: considering the impact of the pandemic, the HKTDC has changed the dates for several exhibitions and conferences, at the same time as continuing to create business opportunities for enterprises through other channels. Details of the latest event arrangements can be found at https://bit.ly/2BbhSVh
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
In view of the significant resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the recent week of 6-12 July, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has discussed with the Government over the weekend, and was advised that, given the latest epidemic situation and the Government re-imposing certain social distancing restrictions on public health grounds, the Book Fair, despite the precautionary measures to be put in place, should be avoided, since it would likely be difficult to perform contact tracing and imposing subsequent disease control measures for the huge number of people involved. The health of Hong Kong people is a priority. As such, the Hong Kong Book Fair (original dates: 15 to 21 July) and three other public fairs during this period: Sports and Leisure Expo (original dates: 15 to 21 July), Education and Careers Expo (original dates: 16 to 19 July) and Entrepreneur Day (original dates: 16 to 17 July) will be rescheduled.
The Government and the HKTDC understand the disappointment of the industry sector and exhibitors as well as the public with the postponement of this major annual event. The Government has indicated that it will continue to provide its pledged support under the Anti-epidemic Fund when the fairs are rescheduled to a later date. The HKTDC will be in contact with related parties to discuss rescheduling arrangements, and details will be available in due course.
With regard to the Book Fair, ticket holders of purchased tickets can request a refund upon presentation of valid tickets. Details for refund will be announced on the Book Fair Website (www.hkbookfair.com). (VIP tickets and complimentary tickets are not eligible for refund.)
Regarding HKTDC Entrepreneur Day (16 to 17 July), a number of virtual seminars will continue to be broadcast live online as scheduled (Timetable link), while arrangements for the exhibition portion will be announced later.
The HKTDC expresses its sincere gratitude to the general public and to supporting organisations, exhibitors and partners for their support and understanding during this challenging time. With safety as a priority, the HKTDC will continue to monitor the situation and communicate with stakeholders.
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Please contact the HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department for the various events:
Hong Kong Book Fair
Clayton Lau, Tel: +852 2584 4472, Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org
Sunny Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4357, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org
Sports & Leisure Expo
Snowy Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4525, Email: snowy.sn.chan@hktdc.org
Agnes Wat, Tel: +852 2584 4554, Email: agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.org
Education and Careers Expo
Coco Yuen, Tel: +852 2584 4145, Email: coco.hc.yuen@hktdc.org
Entrepreneur Day
Leslie Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4239, Email: leslie.ss.ng@hktdc.org
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is organising Summer Virtual Expo from 29 June to 24 July 2020, helping Hong Kong businesses to tap new opportunities with leading buyers from around the world. See https://info.hktdc.com/sourcing/virtualexpo.
Hong Kong company Matrix Promotion Ltd launched anti-pandemic corporate gift sets during the COVID-19 outbreak, with more than 2.7 million hand sanitisers sold. Using business matching services offered during Spring Virtual Expo, Matrix received orders from a buyer in the United States for a total of 120,000 surgical masks and 1,000 thermometers.
Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go Online will feature a wide range of products including lighting, electronics, ICT, medical and healthcare items, houseware, home textiles and furnishings, fashion, gifts and premiums, printing and packaging and more, enabling companies to continue to explore cross-industry business opportunities. See https://ssw.hktdc.com.
Although there are signs that the COVID-19 outbreak is stabilising in some parts of the world, the demand for online sourcing continues to grow as physical trade fairs are still unable to be staged. To help companies rise to the challenge, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is organising hktdc.com Sourcing Summer Virtual Expo from 29 June to 24 July, providing an effective way for more than 22,000 suppliers to connect with some 500,000 global buyers.
HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said: “Our Spring Virtual Expo in April was successful in helping local businesses win new orders in the face of significant challenges. We hope the Summer Virtual Expo can maintain the momentum and help our suppliers connect with 500,000 buyers from around the world, while buyers will get the opportunity to replenish stocks to meet expected consumer demand in the second half of the year.”
Mobilising HKTDC’s global network
The HKTDC’s 50 offices around the world are helping to promote the Summer Virtual Expo by encouraging participation from influential global buyers, particularly those that work with mega chain stores and e-tailers and have previously sourced at trade fairs in Hong Kong. During the fair period, these offices will offer professional support such as handling in-depth business matching requests and arranging virtual meetings.
Mr Chau added that the hktdc.com Sourcing platform has won multiple international awards for its effectiveness in bringing suppliers and buyers together. The site currently features around 130,000 quality suppliers and two million international buyers, with over 24 million business connections made every year. “Buyers are more confident to source products from suppliers when the relevant information can be verified by third-party organisations,” he said.
Addressing buyers’ sourcing needs
Key products to be featured in the Summer Virtual Expo include consumer electronics, gifts, kitchenware, medical supplies, outdoor activity equipment, garments and clothing accessories, and much more. To further enhance the effectiveness of the business matching process and meet different sourcing needs, the HKTDC will send personalised product recommendations to global buyers through different channels such as social media, online advertising and email, encouraging them to view more products and make enquiries.
Weekly product themes include Tech & Innovations, Home Sweet Home, Lifestyle, and Smart Health. “Buyers can make enquiries and connect with suppliers in just one click, helping them to seal deals more quickly,” Mr Chau said.
Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE
As part of its anti-pandemic measures, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced on 2 June that the compulsory 14-day quarantine for persons arriving in Hong Kong from overseas will be extended until 18 September. This development means that overseas exhibitors and buyers would have great difficulty joining Summer Sourcing Week in July. Following discussions with industry representatives, the HKTDC has decided to migrate the physical exhibition to a virtual platform, Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE, to enable companies to continue exploring business opportunities. Summer Sourcing | Weeks GO ONLINE features a wide range of products including lighting, electronics, information and communications technology (ICT), medical and healthcare items, houseware, home textiles and furnishings, fashion, gifts and premiums, as well as printing and packaging.
Summer Sourcing Weeks | Go ONLINE is supported by a brand-new artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled business matching platform, Click2Match. Allowing tailor-made virtual meetings, meeting planners, live chats, instant video conferencing and online expert talks, this self-service platform offers buyers and suppliers a hustle-free online sourcing, marketing and networking experience.
# Note to editors: given the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, the HKTDC has adjusted its schedule of exhibitions and conferences as part of a continued effort to create business opportunities for various sectors through multiple channels. For details, please visit: https://bit.ly/31jgyu0
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Standard Chartered: Kelvin Lau, Senior Economist, Greater China; Rose Kay, Head, Greater Bay Area; Mary Huen, CEO, Hong Kong – HKTDC: Margaret Fong, Executive Director; Johnny Wan, Director, Publications & E-Commerce; and Nicholas Kwan, Director of Research, ‘Standard Chartered GBA Business Confidence Index’ launch ceremony (6/22).
Standard Chartered and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (“HKTDC”) are pleased to announce the launch of the ‘Standard Chartered GBA Business Confidence Index’, the first forward-looking quarterly survey in the market that looks at the business sentiment and synergistic effects across cities and industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area or GBA), to provide the latest business intelligence for those who are keen to grow their presence in the Greater Bay Area.
The index will be released every quarter and is computed from the analysis of more than 1,000 responses of GBA companies on their overall operations, business environment and expansion plan. The index includes five sub-indices which give indications on the business confidence for each industry, including manufacturing & trading, retail & wholesale, financial services, professional services and innovation & technology. It enables investors and businesses to better understand the current business climate, gauge future performance and formulate their market strategies in the Greater Bay Area.
Mary Huen, CEO, Hong Kong, Standard Chartered, said: “We are very pleased to join forces with the HKTDC to introduce the first GBA business confidence index in the market. We believe that the survey will help the public and companies in the region make appropriate strategic decision with economic insight in today’s ever-changing market environment. The Greater Bay Area is one of the biggest growth drivers of the Chinese economy and plays a significant role in the opening of China and gives companies in the region full play to the composite advantages of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. It will also help promote coordinated regional economic development and inject new impetus into the diversified development of Hong Kong economy. Standard Chartered will endeavour to expand our business in the region and would like to leverage its talents and technology in finance to develop our innovative financial products and services.”
Margaret Fong, Executive Director, HKTDC, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with the Standard Chartered again. By launching the first GBA Business Confidence Index in the market, we can assist businesses to formulate timely development plans and capture new opportunities. The HKTDC has signed agreements with the other 10 Greater Bay Area cities to facilitate companies in the region to expand their businesses through Hong Kong’s two-way platform, strengthening the city’s position as the region’s global investment and business hub. Going forward, we will help businesses tap into Greater Bay Area markets by providing them with intelligence, promotion and business matching opportunities through our exhibitions, conferences, missions and more.”
As a leading global bank with extensive branch network in the Greater Bay Area, Standard Chartered has been promoting the local economic development and put it as one of its key strategic priorities. Our unique global footprint and business expertise such as Belt and Road, RMB internationalisation, trade finance, bond market, digital innovation, wealth management and sustainable finance can meet the financial needs in the development of the Greater Bay Area.
About Standard Chartered
We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 59 of the world’s most dynamic markets, and serving clients in a further 85. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good.
Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India.
The history of Standard Chartered in Hong Kong dates back to 1859. It is currently one of the Hong Kong SAR’s three note-issuing banks. Standard Chartered incorporated its Hong Kong business on 1 July 2004, and now operates as a licensed bank in Hong Kong under the name of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered PLC.
For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com. Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
For further information, please contact:
Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited Gabriel Kwan / Daniel Ip Tel: +852 2820 3036 / +852 2820 3871 Email: gabriel.kwan@sc.com / daniel.ip@sc.com
Hong Kong Trade Development Council Beatrice Lam Tel: +852 2584 4049 Email: Beatrice.hy.lam@hktdc.org
Decade-low projection attributedmainly to COVID-19
Uncertainties about the length and depth of the economic downturn brought by COVID-19 and the ongoing threat of trade protectionism have led the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to revise its forecast for Hong Kong’s export performance for 2020 to a decline of 10%, down from the previous prediction of a 2% fall.
At a press conference today, HKTDC Director of Research Nicholas Kwan (centre), HKTDC Assistant Principal Economist (Greater China) Alice Tsang (left) and HKTDC Assistant Principal Economist (Global Research) Louis Chan (right) forecast Hong Kong’s 2020 exports forecast to decline 10%.
“The revision takes into account the latest HKTDC Export Index survey, which indicated that 82% of the 500 exporters surveyed forecast their total sales will drop 10% or more year-on-year,” HKTDC Director of Research Nicholas Kwan said at a press conference today. “The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic (64.6%), weak global demand (19.5%) and the trade tensions between Mainland China and the United States (10.8%) are seen as the biggest threats.”
Meanwhile, 97.5% of the respondents – up 3.6 percentage points from last quarter – have experienced adverse shocks to their businesses because of COVID-19. These include buyers purchasing less (57%) or cancelling orders (52.3%), delays in product delivery (55.8%) and logistical disruptions (53.1%). In response to the pandemic, 67.6% of respondents had implemented remote-working arrangements, while more than 41% developed online sales channels to supplement conventional sales operations.
New normal HKTDC Assistant Principal Economist (Global Research) Louis Chan said the unprecedented and overwhelming nature of the COVID-19 outbreak can be a timely game changer to taper the disconnect between words and actions in challenging the status quo, and encourage a new phase of creativity and sustainability, while preparing the global economy for a more resilient and robust post-COVID-19 future.
“Some businesses – including e-commerce marketplaces, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, logistics solution providers, video-conferencing solution providers and entertainment streaming and online gaming platforms – are likely to thrive in this ‘new normal’,” Mr Chan said.
He predicted the pandemic will accelerate automation, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technology will become more mainstream as the global economy and industry reboots and tilts more towards digitalisation and automation. At the same time, business-model innovations that use big-data analytics, contactless solutions and new digital channels would help traditional commercial operations – such as restaurants, last-mile delivery, health, insurance, human resources, marketing and product development – undergo digital transformation and survive the COVID-19 crisis.
Export Index stabilises The HKTDC Export Index rose a marginal 2.2 points to 18.2 in the second quarter of 2020. “This may indicate that the negative sentiment is now plateauing, yet the reading is still well below the 50-point watershed, indicating that Hong Kong’s exports performance is not likely to improve dramatically in the short term,” HKTDC Assistant Principal Economist (Greater China) Alice Tsang said.
“In addition, the Procurement Index fell by 4.3 points to a record-low of 10.5, with all major sectors dropping further – jewellery (2.0), clothing (9.4), electronics (10.4), toys (11.3), machinery (14.8) and timepieces (17.3) – showing buyers will source less in the coming months,” she said.
“Having said that, demand for electronics items related to computers, webcams, microphones and medical applications, wearable tech and smartwatches with health-monitoring functions, as well as comfortable, multi-purpose and athleisure wear are on the rise, while stylish fashion jewellery and design pieces and wedding items may also perform better,” Ms Tsang analysed.
Trade tensions back in focus Ms Tsang said exporters remained cautious on near-term prospects in Hong Kong’s major markets. Japan (46.5) continued to be seen as the most promising, followed by the US (39.3) and Mainland China (39), while the European Union (35.0) was again rated as the least-appealing market.
“The US is the only market that recorded a drop in the index this quarter, this may be attributed to the fact that Hong Kong exporters had again become cautious on Sino-US trade tensions,” she said. “A total of 69.8% of respondents, up 20 percentage points from last quarter, were concerned the dispute would damage their exports prospects.”
“Smooth implementation of the deal under the current disruptive environment remains highly challenging,” Ms Tsang added.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Development programme creates opportunities in a volatile economy
Start-up Express, an entrepreneurship development programme organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), has returned for its third edition. The pitching contest under the programme successfully concluded today as a judging panel selected exceptional start-ups to participate in local and international activities to build connections, explore markets, seek partners and enhance brand awareness. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Pitching Final was livestreamed online with a live polling of the “My Favourite Start-up Award”, which was awarded to MICology.
Start-up Express Pitching Final winners photographed with jurors and guests.Renowned stand-up comedian Vivek Mahbubani, the event host, talks to participating start-ups.A distinguished judging panel witnessed the rise of new start-up success stories.
Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director of HKTDC said: “Start-ups have been affected by the economic downturn like much of the world but the true essence of entrepreneurship is persistence in the face of adversity. There can always be opportunities found amid what otherwise appears to be a crisis. Traditional business and consumption models are seeing a new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which can in turn increase receptiveness to new ideas. With outstanding achievements in innovation and technology, local start-ups launched products and services to fight against the pandemic. The HKTDC will continue to support local start-ups in exploring business opportunities amid the pandemic-struck economy, and to promote the city’s capabilities in innovation and technology to overseas buyers.”
Start-up Express offers global promotion, market exploration
The contestants propose innovative and disruptive solutions to transform business and social ecosystems through biotech, fintech, robotics, artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) and responded to questions raised by a distinguished judging panel and online audience. This year’s juror line-up (listed below) witnessed the rise of new start-up success stories alongside online spectators:
– Calvin Choi, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, AMTD Group – Jason Chiu, Chairman, Hong Kong Startup Council – Cindy Chow, Executive Director, Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund – Duncan Chiu, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Radiant Venture Capital – Herbert Chia, Venture Partner, Sequoia Capital China
This year’s winners of the Pitching Final include: Arical, Arovia Hong Kong, BUG BROS BIOTECH, Gense Technologies, imBee, Inovo Robotics, Open Ocean Engineering, Return Helper, Shopkyo, SPES Tech and Wineworld Xplorer. (Click here https://bit.ly/2UsM30s for the list of wining start-ups and their profile)
The start-ups will be invited to exploratory sessions, power meet-up sessions with successful business leaders, business-matching sessions and local events organised by the HKTDC, including Start-up Zones at the Asian Financial Forum, spring and autumn editions of the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair and HKTDC Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair. The HKTDC will also bring the start-ups to the international stage by organising overseas missions and setting up Hong Kong Pavilions at international technology exhibitions – including CES in Las Vegas and MWC Barcelona.
Double opportunities to build professional networks
AMTD Group is the strategic partner of Start-up Express for a second year. Calvin Choi, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer said: “I am impressed by the innovative ideas and practical solutions presented by our city’s young entrepreneurs in this year’s Start-up Express Pitching Final presentation. This recurring programme serves as a valuable platform for participants to showcase their unique business ideas and demonstrate the innovative power of the young generation in Hong Kong.
“The current business landscape is full of challenges, but for start-ups that are agile and versatile in responding to changing conditions and market needs, they can definitely identify and seize the best out of available emerging opportunities.”
With the support of AMTD Group, the SpiderNet Award has been established to recognise the top performer selected by AMTD in the Pitching Final. The award aims to provide the winner with a unique and rare opportunity to access the resources and network of the AMTD SpiderNet eco-system. The winner will benefit greatly for its future development, and will also offer synergetic value to other entrepreneurs within the eco-system. imBee won the inaugural prize.
Jason Chiu, Chairman, Hong Kong Startup Council, said: “In every entrepreneurial journey, there are bound to be challenging times and the strength of a true entrepreneur is the ability to fight through the hard times and learn from each setback. This year has been especially trying due to the health situation that has impacted businesses globally but these start-ups have shown the resilience to fight through the adversity and succeed.”
Mr Chiu added: “It has been great to see how this batch of start-ups have navigated the past few months to present themselves in a shining light, ready to embrace new opportunities on the international market through Start-up Express’ unique support system. The programme helps entrepreneurs build connections and seek opportunities with potential investors and partners. I look forward to the winning start-ups joining HKStartupSociety and realise their dreams of not only excelling in Hong Kong but on the international stage.”
Helping Hong Kong start-ups expand markets and networks
A key driver for Start-up Express participants has been the opportunity to enhance brand and media awareness, while also connecting with mentors, partners and investors through HKTDC-organised local and overseas events. This has provided start-ups with the chance to learn from experts and strengthen their core business.
Start-Up Express past winners benefitting from new opportunities include Miscato Limited, which developed and patented smart aromatherapy solutions, and Quikec International Limited, which developed a one-stop cloud-based supply chain management solution.
Michelle Fno, Founder & CEO of Miscato Limited, said: “HKTDC’s strong network has helped us land interview opportunities with local and overseas media outlets, which in turn allowed me to share how my company developed our new series of antiviral smart aromatherapy products. Thanks to this increased exposure and HKTDC’s support, we’ve since been able to capture new business opportunities and expand our clientele.”
Peter Li, President and Co-founder of Quikec International Limited said: “Start-up Express has provided us an opportunity to participate in different exhibition and international exchange events. This has helped us expand our client base and find excellent partners despite operating on a tight budget. For example, meeting with Duncan Chiu, a well-known investor, offered many valuable lessons for us as he offered suggestions on business-development strategy.”
HKTDC throws full support behind local start-ups
The HKTDC will continue to fully support the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to maintain Hong Kong’s status as a competitive business city and hub for innovation. To support enterprises, the HKTDC has launched the “HKTDC Transformation Sandbox (T-box)”, offering free support on branding, e-commerce, manufacturing relocation and new market development. A “Voice of Start-ups” series has been launched on the HKTDC online platform to promote the success stories of local start-ups and to show how their creativity and versatility help them thrive and capture local and overseas business opportunities.
In addition to organising Start-up Express, HKTDC will support start-ups by hosting the annual Entrepreneur Day in July. The Council will also set up dedicated start-up zones at its world-class trade fairs in Hong Kong to help local start-ups reach out to overseas buyers and suppliers for potential partnership opportunities.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
About AMTD
AMTD Group is Asia’s leading comprehensive financial services conglomerate, with businesses in investment banking, institutional asset management, strategic investment, virtual banking, corporate insurance brokerage, etc. and non-financial services areas to include property investment and hotel operation, K12 education, innovative technology, and digital investment. AMTD Group is a global Strategic Partner Associate of the World Economic Forum, and has been supporting the Singapore Fintech Festival since 2017.
AMTD International (NYSE: HKIB; SGX:HKB), a subsidiary of AMTD Group and dual-listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Singapore Exchange, is the No. 1 independent investment bank in Asia and one of Asia’s largest independent asset management companies, and is also a leading investment house in the financial and new economy sectors.
AMTD Digital, a diversified digital technology platform under AMTD Group, operates in businesses covering digital financial services, digital marketing, media, and data intelligence, digital connectors and digital investment. Airstar Bank, one of the eight licensed virtual banks in Hong Kong, is the joint venture between AMTD and Xiaomi and a portfolio under this platform, and is also one of the earlier virtual banks launching its service.
Media enquiries Please contact Creative Consulting Group or HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Strengths in technological research and application have helped Hong Kong contain the COVID-19 outbreak and cope with the disruptions it caused. To create business opportunities for local technology enterprises that develop products and services to tackle the pandemic and related areas, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is collaborating with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) and Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB) of the HKSAR Government to launch a promotion campaign, sharing their experiences with overseas markets and showcasing the technologies to economies abroad.
To help Hong Kong technology enterprises tap into overseas markets and explore opportunities for future cooperation, the HKTDC will launch a business promotion targeted at initially Thailand in June, followed by Indonesia and Malaysia and other markets in the future.
HKTDC Chairman Dr Peter K N Lam said the Council is launching a business promotion comprising G2G and B2B promotional events and business-matching activities to create business opportunities for Hong Kong technology enterprises.
HKTDC Chairman Dr Peter K N Lam said: “The world is working hard to contain the outbreak and looking for innovative technologies and solutions to deal with current and future challenges. With Hong Kong’s proven capabilities in developing technology solutions, we are pleased to work with CEDB and ITB to bring these companies overseas. While sharing their experience with their overseas counterparts, they can also find new business opportunities.”
Dr Lam noted that Hong Kong, as a global business hub, has a well-established system to protect intellectual property, which facilitates technology transfer. The city’s internationally acclaimed universities have excellent research capabilities in fields including biotechnology, medical technology, fintech, smart city, smart living, education technology, and information and communications technology. Hong Kong’s ecosystem can readily turn research into marketable commercial solutions.
Knowledge sharing to fight pandemic
To help local technology enterprises tap into overseas markets and explore opportunities for future cooperation, the HKTDC will launch a three-month business promotion targeting at ASEAN starting first with Thailand in June, followed by Indonesia and Malaysia.
The promotion will be launched with an HKSAR Government-led webinar hosted by CEDB and ITB, followed by virtual business-matching meetings with targeted overseas business buyers and government agencies, virtual expos and other platforms hosted by the HKTDC, followed by physical events and outbound missions if conditions allow.
Apart from healthtech, medtech and COVID-19 related areas, the promotion will also cover other areas that offer practical solutions in times of social distancing and remote working such as online education, e-commerce, e-business and smart-city technologies.
Mobilising HKTDC’s multiple platforms
The HKTDC will also mobilise its platforms to maximise business opportunities, such as inviting these companies to join our online Summer Sourcing Week in July. The HKTDC will also promote our city’s innovative technology at its international trade fairs and service conferences. The HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) showcases health technology (healthtech) while Eco Expo Asia features green technology and the HKTDC SmartBiz Expo displays online education and commercial digitalisation solutions.
Using innovative technologies to grow business
Technology is a key driver for economic development and the HKTDC will continue to encourage local companies to use innovative technology to grow their business. The Council will also facilitate cooperation between Hong Kong technology firms and overseas companies through international trade events focusing on the city’s technological strengths.
These initiatives include IPHatch Hong Kong, a start-up competition whose prizes are technology patent portfolios from such leading companies and institutes as Panasonic, Nokia and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), which will help the winners jumpstart or scale up their business. Start-up Express, a development programme for local start-ups, has returned for its third edition. With a focus on AI and robotics, big data, biotech, the Internet of Things (IoT), fintech and smart city, the event continues to help start-ups build connections, explore markets, seek partners and enhance awareness of their brands.
The HKTDC has been promoting the city’s excellence in technology through a range of activities. Collaborating with different organisations such as Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Cyberport, ASTRI and local universities and entrepreneurs in the start-up ecosystem, the HKTDC organises overseas missions and sets up Hong Kong Pavilions at international technology exhibitions such as CES in Las Vegas, MWC Barcelona and BIO International Convention in Philadelphia of the United States.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
