Strengthening bilateral trade between Hong Kong and the UAE
The bilateral trade relations among Hong Kong and the UAE have long been robust. Adding to the Hong Kong’s business advantages, Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) organises more than 30 exhibitions each year to bring together buyers and suppliers from both economies to develop their business.
Mr. Abdul Aziz Nasser, Deputy Director, Middle East, HKTDC announced that nine international fairs, which cover watches and clocks, fashion, electronic products, lighting products, green products and spectacles, will be held in Hong Kong from September to November. These fairs will serve as ideal platforms for traders and suppliers from the UAE to expand their businesses into new markets. The fairs are as below:
• HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair (4-8 September 2018)
• CENTRESTAGE (5-8 September 2018)
• HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) (13-16 October 2018)
• electronicAsia (13-16 October 2018)
• Eco Expo Asia – International Trade Fair on Environmental Protection (25-28 October 2018)
• HKTDC Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo (26-29 October 2018)
• HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) (27-30 October 2018)
• HKTDC Hong Kong Optical Fair (7-9 November 2018)
“The HKTDC’s some 30 fairs attracted about 39,000 exhibitors and over 750,000 visitors from all over the world in 2017/2018,” Mr. Nasser said. “Our world-class trade fairs are supported by a combination of international quality exhibitiors and buyers. Synergising with our mobile-friendly sourcing services, including the award-winning ‘hktdc.com’ online marketplace, exhibition online platforms, the HKTDC Marketplace App, and more than 20 print and online product magazines (and industry supplements), our exhibitions are the perfect starting point for year-round business connections between buyers and suppliers, facilitated by our integrated online-offline marketplace.”
He looked forward to welcoming more Emirati corporations to explore business opportunities and tap into global markets through HKTDC exhibitions. He also highly encouraged buyers, distributors and retailers from the UAE to come to Hong Kong to experience the benefit of sourcing through HKTDC’s trade fairs.
The UAE is Hong Kong’s 18th largest trading partner. In the first half of 2018, the total trade value between Hong Kong and the UAE amounted to over USD 4.7 billion. Hong Kong’s total export to the UAE amounted to USD 2.7 billion and total import value from the UAE reached USD 2 billion.
Each year, the HKTDC organises more than 30 exhibitions in Hong Kong. Eleven of them are the largest marketplaces of their kind in Asia, and among them five are the largest in the world, namely HKTDC Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show cum HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show; HKTDC Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair; HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair; HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) cum electronicAsia; HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) cum Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo.
Portfolio of Autumn Fairs
HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair hkwatchfair.hktdc.com (4-8 September 2018)
The HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and the concurrent Salon de TE will open during 4-8 September 2018 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The Watch & Clock Fair is expecting around 830 exhibitors from over 20 countries and regions, including new comers from Poland and South Africa. In 2017, the fair welcomed more than 20,000 buyers from all over the world, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as the trade hub of timepieces.
Showcase of Glamorous Brands at “Salon de TE”
“Salon de TE” gathers around 150 prestigious watch brands and designer collections in five themed zones. World Brand Piazza features limited editions and rare timepieces from 13 international renowned brands. The brands on display include Blancpain, Breguet, Chopard, CORUM, FRANCK MULLER, Glashütte Original, Jacob & Co., Jaquet Droz, Juvenia, PARMIGIANI FLEURIER, Piaget, SARCAR Genève and ZENITH. Chic & Trendy features stylish and trendy labels, including ClaudiaKoch (Lebanon), Doxa (Switzerland), Julius (Korea), TINTIN (Belgium) and Van Gogh (the Netherlands). Craft Treasure is the home to hugely popular mechanical timepieces and exquisite jewelled watches from brands such as ANPASSA (Hong Kong), Beijing (Chinese Mainland), Fiyta (Chinese Mainland), Kentex (Japan) and Memorigin (Hong Kong). Renaissance Moment is the historic showcase of timeless European classics. Brands such as Carl von Zeyten (Germany), Guy Laroche (France) and Louis Arden (Switzerland) are participating this year. In addition, Swiss Independent Watchmaking Pavilion is expected to bring 8 delicate and elegant Swiss-made watch labels. Wearable Tech is the headquarter for dynamic technology and smart watches of the future.
CENTRESTAGE – www.centrestage.com.hk 5-8 September 2018
The third international fashion trade show CENTRESTAGE will take place from 5-8 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Last year, the inaugural show became talk of the town attracting exceptional fashion brands, designers, buyers, media and fashionistas. The fair will showcase over 220 local and overseas brands: Local Brands include: 112 mountainyam, Angus Tsui, ANVEGLOSA, DEMO., DORISKATH, HARRISON WONG, House of V, LOOM LOOP, Maison Vermillion and YLYstudio; Overseas Brands include: D-ANTIDOTE(Korea), Label 31(Thailand), TAiLE(Vietnam), Beequeen by Chicca Lualdi (Italy), Edward Achour (France) and more.
About 20 fashion shows will be held during CENTRESTAGE. On the first evening, the large-scale opening gala fashion show, CENTRESTAGE ELITES, will put three top Asian brands and their newest collections under the spotlight, including award-winning Japanese avant-garde streetwear label FACETASM by Hiromichi Ochiai; Hong Kong-born brand IDISM by the design duo Julio Ng and Cyrus Wong, as well as Chinese luxury womenswear label Ms MIN by Min Liu.
The renowned Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest 2018 will be held on 8 September as the finale of CENTRESTAGE. The international fashion designer, Martine Rose, is the VIP judge to share her insights and ideas with the finalists. Apart from fashion shows. The HKTDC will once again invite experts from WGSN, Euromonitor to forecast the upcoming fashion trends and share the future development of streetwear and the influence of digitalisation towards the fashion industry. The Fashion Summit (HK) 2018, a large-scale summit in Asia on fashion sustainability, will be held concurrently. Under the theme “Circular Economy”, the two-day conference will gather industry experts to discuss hot industry topics.
HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) 13-16 Oct 2018 hkelectronicsfairae.hktdc.com
electronicAsia www.electronicasia.com 13-16 October 2018
The annual HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) and electronicAsia will be held concurrently at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 13-16 October 2018. The two fairs are expected to gather more than 4,300 exhibitors from across the globe, representing the world’s largest electronics marketplace to showcase a wide variety of intelligent products, innovative start-up ideas and electronic components. Entering its 38th edition, the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), while the 22nd electronicAsia is jointly organised by the HKTDC and MMI Asia Pte Ltd. In the 2017 editions, the two fairs attracted a total of around 86,000 buyers from 139 countries and regions. In the Autumn Electronics Fair, the popular Tech Hall will return to showcase tech-savvy products in five thematic zones: 3D Printing, Robotics & Unmanned Tech, Smart Tech, Virtual Reality and Startup. The Startup zone will feature more than 100 international start-ups to present their innovations. A series of events will be arranged to provide an ideal platform for them to present ideas, which include pitching, “Startup, Smart Launch” and mentoring sessions. Apart from Tech Hall, the Hall of Fame will continue to be a spotlight of the fair, featuring stylish products from more than 500 international renowned brand names.
Held concurrently with the Autumn Electronics Fair, electronicAsia creates an unrivalled platform for suppliers of electronic components and production technologies to showcase their products to international buyers. Featured zones include Power Supplies which present various types of batteries, accessories, solar photovoltaic components and technologies. Printed Circuit Board & EMS zone will display printed circuit board and related services including design, manufacture, test and more. Others include World of Display Technology, Electronic Components and Keyboards & Switches. To tap with the latest sourcing trend, the fair will also showcase the essential element of “automation” such as a range of sensors and its technologies behind.
Eco Expo Asia – International Trade Fair on Environmental Protection – www.ecoexpoasia.com 25-28 October 2018
The 13th edition of the show, to be held at the AsiaWorld-Expo from 25 ‒ 28 October 2018, is jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), and co-organised by the Environment Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The 2017 edition of the show saw more than 14,000 visitors attend from over 100 countries and regions, while the fair gathered 335 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions, including 16 overseas and local pavilions and group participations.
The Environment Bureau will roll out its Municipal Solid Waste Charging Scheme in 2019 in order to tackle Hong Kong’s waste generation and improve its reduction and management. To echo with this drive for better waste management, Eco Expo Asia has adopted a new show theme ‒ “Waste Less Save More for a Low-carbon Future”. By aligning the fair in this way, the organisers hope to increase awareness of current pressing environmental issues and also to facilitate the exchange of technology and solutions from around the world. Highlighted product categories include Green Buildings and Energy Efficiency, Green Transportation, Waste Management and Recycling as well as Water Treatment and Quality Management. A strong line-up of pavilions, including Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Korea and Japan will participate this year, providing a comprehensive display of the latest green technologies, solutions and products from around the world. The Startup Zone will also return after its successful debut last year. Its aim is to encourage green startups to explore more business opportunities and connect with investors at the show.
HKTDC Hong Kong International Outdoor & Tech Light Expo – hkotlexpo.hktdc.com 26-29 Oct 2018
HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) – hklightingfairae.hktdc.com 27-30 October 2018
The 20th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) will be staged from 27 to 30 October 2018 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo will also see its third edition from 26 to 29 October 2018 at the AsiaWorld-Expo. The two lighting events expect close to 3,100 exhibitors from around the world. Last year, close to 69,000 global buyers attended both fairs. The two fairs together form the world’s largest lighting marketplace with enormous business opportunities.
The famed Hall of Aurora at the Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) will bring top-notch branded collections of lighting accessories and applications under one roof, leading brands include BJB, LEDUS, MEGAMAN and VIRIBRIGHT. The Smart Home Gallery will make its debut this year to display smart home lighting products from renowned brands such as Yeelight/Xiaomi, Philips, Opple, Tmall Genie AI Union and Tuya. The Smart Lighting & Solutions zone will showcase the latest lighting designs, software, management systems and control panels. The popular LED & Green Lighting zone will display a wide array of energy-efficient lighting for commercial uses, whereas the Residential Lighting zone will gather functional and decorative domestic lighting products.
The Outdoor & Tech Light Expo showcases lighting products by various applications to facilitate sourcing for buyers. The Exterior Lighting Solutions & Systems zone will highlight high-performance and energy-efficient lighting systems and technologies. The Outdoor & Public Lighting and Outdoor Advertising Lighting zones will be home to lighting solutions for public spaces and promotional uses respectively. The Technical & Professional Lighting zone will cover lighting equipment for warehouses and studios. The Horticultural Lighting zone will make its debut this year, showcasing grow lights for plants in farms, domestic landscaping and public parks. During both fairs, a diverse fair programme of networking receptions and buyer forums will be held for industry players to expand their professional networks and learn first-hand about market developments. Seminars on smart street lights, testing and certification services as well as horticultural lighting will also be held to reveal the industry’s latest trends.
HKTDC Hong Kong Optical Fair – hkopticalfair.hktdc.com – 7-9 November 2018
The 26th edition of the HKTDC Hong Kong Optical Fair will be held from 7-9 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Organised by the HKTDC and co-organised by the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association, the three-day fair will feature over 800 exhibitors from worldwide. The fair will present the latest styles of frames, spectacles and related products in over a dozen product zones, ranging from kids’ eyewear to optometric instruments, equipment and machinery.
A showcase for leading international players, the popular “Brand Name Gallery” will house over 200 well-known brands including 999.9 (Japan), BIG HORN (Hong Kong), BLANC & ECLARE (Korea), ic! Berlin (Germany), Superdry (UK), Markus-t (Germany), PARIM (Taiwan), People by People (Hong Kong), SOLANO (Poland), SHADEZ (Switzerland), STEPPER (Germany), TiDOU (Japan), Yuichi Toyama (Japan) and more. The Chinese mainland, France, Italy, Japan, Korea and Taiwan will establish group pavilions, while the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association and the Visionaries of Style will also set up pavilions, providing an all-round trading platform for the industry. In addition, a number of model parades will be held to show the different stylish outlooks of eyewear. Various industry events will explore new trends and innovations in the optical industry. The 16th Hong Kong Optometric Conference will feature experts from the globe to share their insights on the contemporary role of optometrists in primary care. Jointly organised by the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association, the 20th Hong Kong Eyewear Design Competition under the theme of “Smart Everything” is organised with the aim to foster local creativity and innovation. Designs of the finalists will be on display during the fair period, showcasing the local originality and energy to international players.