Hong Kong’s exhibition centre nears pre-Covid numbers as trade fairs return from Singapore and new crypto event signs on

The schedule of events at Hong Kong’s Convention and Exhibition Centre is filling up nearly to pre-pandemic levels, with a busy slate in 2024 and a large cryptocurrency gathering coming on board for early 2025, according to a top executive.

The total number of events in the second half of last year hit 84 per cent of the level before the Covid-19 pandemic, and the outlook is promising, said Monica Lee-Müller, managing director of Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management).

“Some exhibitions or events that moved to other jurisdictions when Hong Kong imposed Covid-related restrictions and banned quarantine-free travel have returned to the city,” she said. “I am very confident that our business this year will return back to pre-Covid level.”

Before Covid-19, the exhibition sector drew nearly 2.2. million people a year to the city, contributing HK$58.6 billion (US$7.5 billion) to Hong Kong’s gross domestic product, the equivalent of 77,000 full-time jobs, according to the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. The pandemic led to the cancellation of hundreds of events, some of which relocated to other cities in the region as Hong Kong’s travel restrictions remained in place after peer cities dropped theirs.

And as of January 2024, 117 exhibitions have been confirmed for 2024. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, 765 exhibitions were recorded.

In 2025 the city will play host to Consensus, one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency-themed conferences, slated for February 19 and 20, Lee-Müller said.

The event will explore the opportunities and challenges brought by artificial intelligence, blockchain, Web3 and other technologies.

In addition, exhibitions that were suspended during the pandemic held their first physical fairs last year, notably the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, which drew some 7,000 buyers from 49 countries and regions in November.

Steady revival of Hong Kong shown by exhibitions

In 2024, Hong Kong is set to welcome back the Vinexpo Asia wine and spirits event, as well as APLF, which focuses on leather and other materials for the fashion industry.

New exhibitions for cat lovers, tattoo artists, Nintendo enthusiasts and refrigeration professionals added to the growth in 2023 numbers.

A shortage of skilled staff and insufficient exhibition space remain as challenges for the sector, according to Lee-Müller.

“The biggest shortage is skilled staff like electrical technicians, or experienced waiters,” she said. “Separately, young people do not want to do full-time jobs.”

Additional reporting by Cheryl Arcibal