AWE eNews 2017 July





	Best International Venue and Allen Ha’s Medal of Honour AWE is Named a Global Best AWE has been crowned ‘Best International Venue’ at the coveted Exhibition News (EN) Awards 2017. Beating stiff competition from world-class venues in Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi, this is the first time that a Hong Kong venue has won this top global industry award, which was given in recognition of AWE’s outstanding performance in the global event community. The EN Awards is organised by Mash Media, a leading UK media for MICE, in partnership with UFI, the global association for the exhibition industry (www.ufi.org), supported by a leading panel of cross-disciplinary leaders worldwide. Formed by 25 independents, the judging panel looked for ways in which the winning venue has worked with organisers to deliver outstanding results for internationally focused events, and invested in improving both the organiser and visitor experience. Mr. Allen Ha, CEO of AWE remarked, “With support and encouragement from the Government and stakeholders, it is an honour for us to gain this international recognition for Hong Kong in the international MICE community. The achievement also acknowledges the joint-effort of AWE and our partners in strengthening Hong Kong as an international hub of EXPOtainment events.” In parallel with this exceptional success, AWE also won ‘Best Convention Centre’ at the Event Marketing Awards 2017 organised by Haymarket Media Limited, a multi-national media group. Judged by a panel of 20 independent professionals, the award recognises innovative venues in the Asia Pacific region which display outstanding planning and business performance. AWE looks forward to continuing to showcase Hong Kong’s MICE capabilities via its multi-industry alliances, and maximising the huge opportunities brought by North Lantau’s emerging Aero-bridgehead Economy Zone and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area Development.

	Allen Ha’s Medal of Honour In addition to AWE’s accolade, our CEO, Allen Ha, was awarded the Medal of Honour by the HKSAR Government on 30 June 2017 in recognition of his dedicated public and community service, particularly his contribution to promoting sustainable development in Lantau. The whole team at AWE share the joy of this momentous recognition. Under Mr. Ha’s exceptional leadership, AWE is now firmly established as an internationally award-winning venue, and will continue to drive growth in the MICE industry to the lasting benefit of the local community and Hong Kong’s global status.

	Venue Safety You Can Trust In April 2017, AWE welcomed the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, who met with local Indonesian expatriates during a two-day visit. This high-profile event provided the perfect example of how AWE is able to collaborate with the Hong Kong Police Force to implement the highest level of security measures in full compliance with the HKSAR Government’s protocol for welcoming Heads of State. Strategic checkpoints were set up with X-ray scanning and metal detectors. A Counter Terrorism Response Unit, a heavily armed special police unit and anti-bomb sniffing dogs were all deployed to patrol the venue. What made this landmark event especially challenging was that two other international trade fairs were being held at AWE at the same time as the Presidential visit, collectively attracting over 10,000 visitors. To meet this complex logistical challenge, AWE formulated a holistic routing and crowd control management plan to make sure that all security measures remained uncompromised. As the first designated stop on President Widodo’s visit to Hong Kong, AWE set the benchmark for the security arrangements at all subsequent venues. This unique experience also equipped AWE’s team to handle the highly sensitive and complex challenges of any future political events. The terrorist attack at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, UK, in May 2017 is a stark reminder of the need for venue safety. AWE responded to this tragic event by immediately stepping up security measures at its public events. In a pilot programme launched on 11 June 2017, all concert-goers were required to undergo a metal detector and bag search before entering the concert hall, and oversized bags were requested to be stored in secure lockers. Security wristbands were also introduced for crowd control and contingency management. These user-friendly security enhancements are crucial to protect the wellbeing of event-goers and everyone working at the venue. Moving forward, AWE’s team will continue to adapt and enhance security practices as necessary.

	AWE – The Ultimate EXPOtainment Destination

	Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo 2017 12-14 July 2017 The Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo 2017 Hong Kong (KBEE) is the largest overseas event held by the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to foster trade and promote K-wave and Korean products through cultural initiatives, targeting at both international businesses and consumers. Highlights of the first event day included a Mega Sale Event featuring over 80 Korean companies in the categories of Beauty, Fashion, Home & Baby, Food, Entertainment and Design, along with an opening ceremony and K-pop concert performed by honorary ambassadors Jung Yonghwa, BAP and rookie K-pop group, Gugudan. To offer an even more interactive experience, an ambassador signing event was held on 13 July to offer fans an up-close meet-and-greet opportunity. Korean companies from the Mega Sale also attended the business matching event which was open to pre-registered visitors on 13 and 14 July.

	Asian Fencing Championships 2017 15-20 June 2017 Since 1989, the Asian Fencing Championships have witnessed the rise of many renowned fencers. Hosted on a rotating basis in a number of Asian countries, this top-level annual international event was held in Hong Kong for the first time in 2017. As Asia’s highest-standard and largest-scale fencing competition, the 2017 Asian Fencing Championships brought together over 300 of the world’s top fencers from 30 countries and regions, including 24 fencers representing Hong Kong. AWE was honoured to welcome over 4,000 spectators to this six-day event, which made full use of the venue’s flexible layout. Indeed, many of the fencers, both local and international, and even the organising committee, told the media how much they liked AWE’s layout and ambience, and looked forward to future competitions at the venue. Being the host city not only marked a new milestone in Hong Kong’s fencing history, it also provided a strong boost of extra support for the Hong Kong team, with family members, friends and fans cheering them on loudly! In addition to confirming AWE’s status as a world-class venue for spectacular sporting events, the championships also witnessed record-breaking achievements by Hong Kong’s talented athletes. AWE offers its heartfelt congratulations to all medal winners, including Cheung Ka Long, who was crowned 1st Runner-up in the Men’s Foil Individual; Vivian Kong, who won 1st Runner-up in the Women’s Epee Individual; and the Hong Kong Men’s and Women’s Foil, Sabre and Epee Teams, who all won 2nd Runner-up. In fact, we’re delighted to announce that all 24 Hong Kong fencers won medals, setting a new Hong Kong record for the Asian Fencing Championships!