AWE_eNews2019_Sep_OP




	AsiaWorld-Expo Awarded “Best Convention Centre – North Asia”
	AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) was voted “Best Convention Centre – North Asia” at the recent M&C Asia Stella Awards 2019 held at Singapore. Hosted by Northstar Travel Group, the M&C Asia Stella Awards 2019 is a MICE-industry accolade that honours the very best MICE practitioners, and commends brands that have pushed the boundaries and brought the meetings industry to new heights. AWE is the first awardee in Hong Kong to win in the Convention Centre category, further affirming its status as one of the region’s foremost MICE destinations. The award is based on public voting by MICE leaders and professionals in the region regarding overall excellence, professionalism of the events team, MICE initiatives, sustainability efforts and other critical aspects of the meetings and event experience, thus representing comprehensive, cross-disciplinary recognition of AWE’s unique strengths.

	A World-First Tour to Delight Visitors of All Ages

	A Journey Through “Springtime Along the River” (Hong Kong Exhibition) 26 July - 25 August 2019 AWE recently welcomed the digital version of the world-famous Chinese painting “Along the River During the Qingming Festival”. Showcased at AWE from 26 July to 25 August, the event marked the first time that this extraordinary exhibition had been seen outside the Forbidden City in Beijing. The one-month event integrated art and technology in spectacular new ways. Highlights included “The Heyday Scroll”, an ultra-high-definition animated projection of the original masterpiece. It took more than 20 painters over 400 days to complete this monumental drawing, which was five metres high and more than 30 metres long. Another popular attraction was “The Bian River Harbour”, a 180° spherical display featuring China’s Bian River from dusk till dawn, giving visitors the virtual experience of floating along the river. The 4,000-square-metre exhibition area at AWE was three times larger than the original at the Forbidden City. The venue’s high ceiling and spacious column-free design provided exceptional flexibility for curating a one-of-a-kind experience and allowed the organiser to present the story in a dynamic new way.

	Growing Hand in Hand with AWE

	Asia Fruit Logistica 4-6 September 2019 Returning to AWE for the 8th year, Asia Fruit Logistica has become the most efficient platform in Asia for gaining an overview of the fruit and vegetable market, scouting for new products and varieties, and establishing new business contacts in the fresh produce sector. The event has firmly established itself as the only annual international trade exhibition which is able to offer a wide range of business insights and information on all key areas of the fresh produce sector and related value chain across the entire Asian Region, including fresh and dried products, transport, storage and technical services. This year, Asia Fruit Logistica featured over 25 national and regional pavilions which Peru sent its biggest ever delegation to join the event, with around 300 representatives from 60 companies and more than 20 sectorial associations. Asiafruit Congress 3 September 2019 Held immediately prior to Asia Fruit Logistica, Asiafruit Congress is the official curtain raiser to Asia's premier fresh produce trade show. This year's Congress featured a mix of general and breakout sessions providing in-depth case studies and parallel workshop discussions from across Asia and beyond to share valuable new insights on changing market trends. The main sessions addressed the growing demand for fresh produce in Asia, and new opportunities in China's affluent Greater Bay Area.

	September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair 16-20 September 2019 The Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair is one of the world’s largest gem marketplaces, attracting more than 54,000 visitors from around the world. Under the “One Fair, Two Venues” arrangement, the jewellery materials section of the Fair will be hosted at AWE from 16 to 20 September, bringing together mega-zones focused on Diamonds, Coloured Gemstones and Pearls. Finished jewellery products will be displayed at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from 18 to 22 September. In 2018, the two venues collectively housed over 3,730 exhibitors from 54 countries and regions. At this year’s event, the Fine Gem Pavilion, an iconic zone located in Hall 9 at AWE, will feature more than 70 of the world’s top suppliers of coloured gemstones, including rare gem-grade materials coveted by legacy brands and collectors.

	Hong Kong FinTech Week 2019 6 -7 November 2019 Organised by Invest Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Fintech Week 2019 is coming to AWE for the first time, representing a significant expansion on previous years. AWE’s size will enable the event to accommodate a greater variety of programmes, showcasing the region’s vibrant fintech ecosystem and many business opportunities. Thanks to AWE’s unrivalled location adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport, this year’s event is also expected to welcome more global participants than ever before. “The new location reflects the dramatic growth of Hong Kong Fintech Week,” explained Charles Ng, Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK. “At last year’s event, we had more than 8,000 attendees. We now have the chance to grow further. With the airport expansion and the new Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, we can also introduce our participants to Hong Kong’s unique ‘Double Gateway’ role.” The main conference and exhibition will be held at AWE at 6-7 November. A “Shenzhen Day” will also be arranged on 8 November to explore various incubators and FinTech opportunities in Shenzhen. FinTech Week is the world’s first cross-border financial technology event, taking place in Hong Kong, Asia's financial capital, and in Shenzhen, China's Silicon Valley. The event is one of the largest conferences in the FinTech industry, attracting more than 10,000 executives, entrepreneurs, investors and regulators. In 2018, the event featured over 260 speakers, 100 exhibitors, 60 start-ups and 1,000-plus business matching meetings, in addition to innovation lab tours and the involvement of universities.

	From City Airport to Airport City

	The Airport City for Hong Kong Major airports in the world, including Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) have evolved into nexuses of intricate connections between people and businesses, both locally and globally. Airports have become not only entities to manage flows of passengers and cargo, but also breeding grounds for much wider networks of interrelated activities and businesses, transforming into a bigger entity – an Airport City. Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) outlines its vision and strategy to transform HKIA into an Airport City in a report titled “From City Airport to Airport City” (the Report) released in May 2019. In the Report, AA outlines a strategy that comprises rigorous development of various segments of the airport – core passenger and cargo services, multi-modal regional connectivity, and commercial developments including retail, dining, entertainment and hotels, conventions and exhibitions, etc. Development of the Airport City calls for infrastructural and functional enhancements including the construction of the Three-runway System, the expansion of Terminal 2 and refurbishment of Terminal 1 and the integrated development – the SKYCITY project which comprise retail, dining, entertainment, offices as well as hotels. To enhance the overall operational efficiency of the Airport City, AA is exploring with HKSAR government regarding AWE’s next phase of development to meet growing demand for high-profile and consumer-oriented events. AsiaWorld-Expo will benefit from strong synergies with SKYCITY and the expanded airport, as well as other developments in the vicinity – including the extension of Tung Chung New Town and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.