Monday, August 19, 2024 The HKTDC Food Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo, and Home Delights Expo, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded successfully today, attracting over 500,000 visitors and achieving an impressive average spending of HK$1,615 per person. These five trade events brought together approximately 1,860 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions, creating a bustling environment that underscored the strong allure and prestige of these annual flagship exhibitions. The Food Expo PRO and Hong Kong International Tea Fair also wrapped up on a high note on 17 August.
These two trade events welcomed exhibitors and buyers from around the globe, with around 20,500 buyers representing 60 countries and regions, reaffirming Hong Kong’s position as a key hub for food and beverage trade in the region. Buyers from outside Hong Kong primarily hailed from Mainland China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other regions. The ICMCM, jointly organized by the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA), HKTDC, and ten scientific research institutions, successfully concluded on 16 August.
Sophia Chong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director , said: “This year, for the first time, four theme days featured across all fairs contributing to their resounding success. Well-designed, exciting and innovative activities drew large crowds, fuelling visitor spending. This year, the introduction of a dedicated Halal food and beverage label, on products from more than 100 exhibitors at the Food Expo PRO and Food Expo was welcomed by buyers and the public visitors.
We were pleased to see the Hong Kong International Tea Fair continue to gain strong support from regional pavilions and exhibitors. The five fairs successfully created significant business opportunities for exhibitors, and a vibrant shopping destination for the public.” Over 90% of local exhibitors at the Food Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo, and Home Delights Expo accepted electronic payments.
A survey conducted by the HKTDC on-site revealed that more than half of the 1,500 respondents spent HK$1,000 or more during the event. Nearly 85% of participants utilized electronic payments, showcasing how e-payment solutions enhance spending by providing visitors with convenience and ease. The overall average spending reached HK$1,615 per person, marking a year-on-year increase of over 6%.
Taiwan exhibitor Grass Lands Food Co., Ltd. exhibited at the fair for the first time and achieved great results with a whole container crispy jerky and chewy jerky sold out by the fourth day of fair.
According to Yu – Hung Wang , manager of Grass Lands Food Co. Ltd, said, “Many consumers from Mainland China and Hong Kong showed great interest in our jerky products and the sales were exceptional and far exceeded our expectation. We successfully promoted our brand and products at the fair.
” The Beauty & Wellness Expo showcased quality products, including popular home-use beauty devices, skincare brands, hair care products, and more. The Korean beauty brand, medicube, returned to the fair with an enlarged booth of 96 square metres. The brand’s senior associate of beauty marketing team, Julie An , saw a lot of potential in Hong Kong for Korean beauty brands and brought two more brands to this year’s fair.
Their best seller was the medicube’s AGE-R Booster Pro beauty device with an average daily sales volume of more than 1,000 sets at the special Expo price of HK$1,700 each. Other medicube beauty products were also well-received by Hong Kong consumers with new customers responsible for more than 75% of sales. The Home Delights Expo featured massage chairs, smart home technology, stylish homeware, bedding and furniture.
Giormani, a custom-made sofa specialist renowned for its quality and design, made its first appearance at the Home Delights Expo this year. Shop Manager, Kenji Wan , said the booth attracted a lot of attention from new customers. With the special discounts of up to 59% off to stimulate onsite sales, they expected a sales turnover of approximately HK$2 million.
The Food Expo, as the city’s premier annual event, showcased the finest global cuisine and wines, driving strong consumption fueled by encouraging sales results. The Food Expo PRO opened doors to new business opportunities, particularly for Halal products, by bringing together leading companies and organizations from across the globe. In line with the growing interest in Halal food, a new label was introduced to help buyers easily identify and source Halal food and beverages.
Joseph Leung , senior adviser of business development at Haichang Ocean Park Holdings Ltd, a developer of a marine theme park resort in Saudi Arabia, placed substantial orders with exhibitors from Thailand and Mainland China, securing annual contracts worth up to US$500,000 of Halal-certified rice and tea. The Food Science and Technology zone showcased the latest food products, services and technology to help the industry explore business opportunities. Elevatefoods Technology showcased their patented smart 3D food printing and multi-level cooking technology.
Connie Lee , Co-founder and CEO, said: “Food tech is a fast growing trend in the industry and the Food Expo PRO served as a solid platform to launch our innovation and technology with buyers from Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam showing interest in our 3D food tech devices.” Food Expo PRO also welcomed 20 pavilions from different countries and regions. Panita Shinawatra , Acting Director General of Thailand’s Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion, said they have lined up 10 food producers from Thailand to promote Thai-style food and beverage products at Food Expo PRO.
They received very strong response in particular from buyers from Mainland China and Hong Kong and orders worth more than US$300,000 were secured for snacks, seasoning and other products. Abdul Rahman , CEO of Trans-Atlantic Trading Company Limited from Kenya, exhibited at the Hong Kong International Tea Fair for the first time and established links with 15 buyers from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. The company expects to receive new orders worth US$2 million directly from the fair.
The hybrid format of the Food Expo PRO and Hong Kong International Tea Fair, operated under the EXHIBITION+ model, connected local and international business opportunities through both physical and online platforms. The smart business matching platform, Click2Match, will continue to facilitate online meetings until 24 August. The ICMCM conference, organized in collaboration with MCMIA, HKTDC, and ten scientific research institutions, successfully fostered industry collaboration and advanced the field of Chinese medicine through dynamic discussions.
Key topics included the opportunities and challenges in Chinese medicine research, cross-regional exchanges, and the development of Chinese medicine products in the Greater Bay Area. Held concurrently with the Food Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo, Home Delights Expo, Food Expo PRO, and Hong Kong International Tea Fair, the ICMCM conference contributed to a dynamic and multi-faceted event that spanned food, beauty, health, household goods, and Chinese medicine. This synergy created a vibrant platform for cross-industry exchange and collaboration.
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