Meetings & Exhibitions Hong Kong Gears Up for a New Tourism Era at IMEX Frankfurt 2019

At IMEX Frankfurt 2019, Meetings & Exhibitions Hong Kong (MEHK) will highlight a new era of opportunity for MICE planners through the city’s latest product offerings, enhanced connectivity, new experiences and new MICE privileges of the Hong Kong Rewards! programme, all designed to allure meeting planners into choosing Hong Kong as their next destination.

 “In 2018, Hong Kong recorded close to two million overnight MICE arrivals, representing a year-on-year growth of 2.1%. In 2019, Hong Kong is setting off to a new era for MICE tourism with the introduction of new infrastructure, new business potential with the Greater Bay Area, and most importantly, exciting new experiences for MICE groups. At IMEX, we hope planners will be left awestruck by what Hong Kong can offer.” said Kenneth Wong, General Manager of the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s MICE and Cruise Division. 

Greater connectivity by rail and bridge
The city’s dual super-infrastructure offers planners new ways of connecting between Hong Kong and Mainland China via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the High Speed Rail Link, which both opened in late 2018. The boost in connectivity provides more travel option between Hong Kong and Mainland China, enabling MICE planners to generate greater attendance for their events, as well as facilitate cross-border exchanges and excursions for delegates.

Inspire with local heritage
Hong Kong now offers more venues and experiences for MICE planners through newly revitalised sites. Planners will be able to offer guests cocktails behind bars at Tai Kwun, a former police compound over 170 years old; a team workshop and cultural retail therapy at the Mills, a revitalised iconic textiles factory; or local dim sum while enjoying the rich heritage of Cantonese opera at the Tea House of Xiqu Centre, part of the West Kowloon Cultural District Development, a new vibrant cultural quarter in the heart of Hong Kong.   

• Tai Kwun, located in the heart of Central on Hong Kong Island, opened in May 2018 with gallery spaces, small scaled exhibition spaces and a theatre that seats 200 delegates. The space is also home to some of the city’s best bars and restaurants
• The Mills, a revitalised textile mill in Tsuen Wan, opened in December 2018 as an exhibition and events space, it offers five venue spaces for events and exhibitions, including an outdoor rooftop park which can hold up to 450 people
• Xiqu Centre, opened in January 2019, offers theatre spaces, a seminar hall, eight studios, and a variety of retail, food and beverage and leisure facilities for small scale events, up to theatre experiences for over 1,000 people

A new era of luxury hotels
Hong Kong is home to 290 hotels, offering 81,000 rooms as of December 2018. In 2018 the city saw the opening of two luxury hotels, the 336-room Murray Hong Kong and the 671-room Hotel VIC on the Harbour. 

In 2019, the city welcomed the opening of the 413-room Rosewood Hong Kong in March, followed by the 129-room St Regis Hong Kong in April. Looking ahead, Lantau Island will see 206–room The Silveri, MGallery by Sofitel in second half of the year. All of these will contribute to Hong Kong’s hotel system size to over 310 hotels and close to 87,000 rooms by end of 2019. 

New integrated meeting solutions at the city’s two leading theme parks 
Hong Kong Disneyland is undergoing its multi-year expansion, which will provide new attractions or entertainment offerings almost every year, including its newest Marvel attraction, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!, which opened on 31 March 2019. Ocean Park Hong Kong, meanwhile, has a Water World in the works and is set to become the first and only waterfront water park in Southeast Asia.

New MICE privileges with Hong Kong Rewards!
In April, MEHK announced a further upgrade to the 2019/2020 Hong Kong Rewards! programme. This year, the programme includes 51 hotels offering complimentary cocktail receptions, complimentary meals at some of Hong Kong’s top attractions, as well as shopping vouchers and exclusive access.

A major enhancement within the programme is the new Cultural Boost, which will enable MICE organisers to add complimentary experiences, such as calligraphy demonstrations, tai chi lessons, lion dances or a kung fu performance, to name a few. There are many experiences for organisers to choose from to give MICE events a distinctively Hong Kong flavour. 

Visit MEHK at Hong Kong Stand at B350
IMEX Frankfurt attendees can find out more about Hong Kong, as well as watch Tai Chi demonstrations* on the Hong Kong Stand (B350). Tai chi is one of the new Cultural Boost benefits under the Hong Kong Rewards! programme. Tai chi was developed many centuries ago to help balance the body’s internal yin and yang, doing as much for the mind and soul as for the body. To this day, the timeless movements of this martial art are regularly practised in Hong Kong to relieve stress and improve health.

For more information about planning a MICE event in Hong Kong, please visit mehongkong.com or contact Helen Chan, Helen.Chan@hktb.com. 

*15-minute Tai Chi Demonstrations will take place on 21st May at 10:30am, 11:30am and 3:30pm as well as on 22nd May at 10:30am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm