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    The Hong Kong Government hosted a reception in Chicago, the US on Monday (June 6, Chicago time) to promote the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecom World 2006, which will be held in Hong Kong in December 2006.

    More than 100 business leaders and professionals from the information and communications technology industry from the United States and around the globe attended the reception, which was jointly organised by the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau and the Information Services Department of the HKSARG.

    The reception was held during the exhibition period of the SUPERCOMM 2005, the world's premier annual exhibition and conference on communications and information technology. The exhibition booth set up by the ITU also helped to promote ITU Telecom World 2006 to visitors.

    The Deputy Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Communications and Technology), Mrs Marion Lai, represented the Hong Kong Government at the reception. Other important guests included the Secretary-General of the ITU, Mr Yoshio Utsumi, and the Acting Consul-General of the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Chicago, Mr Tang Ying.

    Mrs Lai also took the opportunity to meet major company executives and trade associations to brief them on the theme of ITU Telecom World 2006 – the Gateway to a Wealth of Opportunities, and invite them to Hong Kong to participate in the prestigious event.

    ITU Telecom World 2006 will be held from December 4 to 8, 2006, in Hong Kong and is the first time the event will be held outside Geneva, where the ITU is based.

    The ITU Telecom World is the most prominent global telecommunications event held every three to four years. Hong Kong previously hosted two ITU regional events - ITU Telecom Asia 2000 and ITU Telecom Asia 2002.

    The event comprises two parts - the exhibition and the forum. The exhibition enables industry players to showcase their latest equipment, services or technologies, while the forum provides a platform for participants to debate critical issues in policies and regulation, key technologies, business applications and environment.

    It is estimated that ITU Telecom World 2006 will attract an estimated 100,000 overseas visitors, generating about $1.2 billion of direct economic benefit to Hong Kong.

Ends/Saturday, June 11, 2005

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