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The Government announced today (May 23) that the Mega Events Fund (MEF) Assessment Committee (AC), after deliberation on the sixth round of applications under the Tier-2 Scheme, has earmarked a maximum of $15 million to support two mega events to be held in Hong Kong.
"After careful deliberation, the MEF AC has earmarked a maximum of $15 million to support two mega events, namely the 2016 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival and the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2016. The organisers expect that about 200 000 visitors and locals will participate in the mega events. The MEF AC considers that these mega events will help enhance Hong Kong's international profile and reinforce the city's status as the events capital of Asia. It will add colour and vibrancy to Hong Kong and attract more visitors to our city," a Government spokesman said.
"Moreover, the MEF AC is discussing the relevant funding terms and conditions with the organisers of two other mega events. We will grant funding if consensus is reached and announce the details," he added.
Details of the above-mentioned two MEF-supported mega events are as follows:
(1) 2016 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival
The 2016 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival is jointly organised by the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and will be staged at Victoria Harbour along the Central Harbourfront from June 10 to 12 this year. The Carnival will comprise various exciting activities including the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, a BeerFest, a Family Zone and the Hong Kong Trophy. The Carnival is expected to attract about 165 000 participants, including about 41 000 visitors. The MEF funding ceiling is $6 million.
(2) Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2016
The Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2016 is organised by the Hong Kong Tennis Open Event Management Limited, and will be staged at Victoria Park from October 8 to 16 this year. This international tennis tournament will draw the participation of a number of world-class professional tennis players, and will be broadcast around the world. The organiser will carry out promotional activities and arrange opportunities for participating players to promote Hong Kong. This mega event is expected to attract about 36 000 participants, including about 1 600 visitors. The funding ceiling is $9 million.
In addition, the seventh round of applications under the Tier-2 Scheme is expected to commence this July. Further announcements will be made in due course. For details of the MEF, please visit the MEF dedicated website (www.tourism.gov.hk/english/mef/mef_tier2.html). Interested parties are also welcome to contact the Secretariat of the MEF AC (Tel: 2810 2500; fax: 2121 8791; email: mefsecretariat@cedb.gov.hk).
The MEF AC, chaired by Mr Jeffrey Lam and comprising members from the relevant sectors, is responsible for considering the MEF applications and monitoring the progress of the MEF-supported events. In assessing the applications, the MEF AC takes into account a number of factors, including the expected economic, publicity and other benefits of the events; the scale of the events; the background, governance structure, resources, capability and track record of the applicants; the technical feasibility of the events; and the reasonableness of the budget and so forth. For details, please refer to the assessment criteria for applications and the scoring guidelines for assessment which are available on the MEF's dedicated website.
The MEF was established in 2009 for a term of three years. An allocation of $150 million was made in 2012-13 to extend the operation of the MEF for five years under a modified two-tier scheme. Under the two-tier scheme, Tier-1 aims to attract internationally acclaimed mega events to Hong Kong, and Tier-2 is an enhanced version of the previous scheme which aims to provide funding support to local non-profit-making organisations to host mega arts, culture, sports and entertainment events in Hong Kong.
Ends/Monday, May 23, 2016
Issued at HKT 14:35
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