The Government announced today (August 12) that the Mega Events Fund (MEF) Assessment Committee (AC) has earmarked a maximum of $15 million to support the UBS Hong Kong Open to be held in December 2016 under the sixth round of applications under the Tier-2 Scheme.

     "After careful deliberation, the MEF AC has earmarked a maximum of $15 million to support the UBS Hong Kong Open. The organisers expect that about 38 000 visitors and locals will participate in this mega event. The MEF AC considers that this mega event 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.

     The UBS Hong Kong Open is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Golf Association and the Hong Kong Golf Club, and will be held at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling from December 8 to 11 this year. With the support of the MEF, this prestigious international golf tournament will have an enhanced line-up with the participation of the world's top professional golfers, and will be broadcast around the world. The organisers will carry out promotional activities and arrange opportunities for participating players to promote Hong Kong.

     "When announcing the result of the sixth round of applications under the Tier-2 Scheme in May this year, it was mentioned that the MEF AC was discussing the relevant funding terms and conditions with the organisers of two mega events. While the UBS Hong Kong Open is one of the concerned events, the organiser of the other event has subsequently withdrawn its application," the government spokesman added.

     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; the reasonableness of the budget, and so forth. For details, please refer to the assessment criteria for applications and the scoring guideline 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/Friday, August 12, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:00

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