Government to extend Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme
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     The Government said today (October 24) that, as announced by the Chief Executive in the 2022 Policy Address, the Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme under the Anti-epidemic Fund will be further extended for six months to June 30, 2023.
      
     In the past two years or so, the pandemic has brought challenges to the convention and exhibition (C&E) industry around the world. With the lifting of compulsory quarantine requirement on arrival in Hong Kong from September 26, the Government hopes that the further extension of the Scheme will help enhance the confidence of organisers in staging C&E activities in Hong Kong and provide impetus to the C&E industry, as well as consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's status as an international C&E hub.
 
     The Government will launch a new $1.4 billion three-year scheme on July 1, 2023, to subsidise recurrent exhibitions to be staged in Hong Kong. Details will be announced in due course.
 
     The Government launched in 2020 the Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme with a total commitment of $1.07 billion to render much-needed support to the industry. The Scheme has been well received by the industry since its launch. As at September 30, 2022, it had subsidised 175 exhibitions, involving a total subsidy of about $467 million.
      
     The Scheme consists of two parts: one to subsidise organisers 100 per cent of the venue rental of exhibitions and international conventions held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo starting from October 3, 2020, while the other is to subsidise exhibitors and major conference participants 50 per cent of the participation fee at events organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council starting from November 30, 2020. The entire Scheme was originally set to last for one year and has been extended three times to December 31, 2022.
 
     In addition, in the fourth quarter of 2021, about $41 million from the Scheme's funding was allocated to provide one-off immediate relief to private organisers of 73 exhibitions to help them cope with the impact of the prolonged postponement or cancellation of exhibitions under the pandemic.

Ends/Monday, October 24, 2022
Issued at HKT 11:00

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