Following is a question by the Hon Hung Kam-in and a reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (October 21):
 
Question:
 
     As the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government actively aligns with the national development strategies, the development of the convention and exhibition (C&E) industry in the Northern Metropolis (NM) has attracted considerable attention. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the direct and indirect economic contributions generated by Hong Kong's C&E industry (including its proportion in the Gross Domestic Product), the number of overnight Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) arrivals and the per-capita spending of MICE visitors, changes in the usable exhibition space at major C&E venues over the past three years, and the major support measures currently provided by the Government for the industry (including the various subsidy schemes and the latest progress of venue expansion);
 
(2) whether it is aware of the rental situation and demand at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo during traditional peak seasons; whether it has assessed the adequacy of the aforesaid venues in coping with the industry's demands, including supporting exhibitions of new organisers and start-ups; whether it will strengthen auxiliary facilities for C&E-related industries in the NM's planning; and
 
(3) whether it will further strengthen the positioning of the C&E industry as a strategic industry and incorporate small and medium-sized exhibition venues or multi-purpose venues into the NM's land use and urban planning (e.g. in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area or the Boundary Commerce and Industry Zone) together with clearance facilitation and subsidy measures, so as to create local employment and enhance the industry ladder?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     On the questions raised by the Hon Hung Kam-in, having consulted the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Development Bureau, I provide the consolidated reply as follows:
 
     The National 15th Five-Year Plan Outline supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its status as an international trade centre. The convention and exhibition (C&E) industry plays a vital role in reinforcing Hong Kong's position as an international trade centre by attracting high-spending overnight business visitors to Hong Kong, thereby generating business opportunities for industries including the local tourism, retail, catering, entertainment, etc. They also promote the overall economic development, trading, and various industries as well as brands. Accordingly, the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) proposes to fully leverage the "international showroom" function of Hong Kong's C&E industry and its edge in brand building, with a focus on attracting more world-class exhibition events and trade fairs to be staged in Hong Kong.
 
     According to the latest figures released by the industry recently, the C&E industry contributed $50.2 billion to Hong Kong's economy in 2024, equivalent to 1.6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, while supporting approximately 67 000 full-time jobs. The findings also show that international exhibition visitors and overseas exhibitors spent an average of $9,326 and $9,107 per capita respectively. The spending power of these two key high-value segments was approximately 70 per cent higher than that of general overnight visitors, whose average per capita spending was $5,490.
 
     The Government has been supporting the development of the C&E industry through diverse measures. Since 2020, the Government has allocated over $3.1 billion to implement different support measures, including the launch of the Incentive Scheme for Recurrent Exhibitions (ISRE) in 2023 and the allocation of additional funding to launch ISRE 2.0 in July 2025. By providing venue rental incentives (with maximum incentive amounts for each eligible exhibition capped at $20 million and $10 million respectively), the two schemes attracted local and international exhibitions of different scales to be staged recurrently in Hong Kong. Alongside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) and AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE), the Central Harbourfront Event Space and relevant parts of the West Kowloon Cultural District were added in ISRE 2.0 as specified venues, thereby offering organisers more venue options and benefitting more eligible exhibitions. The two schemes have concluded, supporting over 320 exhibitions covering different industries and themes such as electronics, jewellery, arts, etc. and successfully assisting the industry to cope with the epidemic, promoting post-epidemic recovery and injecting momentum to the sustainable development of the industry.
 
     Also, the Government has earmarked $100 million to attract high-quality, large-scale international exhibitions with new elements to Hong Kong. The objective is to develop Hong Kong into the first-choice platform for showcasing Mainland and international brands, while attracting high-spending business visitors to Hong Kong and driving high value-added economic activities. The first such international flagship exhibition brought to Hong Kong under the new funding will be held in this November, centred around superyachts and premium lifestyle elements. We will continue to make good use of the funding to attract large-scale, high-quality international exhibitions with new elements to Hong Kong with a view to driving high value-added economic activities and benefiting different industries. In addition, the Government will continue to support the Hong Kong Tourism Board in promoting Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism and facilitating the staging of international conferences and exhibitions in Hong Kong, including through the Funding Support for Small-sized Meeting, Incentive and Convention Groups, which encourages the industry to bring C&E events of different scales and types to Hong Kong.
 
     As regards the supply and demand of C&E facilities, the two dedicated venues for large-scale C&E events in Hong Kong, viz. HKCEC and AWE, currently provide a total rentable C&E area of around 158 000 square metres. In 2025, the two venues hosted over 360 C&E events of various scales, involving 7.7 million participant counts. The overall occupancy rates of both venues have remained stable in recent years, while venue utilisation during peak seasons has been particularly high, with the venues being fully booked during relevant periods.
 
     In response to the industry's keen demand for exhibition venues and to consolidate and enhance the pre-eminent position of Hong Kong as an international C&E hub, the Airport Authority Hong Kong is currently carrying out the AWE Phase 2 expansion project which is expected to be completed in 2028. Apart from providing more C&E facilities, the AWE Phase 2 will include a multi-purpose indoor arena with a seating capacity of over 20 000 people to meet the demand for mega international C&E, entertainment and sports events. The project will also create synergy with the Airport Yacht Bay and SKYTOPIA developments, helping attract a wide array of large-scale international trade events, as well as C&E events and activities relating to the aviation and yachting sectors, with a view to jointly building a landmark destination for the world's greatest mega events. On the other hand, the Government is taking forward the Wan Chai North Redevelopment project near HKCEC as planned, and will set up a task force to be led by the Deputy Financial Secretary to oversee the project with a view to ensuring the smooth and timely implementation of the HKCEC expansion.
 
     The AWE Phase 2 expansion and the Wan Chai North Redevelopment project will provide an additional rentable C&E space of over 63 000 square metres in total. We anticipate that the two projects will complement each other, and the increased overall C&E space will cater for the needs of the industry in staging C&E events of different formats and scales. Apart from these major Government-led C&E facility projects, there are also a number of small and medium-sized C&E or multi-purpose venues developed and operated by the private sector having regard to market demands and commercial considerations so as to meet the needs of C&E events of different scales.
 
     Regarding the development of the Northern Metropolis, the Government adopts an industry-led planning approach and has reserved land for a diverse range of industries in various New Development Areas to meet market demands and support the development needs of different sectors. In considering the provision of additional C&E facilities, the Government will take into account all relevant factors in a holistic manner. At this stage, priority is being accorded to the implementation of the Wan Chai North Redevelopment and the AWE expansion projects. We will continue to maintain close communication with key stakeholders to keep abreast of the industry's long-term demand for C&E facilities.

Ends/Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Issued at HKT 16:17

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