The HKTDC Food Expo, HKTDC Home Delights Expo, HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo and HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), have all drawn to a successful close, along with the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM), organised by the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA), together with the HKTDC and eight scientific research institutions. The four public fairs saw participation from more than 1,000 exhibitors and attracted over 430,000 visitors.

Sophia Chong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: “The bustling fairground, despite restrictions such as no sampling for food and drinks, show that people have a strong appetite for shopping. The timing of the second phase of the Consumption Voucher Scheme certainly boosted spending. Meanwhile, our first-ever KOL livestreaming sessions at the fairground further stimulated visitors' enthusiasm, allowing exhibitors to drive their promotions to a wider audience and expand their customer base. We were equally encouraged to see several group pavilions and exhibitors participating in the Trade Zone of the Food Expo and the International Tea Fair through their local representatives to explore business opportunities.”

90% of exhibitors support consumption voucher payment to encourage spending
The second phase of the Consumption Voucher Scheme was disbursed just days before the fairs. According to a survey, at the fairs, 90% of interviewed exhibitors accepted at least one form of consumption voucher payment, the convenience of which motivated spending. The HKTDC also interviewed around 980 visitors during the fairs through random sampling. 48% of respondents spent HK$1,000 or more at the fairs, with the average per capita spending reaching HK$1,400. The survey also showed that nearly 75% of visitors made purchases at the fairs using electronic payment methods, while more than 78% of them used consumption vouchers. The strong results demonstrated how the added convenience of e-payment can drive consumption at fairs.

Exhibitors' strategic promotions lead to improved sales performance
Oriental Products Supplies Ltd has been supporting the Food Expo since the company’s founding in 1998. “The Food Expo has always been the perfect place to reach more customers and we have strengthened our brand through the exhibition over the years,” said Mok Wa-yan, Director of the company. “This year, we are showing a diversity of food items including fresh jellyfish and partridge. The response has been very strong and we have had to replenish stocks again and again to meet demand. The latest batch of consumption vouchers that were distributed just before the expo also fuelled the public's buying sentiment. Our total sales will exceed HK$1 million this year – a very encouraging result.”

Another exhibitor, Star Chefs Creation Limited, saw robust sales boosted by KOL livestreaming sessions during the Food Expo, with more than 200 products of spicy duck blood, butterfly crisp, abalone noodles and creamy custard mooncakes sold via the livestreaming platform LOOPLIVE. Betty Chan, General Sales Manager of the company, said the KOL-led livestreaming sessions opened a new promotional channel for the company’s products.

The concurrent Beauty & Wellness Expo showcased a wide range of beauty and fitness products. Exhibitor Sandi Poon, Business Development Director at Phoelia (Far East) Company Limited, Hong Kong, featured her company’s French facial and wellness equipment during the fair and was impressed with the interest shown by visitors. “The expo gave visitors a chance to try our products and see the benefits. Each set of equipment sells for nearly HK$1 million and we had already sold seven sets to two beauty salons and one rehabilitation centre on the first two days of the expo.”

Local homeware product Sam!ly Group Company Ltd has participated in the Home Delights Expo for many years. With more visitors coming to the event this year, Sales and Marketing Director Lydia Lai said the company expected to see sales revenue exceeding HK$200,000 during the fair.

Success of fairs highlights Hong Kong’s importance in global trade  
Numerous group pavilions participated at this year’s Food Expo through local representatives. From Mainland China, the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chongqing Municipality presented local specialities and shared their unique culinary cultures, along with the Aomori Prefecture of Japan, the Japan External Trade Organization and Indonesia. The HKTDC and the Aomori Prefectural Government of Japan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to carry out economic exchange programmes in the future. Besides expanding bilateral trade and investment, the MoU will also strengthen the economic partnership between the two places to create new business opportunities.

Largely targeting industry and trade buyers, the Trade Zone of the Food Expo and the Hong Kong International Tea Fair were also open to public ticketholders this year. In addition to inviting and organising local buying missions, the HKTDC also arranged more than 700 virtual business matching meetings. Exhibitors and buyers can continue to schedule and conduct more online meetings through Click2Match within seven days after the physical exhibitions. The brand-new exhibition model EXHIBITION+ enables global food buyers to conduct business through the physical exhibitions and an online platform at the same time. Traders were able to stay connected more easily, helping them to forge new deals.

Frozen seafood supplier Garmine Marine Products regularly joins the Food Expo to seek out new suppliers. General Manager Cameron KH Choy said: “Through the Click2Match platform, I’ve established contact with three mainland companies from Zhoushan City in Zhejiang Province for the supply of frozen seafood. Click2Match is very user-friendly, enabling smooth and effective exchanges with overseas suppliers. At the fairground, I found two other seafood suppliers from Zhoushan City at the Zhejiang Province pavilion. The hybrid EXHIBITION+ model is very useful in connecting suppliers online and offline for business expansion.”

The HKTDC arranged a series of exciting activities for visitors during the four fairs, including the Star Chef Session, Road to Brewers Cup and Sharing, and numerous talks with different topics, including “Health Supplements Essential for COVID Period”, “Innovative Hard Coating for Food Appliances”, “Probiotics” and “The New Normal for Skin Care”. The Buy-more-get-more Lucky Draw and Smart Bidding sessions were also held and met with great reception from visitors.