Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Hosts Its First Trade Show Since Pandemic Hit

While destinations around the world have begun to loosen their pandemic-related restrictions, few have yet to actually execute a large-scale event. Hong Kong has done just that, however, as the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre has just hosted the city’s first trade show since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. To do so, stringent cleanliness standards and a range of new health practices were implemented throughout the venue. 

The 98th Hong Kong Wedding Fair brought more than 400 booths to the venue, spread across eight themed zones, for three days — from May 22-24. (The organizers have yet to confirm specific attendance numbers). The consumer exhibition — which targets soon-to-wed couples looking for wedding products and services — had been rescheduled from February.

Preparing the venue for this large-scale event required a raft of new preventive measures related to floor-plan design, queuing logistics, food-and-beverage restrictions and attendee hygiene. For example, all visitors, exhibitors, contractors and venue staff members were required to wear face masks at all times and have their body temperature screened before entering the HKCEC; special trash cans for the disposal of used face masks were provided at exits. Social distancing was required in high-traffic areas such as ticket counters, food-and-beverage outlets and restrooms. 

Venue staff also conducted frequent sanitization procedures. Floor mats at main entrances were sprayed with diluted bleach every two hours, while escalator handrails, doorknobs and elevator panels were disinfected hourly. Tables and chairs in the exhibit space were sanitized twice daily, and the entire exhibition hall was disinfected at the end of each show day. 

"The health, safety and well-being of staff members and visitors have always been our top priorities," said Monica Lee-Müller, managing director of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited, the  company that manages operations of the HKCEC. "The HML team has been working closely with organizers to reschedule events impacted by the pandemic, and to implement necessary measures to address health and hygiene concerns. With the success of the Hong Kong Wedding Fair, we can demonstrate our commitment of providing professional services and customer care for event organizers and attendees."

The successful event comes as the Hong Kong Tourism Board has moved forward on its three-phase plan to reinvigorate the destination’s tourism sector. It is currently in the first phase, "Resilience,"  in which the organization prepares a recovery plan for Hong Kong tourism. In phase 2, "Recovery," the board will focus first on the domestic market, encouraging locals to rediscover different neighborhoods and community cultures while reaching out to trade in selected markets. This will culminate in the "Relaunch" phase, in which the board will target large events and roll out a new tourism brand image. Funding this effort is a HK$400 million (US$51.2 million) trade support plan, aimed at speeding up the destination's recovery. 

Central to this plan is the promotion of Hong Kong as a destination for the MICE market, which will include special offers and meeting packages for groups.