Conventions,Exhibitions and Incentive Travel

The convention, exhibition and incentive travel sector is a key component
of the tourism industry. The HKTA's success in promoting Hong Kong as
a top-class venue for major international conferences and exhibitions is
reflected in the growing number of such events confirmed to be held in
Hong Kong in the coming years. During 1997, Hong Kong hosted some
1 954 international events, bringing about 360 000 overseas delegates and
participants. The newly-expanded Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition
Centre in Wan Chai, together with such other major venues as the
Hongkong International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kowloon Bay,
provide a range of venue choice for convention and exhibition organisers.

Major international association meetings in 1997 included the 9th Asian
Congress of Paediatrics, the 1997 Pacific Rim Forum, the 9th Assembly
of Lutheran World Federation, the 4th Asia Pacific Life Insurance
Congress '97, the 1997 Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of
the World Bank Group/International Monetary Fund, the World Trade
Centers Association General Assembly, the 14th Asia Pacific Cancer
Conference and 4th Hong Kong International Cancer Congress, the 6th
World Economic Development Congress and Alimentary Disease Week
Hong Kong 1997.

All upcoming conferences and exhibitions are listed in a calendar available
in print and on the Wonder Net website. Major events scheduled to be
held include: in 1998, the 11th Rehabilitation International Asia and the
Pacific Regional Conference-cum-Campaign '97 for Asia and Pacific
Decade of Disabled Persons 1993-2002, the International Union of Public
Transport Regional Conference and Exhibition, the 1st International
Conference on Application of Psychology to the Quality or Learning and
Teaching and the 20th Annual International Conference of the IEEE
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society; in 1999, the International
General Meetings of the Pacific Basin Economic Council and the 14th
World Congress of Sexology; in 2000, the 11th Asian Pacific Congress of
Gastroenterology and 8th Asian Pacific Congress of Digestive Endoscopy,
the Society of Travel Incentive Executives International Conference, and
the International Conference on School Effectiveness and Improvement.
The 12th World Productivity Congress will be held in Hong Kong in 2001,
the World Congress of Accountants in 2002, the International Cardiac
Pacing and Electrophysiology Society World Symposium in 2003, and the
Asia Pacific Dental Congress in 2004.

The HKTA continued to strengthen efforts to promote Hong Kong as the
venue for international conference and incentive travel. The Hong Kong
Convention Ambassador Programme, launched in 1994, now has some
800 top business leaders, professionals and academics from a wide
variety of fields. They are committed to developing Hong Kong's status as
a venue for international meetings, conventions and incentive events, and
work closely with the HKTA to spread the Hong Kong message to
overseas counterparts and business associates.

In July 1997, the HKTA hosted the International Association of
Convention and Visitor Bureaux Annual Convention. Some 200 leaders of
convention and visitors bureaux around the world experienced Hong
Kong's many advantages as an international meeting destination, and
exchanged ideas on the development of the global meetings industry.

A Hong Kong delegation attended a number of international trade shows,
including the European Incentive and Business Travel and Meetings
Exhibition in Geneva, the Incentive Travel and Meetings Executives Show
in Chicago and the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo in
Melbourne. Participation by members of the Hong Kong travel industry in
such events continued to grow.

The HKTA offered assistance to individuals and groups with on-site
inspections and educational visits. Among the most important was the
biennial Incentive Travel Workshop in April 1997, attended by more than
120 major incentive travel agents from around the world. Special
programmes and itineraries were developed for participants to enable them
to experience the advantages of Hong Kong as a top incentive travel
destination.

In anticipation of the growing use of hi-tech software throughout the
travel industry, the HKTA is currently developing a CD-ROM to assist
incentive and corporate meeting organisers to plan their programmes in
Hong Kong. Relevant information is also available on the Wonder Net.

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