Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 38th HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, the 8th HKTDC Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show and the inaugural Simply Shopping Fest have all concluded successfully. The three public shows attracted more than 80,000 visitors appreciating and purchasing fine jewellery pieces, in addition to buying gourmet food and wine and household items. The concurrent events featured livestreaming sessions hosted by key opinion leaders (KOLs), offering more opportunities for exhibitors to showcase their products as well as creating a more engaging experience – covering shopping, leisure and entertainment – for the general public. The broadcasts received an enthusiastic response. HKTDC Acting Executive Director Sophia Chong said: “The two jewellery shows were open to the public this year, bringing local retail opportunities for exhibitors. We promoted an online-to-offline (O2O) shopping model through the KOL livestreaming sessions, with engaging sales techniques helping exhibitors to further promote their products. Following the encouraging feedback received, we will continue reinforcing cross-channel marketing to help exhibitors increase brand awareness, reach out to a wider customer base and grow their business.”
Jewellery exhibitors acquiring new customers
J Ocean Pearl Jewellery Limited Director Jackie Leung and Marketing Director Lila Wong said their sales at the Jewellery Show were satisfactory, helped by using social media promotions to further extend their reach to new customer segments. “The KOL livestreaming session at our booth was an interesting way to interact with viewers, opening up new business opportunities and attracting more customers,” they said.
Yvonne Pong, Director of Wing Hang South Sea Pearl Company Limited, shared that a new customer purchased a golden pearl necklace priced at more than HK$200,000. “Our sales have been encouraging. The shows attract many quality consumers with strong purchasing power,” Ms Pong said.
Another exhibitor, Jignesh Donda, Director, Sheetal (Far East) Limited, said: “We showcased a variety of exquisite diamonds at the show, primarily focused on 0.30 to 0.50 carat diamonds, to cater to the preferences of local customers. The new Exhibition Centre MTR station makes it more convenient for exhibitors and visitors to get to the fairground. We’ve received a number of enquiries from customers and believe we will meet more new customers here.”
Talented local jewellery designers gathered at the shows
As one of the highlight events this year, the 23rd Hong Kong Jewellery Design Competition continues to provide a platform for local talents to showcase their creative flair and to identify budding designers. The winning pieces were displayed at the twin jewellery shows.
The shows also provided a precious opportunity for young designers to interact with the public, while showcasing their creative talents and jewellery designs.
Fanny Yu, Group Project Director of Loupe, noted: “Loupe is a design incubation space founded by Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group to nurture Hong Kong’s young talents in jewellery-making and design. This is the first time we have participated in the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show. Around 20 young jewellery designers are with us here. Through this opportunity, they have acquired a deeper understanding of local consumers’ needs. This will definitely help their career development.”
The HKTDC surveyed more than 1,000 exhibitors and visitors during the twin jewellery shows. The results showed that the most popular purchases were diamond jewellery, followed by gemstone jewellery and jade jewellery. Close to 40% of surveyed visitors said they had spent at least HK$1,000 more at the fairs in anticipation of a new round of consumption vouchers by the government. Around 33% of visitors said they had spent more than HK$10,000 at the jewellery shows.
Food and health products top sellers at Simply Shopping Fest
The debut Simply Shopping Fest showed its effectiveness as a channel for exhibitors to sell products to the general public. HKTDC’s survey conducted at Simply Shopping Fest reflected that gourmet food and wine were the most purchased types of product, followed by home and living goods and health and beauty items. Survey respondents said that product variety, product price and discount offers were the most attractive aspects of the shopping fair.
Gary Ching, Founder & Watchmaker, Anpassa Watch Company, Hong Kong said: “We are participating in the debut Simply Shopping Fest to let more people know about our local brand “Anpassa” along with our customised and personalised watchmaking service. We estimate that on-site sales will be around HK$100,000. Benefitting from the Government’s Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme, SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) from different sectors are able to participate in this fair at discounted exhibition fees, bringing a greater variety of products to consumers.”
Livestreaming generated more business opportunities for exhibitors
The HKTDC collaborated with livestreaming platforms to present multiple livestreaming sessions at the three events, helmed by KOLs who promoted exhibitors’ products and interacted with the audience.
Exhibitor Kenneth Au, Co-founder and Director at Life Is For Excellence Limited, said: “The KOLs explain the features of our healthy foods to customers in an interactive and persuasive way. Customers buy our products via the livestreaming platform and pick them up at the fairground. This O2O shopping model has helped us increase our exposure, enrich our customers’ experience and generate more sales turnover.” Meanwhile, Jackel Lee, Owner of Nubiotic International (HK) Limited, said orders generated from the livestreaming sessions accounted for 10% of the company’s turnover at the fair.
Numerous exciting events were held during the three fairs, including smart bidding sessions where shoppers bid on popular items starting at 10% of the retail price. Other well-received events organised at the jewellery shows include Jewellery Parade Series, Tahitian Pearl Stylish Bracelet Workshop and Handmade Rose Earrings Workshop as well as sharing sessions on “Diamond, Arts and Science” and “Making Unique Jewellery: The Tradition and Future of Craftsmanship”.
At the Simply Shopping Fest, events such as the Hong Kong Tasting Trendies Sake Awards 2022, Cooking with Chef Kitty, Oppa’s Cuisine – Food and Wine Pairing, Chinese calligraphy appreciation, Chinese medicine and ketogenic diet sharing sessions were popular among visitors.
Food Expo and three concurrent shows coming up in mid-August
Following on the heels of these three exhibitions, the HKTDC will organise a series of public fairs in the summer, including the Food Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo and Home Delights Expo (all 11 to 15 August), and the Hong Kong International Tea Fair (11 to 13 August). These events will provide the public with a unique one-stop shopping experience, while helping companies expand their local retail market and provide a boost to Hong Kong’s economy.
Websites – Hong Kong International Jewellery Show: https://hkjewelleryshow.hktdc.com – Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show: https://hkdgp.hktdc.com – Simply Shopping Fest: https://ssf.hktdc.com/en – Photo download: https://bit.ly/3Q6NpbQ
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the International Sourcing Show physical fair, run with the new EXHIBITION+ (EPLUS) model, drew to a successful close on 15 July. Over 20,000 industry buyers attended the physical event and browsed products online. The event facilitated more than 5,000 business meetings, connecting exhibitors with global buyers both online and offline. The International Sourcing Show attracted more than 1,730 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions, presenting in excess of 83,000 products. The show gathered seven trade fairs under one umbrella, including the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition), Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition), Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair, Hong Kong Houseware Fair, Hong Kong Fashion Week, Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair, and the Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair (jointly organised by the CIEC Exhibition Company (HK) Limited). The new EPLUS model helped extend interactions between exhibitors and buyers to the online platform, helping enterprises to continue exploring “blue ocean” opportunities via the smart online business-matching platform Click2Match and hktdc.com Sourcing.
Positive feedback from EPLUS users
Participating exhibitors proactively used Click2Match to search for potential partners and took the initiative to arrange meetings with buyers from all over the world at their own convenience. Sophia Chong, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “As the first event to use the new EPLUS exhibition model, the International Sourcing Show has generated positive feedback from users. We are happy to see many exhibitors harness the platform to seize business opportunities, contact global buyers, and facilitate order agreements around the clock and across borders. We will continue to use EPLUS in our upcoming trade fairs to further assist different sectors of Hong Kong business to connect with international buyers.”
Connecting to global buyers via online and offline business matching meetings
Rosana Lau, Deputy Marketing Manager of Gold China Development Ltd, which specialises in the production of kitchenware, tableware and home decoration items, explained that the company was looking for new local and overseas buyers through the International Sourcing Show. Using the HKTDC’s Click2Match platform, the firm arranged at least eight online meetings with overseas buyers from Brazil, Japan and the United States. Also, with the help of the HKTDC’s business matching team, they met with potential buyers from hotel groups and premium online gift shops.
Lubee Chak, Brand Director of Louise Castle Company, a premium fashion brand for tailor-made men’s suits and accessories, said that in addition to talking to more than 10 buyers at the physical fair, the HKTDC’s business matching team helped the firm arrange online meetings with buyers from Hong Kong, Japan, Mainland China and Thailand, helping it to raise brand awareness and build a stronger foundation for future business development in overseas markets.
Beyond Li, General Manager, Zhejiang Jupeng Drinkware Co Ltd, a company specialising in manufacturing thermal mugs and sports water bottles, said that apart from displaying products at the physical fair of the International Sourcing Show, the company also participated in the online fair to find new customers. They established a number of contacts through the physical fair and talked to around eight gift buyers from France, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines via online meetings. Buyers from Hong Kong and France expressed an intention to place orders worth US$200,000 for their thermal mugs and sports water bottles. The International Sourcing Show provided the company with an effective channel to find quality buyers and capture online-to-offline business opportunities.
On-site business networking sessions
The HKTDC organised two business networking sessions during the physical show to connect buyers and suppliers. Beattie Leung, Sales Manager at Shinzen International Ltd, a distributor and wholesaler of pet supplies and pet food, said the company wanted to add pet backpacks and pet toys to its portfolio and to develop new markets such as Mainland China and Southeast Asia. Through the business networking session, they connected with a potential supplier from which they planned to place an order of 1,000 pet backpacks. Ms Leung said her company felt comfortable working with Hong Kong suppliers because they were reliable and able to provide quality products.
Hector Pang, Chairman of the China Affairs Committee at SME Global Alliance, said the physical edition of the International Sourcing Show provided an ideal platform for its members with factories in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to find new suppliers of raw materials and identify business opportunities. The alliance found a suitable supplier of eco-friendly non-woven bags from Mainland China and decided to place an order of 50,000 pieces that will be distributed to its members.
Zhejiang enterprises reached out to global buyers via International Sourcing Show
The Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province gathered exhibitors from the gifts and printing and packaging industries, forming the largest pavilion at the show. It was also the first time for the Zhejiang Pavilion to participate in the fair remotely. Sophia Chong, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, and Chen Zhicheng, Deputy Director General, Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, met online to officiate the launch of the Zhejiang Pavilion. Zhu Ying, Director of the Trade and Development Department, Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, and Zhang Shuangwen, General Manager of CIEC Exhibition Company (HK) Limited, also joined the ceremony and a group photo-taking session to commemorate the occasion. The opening ceremony can be viewed on the fair website and through the Click2Match platform.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
MarketingPulse and eTailingPulse, Asia’s premier marketing and e-tailing events organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded successfully yesterday. Held under the theme “Together, We Create”, the two-day virtual forum brought together more than 60 marketing executives, brand representatives, advertising elites and e-commerce experts from around the globe to share their success stories and insights. Thirty-two seminars and workshops were held during the event, attracting more than 25,000 viewers to tune in from 52 countries and regions.
The two-day MarketingPulse and eTailingPulse concluded successfully yesterday. The forum attracted more than 25,000 viewers from 52 countries and regions.
Ecommerce becoming more synchronised and digitised
With the pandemic reshaping the traditional marketing landscape, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have turned to e-tailing to tap into new business opportunities. On the first day of the forum, Barry Thomas, former Head of Global Customer Marketing & Future of Commerce at The Coca-Cola Company, offered his perspective on the opportunities and trends that e-commerce presents. “The future of e-commerce will be operated on those more digitised, synchronised and unified data platforms. Macro marketplaces are being formed that brands and SMEs are eager to partner with. Companies have to think how the business will evolve in the next five to 10 years and invest in talents and capital for future development,” Mr Thomas said.
Younger generation’s preferences need to be understood
Mengfei Wang, Head of Commercial Marketing Department at social media and e-commerce platform Xiaohongshu, explored how social commerce can help brands connect with digitally savvy young consumers in Mainland China. “Young customers are looking to enhance their lifestyle and improve their well-being. By analysing search results and trends, we can get a better understanding of our customers and recommend products and services that meet their needs,” Ms Wang said.
Meanwhile, San Zang, Head of Marketing Planning Department, Marketing Center, at the integrated video sharing site BiliBili, gave her own insights into the next-generation youth market in the mainland, saying: “The younger generation is better educated, and they have different sets of values and preferences. They are also fond of good stories relating to brands and products and will participate in campaigns which they appreciate, being vocal about it and sharing their experiences.”
Metaverse opens up new world of opportunity
Justin W Hochberg, CEO and Co-founder, Virtual Brand Group, envisioned the game-changing retail experience that will be unlocked by the metaverse. “The metaverse will be a new platform for companies to explore new opportunities, attract new customers globally and to build long-term relationships with them. Brands and businesses have to be willing to be innovative, make good use of data and act fast,” Mr Hochberg said.
Jeff Chen, Co-founder of SLOWOOD Ltd, shared his success stories in applying brand purpose strategies to drive sustainable enterprise development. “By promoting behavioural change to consumers, raising their awareness of sustainability issues and encouraging them through a sense of accomplishment, we believe everyone in the community can finally achieve sustainable living by taking ‘tiny steps forward’,” Mr Chen said.
The MarketingPulse and eTailingPulse online platforms will remain open until 30 April. During this period, industry participants can continue to make use of the platforms’ various features and review the content of this year’s seminars and previous events.
Media enquiries Please contact the HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department: Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
The HKTDC Export Index fell by 12.5 points to 24.7 in the first quarter of this year, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) announced today. “The index shrinking for the third consecutive quarter can be taken as a clear indication that the prospects for short-term export growth are expected to weaken further,” said HKTDC Director of Research Irina Fan.
Hong Kong Trade Development Council Director of Research Irina Fan (L) and Economist Samantha Yim announced the HKTDC Export Index for the first quarter of 2022 at a press conference today (17 March)
However, the Trade Value Index painted a more optimistic picture, as it remained in expansionary territory at 52.8, despite its reading having dropped from 57.0 in the previous quarter. “This robust outcome indicates that unit prices in most sectors will continue to rise in the near term, with the toy and electronics sectors leading the way at 56.7 and 53.5 respectively,” said Ms Fan.
The survey found that, unsurprisingly, a majority (93.1%) of respondents indicated that their businesses had been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three months, a rise of 6.1 percentage points on the previous quarter. Among the key negative impacts cited were rising transportation costs (75.7%), ongoing disruptions to logistics and distribution arrangements (64.5%) and shortages in raw materials, parts and components (46.5%).
“In light of rising costs, the pricing response from companies has been notably mixed. While 46.8% of respondents indicated they had been able to pass on at least some of their increased costs to buyers, 48.1% maintained this had not been an option. In addition, about one third (34.2%) of respondents expected their profit margins to rise or stay at the same level, while 65.8% predicted their profits margins would fall year-on-year over the course of the next 12 months,” she added.
Exporters across sectors remain cautious
The HKTDC conducts the Export Index survey every quarter, interviewing 500 local exporters from six major industries including machinery, electronics, jewellery, watches and clocks, toys and clothing, to gauge business confidence in near-term export prospects. The Index indicates an optimistic or pessimistic outlook, with 50 as the dividing line.
The Export Index dropped by 12.5 points to 24.7 for the third consecutive quarter. HKTDC Economist Samantha Yim said: “In line with this, exporter confidence continues to plunge across almost all industry sectors and major markets. Across many of the major sectors, exporters remained notably cautious. This saw timepieces emerge as the least positive sector at 19.7, while machinery recorded the largest drop, falling 19.1 points to 25.0. By contrast, the toy sector was the only one to merit an increased read, up 8.5 points to 33.5.”
Exporters were similarly pessimistic when it came to the near-term prospect of Hong Kong’s major markets, with all the associated sub-indexes declining. Overall, Asia continued to be seen as likely to be the best performer over the coming months, with the best performer being Japan at 45.6, followed by Mainland China (42.1). On the other hand, the US dropped 3.8 points to 39.1, an outcome seen as less than promising.
Challenges and strategies in 2022
Looking ahead, an increased number of respondents were concerned about the impact of COVID-19 (53.5%) – a significant climb from the 32.5% of respondents reporting the same sentiment in the previous quarter. A further 11.4% indicated that prospects of a stuttering economic recovery remained among their key challenges, while 9.3% worried about the continued closure of borders.
In terms of business strategies for the year, 38.5% of respondents favoured developing other product lines, followed by diversifying into new overseas markets (29.9%) and developing online sales or sourcing channels (29.4%).
In December 2021, the HKTDC forecasted that Hong Kong exports will grow by 8% in value in 2022.
Media enquiries Please contact the HKTDC’s Communication and Public Affairs Department: Sam Ho, Tel: +852 2584 4569, Email: sam.sy.ho@hktdc.org Media Room: http://mediaroom.hktdc.com
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) welcomes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) 2022/23 Budget, including the additional funding to the Council for a support scheme for Hong Kong businesses in Mainland China, to help them capture opportunities under the National 14th Five-year Plan. The Budget was announced by the HKSAR Financial Secretary Paul Chan earlier today with relief measures for citizens and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Hong Kong to support the economy amid the continuing COVID-19 challenges, and plan for its long-term sustainable development.
HKTDC Chairman Dr Peter K N Lam said: “The pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to SMEs in the past two years. The measures announced in this year’s Budget, including enhancements to various export credit and SME financing schemes, can alleviate pressures on cash flow and operations. In addition, the various measures to support the IP (intellectual property) and technology sectors can also help SMEs tap into new markets and upgrade and transform their business.
“We are also encouraged that the HKSAR Government has allocated additional funding to support Hong Kong businesses pursuing development in the mainland. Through our network of mainland offices, we will work with partners including established Hong Kong business, professional services, and young entrepreneur associations in these cities, to organise training, exchange events, business missions and promotion campaigns.
“We believe this can help Hong Kong businesses in the mainland to expand and capture opportunities arising from the ‘dual circulation’ strategy and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so as to better integrate into the nation’s development.” Dr Lam said.
In addition to the mainland market, the HKTDC will continue helping SMEs capture business opportunities in mature and emerging markets. Dr Lam said: “We will continue to help Hong Kong companies develop ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and mature markets with enhancements to our flagship overseas promotions such as ‘Think Business, Think Hong Kong’, as well as strengthen our online and offline platforms, business matching services, SME support schemes and other training activities, to help Hong Kong businesses connect with global enterprises and target relevant opportunities effectively. We are also glad to learn that the Government will actively consider attracting more conventions and exhibition events to be organised in Hong Kong when the pandemic subsides.”
“Our team at the HTKDC will do all we can to create new opportunities for our industries, enabling them to diversify and find new impetus for recovery and growth amid the pandemic.” Dr Lam added.
Media enquiries: HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department Susanna Sin, Tel: +852 2584 4294, Email: susanna.kc.sin@hktdc.org
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
