Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference 13-18 December 2005 Our Greatest Challenge... A Stunning Success

The extraordinary standards of service demanded for the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference, together with the sheer complexity of the Conference programme, meant that this event represented one of the biggest challenges faced by the HKCEC in its entire history. About 380 delegation meetings and 400 NGO meetings / briefings were scheduled over the Conference's six days from 13 to 18 December 2005, as well as over 100 press briefings. An event on this scale requires phenomenal efforts in staffing, organisation, catering and logistics, and it was crucial we proved our reputation for efficiency, flexibility and problem-solving while maintaining unflagging commitment throughout the week.

The first step was to make sure we were operating to optimum staff levels. We mobilised 883 full-time staff members for the Conference, boosted by a further 842 casual staff. In addition, we utilised over 150 accredited contract workers to provide us with a huge range of essential services, as well as a massive team of more than 700 security staff whose job was to ensure a safe and secure environment at all times. With these on board, we were ready to serve the crowds that descended on the HKCEC. Amongst them were the accredited delegates, of whom over 5,700 used the Centre during their stay in Hong Kong, along with a further 1,331 representatives from non-governmental organisations. Then there was the phenomenal media pack that accompanied the proceedings: nearly 3,000 media members passed through the Centre's doors. With these numbers came constant requests, special requirements, and unexpected changes: and given that the Conference went on around the clock, these demands could arrive at any hour of day or night. Our key strategy was to maintain constant close communication with the organiser, enabling us to respond fast and effectively to every eventuality.

Did we handle the pressure? Bob Luther, Director of the WTO's Administration and General Services Division, put it in a nutshell: "Participants recognised MC6 as perhaps the best organised Ministerial Conference ever, due in no small measure to the HKCEC's staff," he said. "We received genuine warmth and hospitality, backed by tireless efforts to ensure that everything ran smoothly even during the most arduous moments."

China Maritime 28 February - 2 March 2006 Shipping Lanes at the Centre

Hailed as the first shipping exhibition to be held in Hong Kong since the late 1980s, China Maritime berthed at the HKCEC from 28 February to 2 March 2006 to bring together the best in recent designs, products and services for the shipping industry. Industry insiders say the exhibition was long overdue – after all, Asia (with Hong Kong a specially prominent player) now handles over 40% of the entire global merchant shipping fleet. With this in mind, exhibition organiser Baird Publications created a show that would feature just about everything that anyone involved in the industry might need, from engines to IT systems, from vessel design to container handling. "Holding this exhibition in Hong Kong was an important strategic move," said a spokesman. "We see the Hong Kong version of China Maritime as a key for getting in touch with booming market players like Hong Kong, Mainland China and Korea."

With 117 display stands spread over 2,000 sq m, the exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions had plenty of room to showcase even their biggest and bulkiest ship-related wares. At the same time the exhibition ran a series of topical forums on issues such as shipbuilding trends and waterfront development that attracted considerable interest.

China Maritime will return to the HKCEC from 11 to 13 March 2008.

Decosit HKG 21-23 March 2006 Top End Fabrics

In the specialised upholstery textiles market, the centre of world activity has always been Brussels in Belgium thanks to the renowned Decosit trade fair held there annually. Now, however, that's changing with the decision of Decosit organiser Textirama vzw to launch an Asia Pacific version of this high-profile show. The inaugural version of this new exhibition, Decosit HKG, took place at the HKCEC from 21 to 23 March, drawing enthusiastic responses from the select group of invitation-only exhibitors and buyers. Themed around a 'West Meets East' concept, Decosit HKG selected 50 top (mainly European) exhibitors for the show. Attending the event were nearly 700 top quality buyers from major fabric wholesalers, interior decorators, architects, and furniture designers and manufacturers from right across the Asia Pacific region, ranging from India to Australia to Korea to Japan.

The show laid out the latest in fabric technology and safety, including unique flame-retardant fabrics and striking, trend-setting colours and patterns. "The furniture and design industries are booming in Asia," says Textirama vzw GM Patrick Geysels, "and I see this as the best possible time to bring our high-quality exhibition to the high-end market here." His optimism was certainly justified, with a survey of this year's exhibitors indicating that 90 per cent of them felt the event had exceeded their expectations. "The 'West meets East' concept was a major pull," said one visitor. "We haven't seen this kind of exciting synergy anywhere else, and it opens up all sorts of possibilities for the future."

The second edition of Decosit HKG will be held at the HKCEC from 14 to 16 March 2007.

Records tumbled recently at Sotheby's Hong Kong 2006 Spring Exhibitions and Auctions, held at the HKCEC from 5 to 10 April. The series of exhibitions and auctions over the five days achieved sales that far exceeded estimates, bringing in a staggering HK$841.9 million and in the process smashing records for a number of individual categories. New records were set for a Chinese oil painting (San Yu's Pink Lotus), an Imperial Chinese work of art (a Qianlong period Chinese Jade-hilted sword), a Qing textile piece (an embroidered Qing period satin dragon robe), and a 10.04 carat pink diamond at auction. Chairman of
	Sotheby's China and South East Asia Ms Patti Wong put the success of the sales in part down to Hong Kong's strong position at the centre of the Asian art market. "This is where established collectors and new buyers from the region look first for the best in precious art and artefacts," she said. "We've also benefited from a very strong art auction market, which has continued to impress after last year's record-breaking performance." Sotheby's Spring Sales benefited too from being hosted in a state-of-the-art specialist exhibition and auction space at the HKCEC.

Sotheby's 2006 Fall Exhibitions and Auctions will be staged at the HKCEC from 4 to 9 October 2006.

One of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council's (TDC) most successful fairs made another triumphant impression in 2006, when the Hong Kong Houseware Fair ran from 21 to 24 April at the HKCEC. The longstanding and increasingly popular event this year attracted a phenomenal 2,300 exhibiting companies from 36 countries and regions along with nearly 32,500 buyers, confirming its status as the largest fair of its kind in Asia. And the event's size can be measured not just in visitor numbers but in gross exhibition area too – it occupied a massive 57,000 sq m, spreading itself through the HKCEC's spacious halls and right across its multiple levels.

It's not just locals who recognise the value of this exhibition for sourcing high-quality houseware products. In fact, this year 18,000 of the visiting buyers came from outside Hong Kong, well over 50% of all those who attended. Favourites amongst the wide range of attractions at the event were the upmarket 'Hall of Elegance', showcasing high-quality international brand-name products, and the Central Display Area where the best of houseware products were on display. Said one Japanese buyer looking for creative products, "Everything is good here - from product design and variety to support services. What's more," he added, "the HKCEC's convenient location means we can also do some market research in Hong Kong's top shopping districts." The next edition of the Hong Kong Houseware Fair will run from 21 to 24 April 2007.