One of the best ways of tracking changes in style and fashion is to show up at Asia's s premium leather fair, which was once more packed out with buyers when it opened on 30 March 2000.

Going beyond fashion, this prestigious fair was a valuable indicator of the state of the regional economy. For many participants and observers, the number of quality visitors to this three day event put paid to the gloomy last remnants of the Asian financial crisis, and industry representatives were up-beat about the response.

Ever expanding, the fair this spring took up a gross floor area of 24,562m2, utilising all three main halls at the HKCEC. A total of 16,601 quality visitors from 83 countries and regions turned up to preview the products of 1,073 exhibiting companies and 20 group pavilions from 38 countries and regions.

Mr A.K. Khanna, Director of the Indian Pavilion said, "As we had anticipated, our exhibitors did roaring business right from Day One. The demand for space from potential exhibiting companies was greater than the space we had booked, and we shall certainly be rectifying this when we return in 2001."

Shoes figured prominently in the show, reflecting the fact that more than 70% of the world's shoes are manufactured in Asia. Mainland China alone accounts for 43% of global output, as Ms Zhang Shu Hua, the Vice-Chairman of the China Leather Association noted in the seminar she gave. This was one of three major seminars arranged by organiser Asia Pacific Leather Fair Limited.

Other added value features that exploited the HKCEC's vibrant space included the new Trend Forum created by Paris based style agency Au-dela de l'Idée, a witty extravaganza centred on four themes "Urban Spirit", "Golden Memories", "Celtic Dreams" and "Outdoor Attitude". Keeping close to the market is never more fun than at the HKCEC, a venue that welcomes creativity with open arms.

With international high-tech firms eager to invest in Hong Kong, China's membership of the WTO imminent, and strong Government encouragement, Hong Kong is fast transforming itself into the regional hub of innovation and technology.

As Francis Ho, Hong Kong's Commissioner of Innovation and Technology, has said, "The Government has dedicated a lot of resources to help realize this vision. These include public investment in education and training, funding to promote applied research and development, and the building up of the necessary technology infrastructure."

The scope of the physical and the cultural infrastructure needed for the vision to become a reality was brilliantly displayed at the four-day Hong Kong Information Infrastructure Expo and Conference in March, which was organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and co-organised by the Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government.

Nine thematic pavilions showed how information technology is already reshaping business and entering our lives and how much more there is to come: Hong Kong's Cyberport and Science Park, IT in Education, Chinese Computing Laboratory, E-Government and IT Initiatives, Interactive Multimedia Zone, Telecom City, Information Gallery, E-Commerce Marketplace and Global IT Community.

Mr Stephen Liang, HKTDC's Manager of Service Promotion, remarked, "In just three years, this Expo and Conference has become the premier IT event in the Asia-Pacific region."

The concurrent conference of top-tier local and international experts painted an exciting and often challenging view of Hong Kong's IT future.

In addition to the 45,000 buyers and business users who flocked to this futuristic expo, 60,000 members of the public and more than 20,000 eager students turned up. While overall attendance was 47% up on last year's show, the HKCEC, as the largest award-winning multi-purpose facility in Asia, showed how easily it could cope with the throng.