HONG KONG, Aug 21, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – The Food Expo, Beauty & Wellness Expo and Home Delights Expo, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded on a high note today while the two trade fairs – Food Expo PRO and Hong Kong International Tea Fair – drew to a successful close on 19 August. The five fairs featured more than 1,800 exhibitors from 24 countries and regions and attracted close to 480,000 public visitors, an encouraging recovery sign for the trade and fairs industries. The International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM), organised by the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIIA) in collaboration with the HKTDC and eight major research institutes, also concluded on 18 August.

Food tasting returned at the Expo following a ban during COVID-19, the Food Expo and concurrent fairs became festive public events attracting both local families and visitors.

The newly rebranded Food Expo PRO, previously known as the Trade Hall, was held for the first time since travel links returned to normal. Food Expo PRO and the Tea Fair together attracted more than 20,100 buyers from 69 countries and regions, including Mainland China, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Mexico and Poland, reaffirming Hong Kong's F&B trading hub role in Asia.

Sophia Chong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: "This year's Food Expo and the concurrent events have been truly exciting and bustling, with the number of visitors and exhibitors' sales showing positive signs, underlining strong public demand and appetite for food shopping. The two trade fairs, including the rebranded Food Expo PRO and concurrent Hong Kong International Tea Fair, were well supported by group pavilions and exhibitors from a vast spectrum of countries and regions. We are pleased to see that the five events have successfully created business opportunities for exhibitors and the public, who were truly satisfied."

Electronic payment helps boost spending

The second phase of the Consumption Voucher Scheme rolled out shortly before the fairs and the promotion of electronic payments at the expo by HKTDC has made transactions faster and more convenient. More than 50% of about 1,300 respondents in an on-site survey had spent HK$1,000 (US$128) or more at the exhibition; the overall per capita spending was about HK$1,500, a year-on-year rise of more than 8%. Nearly 80% of survey respondents paid electronically, underlining the spending boost e-payment brought.

Strong consumer sentiment brings rewarding sales

The Food Expo has always been Hong Kong's annual culinary highlight, bringing together a selection of the world's finest specialities. Eric Lin, Managing Director of exhibitor Hop Hing Loong Company Limited, said: "We import more than 100 brands from different countries worldwide. Consumers are keen to make purchases while Japanese fruit liqueurs and sake are among the best sellers. We expect total sales to reach HK$800,000 to HK$1 million at the Expo this year."

Trade buyers broaden business networks

The Food Science and Technology Zone was a new addition at the Food Expo PRO. A Hong Kong exhibitor, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi), showcased non-alcoholic beer and the "electronic tongue", a smart device which carries out a full range of quantitative and qualitative taste sensing analysis. Dr Carmen Man, a lecturer at the institute, said: "We have met a good number of food-tech companies and government representatives from different countries, including Japan and Singapore. They expressed keen interest in our technology and products and we will continue to explore business collaboration."

At the Hong Kong International Tea Fair, Shobel Mulinge, Commercial Director of Nala Tea Company Ltd from Kenya, established links with buyers from Egypt, Mainland China and Singapore. The company expects to receive new orders worth US$400,000 through this year's fair.

EXHIBITION+ hybrid mode boosts borderless business exchange

Food Expo PRO and the Tea Fair are still being held online under the EXHIBITION+ hybrid model. Buyers and sellers can continue to check out AI-recommended business leads as well as arrange and conduct online meetings with each other through Click2Match, a smart business-matching platform, until 26 August. The trade fairs also launched the offline-to-online communication function Scan2Match, helping buyers bookmark favourite exhibitors, browse product information, and continue their online chat with exhibitors during and after the physical fairs.

The concurrent Beauty & Wellness Expo offered a wide range of beauty and health products. Exhibitor Erica Yu, Founder & CEO of Quantumbeauty Biotechnology Co, Ltd from Mainland China said: "Our main goal in participating in the Beauty & Wellness Expo for the first time is to promote our brand and our home beauty device. We prepared 100 sets at our booth, but they were all sold out on the first day. We had to immediately replenish another 500 sets from Shenzhen. We expect sales will reach HK$650,000."

Home Delights Expo exhibitor Qivation Company Limited, showcased various nano photocatalytic home and personal products. Director Jeff Chan expected that their onsite sales turnover would rise 30% from last year to HK$400,000.

Mainland and overseas participants return, unleashing business opportunities

This year's five major events featured various group pavilions, including Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, 10 provinces from Mainland China and more. The turnout showed that mainland and overseas exhibitors and buyers were eager to return to physical fairs in Hong Kong.

At Food Expo PRO, Singapore buyer Gary Lee, Business Development Director of San SeSan Global Pte Ltd, met 10 exhibitors through the business matching service, placing orders with exhibitors from Poland, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mainland China and more, seeking frozen foods, instant foods, cashew nuts and tea leaves completing orders worth SG$300,000 (US$221,000).

Chinese Medicine conference creates synergies

The Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA), together with the HKTDC and eight scientific research institutions, presented the latest International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM), offering invaluable Chinese medicine insights and information for industry participants. Under the theme Inheritance and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 18 keynote speakers from around the globe discussed Chinese medicine research and development and shared on successful product commercialisation. The conference was held in conjunction with five major fairs, achieving a cross-fair synergy effect.

For more comments from exhibitors and buyers, please visit:
HKTDC Food Expo PRO: http://bit.ly/3YH8zTf
HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair: https://bit.ly/3KKsz1C
HKTDC Food Expo: https://bit.ly/3YJuJEy
HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo: https://bit.ly/3YFWSMA
HKTDC Home Delights Expo: https://bit.ly/3qCgp3Z
Photo download: https://bit.ly/3KS72nJ

Websites:
HKTDC Food Expo PRO: https://foodexpopro.hktdc.com
HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair: https://hkteafair.hktdc.com
HKTDC Food Expo: https://hkfoodexpo.hktdc.com
HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo: https://hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.com
HKTDC Home Delights Expo: https://homedelights.hktdc.com
The International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM): https://icmcm.hktdc.com
August Happy Buy website: https://ecoupon.hktdc.com/food/

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.

Media enquiries
HKTDC's Communications and Public Affairs Department:
HKTDC Food Expo, HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo
Kate Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4239, Email: kate.hy.chan@hktdc.org

HKTDC Food Expo PRO, HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair, ICMCM
Frankie Leung, Tel: +852 2584 4298, Email: frankie.cy.leung@hktdc.org

HKTDC Home Delights Expo
Clementine Cheung, Tel: +852 2584 4575, Email: clementine.hm.cheung@hktdc.org

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HONG KONG, Aug 17, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the eagerly anticipated HKTDC Food Expo, HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo, and HKTDC Home Delights Expo has grandly opened from today to 21 August at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) for five consecutive days. The three-day inaugural Food Expo PRO also kicked off this morning with the returning Hong Kong International Tea Fair at the same venue from today to 19 August. Moreover, the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM), organised by the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA) together with the HKTDC and eight scientific research institutions, runs concurrently today and tomorrow. Guest of honour Michael Wong, Deputy Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), officiated at this morning's opening ceremony for the concurrent fairs, joined by Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC, and Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC.

Welcoming guests to the fairs at the opening ceremony today, Dr Lam said: "Our flagship Food Expo and its concurrent events attracted more than 1,800 exhibitors and group pavilions from 24 countries and regions. The Trade Hall of the Food Expo has been renamed as Food Expo PRO this year. These fairs showcase an amazing variety of quality products and underline Hong Kong's position as Asia's leading hub for business. I am particularly grateful to the HKSAR Government for enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in trade and public exhibitions through various funding schemes, and the Consumer Voucher Scheme for providing the public with an exciting shopping experience. We hope that the various exhibitions will help the trading industries expand their business network, and everyone will return home with a rewarding experience."

Food Expo PRO – Building a trade network and presenting the latest and specialised food trends (17-19 August)

This year, the Food Expo's Trade Hall is renamed as Food Expo PRO. Today and tomorrow (18 August) the Expo will be open to trade buyers, while the last day (19 August) will be for the public and trade buyers. The Food Expo PRO showcases food and beverage products from 20 countries and regions, with 21 pavilions from Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Thailand, and from Mainland China's provinces including Fujian, Heilongjiang, Hunan, Jilin, Sichuan, Zhejiang, and more.

Global exhibitors are showcasing a vast array of food, services, and technology that reflect the latest product trends, such as Mexico's Agave Syrup (Booth: 5C-C18A), Korea's flavoured pickled seafood, which is the female blue crab marinated with glasswort and soy sauce (Booth: 5B-E15), Thailand's freeze dried mango with sticky rice (Booth: 5C-A24), and Sakura Brightening soft gel capsule (Booth: 5B-B01). From food and beverage to health and wellness, the Expo has it all.

More industry-specific and tech-related insights are also provided at the fair alongside a wide range of exhibits. The new Food Science and Technology Zone showcases innovative food processing technologies, such as peanut protein-based and alternative plant-based chicken products (Booth: 5C-A29) developed by food tech start-ups, and non-alcoholic beers (Booth: 5C-E24) developed by local academic institutions. Two Food Tech Symposium sessions have been scheduled during the fair, with the Hong Kong Productivity Council, the Controlled Environment Hydroponic Research and Development Centre and the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong discussing the development of emerging technologies in the food industry in Hong Kong (17 August), and food technology start-ups sharing how technology is reshaping the F&B and retail industries (18 August).

Hong Kong International Tea Fair – The charm of tea cultures (17-19 August)

The 14th Hong Kong International Tea Fair is open to trade buyers on the first two days (17 and 18 August) of the fair, and to the public and trade buyers on the last day (19 August). There are 10 pavilions, including the debut participation of Kenya Pavilion, and returning exhibitors from Sri Lanka, and Mainland China's Fujian, Guizhou, Hunan, and Jiangsu provinces, exhibiting famous teas, tea products and tea wares. Select products include the Purple Tea originating from Kenya (Booth: 5G-D02), a modern version of Chaoshan Gongfu Tea that is brewed innovatively with a new method (Booth: 5F-E30), the Organic Jasmine Dragon Pearls that are produced by scenting high-quality green tea with freshly picked jasmine buds (Booth: 5G-B25), amongst others.

The Tea Fair also features several exciting events, including the KamCha Workshop (19 August), the Tea Forums (19 August), and the International Tea Arts Performance (17 to 18 August). The Hong Kong International Tea Fair Tea Competition 2023 has been one of the highlights of the Expo, with awards such as "The Best Aroma Award" and "The Best Taste Award", selected by professional tea judges in a blind tasting. The public and buyers will be able to taste the winning teas for free on the morning of 19 August and enjoy the rich flavours in the winning teas.

The two trade fairs continue to be held under the hybrid EXHIBITION+ model, allowing global food and tea buyers to view exhibitors recommended by AI, and to arrange and conduct online meetings with exhibitors through the smart business matching platform Click2Match from today to 26 August, in addition to the physical trade fairs. For the first time, the Food Expo PRO and Hong Kong International Tea Fair are piloting a brand-new Scan2Match function that brings communications from offline to online. Buyers can scan exhibitors' unique QR codes using the HKTDC Marketplace app during the exhibition period, bookmark their favourite exhibitors, browse product information, and continue to chat with exhibitors online during or after the exhibition period, thereby extending their sourcing journey.

Food Expo – A culinary voyage around the world (17-21 August)

The 33rd edition of the Food Expo presents the Public Hall and Gourmet Zone. The five-day Public Hall (17 to 21 August) showcases global cuisines and dining options from around the world, including the Mainland China Agri pavilion, which is exhibiting high quality speciality agricultural products from 67 enterprises across 10 provinces, including trendy prepared and ready meals (Booth: 3C-A02). The Public Hall also features frozen dried ice cream from Thailand (Booths: 3B-D06 and 3D-A06), an organic Korean black garlic juice with 100% natural black garlic extract (Booth: 3B-C04), an Italian Fruit Paccherini made with premium durum wheat semolina and natural fruit puree-juice (Booth: 3C-D07). The Public Hall also features various exhibitors, including more than 30 well-known brands, such as Maxims, Tai Pan, Nissin, Sau Tao, Tao Ti, Kee Wah Bakery, Wing Wah, and Four Seas Group in the Premium Food Zone.

The Gourmet Zone features the finest cuisines assembled from all around the world, and comprises seven thematic zones, namely Asian Cuisine, Western Delicacy, Sweet Delight, Green Palate, Coffee Avenue, Beer Cheers, and an exciting new addition, Wine Whisky Wonderland along with the additional Korean food zone, K-Food. The thematic zones bring a wide range of food and beverage options, including Kyeongbokgung LA BBQ ribs (Booth: 3B-C02), an aged cocktail with taste of the ocean (Booth: 3B-F02), rich ice-cream made out of freshly handcrafted nut butters (Booth: 3B-E04), the first handmade truffle milk tea in Hong Kong (Booth: 3B-D11), and a local mead brand (Booth: 3B-C13).

Once again, there will be the ever-popular cooking demonstration at the Star Kitchen. This year, the Star Chef Cooking Demonstration will cover 18 sessions at the Food Expo. These will include Ronald Shao, Executive Chef of Mian; Hung Chi Kwong, Executive Chinese Chef of Run at St. Regis Hong Kong; Adam Wong, Executive Chef of Forum Restaurant Ah Yat Abalone; Chan Sai Fai, Executive Chef (Dim Sum) of Chuan Palace; Au-Yeung Chung Kei, Executive Chef of YUE; and Olivier Elzer, French founder, and mastermind behind Clarence.

Other activity highlights at the Food Expo include:

– Culinary master classes on "Less Salt and Sugar" recipes to encourage the public to develop healthy eating habits (17 August)

– Interesting tutorials and various activities on various food and beverages, will include "Lodi in USA and Its Grape Zinfandel Lecture and Wine Tasting", "Exploring New Frontier of Coffee: World-Class Judge Leads You Into the Revolutionary Wave of Specialty Coffee" , and "Hanwoo (Korean Beef) Cooking Demonstration", all taking place on 18 August.

– A series of seminars covering topics such as the "'EatSmart Restaurant Star+', for All!" event co-organised by the HKTDC with the Department of Health (17 and 18 August), "Master Chef Kitty Siu – 10 Minutes Meal" (19 August), a "Getting Matchy with Eagle Coin and Campari" session hosted by Ricky Cheung (20 August), and a session on "Current Development of Frozen Prepared Meal and Microwave Food" (21 August)

– Hosted by media veteran Jacky Chan, Chef's Dialogue features three renowned Hong Kong chefs who will share their tips on cooking, eating and ingredient selection (19 August)

Beauty & Wellness Expo – Rejuvenating the natural beauty from within (17-21 August)

The seventh Beauty & Wellness Expo will showcase a wide range of beauty, cosmetic, hairdressing, fitness, and wellness products. In addition to the major pavilions hosted by the Federation of Beauty Industry (H.K.), Hong Kong Hair & Beauty Merchants Association, International Beauty & Health General Union, Cosmetic & Perfumery Association of Hong Kong Ltd, and Hong Kong China Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness, there will be new pavilions presented by the International CICA Association of Esthetics and Association of International Aesthetics Management, showcasing a wide range of Hong Kong-made beauty and skincare products to satisfy consumers who are looking for both beauty and fitness. For instance, the Advanced Derma Laser Skin Peel that is infused with natural extracts from seven alpine botanicals (Booth: 3E-B02), the Cytopeutic Eczema Cream that helps purify and extract microRNA from natural stem cells (Booth: 3D-D14), the Pharmano 30-day Hair Growth Package (Booth: 3E-A22), Aroma Sachet with essences of verbena and mint (Booth: 3E-A19), and more. In addition, the Hieggo Pavilion will be exhibiting for the first time at the Beauty & Wellness Expo, bringing a wide range of health products, with Lawrence Cheng and other guests sharing wellness knowledge at the fair.

A series of informative and exciting activities have been scheduled during the Expo, including an "Introduction to Mental Health" sharing session organised by Mind HK (20 August); a preview of the 2023 IFBB Hong Kong Fitness Awards Charity Open Championship (18 August); a seasonal autumn/winter make-up demonstration by expert Edmon Wong (17 August); and seminars on topics such as Japanese manicure (18 August), slimming and nutritional dieting (20 August), and more.

Home Delights Expo – Igniting an ideal smart home (17-21 August)

The ninth Home Delights Expo showcases smart home products, kitchen appliances, kitchenware, tableware, and household products. The Avenue of Delights features over 40 exhibitors and several lifestyle brands, including Towngas, ZWILLING JA Henckels, A-Fontane, LAURASTAR, Tiger, and German Pool. The Expo will present new home products, including MasterMind, an AI massage chair equipped with voice control and bespoke functions (Booth: 3F-C02), the Bursa cassia seed and lavender herbal neck pillow (Booth: 3F-D18), a multifunctional electric cooker (Booth: 3F-A18), and the LAURASTAR IGGI Hygiene Handheld Steamer (Booth: 3F-D22).

This year, the Hong Kong Furniture and Decoration Trade Association pavilion continues to showcase home design elements that integrate technology into people's daily lives to build an ideal smart home. In addition, the Creative Corner provides a platform for young start-ups to promote and sell their products. Apart from cultural and creative products, the public can participate in exciting activities such as dried flower gift making workshops.

ICMCM – High-level experts will discuss the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine (17-18 August)

The Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association, together with the HKTDC and eight scientific research institutions, present the latest International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM), offering invaluable Chinese medicine insights and information for industry participants. This year's theme is "Inheritance and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine", featuring 18 keynote speakers from the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, and Hong Kong who will discuss new Chinese medicine research and development and share successful product commercialisation cases. Running in a hybrid format, the conference stimulates and facilitates the exchange of ideas among speakers and participants. By attending the conference, registered Chinese medicine practitioners in Hong Kong may also apply for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits.

Electronic payment with Consumption Voucher Scheme comes in handy and daily lucky draw

With the second instalment of the Consumption Voucher Scheme rolled out, the HKTDC has been encouraging exhibitors to embrace electronic payment methods to streamline transactions and enable a more convenient and efficient shopping experiences for the public. There will be a "Lucky Draw" taking place daily during the exhibition period with prizes including hotel accommodation and buffet vouchers, homeware, skincare products, gourmet food, health products and fitness classes.

Spending HK$200 or more on a single receipt allows visitors to enjoy one lucky draw entry, with a maximum of five entries per receipt. The HKTDC's promotional website, "August Happy Buy", continues to help the public keep abreast of the latest shopping information, various flash sales, "HK$1" offers and more than 160 shopping coupons will be given away. In addition, the HKTDC has also launched a "BYO Utensils for Bonus Rewards" campaign during the Food Expo and concurrent events to encourage people to support environmental protection, and some exhibitors give bonus offers to those who bring their own utensils.

E-tickets are available for sale at AlipayHK, Alipay (HKTDC's ticketing partner), which offers a HK$3 and Rmb3 discount for every transaction. Other sales outlets include the 01 Space e-ticketing platform, all 7-11 and Circle K convenience stores, and via the Octopus App. Physical ticket sales for the August exhibitions will not be available at the fairground. Instead, toll booths will be set up at the entrance to allow visitors to use their AlipayHK, Alipay, or Octopus card for admission instantly. The HKTDC has also extended the discounted morning and night admission tickets for the public to visit the exhibitions during non-peak hours on designated dates.

HKTDC Food Expo PRO http://foodexpopro.hktdc.com
HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair http://hkteafair.hktdc.com
HKTDC Food Expo http://hkfoodexpo.hktdc.com
HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo http://hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.com
HKTDC Home Delights Expo http://homedelights.hktdc.com
The International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM) http://icmcm.hktdc.com
August Happy Buy website http://ecoupon.hktdc.com/food/
Photo download: http://bit.ly/3KIbc1v

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

Media enquiries

HKTDC's Communications and Public Affairs Department:
HKTDC Food Expo, HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo
Kate Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4239, Email: kate.hy.chan@hktdc.org

HKTDC Food Expo PRO, HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair, ICMCM
Frankie Leung, Tel: +852 2584 4298, Email: frankie.cy.leung@hktdc.org

HKTDC Home Delights Expo
Clementine Cheung, Tel: +852 2584 4575, Email: clementine.hm.cheung@hktdc.org

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com