HK expects to generate spending of HK$7.2bn from mega events in 2024

Hong Kong is expected to stage over 100 mega events in the second half of the year, together with events that have taken place this year, they are projected to bring about 1.7 million tourists to the city and stimulate spending of HK$7.2 billion.

During a press conference yesterday (21 May), Michael Wong, deputy financial secretary, said these mega events include 42 large-scale conferences, 25 artistic and cultural projects, 15 sports events, 13 functions related to finance, the economy and the innovation and technology sector, and 11 festive events. 

One of the art projects called 武林盛舞嘉年華, supported by Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund (文化藝術盛事基金會), will debut in July, bringing together over a thousand martial arts and dance experts to present over 60 performances and activities.

Moreover, the M+ museum will be hosting its first major retrospective exhibition on renowned architect I.M. Pei (貝聿銘) from 29 June 2024 to January 2025.

To further attract visitors to the city, the government is also mulling the possibility of preserving sets of "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In", the latest local martial arts film featuring Kowloon Walled City that shot to fame, and transforming them into exhibits, Wong said.

The inaugural Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX) is scheduled to take place in October. According to Kevin Yeung, secretary for culture, sports and tourism, it is expected to attract 800 to 1,000 overseas and 500 local arts professionals, with an estimated audience of 30,000 for the showcased programmes.

“It will serve as a comprehensive platform to showcase top-notch performing arts works from around the world while providing opportunities for networking, collaboration, and business transactions. The expo aims to promote cooperation, buying, selling, and trading in the field of performing arts,” Yeung said.

The calendar in the second half of the year also includes 15 new events that are expected to bring first-timers to Hong Kong. These include Super Terminal Expo 2024, a gathering for transport and logistics leaders, and the first SmartCon 2024 in Asia, an annual conference of American blockchain company Chainlink.

Wong said together with events that had taken place earlier this year, at least 210 events will be held throughout 2024. These initiatives are expected to draw 1.7 million tourists, stimulate spending of HK$7.2 billion and add HK$4.3 billion to the economy.

Despite these figures being an estimate, Wong said that the mega events were “value for money” for Hong Kong since the city would be gaining a lot more as compared to what the government would be spending on subsidies this year.

The city was expected to dish out about HK$200 million in subsidies for events this financial year, a sharp decrease from HK$330 million in the last.

When asked about the authorities’ support of certain past events, such as football star Leonel Messi's no-show during a friendly match in Hong Kong, Yeung said the government had withdrawn the original subsidy preserved for the organisers of the game. "We have always been cautious when organising major events, especially if government resources are involved."

On the other hand, the government will launch a citywide courtesy campaign (全城禮貌運動) in June, in an effort to promote the spirit of hospitality in communities, encouraging every citizen to become an ambassador of courtesy. The campaign will cover all 18 districts, schools across the city, businesses of all sizes, transportation services, and various industries.

In the tourism and related sectors, Yeung said the government will launch new promotional efforts through the HKTB and enhance industry outreach and training through its network. The government will also collaborate with schools to strengthen the promotion of courtesy education, aiming to instill the value of treating others with respect from an early age.

Don't miss: John Lee: HK to attract more mega events while ensuring proper public funding use

Meanwhile, Cheng said during the press conference that the HKTB evaluates and selects mega events based on three key factors, including whether they can attract the participation of both citizens and tourists, whether the event can generate positive global exposure and contribute to a favourable atmosphere for Hong Kong, as well as whether the event can showcase Hong Kong's strategic positioning. 

Join us this coming 26 June for Content360 Hong Kong, a one-day-two-streams extravaganza under the theme of "Content that captivates". Get together with our fellow marketers to learn about AI in content creation, integration of content with commerce and cross-border targeting, and find the recipe for success within the content marketing world!

Related articles:

John Lee: HK to attract more mega events while ensuring proper public funding use
HKTB expands ‘Hong Kong Pals’ programme to promote hospitality culture
HKTB invites Weasley twins to explore HK and promote HK Sevens