Four flagship trade shows lead the return of business events to Hong Kong in 2023

Four leading trade shows – Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW), Jewellery & Gem ASIA Hong Kong (JGA), Cosmoprof Asia, and premier fresh produce fair ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA – are returning to Hong Kong in 2023. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has also attracted over 30 major B2B conventions for the next few years, events that are expected to draw over 300,000 participants. 

Kenneth Wong, general manager, MICE & Cruise of HKTB, said: We are thrilled to welcome four leading trade shows back to the city. Their return highlights Hong Kong’s strong fundamentals, favourable business environment, rich tourism offerings, and enormous opportunities brought by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), which will give Hong Kong an edge in attracting international business events.”

Informa’s Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW) will return to its original dual-venue, product category-specific format at AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) 18-22 September 2023 and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) 20- 24 September 2023. Jewellery & Gem ASIA Hong Kong (JGA) will be held 22-25 June 2023. 

“We are thrilled to be hosting the greatest jewellery and gemstone fairs back in Hong Kong in 2023,” said David Bondi, senior vice-president, Informa Markets in Asia. “The last three years have proved that the jewellery sourcing experience is simply not the same without our fully-fledged, international B2B fairs. Our jewellery community is very much looking forward to returning to Hong Kong and taking advantage of many important opportunities for connection and business growth with buyers, sellers and investors all in one place.” 

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA 2023 made the strategic decision to return to Hong Kong, its long-established location since 2008. Asia imports about 16 million tonnes of fresh fruit annually, and ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA is the region's premier conference and trade fair for the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain business. ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA will be held 6-8 September in the AWE, along with the ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS. 

Cosmoprof Asia, the largest B2B beauty exhibition in the Asia Pacific region, will also return to the city next year. “Since the show was first launched in the city in 1996 it has seen consistent growth, with the 2019 edition being the most successful to date. Hosting the exhibition in Hong Kong has made a significant contribution to this growth, as the city has a gravitational pull of buyers and sellers, not just across Asia and Mainland China, but the entire world, to explore fast-growing beauty business in our region,” said Michael Duck, executive vice -president –commercial development, Informa Markets.

One of the most significant regional rheumatology congresses in the world – the 24th Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Congress (APLAR) – returned to Hong Kong 6-9 December, welcoming the largest group of overseas attendees in person since the pandemic began. And, among the international conventions set to come to Hong Kong in the next few years is RISE, one of the world’s most influential tech events, which will take place in Hong Kong for five consecutive years starting in 2024.

Since its inception in Hong Kong in 2015, it has become Asia’s largest tech event, according to CNBC, and it serves as an important window for companies from both East and West to make connections in new markets. Also, one of the world’s sought-after Web3 events, the WOW Summit, will be held in Hong Kong in 2023, a first in the Asia Pacific region.

The Hong Kong Government has also extended its 100% free venue rental for eligible events until 30 June 2023, and introduced a new subsidy for recurrent exhibitions to be staged in the city over three years. 

The HKTB will also boost its financial support to MICE-related industries to enhance Hong Kong's competitive edge in winning the hosting rights for MICE events and attracting business visitors to the city.