Hong Kong luxury expo to connect brands with ‘high-spending travellers’

Private jets, fine jewellery, watches, superyachts and luxury property will feature in a new Hong Kong exhibition offering business opportunities to “brands, yacht owners and connoisseurs”, according to the organiser.

The inaugural Festival of Connoisseurs, set to take place between November 4 and 6, is the first exhibition of its kind to secure government funding for large-scale international exhibitions, organiser Informa Markets said on Wednesday.

Ryan Hui, deputy event director of the festival, stopped short of revealing how much of the government’s HK$100 million (US$12.7 million) subsidy earmarked for such events the organiser secured, or the performance metrics for securing the funding, and business expectations.

“Hong Kong is very suitable for brand showcases of premium quality and experience. We believe the festival’s high-end exhibition could bring business opportunities, attracting high-spending travellers and business customers across the world, and even the mainland,” Hui said.

“It could also help boost the economy – F&B [food and beverage], retail, and services – and bring clientele to these industries, benefiting the exhibition and related sectors and pushing for continued growth, and could further cement the city’s position as a hub for international exhibitions.”

He expected the invitation-only event to attract at least 3,000 participants, adding about 1,000 tickets had been sold so far. The organiser is targeting 40 per cent of visitors from mainland China and the rest from Hong Kong as well as the rest of the world.

The festival will bring together nine high-end sectors under one event at AsiaWorld-Expo on Lantau Island, including super and classic cars, gastronomy, art and design, travel, as well as health management.

Hui said the exhibition would feature up to 50 international brands, including Azimut Yachts from Italy, French wine and spirits house Pernod Ricard, British luxury automotive manufacturer McLaren, Cut Caviar based in London and Dubai, and more.

The festival is flanked by two free events that are open to the public and require prior registration, including four hour-long boat trips on November 1 with a quota of 50 each and the Lantau Yacht Club Boat Show on November 6 to 8.

The show – titled Festa Nautica – will feature up to 40 yachts for display, as well as a showcase of marine technology and lifestyle.

In city leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s latest policy address last month, he earmarked HK$100 million to “attract high‑quality, large‑scale international exhibitions with new elements to Hong Kong”.