AsiaWorld Expo Opens in December

[hkskyline]

21 December 2005 - AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong's new exhibition and event venue opens
InvestHK Press Release







AsiaWorld-Expo is Hong Kong's new world class, state-of-the-art exhibition and event venue. Target to open on 21 December 2005, it is located at the centre of an extensive and efficient air, land and marine transport network connecting Hong Kong with China's Pearl River Delta and the world's business capitals.

As AsiaWorld-Expo reaches the final stages of completion, there are 2,000 people onsite involved in the construction of the 70,000 square metres of rentable space for exhibitions, conventions, concerts, sports and entertainment events. Served by its own railway station, this facility, right next to the Hong Kong's International Airport, will encompass a column free exhibition hall space and an arena-style multi-purpose hall equipped with high spec acoustics and seat riser systems.

This new facility will complement the city's existing exhibition venues and will cement Hong Kong's position as the leading centre for international exhibitions in Asia. Bookings for AsiaWorld-Expo have far exceeded demand.

The official opening ceremony of AsiaWorld-Expo will be held on 21 December 2005 and the new facility will be operational for business thereafter with the first event scheduled to take place in January 2006.

For more go to http://www.asiaworld-expo.com

[Skybean]

See this is what I like about HK. Everything is connected by rail. It's so easy to get around.

2,000 workers is quite an army. This building is massive. There's always so much construction happening in HK, it really hasn't stopped in the past decade.

[spicytimothy]

tons more pics from this site:

http://www.asiaworld-expo.com/WebFor...aspx?lang=enUS

[hkskyline]

By 182170 from a Hong Kong transport forum :

[vincent]

don't really like the red/yellow color

[Terrence]

the design is definitely too banal, it's not spectacular and futuristic at all, it's a waste of occupying such a unrivalled location to build such a banal buildings. In addition, the surrounding seems not so clean.

[zergcerebrates]

Originally Posted by Terrence

the design is definitely too banal, it's not spectacular and futuristic at all, it's a waste of occupying such a unrivalled location to build such a banal buildings. In addition, the surrounding seems not so clean.

Not so clean? As in what? Its in a construction zone whadya expect?

[vvill]

sorry to say but it does look horrendous. =.=

[scorpion]

French design company is responsible, yes??

[Sexas]

I think you guys comparing AsiaWorld Expo with normal convention or exhibit center.

[spicytimothy]

isn't this style the one used by Thom Mayne and Morphosis of LA? I really hate it...

[hkskyline]

New airport venue ready to rock the town
19 December 2005
South China Morning Post

Promoters hope the new venue opening soon at Chek Lap Kok will make it easier for them to schedule concerts - despite its location away from the city centre.

Meanwhile, operators of other venues are gearing up for the competition that will come with the opening of the AsiaWorld Arena.

The new venue will compete with Hall 3 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre and with the Coliseum.

Promoter Colleen Ironside, of Live Limited, said booking a venue remained the biggest problem for putting on shows. Even if a band wanted to come to Hong Kong, finding a venue to fit in with the touring schedule could be hard. She hopes the arena will improve the situation.

Adrian Hobbs, chief executive of ONE Group Investments, believes the arena will be a boost to the region, while Nigel Peters of Midas says location should not be a problem.

"While initially there might be some resistance to the travel time, the public will quickly learn that the trip is worthwhile," Mr Peters said.

Michael Roche, of Lushington Entertainments, said: "I think everyone is used to flitting over to Lantau now and the airport is a regular trip for many concert-goers. After six months, it will establish itself as a strong viable venue."

The Coliseum and exhibition centre welcomed the competition.

"A new arena in the entertainment industry will mean more venue options to the promoters and lead to more opportunities to bring international acts to the city," said Monica Lee-Muller, the convention centre's director of business development.

Arena director Rachel Sutton hopes the venue can provide more choice for promoters. She said the hiring rate would be competitive with other venues.

"We benchmark ourselves against existing venues regionally," she said.

Ms Lee-Muller said: "In 2006, a 30 per cent rental discount will extend to May, in addition to the current five off-season months of February, June to August and December. Our rental rates have been frozen since 1999."

The Coliseum has no plans to adjust its rental charges.

[hkth]

News from news.gov.hk. The website of this Expo is http://asiaworld-expo.com/Webform/Index/index.aspx

[Terrence]

I can only say the AsiaWorld Expo is beneficial to HK on a long-term basis, other than that, it can also assist HK in intensifying its position of Asian convention and exhibition centre.

But I think the design is a little tacky.

[zergcerebrates]

I think the design is fine, the color might be odd.

[hkskyline]

Here is a government press release : http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/2...0512210283.htm

[hkskyline]

CE speaks at the opening ceremony of AsiaWorld-Expo
Government Press Release



Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, at the opening ceremony of AsiaWorld-Expo this afternoon (December 21):

Mr Rowse, Mr Borit, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you all for joining us here today to celebrate the opening of AsiaWorld-Expo.

This new addition to our infrastructure is one of the many initiatives which the Government has been spearheading in recent years.

First of all, AsiaWorld-Expo is a world-class convention and exhibition facility. It is situated right next door to our international airport that year after year is voted one of the world's best.

When we adopted the brandname "Asia's World City" for Hong Kong a few years ago, it was intended to be partly descriptive and partly aspirational. We have since been working hard to live up to the promise of being a premier city in the region and beyond. With the opening of AsiaWorld-Expo, we have turned another small part of our vision into reality.

Second, the new facility speaks for Hong Kong's changing economic role. We recognised over 10 years ago that we were moving away from manufacturing to become a services economy. To facilitate this shift in the structure of our economy, the Government had set up a Services Promotion Strategy Group to consider the initiatives that the Government should take, as well as the Business and Services Promotion Unit as an executive agent. AsiaWorld-Expo is one of the many projects to emerge from these initiatives. Today, services make up 90% of our economy, probably the highest percentage in the world.

One major role of Hong Kong is to serve as a regional hub and a base for international and, increasingly, Mainland companies to manage their business operations in East Asia. A complementary role is to serve as a two-way springboard: for companies from around the world wishing to access the Mainland of China, in particular the Pearl River Delta, and for Mainland companies to launch themselves into the international marketplace. It is no coincidence that many of the exhibitions to be held here in the coming years are to show off Chinese goods and services to the world. Others will show the world's best products to an increasingly sophisticated and substantial market in the Mainland.

We facilitate trade; we facilitate business. We help to put the different parties in touch with each other. And in so doing we earn our own living.

The third initiative which Asia World-Expo exemplifies is the partnership between the public sector and the private sector.

The Government is putting in a substantial amount of equity for the new facility, in recognition that it is our responsibility to provide the infrastructure to revive the economy, to enable the economy to flourish and grow. The private sector has also played a critical role in ensuring the success of the project. The first phase of this state-of-the-art facility has been built and commissioned on schedule and within budget – two characteristics of Hong Kong businesses on which we pride ourselves.

The decision to include a fabulous Arena within the complex is a good example of the commercial instincts that the private sector partner brings. With a facility that will seat up to 13,500 people indoors in air-conditioned comfort, we will be better able to attract major events and world-class performers to Hong Kong in future.

The responsibility of winning new business for AsiaWorld-Expo falls upon the operating company which is entirely privately owned. I am pleased to note that the drive has been unrelenting and very successful.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we will continue our efforts in maintaining Hong Kong's status as Asia's World City. We will continue to facilitate the growth of Hong Kong's economy as the pre-eminent service centre in Asia. In addition, we will continue to explore opportunities for public private partnerships, and in the process, we will take care to select our partners in a transparent way in open competition. AsiaWorld-Expo is an excellent example of our efforts in all three areas.

I would like to congratulate everyone associated with the AsiaWorld-Expo project on its smooth delivery, and I wish AsiaWorld-Expo every success in the future.

Thank you.

[Terrence]

【明報專訊】斥資23.5億元、花費6年建成，堪稱全港最大的亞洲國際博覽館昨日開幕。對於外界擔心博覽館將與灣仔會展「搶客」，博覽館高層和展覽主辦機構均說，兩者優勢和定位不同，並不存在競爭。

廣 告


亞洲國際博覽館行政總裁博希爾表示，博覽館在爭取舉辦活動方面成績非常理想﹕「目前已有超過30項國際級大型展覽及活動落實於2006年舉行。多是首次在港舉行，其中大部分更會於未來數年定期在博覽館舉行。我相信，博覽館在首年啟用時會為香港帶來約40億港元的經濟效益。」

亞洲國際博覽館主席盧維思亦強調，博覽館有助提升香港作為地區樞紐的吸引力。博覽館提供了7萬平方米的可租用面積，包括一個類似紅墈體育館、可容納1.35萬名觀眾的「AsiaWorld-Arena」。

特首曾蔭權(相關新聞 - 網站)昨日主持開幕後說﹕「看見這些設施很感動，我記得這是我差不多8年的夢想。」

根據大會提供的資料，明年博覽館排滿了29場展覽，當中只有一場「國際建材及建築機械展」，屬於重型機械展。而首位利用「AsiaWorld-Arena」舉行演唱會的，將是本港明星陳寶珠，接是英國樂隊Oasis。

將於明年4月舉辦3場展覽的Global Sources主席兼行政總裁Merle Hinrichs表示，禮品及家居用品出口展將展示逾3500個攤位，有超過1000個內地參展商，當中六成首次來港參展﹔他表示，新參展商都是被博覽館的地理位置和獨特設計吸引而來。

博覽館副行政總裁哈永安就指，博覽館是以大型國際級會場作定位，以加強香港的品牌效應，而且因為鄰近機場，透過海、陸、空都能到達會場，能吸引更多國內和亞洲買家參與﹔他預期，明年將有逾十萬名專業參觀人次。對與會否降價吸引參展商，他回應﹕「做平做不到，我們要做品牌，做世界級的展覽。」

不過，香港展覽會議業協會會長朱裕倫就認為，新展館收費會下調，提高香港展覽業的競爭力，並為展覽業增加40%收益。香港表廠商會會長梁榕表示，參展商歡迎新展覽館，可以增加選擇，但有些展覽會，如3月的鐘表展在兩個展覽館均會舉行，可能令買家無所適從。

[vincent]

http://hk.news.yahoo.com/060110/12/1ka48.html

【明報專訊】上月底開幕、位於機場島的亞洲國際博覽館，昨日舉行首個展覽，但首日買家人數寥寥可數，不少參展商更指，人流未及會展的十分之一。他們認為，除了博覽館位置偏遠外，展覽商宣傳不足也是問題之一。

廣 告


由建發國際主辦的「香港春季交易會」，一連四日在亞洲國際博覽館舉行，與香港貿易發展局在會展舉行的玩具展踫個正。大部分買家都去了會展，在博覽館的展商都表示是預料中事，但就未想到「少成這樣」，他們歸咎展覽商宣傳不足﹔不少參與會展玩具展的買家也表示，並不知道博覽館有展覽。

會展買家不悉另有展覽

建發回應，展覽前已在主要交通樞紐和外國展覽會等地點，做足宣傳。對於人流少的問題，該公司認為全新的展覽都要讓買家觀察一段時間，並表示展前有超過8000個買家登記出席。

電子表生商產宏泰城市參與了春季交易會，其銷售市務部經理馮宗耀表示，外國客人問有關博覽館的情，他在網上卻找不到足夠資料。他又批評，場內的指示不足，連建發國際的辦公室也很難找。對於為何會來參與，他指出今次攤位收費只是平常的一半，而且1月無同類型展覽，因此「值得博」。

參展商感失望不敢再來

專賣沐浴禮品的Good Mate表示，參展只希望一試新場地效果，並希望藉今次「霸位」，日後若再租就能獲分配好位置﹔但他坦言，對人流感到失望，日後未必再來參展。

同樣地，珠寶買家楊小姐亦對珠寶參展商數目表示失望。「我在網上看到應有三分一是展出珠寶的，現在卻得幾家……而且分佈太散，指示也不足。」加上地點不方便，她表示，以後也不會再來。

不過，貿發局總裁林天福認為，春交會與玩具展同期舉行，不會影響玩具展人流，「在會展舉行的玩具展歷史悠久，重要的買家都會到來，貿發局不會因為春交會而額外增加宣傳費用。」

玩具展「撞期」無影響

而在會展參展多年的龍昌國際（348）主席梁麟說，暫不考慮到博覽館參展。「等那邊成熟一些才考慮，因灣仔及尖沙嘴區酒店較多，方便買家入住及到灣仔會展採購，他們對這兩區環境較熟悉。」梁指出，進場買家若有興趣，可即時前往附近的辦公室詳談，「買家若由博覽館前往辦公室，路途較遠。」

明報記者詹穎頤、胡幗詠報道

[hkskyline]

AsiaWorld-Expo is open for business
The world-class facility will boost HK's position as a leading exhibition and events hub
18 January 2006
South China Morning Post

The much anticipated AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong's largest exhibition and events complex which is located at Hong Kong International Airport, was opened in December by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and senior representatives of the shareholding and management companies.

The $2.35 billion state-of-the-art facility, which is one of the largest in the region, is designed to further enhance Hong Kong's position as a leading exhibition and events hub, and to give Hong Kong the opportunity to host world-class entertainment and special events.

AsiaWorld-Expo will complement the existing first-rate facilities in the city, and together they will ensure that Hong Kong has international standard venues to meet the growing demand for exhibition and conference space.

As well as being one of the largest and most hi-tech facilities in the world, the centre is also conveniently located, and the only one in the world that combines full integration with a busy international airport and an in-venue railway station.

Visitors to AsiaWorld-Expo can walk straight from the exhibition halls to the Airport Express and connect to anywhere in Hong Kong via the MTR.

The venue provides 70,000 square metres of rentable space, with 10 state-of-the-art ground-level exhibition and events halls, including the 13,500-seat AsiaWorld-Arena, the biggest indoor entertainment arena in Hong Kong.

The AsiaWorld-Arena has been designed to host sophisticated world-class events, ranging from concerts to large-scale sporting and entertainment extravaganzas.

Built within a multimodal transport hub, AsiaWorld-Expo is just a few minutes' stroll or a one-minute train ride from the airport. This makes it easily accessible to the 35million travellers who arrive in Hong Kong each year on one of 5,000 flights a week from 144 international destinations.

Through its integration with Hong Kong International Airport, AsiaWorld-Expo is within five hours' flying time of half of the world's population. And through the comprehensive road network and cross-boundary bus services, it is less than 90 minutes from key cities in the fast-growing Pearl River Delta region, making it a valuable business platform for Hong Kong, the mainland and the rest of the world.

At the opening ceremony, Mr Tsang said that this new addition to Hong Kong's infrastructure was one of the many initiatives which the government had spearheaded in recent years.

"When we adopted the brand name 'Asia's World City' for Hong Kong a few years ago, it was intended to be partly descriptive and partly aspirational," Mr Tsang said. "We have since been working hard to live up to the promise of being a premier city in the region and beyond. With the opening of AsiaWorld-Expo, we have turned another small part of our vision into reality."