Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched the ‘Hong Kong Convention Ambassador’ programme to “promote the city as the premier choice for regional and global MICE events.

Over 100 distinguished leaders of business and professional bodies in Hong Kong have joined forces with the tourism board, under this initiative.

The city is set to welcome its first-ever Greater Bay Area Artificial Intelligence Congress with over 2,400 participants in November 2021.

Henry Li, chief marketing officer of Hong Kong Productivity Council said, “Hong Kong is in the best position to host this GBA event given its leading position as the most international city and a gateway to the mainland. The ambassador programme will certainly deepen the network between the HKTB and business sectors to bring even more leading international events.”

As per HKTB, ambassadors are instrumental in strengthening the city’s position as a best-in-class MICE hub. Their efforts have begun to bear fruit, with the Hong Kong International Dental Expo and Symposium (‘HKIDEAS’) held successfully in January. The three-day event, the first trade exhibition held in the city since the fourth wave of Covid-19 hit in late 2020, drew an average daily attendance of over 3,000 dental professionals.

Fellow Ambassador, the Associate Dean (External Affairs), Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Congress Chair, 15th Asia Pacific Congress of Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA 2021), Professor Philip Chiu is gearing up to bring the annual congress to Hong Kong in November 2021. To be held at the Hong Kong Science & Technology Park, ELSA 2021 boast being the biggest conference in Asia in endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery.

List of ambassador-led events in the pipeline:

Event Event Date
Global Chinese Breast Cancer Organisations Alliance Conference 2021 Q3/4 2021
23rd International Conference of Racing Analysts and Veterinarians 2021 Q4 2021
Greater Bay Area Artificial Intelligence Congress 2021 Q4 2021
15th Asia Pacific Congress of Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA 2021) Q4 2021
Asian Conference on Emergency Medicine 2021 Q4 2021
Hong Kong International Dental Expo and Symposium 2021 Q4 2021
International Airline Transport Association (IATA) World Cargo Symposium 2022 Q1 2022
World Confederation for Physical Therapy Asia Western Pacific Regional Congress 2022 Q2 2022
Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR) 2022 Q3 2022
Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Congress 2023 2023
The Congress of Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (ASCI) 2023 Q2/3 2023
The Congress of the Asian Society of Transplantation (CAST) 2023 Q3 2023

Dr YK Pang, chairman of the HKTB said:

“As we chart the road to recovery, we are grateful to have over 100 prominent leaders of the community join us in promoting Hong Kong as the preferred host for global MICE events.

“The Hong Kong Convention Ambassador programme is formulated not only to bring business events to the city when travel resumes. It will also promote the advantages of Hong Kong to the global business community and help drive multi-sectoral recovery. The economic multiplier effect of hosting world-class MICE events is huge. And the HKTB team is here to offer full support to the Ambassadors’ efforts.”

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