The Trade Development Council (TDC) of Hong Kong is partnering with seven Hong Kong exhibition organizers to launch eight new trade fairs in Hong Kong from 2006, announced TDC on Monday.

The new exhibitions will be held annually at two venues, AsiaWorld-Expo, which opens in December at the Hong Kong International Airport, and the Convention and Exhibition Center.

The fairs will carry themes including printing and packaging, auto parts, auto and boat and leisure, building materials and construction equipment, furniture, textile and garment machinery and technology, environmental protection products and technologies, and medical and health care.

The initiative will further strengthen Hong Kong as Asia's trade fair capital and generate even more business for local industries and the city.

"The new fairs will provide a marketing platform for more than 2,000 firms in industries and sectors presently underserved by international trade fairs in Hong Kong," said TDC Assistant Executive Director Benjamin Chau.

"They will attract an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 buyers from around the world each year, with billions of dollars in spin-off benefits for the local economy."

"Burgeoning industry clusters, such as the auto manufacturing in Guangdong, require extensive upstream and downstream support from Hong Kong," said Chau.

He explained that upstream support included precision manufacturing and the introduction of new technology. Downstream support included agency, sales and marketing services.

Participating exhibition organizers include CIEC Exhibition Company (Hong Kong) Limited, Paper Communication Exhibition Services, MMI -Munich International Trade Fairs Pte Ltd, Kenfair International (Holdings) Limited, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd, and China Promotion Limited.

Source: Xinhua