7 HKTDC mega events attract 100,000 global buyers

The seven large-scale trade events organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), covering lifestyle products and licensing opportunities, concluded on April 30 with buyer numbers increasing across all exhibitions and some 100,000 buyers from 131 countries and regions attending for on-site purchasing and business negotiations. Among the lifestyle fairs, the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair recorded some 36,000 buyers, Home InStyle attracted over 20,000 buyers, Fashion InStyle drew over 11,000 buyers, while the Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair and DeLuxe PrintPack Hong Kong saw over 11,000 buyers attend the concurrent events. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong International Licensing Show (HKILS) attracted over 20,000 buyers, and the Asian Licensing Conference (ALC) featured nearly 20 international licensing industry leaders as speakers. Non-local buyers at the six fairs came primarily from Mainland China, Taiwan and Malaysia, highlighting Hong Kong’s influence as an international trade platform. Sophia Chong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, said: “The seven major events held by the HKTDC in late April brought together some 6,000 exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions. Despite the current challenges in the global economic and trade environment, we actively attracted buyers to our fairs to enhance trade resilience and assist exhibitors in gaining a foothold in new markets such as the Middle East and ASEAN regions. The HKTDC remains committed to promoting cross-sector and international trade cooperation among exhibitors, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as an international trade hub and showcasing its unique advantage in building connections regionally and globally.”

Nearly half of respondents forecast sales growth

To gain deeper insights into current trends in the lifestyle products industry, the HKTDC conducted a survey of 1,583 exhibitors and buyers at the Gifts & Premium Fair, Home InStyle, and Fashion InStyle. Key market overview and product trends include:

• Nearly half of respondents (49.2%) expected their overall sales would rise in the next one to two years, while 44.5% foresaw that sales will remain stable. The greatest challenges identified were growing protectionist measures (45.7%), fluctuations in the global economy (43.3%) and the impact of inflation (32.0%).
• Respondents believed sales prospects are promising or very promising over the next two years in Mainland China (77.3%), India (74.2%), Taiwan (67.6%), Republic of Korea (66.4%) and ASEAN countries (65.8%).
• The following are the markets that the respondents are actively exploring: Europe (30.5%), ASEAN countries (17.2%), Japan (13.1%), North America (12.3%) and Republic of Korea (9.5%).
• In the gifts and premium market, respondents believed cultural gifts (17.6%), tech gifts (17.0%) and fashion accessories (16.9%) had the most growth potential.
• In the furniture and houseware market, smart home technology (21.0%), designer furniture and houseware products (17.0%) and kitchenware and tableware (15.7%) were considered to have the most growth potential.
• Respondents identified womenswear (40.3%), urban clothing (39.1%), and fashion accessories (32.0%) as having the most growth potential in the fashion market.

Concurrent mega events create synergies and promote new market opportunities

The seven concurrent events this year, spanning gifts, houseware, fashion, printing and packaging and IP licensing, helped to foster cross-industry collaboration for exhibitors and buyers. Jimmy Lo, Business Strategy Manager of Homelover Products Limited, a Hong Kong exhibitor at Home InStyle, said: “The number of new buyers visiting our booth has doubled over last year, coming mainly from Asia, the Middle East and South America. The fair attracted fashion buyers and also drew a children’s product exhibitor’s interest in partnering with us to develop eco-friendly tableware. It is expected that this fair will bring us approximately US$100,000 in sales.” A German buyer at the Gifts & Premium Fair, Michael Baumann, a partner in Know How International GmbH & Co KG, said: “I sourced products from India, Vietnam and Bangladesh as souvenirs and giveaways for the European football league. Additionally, I identified a sports bag supplier and a recycled paper box supplier from Mainland China, as well as a metal souvenir supplier from Hong Kong, with a potential total order value of approximately US$2.3 million to US$2.8 million. I am also highly interested in the licensed animated characters from a mainland exhibitor, with a potential order value of up to US$600,000.” In response to global trade challenges, exhibitors are prioritising market diversification and actively pursuing new customer acquisition. Hong Kong exhibitor Moral Team Holdings Ltd has participated in the Gifts & Premium Fair for 17 years, focusing on the development of eco-friendly bag products. The company’s Marketing & Ecommerce Manager, Charlotte Chui, said: “The new US tariff policies have impacted 10% of our export share, prompting us to focus more on the Asian market at this stage. The Gifts & Premium Fair has provided us with a platform to connect with buyers from Japan, Singapore and Taiwan. Our mid- to long-term plan is expanding into the Australian and European markets. The concurrent fairs have attracted interest from fashion and houseware buyers. On the first day alone, we secured several orders from the Asian market and anticipate achieving total sales of over US$500,000 at the fair.”

Fairs drive the development of high-value cultural and creative industries

Cultural and creative products that combine design and functionality are attracting significant attention from buyers. Stanley Kwok, Director of KnitWarm Ltd, a Hong Kong exhibitor at Home InStyle, said “We showcased our patented heat-conductive smart textile technology products in the Cultural and Creative Avenue and Gerontech Living Pavilion. Buyers from Japan, Mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK and the US, as well as social workers in Hong Kong, have expressed interest in our four-in-one warmer blanket cushions and warmer band series. We are confident that the fair will generate at least US$200,000 in sales for our company.” Taiwan buyer William Wu, owner of Royal Best Group Corp, said: “I was impressed by the home trends highlighted in the collaboration between the Cultural and Creative Avenue and Pantone. I connected with exhibitors from the Czech Republic, Taiwan, Hong Kong and more, and plan to make purchases of houseware products totalling US$50,000 to US$100,000 this year. I’m particularly interested in the Czech incense stick holder and look forward to future collaboration opportunities.”

Global new materials at Fashion InStyle drive cross-sector interest

This year saw the launch of NEXT@Fashion InStyle at Fashion InStyle a new highlighted zone organized by the HKTDC and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the HKSAR Government. Han Chong, founder and creative director of Self-Portrait, joined as the zone’s ambassador. NEXT@Fashion InStyle was dedicated to establishing a collaborative platform for sustainable and new materials for buyers and exhibitors, as well as designer brands, successfully connecting a buyer from Malaysia, Richard Tsen, founder of CollbStore, with Indonesian exhibitor PT Miko Bahtera Nusantara (MYCL). Mr Tsen said: “I am very interested in the company’s mushroom leather material and was amazed by its solidness and coating after the baking process. This inspired me to apply it to my designer label. I also referred them to the Malaysian Furniture Design Institute to let them explore the creation of mushroom leather furniture. I believe it has the potential to make a significant impact and resonate within the Malaysian and wider Asian market.” Mary Ma, owner-principal of Textile Library, a mainland exhibitor at Fashion InStyle, expressed keen interest in leveraging the exhibition to explore establishing a base in Hong Kong. She said: “Hong Kong is a vibrant crossroads where eastern and western cultures meet. It connects factories across Southeast Asia and attracts European and American buyers.” Chinamind Next Interculture Group, the parent company of renowned fashion industry publication WWD China, also recognised the strategic advantages of Hong Kong as a gateway connecting the mainland with the world, signing a memorandum of understanding with the HKTDC during the fair.

Diverse creativity unlocks new licensing opportunities

Chengdu Chenghau Butterflies Huatian Culture Development Co Ltd, one of the exhibitors at the HKILS, signed a cooperation agreement with Sureka.Z Limited worth RMB2 million during the show. The former granted Sureka.Z Limited the performance rights for 10 shows of Panda the Musical in Hong Kong and Macao. At the ALC, meanwhile, leaders from the industry shared their insights on the trends and opportunities in the creative industry. Gabriel Kwong, Panda IP Creator, Ocean Park Hong Kong and Co-Founder of Air World Limited said: “Our edge is being able to see the world from a panda’s perspective, and as a park that raises pandas we can immediately gather real-life materials and transform them into IP content. The interplay between reality and virtual elements makes our IP increasingly entertaining.” The Printing & Packaging Fair and DeLuxe PrintPack Hong Kong also created business opportunities for the industry. Zahoor A Qurashi, CEO of Regal Pack, a buyer from the UK, shared: “The fair featured a wide range of sustainable products, including luxury options such as skincare and perfume packaging, as well as ribbons, alongside practical everyday solutions like food and beverage packaging. I placed an order worth US$80,000 with one supplier and am optimistic about future collaborations. Additionally, I made an initial order of US$40,000 with another supplier for heat-expandable cups, which has the potential to grow significantly, possibly reaching US$1 million.”

Seamless online-offline integration drives business engagement

The seven events adopted the EXHIBITION+ online-offline integrated model, enabling buyers to continue discussions with exhibitors online during and after the fairs, extending business interactions beyond the physical event.