Food Expo, Tea Fair, Home Delights, ICMCM Open in August

31 July 2018 — Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 29^th Food Expo, the 10^th Hong Kong International Tea Fair, the third Beauty & Wellness Expo and the fifth Home Delights Expo open on 16 Aug at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM), jointly organised by HKTDC and the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association Ltd, will also be held on 16-17 Aug. Last year, the four fairs attracted nearly 500,000 visitors. Gathering a total of more than 2,000 exhibitors this year, the four fairs will showcase a wide variety of delicacies and innovative products to provide an all-round shopping and sourcing experience for consumers and trade buyers.

At today’s press conference, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau introduced details of the five events. “The annual Food Expo is a grand feast for food lovers, and this year it will feature products from more than 20 countries and regions. For the concurrent Beauty & Wellness Expo, we are honoured to cooperate with the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) to set up the K-Beauty Expo Hong Kong pavilion for the first time, showing public visitors the latest Korean beauty products. Targeting industry players and trade buyers, the Food Expo’s Trade Hall, the International Tea Fair and the ICMCM will provide a platform for sourcing and networking, creating business opportunities among different sectors. In addition to bringing an international gourmet feast to visitors, we hope to enhance the cultural exchange between Hong Kong and other regions as well.”

Food Expo: Serving up Global Delicacies (16-20 Aug)
In its 29^th edition, the Food Expo will feature a record number of more than 1,560 exhibitors from over 20 countries and regions. It comprises a Gourmet Zone, Public Hall and Trade Hall, bringing a wide range of international food and drinks to food lovers and trade buyers.

Being the highlight of the expo, the Gourmet Zone will gather more than 70 exhibitors to showcase delicacies from around the globe under four themes: Asian Cuisine, Western Delicacy, Sweet Delight and Green Palate. Open from 16-19 Aug, the zone will feature high-end products such as black truffle, crafted beer made in Hong Kong, plant-based Omnipork and award-winning low-fat cheese from the Netherlands.

The Public Hall (16-20 Aug) will gather about 600 exhibitors and feature five group pavilions from the Chinese mainland, Canada, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The highlighted Premium Food Zone will feature more than 30 renowned brands including Chewy International, Kee Wah Bakery, Maxim’s Group, Nissin Foods, On Kee Dry Seafood, Tai Pan, Vita Green, Sau Tao, Appolo and Aji-No-Chinmi. To promote local produce, the Hong Kong Vegetable Marketing Organisation and Fish Marketing Organisation will participate in the expo to introduce high-quality local products. Other special products available include the “made-in-Hong Kong” crispy fish skin, soya sauce crab from Korea and healthy chicken breast chips.

The Trade Hall will showcase international flavours from more than 900 exhibitors, with 12 group pavilions as well as the themed Halal Food Zone and Chinese Medicine Zone. Targeting trade buyers, it will provide a platform for business opportunities as well as market information exchange. It will open exclusively to industry professionals on 16-17 Aug, before opening its doors to public ticket-holders on the last day (18 Aug), enabling exhibitors to test the response from consumers and raise brand awareness. There will be seminars with industry experts to discuss such topics as business opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative, halal food certification, innovative food technology, as well as food testing and certification, giving trade buyers the latest market information.

Public visitors can attend a number of exciting events. These include cooking demonstrations by more than 10 star chefs, such as Hui Mei Tak, Executive Chef of Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant; Bong Jun Choi, Executive Chef of Chinese Operations, City of Dreams Manila; Claudio Favero, Chef De Cuisine, Sabatini Ristorante Italiano, Royal Garden Hotel; Catherine Lai, Founder and Executive Chef of Kam Mun Jong; Will Leung, Sous Chef of French cuisine JUNON Restaurant; Atsushi Takahashi, Executive Chef of Kashiwaya Hong Kong; Edward Voon, Executive Chef of Le Pan; and Wong Wing Keung, Executive Chinese Chef of Yee Tung Heen.  

Other events include the launch of the 2018-2019 Wan Chai a La Carte food and culture map, a seminar on herbal tea, product demonstrations and lucky draws. In sessions jointly organised by the HKTDC, the Food and Health Bureau and the Committee on Reduction of Salt and Sugar in Food, several star chefs will demonstrate “less salt, less sugar” recipes to promote healthy living. There will also be a “Hong Kong’s Action on Salt and Sugar Reduction” seminar to help visitors adopt healthy eating habits. Tech-savvy visitors can also join the launch event of augmented reality (AR) app “TastAR”, which allows users to view 3D images of gourmet dishes overlaid through the app.

Beauty & Wellness Expo: Presenting Stylish K-Beauty Products (16-20 Aug)
The third Beauty & Wellness Expo will bring together more than 100 exhibitors, featuring a wide selection of skin care, hair care and home-electronic beauty and wellness products. For the first time, the HKTDC will cooperate with Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) to launch a brand-new “K-Beauty Expo Hong Kong” pavilion, under the theme of “Stylish K-Beauty”. KINTEX will bring 30 Korean exhibitors to present their latest beauty products, including the “black peeling pad” black charcoal exfoliating wipe mask from the hot Korean brand RiRe All Kill, men’s skincare products from the popular brand Miviento, USB rechargeable eyelash curlers and organic skincare products suitable for users with sensitive skin.

There will be exciting activities such as product demonstrations, sharing sessions on summertime make-up tips and the latest hair-styling tips. Yoko Tsang, a dietary therapist and beauty expert, will conduct a cooking demonstration of fish maw, while the beauty key opinion leader Snowwhitewhite will share knowledge on skincare and make-up.

Home Delights Expo: Featuring Stylish Brands and Smart Bidding (16-20 Aug)
The popular Home Delights Expo will return in its fifth edition, featuring 180 exhibitors with a range of quality electric and kitchen appliances as well as household products. They include the IHC thermostat patented cooking pot and a filter bottle certified by the German technical inspection association TÜV. A highlight of the fair, the Avenue of Delights, will host 45 exhibitors featuring various renowned names including STAUB, CLP, Dyson, Kenwood, German Pool, OTO, Tiger, Philips and Towngas.

Visitors can bid for featured household appliances and products at the popular Smart Bidding event. Orange Tam, founder of Juppuk, a company providing a home tidy-up service, will share tips on reducing unnecessary household items and storage.

Tea Fair: Trading platform for Tea Business (16-18 Aug)
The 10^th Hong Kong International Tea Fair will open exclusively to trade buyers on the first two days before welcoming public ticket-holders on the last day. The three-day fair will feature more than 240 exhibitors from seven countries and regions, with the debut launch of the Taiwan pavilion this year. One of the highlighted products is an oolong tea produced exclusively in Taiwan. It is unique in that a tea green leafhopper must bite the tea leaves to produce a unique aromatic honey-like sweetness. The fair will also feature other products such as a pair of Qing Dynasty covered bowls, a perfectly preserved 1950s Red Label Tea Cake and the Japanese Kyo-Hojicha Paste that can be mixed with other food ingredients for flavouring.

The International KamCha Competition 2018 Hong Kong Style Milk Tea – 10th Anniversary Special, organised by the Association of Coffee and Tea of Hong Kong, will hold its International Final at the Tea Fair on 18 Aug. Representatives from Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Melbourne and Toronto will compete for the KamCha title. Combining technology and traditional skills, an artificial-intelligence (AI) robotic arm will give a brewing demonstration on the spot. The International Yuan Yang Final will be staged on-site as well, with local participants competing for the winning title.

The highlighted Hong Kong International Tea Competition 2018 will see exhibitors compete for various awards, such as “The Best Aroma Award” and “The Best Taste Award” among seven tea categories. Visitors will be able to taste the award-winning teas free of charge on 18 Aug when the fair opens to public ticket-holders. Other activities include a series of tea forums delivered by industry experts on such topics as antique teaware and cooking with tea. Venerable Chang Lin will discuss “Tea and Zen” to provide an extraordinary experience for tea lovers. Events dedicated for trade buyers include tea tasting sessions, tea art performances, a seminar on “Capturing the Tea Business from the ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ Generation” as well as a buyer forum.

ICMCM: Unveiling the Latest Development of Ben Cao (16-17 Aug)
Organised by the HKTDC and Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA), the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM) is open for free registration by industry players wishing to obtain the latest market insights. In commemoration of the 500^th Anniversary of the birth of Li Shizhen, author of Compendium of Materia Medica, the conference will share the development of Ben Cao (a pharmacopoeia of Chinese herbal medicine) and its potential expansion. There will be 17 distinguished speakers from renowned institutions in Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the US. These include Hong Kong Baptist University, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Seoul National University, St Petersburg State University and the American Society of Pharmacognosy.

On 18 Aug, public ticket-holders can take part in the Chinese Medicine Health Public Forum sessions where professional practitioners will discuss Chinese medicine dietary therapy for skin problems, anaemia and blood pressure control, diabetes, gastroenteritis, respiratory care and seasonal healthcare diets.

Lead the Scene, Let’s Go Green!
To encourage visitors and exhibitors to reduce waste, the HKTDC will continue to cooperate with “Food For Good” and “Food Angel” to collect and recycle packaged edible food and food waste at the fairground, and invite exhibitors to donate food to needy communities after the fair. The HKTDC also encourages exhibitors and visitors to follow green tips such as sorting recyclable waste into recycle bins placed at the fairground. Visitors can also bring their own utensils, food boxes, water bottles and shopping bags .   

Opening hours:

Morning Admission Ticket to Attract More Public Visitors
This year, the HKTDC introduces the Morning Admission Ticket at HK$10 per person for ticket-holders visiting before noon on 16, 17 and 20 Aug. There will also be Night Admission Ticket at HK$10 for ticket-holders to enter after 6pm on 16-19 Aug, with a top-up fee of HK$15 for admission to the Gourmet Zone on the same day. Tickets are available for sale from 2 Aug at designated 7-Eleven and Circle K convenience stores, as well as Hong Kong Ticketing (www.hkticketing.com), while e-tickets will be available on Tap & Go Mobile Wallet and Octopus App (Octopus card or O! ePay). For ticketing details, please visit the HKTDC Food Expo website.

Ticketing details: 

Remarks:

• * Tourists need to present valid travel documents at the fairground’s ticketing counters.
• # Persons with disabilities need to present “Registration Card for Persons with Disabilities” issued by the Labour and Welfare Bureau at the fairground’s ticketing counters.
• Free admission for children aged three and under, and senior citizens aged 65 or above.
• Tickets are available for sale from 2 Aug at designated 7-Eleven and Circle K convenience stores, onsite ticketing counters, as well as Hong Kong Ticketing (www.hkticketing.com), while e-tickets will be available on Tap & Go Mobile Wallet and Octopus App (Octopus card or O! ePay).
• Night Admission Tickets are sold only at the ticketing counter located at the Harbour Road Entrance (16-19 Aug, after 6pm).
• Morning Admission Tickets are sold only at the ticketing counter located at the Harbour Road Entrance (16, 17 and 20 Aug, before 12noon).

Fair Websites

• Food Expo hkfoodexpo.hktdc.com
• Home Delights Expo homedelights.hktdc.com
• Beauty & Wellness Expo hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.com
• Tea Fair hkteafair.hktdc.com
• International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products icmcm.hktdc.com

To view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tc

Media Enquiries
This press release is released by Strategic Public Relations Group (SPRG) on behalf of Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). Please feel free to contact the persons below for any further questions.

Strategic Public Relations Group（SPRG）
Andico Tsui   Tel:(852) 2114 4346 / 6902 3831   Email: andico.tsui@sprg.com.hk
Sonya Lai      Tel:(852) 2114 4984 / 6671 3008   Email:sonya.lai@sprg.com.hk　

HKTDC's Communication and Public Affairs Department
Katherine Chan    Tel: (852) 2584 4537       Email: katherine.cm.chan@hktdc.org

Angel Tang        Tel:(852) 2584 4544       Email: angel.hc.tang@hktdc.org

About the HKTDC
Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With 50 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With more than 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing business insights and information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.