Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the HKTDC Food Expo, HKTDC Home Delights Expo, HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo, and HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair kicked off today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). In addition, the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM), organised by the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association (MCMIA), together with the HKTDC and eight scientific research institutions, runs concurrently on 11 and 12 August. Guest of honour Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), officiated at this morning’s opening ceremony for the concurrent fairs, joined by Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC, and Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC.

Welcoming guests to the fairs, Dr Lam said: "Featuring a wide variety of quality products, these concurrent events highlight Hong Kong's reputation as Asia's gourmet paradise and lifestyle hub. The fairs also present an opportunity for over 1,000 local and global exhibitors to tap the tremendous buying power of Hong Kong consumers and buyers. In addition, I would like to thank the HKSAR Government for supporting the exhibitors through the Convention & Exhibition Industry Subsidy and the SME Export Marketing Fund. In challenging times, this support is invaluable to help exhibitors make use of our fairs to expand their buyer and customer base."

Food Expo (11-15 August): A global culinary journey
The 32^nd edition of the Food Expo features the Public Hall, Gourmet Zone and Trade Zone to showcase the finest international cuisines. The Public Hall, which stays open throughout the five-day fair, presents a global selection of food items. These include Food Expo debutant Musang King durian snowy mooncake (booth: 1D-A18), the KiKi Moon Custard Mooncake Collection, plus sauces and tea blends from the popular Taiwanese restaurant KiKi Noodle Bar (KiKi Tea) (booth: 1A-A01), vegetarian crab cakes crafted with a proprietary blend of plant-based proteins (booth: 1E-A28), and the city’s bestselling hormone-free partridge (booth: 1B-B02). Besides, the Premium Food Zone in the Public Hall features quality foods offered by more than 20 renowned brands, including Maxim’s, Tai Pan, Nissin, Sau Tao, Tao Ti, WH Group, BGS and On Kee Dry Seafood.

In addition, three mainland Chinese pavilions participated through local representatives, including the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Chongqing. Among them, the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will bring high-quality local products from Hebei, the Commerce Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will display the exquisite local traditional food, Yulin Niuba. The Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce will present local snacks and hot pot seasonings.

The highly anticipated Gourmet Zone is open to the public for four consecutive days (11 to 14 August) and features six thematic zones, namely Asian Cuisine, Western Delicacy, Sweet Delight, Green Palate, Coffee Avenue and an exciting new addition, Beer Cheers. Each zone features speciality food items, including the Mazinger Z 50^th anniversary limited-edition red wine (booth: 3B-F19), Aomori Apple Jewellery Jelly from 76-year-old Japanese confectioner Nikaido Patisserie (booth: 3B-E07), Australian Jarrah honey straws (booth: 3C-B05), mead fermented from exquisite local longan honey using modern wine-making technology (booth: 3C-B06), and ready-to-eat Spanish sliced dried wagyu beef (booth: 3B-D05).

The Trade Zone, running for three days (11-13 August), features more than 100 exhibitors and multiple group pavilions, including several exhibitors from different provinces of Mainland China, such as Zhejiang, Hubei and the Sichuan online pavilion. Featured products include green plum fruit wine from Zhejiang, Wuchang rice from Heilongjiang, Shennong honey from Hubei, and fresh Sichuan pepper oil. The three-day exhibition is open to both industry buyers and public ticket holders.

To celebrate the HKSAR’s 25^th anniversary, 13 star chefs are invited to perform cooking demonstrations of 25 dishes. They include Executive Chef Ho Wai-sing of The Royal Garden Chinese Restaurant, Chinese Chef de Cuisine Ho Chun-hung of Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Founder of Hung's Delicacies Lai Wai-hung, and Executive Chef Will Leung of 1111 and more.

Other activity highlights at the Food Expo include: 

• Culinary masterclasses on “Less Salt and Sugar” recipes to encourage the public to develop healthy eating habits (12 August)
• Interesting tutorials and insights including the “Chinese Rice Wine + Japanese SAKE Contest” (11 August) and “All about Single Malt Whisky” (13 August)
• Sharing on preparation for the World Brewers Cup coffee brewing competition along with coffee brewing tips (12 August)
• A series of seminars covering topics such as “Testing & Certification Services in the Food Industry” (11 August), “Health Supplement Essentials for COVID” (12 August), “Innovative Hard Coating for Food Appliances” (12 August), “EatSmart Restaurant Star+” (11-12 August), “Probiotics” (12 August), and “Blood Vessel Scavenger” (14 August)
• Hosted by media veteran Jacky Chan, Chef’s Dialogue features three renowned Hong Kong chefs to share their tips on cooking, eating and ingredient selection (13 August)

Home Delights Expo (11-15 August): Build the ideal smart home
The Home Delights Expo returns for its eighth edition in 2022 and runs for five consecutive days. The Avenue of Delights features nearly 40 exhibitors and several lifestyle brands, including Towngas, ZWILLING JA Henckels, Rasonic, A-Fontane, Tiger, German Pool, and Zhang Xiao Quan. In addition, the expo presents a variety of innovative products, including an air purifier that uses NASA technology (booth: 3F-E20), an acetone breathalyser with an AI nutritionist built into the mobile app (booth: 3G-A16), an ultra-small window cleaning robot with autonomous navigation (booth: 3F-A12), and an EMS and heating soother with eight connectors that can massage two body parts at the same time (booth: 3F-C18).

This year, the Hong Kong Furniture and Decoration Trade Association pavilion is showcasing home design solutions that integrate technology in various living situations to create the ideal home. The Creative Corner introduces several innovative products from more than 50 local start-ups. They include handmade wooden frame glasses (booth: 3G-F05), a European birch grinder (booth: 3G-F02), and an iced tea candle with a look and aroma very similar to the popular drink (booth: 3G-F09).

Beauty & Wellness Expo (11-15 August): Maintain wellness inside and out
The sixth Beauty & Wellness Expo features four major pavilions: Federation of Beauty Industry (H.K.), Hong Kong Hair & Beauty Merchants Association, International Beauty & Health General Union, and The Cosmetics & Perfumery Association of Hong Kong Ltd. In addition, new pavilions have been formed by the Hong Kong China Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness and the International Beauty Professionals Validation Association.

The expo features a wide range of products for those looking for a healthy lifestyle. They include Disney Trendy Colour Gel, a soak-off gel nail polish by Korean professional brand DGEL (booth: 3E-B17), an organic juicy makeup remover made using a unique formula (Booth: 3E-D02), a detoxification and dampness removal supplement kit using 13 patented ingredients (booth: 3E-E11), shoe insoles designed using biomechanical principles and sports mechanics (booth: 3D-C13), and a portable gym that provides total body strength training (booth: 3D-C01). In addition, diet therapy, health and beauty expert Yoko Tsang will share the new normal for skincare (14 August). On the same day, the Hong Kong China Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness will host a preview of the 2022 Hong Kong Bodybuilding & Fitness Charity Championship - HKSAR 25 Anniversary Cup.

International Tea Fair (11-13 August): Appreciate the art of tea
The 13^th Hong Kong International Tea Fair presents a variety of exceptional products, such as innovative Yunnan Taetea that still retains a traditional and classic style (booth: 3B-A02), special editions of Pu’er raw and ripe tea cakes produced in celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR (booth: 3B-A08), and centennial Pu’er tea and tea of ancient tree made using century-old traditional fermentation techniques (booth: 3B-A11). There are several exciting activities at the fair including the “KamCha Workshop, Taste of Hong Kong – HK Style Milk Tea” (13 August), the Strength – Youth Tea Ceremony (13 August), and an insightful sharing session on nutrition and tea therapy (12 August).

This year's Hong Kong International Tea Fair and the Food Expo’s Trade Zone are held in a brand-new exhibition model called EXHIBITION+ that allows global buyers to conduct business through physical exhibitions and an online platform at the same time, further expanding their market access. Exhibitors and buyers who cannot attend the fairs in person can actively browse AI-recommended leads, proactively search for business partners, and send requests for video conference meetings up to seven days in advance of the fairs via Click2Match, the smart business-matching platform.

ICMCM (11-12 August): Expert insights into Chinese medicine and therapies
The Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association has joined hands with the HKTDC and eight scientific research institutions to present the latest International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM) on 11 and 12 August. The conference delivers invaluable information and insights on Chinese medicine to industry participants. This year’s theme is “Innovative Drug Development and Clinical Research in Chinese Medicine” featuring 17 keynote speakers from the United States, Australia, Austria, Germany, Japan, Mainland China and Hong Kong. These experts will discuss research results and share successful cases of integrating Chinese and Western medicine. The conference runs in a hybrid format with physical and online sessions to facilitate the exchange of ideas among participants and speakers. Registered Chinese medicine practitioners in Hong Kong who join the conference can apply for the CME credits.

Supporting consumption voucher payment and fabulous lucky draw
The second phase of the Consumption Voucher Scheme was disbursed just before the fairs. The HKTDC is encouraging participants to use electronic payment systems at this year’s fairs, with 90% of the surveyed exhibitors accepting at least one consumption voucher payment method for the convenience of the public. In addition, in partnership with livestreaming platform LOOPLIVE, the newly introduced livestreaming sessions feature key opinion leaders (KOLs) broadcasting live about exciting products and shopping privileges on the LOOPLIVE app during the fairs (11-15 August).

The “Buy-more-get-more Lucky Draw” is held daily during the exhibitions with fabulous prizes, including household products, skincare products, gourmet food, health products and fitness classes. Spending HK$200 or more on a single receipt gives visitors one entry into the lucky draw, with a maximum of five entries per receipt.

The HKTDC has also launched the “August Happy Buy” website, keeping the public updated on the latest shopping news and various flash sales at the fairs, including a HK$1 chicken pot, abalone noodle gift boxes and snowy durian mooncakes. Attendees can also download some 200 e-coupons in advance to enjoy special offers at the exhibitions.

Safety arrangements for visitors
Safety is a top priority for the HKTDC and various measures have been implemented to safeguard participants, including requiring everyone in the fairground to wear a mask; not allowing eating, drinking, and sample tasting in the fairground; setting up temperature-screening stations; providing hand sanitiser at multiple locations; and stepping up the cleaning and disinfection of exhibitors’ booths and the overall venue. All exhibition visitors are required to use the LeaveHomeSafe mobile app to scan the venue QR code and present their Vaccine Pass at the fair entrance.

No physical ticket sales is arranged at the fairground. All visitors can pay with their Octopus card at the entrance toll booths to gain entry. To space out the flow of visitors and encourage the public to visit the exhibitions during non-peak hours, the HKTDC has introduced morning and night admission tickets at a special price.