Surge. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (“HKCEC”) achieved a record event attendance of 5,969,789 for its fiscal year 2010-2011 (July 2010 – June 2011), a surge of 25% from the previous year. This significant jump in attendance was the result of an enlarged event portfolio; 1,235 events were held at the HKCEC during the period, many expanding in size. Throughout the fiscal year a total of 116 exhibitions were held at the HKCEC, utilising an average gross exhibition area of 16,272 sqm. Of the 116 exhibitions, 18 utilised a gross area of 30,000 sqm or more. Among the 116 exhibitions, 102 were recurrent exhibitions and 10 were new. Of the recurrent exhibitions, 35 recorded double-digit growth in terms of gross exhibition space compared with their previous editions, with growth ranging from 10% to as much as 83%. As one example, ART HK 2011 experienced almost 40% growth in size from the previous year, on top of the launch of two new concurrent events: ART FUTURES and ASIA ONE. Besides being a clear indication of the value of doing business at the HKCEC, these growth statistics also vividly reaffirm why the HKCEC’s second expansion, which opened in 2009, was necessary.
