Mainland links fuel solid HKCEC growth

By Mark Armsden HONG KONG A bullish Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) has seen a stronger first quarter in 2002 than last year. With the Hong Kong government earning plaudits from within the industry for its relaxation on visa restrictions allowing mainland business people into Hong Kong, some shows have reported increases of more than 70% in attendance from the mainland. The HKCEC believes this is strengthening Hong Kong's position further as a regional exhibition centre as it is providing exhibitors with unprecedented access to mainland buyers. "Encouraging figures were recorded from a number of recurrent trade fairs, which showed an increase in visitors with a strong growth in the number of mainland Chinese buyers," HKCEC deputy-managing director Ms Joanne Davis said.