With a bold plan in place to lure more MICE business and a marketing catchprase on its website that reads “surging from strength to strength,” Hong Kong is that rare mix of brains, brawn and beauty.
The finest minds in their fields steer some of the largest companies in the world from Hong Kong, and from their top-floor windows enjoy the postcard-perfect view of Hong Kong Harbor that’s become visual shorthand for this stunning beauty of Asia.
Officially known as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong was a British colony until handed over to China in 1997. English—the de facto language of international trade--is still widely spoken here.
They say that getting there is half the fun, and with Hong Kong that’s no exaggeration. Hong Kong International Airport consistently tops the list of the most convenient airports in the world. Between Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and a slew of other airlines, the airport handles more than 1,900 flights per week and is described as “Asia’s Superhub” by tourism officials.
West Coast planners might be happy to learn that a Hong Kong-based long-haul budget airline that’s only a few months old plans to add Oakland, Calif., as its second destination in June. Oasis Hong Kong Airlines flies nonstop from Hong Kong to London’s Gatwick International Airport for as little as $125 each way before taxes. Flights between North America and Hong Kong promise to be a bargain as well, but the airline hasn’t announced fares yet.
No matter what airline they fly into Hong Kong, once on the ground visitors will see a frenetic, densely populated area that spreads over a multitude of interconnected islands. Imagine New York, but compressed even futher—although not officially a country, if it were one Hong Kong would be the most densely populated country in the world.
Home to 6.9 million people and the most prosperous region of China, Hong Kong has everything a planner could want in terms of convention facilities, hotels, restaurants, and shopping.
Leading the list of cutting-edge convention centers is the 753,000-square-foot AsiaWorld–Expo, which boasts a 13,500-seat indoor arena.
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) presently totals 2.67 million square feet with 753,000 square feet of rentable function space. Becuase of growing demand for exhibition space in thriving Hong Kong, HKCEC's second expansion began in July 2006. Upon completion in 2009, the expansion will add 209,000 square feet to the HKCEC.
There’s no shortage of hotel space, either. The are more than 50,000 rooms here among more than 120 properties, ranging from super luxury to quality budget. New properties still somehow manage to open in the crowded field. A deluxe boutique hotel, Hotel LKF, opened in June 2006, and the same group will open Hotel Panorama, a 324-room property overlooking Victoria Harbor, later this year.
There are a number of attractions in Hong Kong, but Victoria Peak is the one not to miss. A tram ride to the top, nature trails and even a shopping mall are some of the highlights of the iconic mountain—to say nothing of the view of the boat-filled harbor below. If while on the peak evening falls and laser beams start shooting through the sky, don’t fear, it’s the daily Symphony of Lights, named the world's "Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show" by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Hong Kong is going strong, and as a center of trade and jumping off point to China—when it comes to both making buisness inforads and leisure travel--there are few better candidates for an Asia-Pacific meeting right now.
