Tourism officials in Hong Kong like to describe their city-state--officially a Special Administrative Region of mainland China--as "Asia's world city." This vibrant, modern city is a shopping, culinary and cultural hotbed where East and West truly mix and enrich each other. And, when it comes to meetings, the air options, hotels and facilities are hard to beat.
Getting here is a breeze. Hong Kong International Airport has a shelf full of "best airport" prizes from a number of business travel organizations. Known as “Asia’s Super Hub,” the airport is home base for Cathay Pacific, the region’s biggest carrier. Cathay Pacific has flights to Hong Kong from almost 30 U.S. cities. Best of all, attendees from most Western countries don't need a visa to stay in Hong Kong.
Once at the airport, a high-speed Airport Express is the fastest way between the downtown areas and the airport. Free airport express shuttle bus service from Hong Kong and Kowloon stations serves major hotels.
Besides the usual charter bus and taxi service from the airport, there's also luxury bus and ferry service to mainland China's Pear River Delta area.
All of the international hotel brands are represented here, and of course, being Hong Kong, first-class modern luxury in a traditional Chinese setting is the norm, not the exception. Average room rates hover around the $200-per-night mark. In total, 120 properties offer more than 50,000 rooms.
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is the city's main convention facility, totaling almost 700,000 square feet. Even if you don't hold your meeting here, it's one of the city's architectural landmarks--it's one of the most visually stunning convention centers in the world. Other standout meeting facilities include the Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre (HITEC), with a large exhibition space, a rotunda hall, meeting room, and simultaneous interpretation service.
For off-sites, there are a number of private clubs in Hong Kong to throw a stellar event, but the Hong Kong Jockey Club is one of the swankiest. Jockey Club private boxes have space for 10 to 400 people. Tours of the horse paddock are available, and if your ersatz high-rollers see a promising pony, betting is one of the most popular pastimes at the Jockey Club.
Other only-in-Hong-Kong venues include Cyberport, a futuristic city within a city that's fully networked for broadband and wireless Internet and equipped with the latest multimedia facilities. Flexible meeting rooms can host anything from cocktail parties to trade shows.
Jumbo Kingdom, on the other hand, is a floating imperial palace of sorts where bright lights meet Chinese architecture. As an extension to the famous Jumbo Floating Restaurant, it's a good venue for cultural experiences—attendees can learn Chinese cooking or check out the onboard museum.
But Hong Kong is more than just a global center of business, as more than a few planners have raved that it's a place they can give their attendees a taste of old Chinese traditions in a thoroughly modern city.
When it comes to sights, most first-time visitors have a flash of recognition when they see the iconic Hong Kong harbor for the first time. The junk boats floating beside ostentatiously long yachts is visual short-hand in many a magazine advertisement for the magic of Asia. A trip to Victoria Peak to see the harbor is a definite must-see.
Fantastic airports, hotels and off-site venues: Just a few of the reasons Hong Kong has earned its title of Asia's World City.
