Government to launch Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme to subsidize venue rental for convention and exhibition activities
For more information, please contact
Melissa Ng in New York City: (212) 752 3320
Wing Yan Tong in San Francisco: (415) 835 9315
Daniel McAtee in Washington, D.C.: (202) 238 6360
September 24, 2020 - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government announced today that, in light of the gradual stabilization of the epidemic situation and the progressive resumption of convention and exhibition activities, a 100 per cent venue rental subsidy for organizers of exhibitions and international conventions held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo under the Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme will be launched on October 3.
The subsidy, which has no cap, will last for 12 months to October 2, 2021, and is applicable to all exhibitions and international conventions held at the two venues during the period. Eligible organizers will be required to submit applications via the two venue operators after the events.
A spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) said that to ease the cash flow of exhibition organizers, if an exhibition has been held in the two aforementioned venues for the past five years, the organizer may submit an application two months before the event to obtain in advance a subsidy equivalent to 50 per cent of the venue rental. The remaining subsidy will be disbursed after completion of the exhibition.
The relevant application guidelines and forms can be downloaded from the CEDB's website [www.cedb.gov.hk/citb/] and obtained from the two venue operators.
The spokesman urged organizers to share the subsidy with participants. Eligible exhibitors can also apply for funding support under the SME Export Marketing Fund to cover their participation fees for exhibition events on a matching basis.
Set up under the Anti-epidemic Fund, the Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme has a total commitment of HK$1,020 million (US$130 million). Regarding the part of the Scheme that subsidizes exhibitors of exhibitions organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and participants of its major conventions, the Government will announce its launch date later having regard to the HKTDC's event arrangements in the coming few months.