Participants find success through business matching activities
HONG KONG — The inaugural HKTDC Lifestyle Expo in New Delhi welcomed more than 2,000 trade buyers during its two-day run on 19 and 20 December 2016, as 120 Hong Kong and mainland companies showcased a range of trendy, high-quality products, reaffirming Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s lifestyle trendsetter and “super-connector” in business.
Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Trade Development Bureau (TDB) of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, the expo took place at The Lalit New Delhi.
Apart from bringing a slice of Hong Kong lifestyle to India, the event also helped develop stronger bilateral trade relations between India and the Chinese mainland.
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The Opening Ceremony was officiated by LC Goyal, Chairman and Managing Director, India Trade Promotion Orgnisation, Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director, HKTDC, Jin Hong, Deputy Director-General, Trade Development Bureau, Ministry of Commerce, The People’s Republic of China, and Li Bai Jun, Commercial Counsellor, Economic Counsellor’s office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of India.
Bridging India and China
“We have very big hopes for the future of trade links between India and China, with Hong Kong serving as a ‘super-connector’ between two of the world’s most populous and fastest-growing large economies,” said Mr Liang.
“India and China are two of the fastest-growing large economies on earth, with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) predicting GDP growth of 7.6 per cent and 6.2 per cent respectively in 2017. Together, they have a combined population of some 2.7 billion potential consumers,” he added.
Individual buyers and buying missions came from New Delhi and other cities and regions including Mumbai, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Punjab.
At the Lifestyle Expo, the exhibitors paraded a variety of modern, high-calibre products including consumer electronics and ICT, gifts and premium, household products and electrical appliances, fashion and accessories and watches and clocks. The expo also featured trade-related services.
These attracted buyers from different sectors, including importers, distributors, mass retailers, mail-order houses, department stores and specialised stores.
Getting Connected
The HKTDC arranged more than 1,600 one-to-one business matching meetings and various networking events during the expo to further connect Hong Kong and Chinese mainland suppliers with buyers.
A brand new “Live Chat” service was offered at the Thematic Showcase Display zone, where staff connected buyers to off-site exhibitors via WhatsApp for real-time discussion of potential deals.
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The expo also featured the popular hktdc.com Small Orders showcase spotlighting 150 products available for orders in quantities of between five and 1,000 units. This allowed buyers to place small orders to test the market while minimising their risks. It also leveraged the growing trend of e-tailing that is changing the face of international trade.
Business leads
Exhibitors reported positive results from their participation in the event. Andy Lee, Managing Director of Hong Kong houseware supplier Star Express Asia Ltd. said he was happy with the quality of the Indian buyers. The company received about 25 serious enquiries, including a potential customer he had established contact with through the HKTDC Showcase Display at the China Products (Mumbai India) Exhibition 2016.
Hong Kong LED lighting supplier Celex LED Technology Ltd Business Development Director Andrew Tsang said he was satisfied with the results, having been approached by “very good” Indian buyers including a lighting contractor and LED lighting distributors from Mumbai and New Delhi.
Hong Kong online marketing services promoter CG Marketing Co Ltd, was keen to find local partners, and the company received more than 30 enquiries from various sectors, including online marketing, travel, toys and electronics products.
Lifestyle trendsetter
The Lifestyle Expo is one of the HKTDC’s signature international promotion events and has a successful track record in fostering trade between companies from Hong Kong and emerging markets worldwide including Russia, Poland, Turkey, Dubai, India and Indonesia. The Lifestyle Expo in Mumbai was successfully held in 2010. – BusinessNewsAsia.com