Research and analysis

Hong Kong: from sails to sales: A GREAT week in Hong Kong and Macao – March 2014

Published 16 April 2014

The GREAT Week in Hong Kong (7-13 March) set out to inform a wide audience of the central tenets of the GREAT Campaign, and to provide a platform for trade success. The focus was on fashion, luxury goods, food and drink.

The week started with sponsorship of Hong Kong’s premier regatta, rebranded this year as the GREAT Nations Cup. Sir Robin Knox Johnston, the first person to complete a non-stop, solo, circumnavigation of the globe, spoke to a gala dinner audience of over 100 senior business leaders and opinion formers. Sir Robin drew the connection between British creativity and modern technology, citing UK contributions to the World Wide Web, mobile telephones and space satellites. For the regatta itself, Victoria Harbour was filled with racing yachts displaying the GREAT logo.

A trade mission of 18 food and drink companies, and 16 fashion, luxury and accessories companies enjoyed more than 20 events throughout the week, including briefings, work-shops, meet the buyer events, networking receptions, retail site tours and a regional business speed-networking. Fox’s Biscuits reported an order of 14 new lines of product from one supermarket chain, and first time interest from another. Holden’s Breweries anticipate £100k sales as a result of the week. C.W. Dixey, makers of luxury eyewear and former suppliers to Emperor Qianlong, were so successful that they ran out of stock. Other companies reported promising leads and planned follow-up meetings, both in Hong Kong and in Macao. A number of companies cited the visit to Macao – a UKTI High Value Opportunity – as redefining their business strategy for the market.

Two of the brightest young talents in Britain today supported the week. Matthew Williamson hosted a retrospective catwalk show of 16 iconic pieces. Jason Atherton, provided an all-British menu at lunch for food writers, and at dinner for industry buyers, as well as supporting an EBLEX promotional event for English beef.

0.1 Comment

This was a GREAT Week for British business. The events showed how the GREAT Campaign can provide a platform for business. The support of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Matthew Williamson and Jason Atherton generated real interest, resulting in strong media coverage for the trade mission companies. The GREAT Week events featured prominently in print and in online media, reaching an aggregate audience so far of 5.5 million, with more to come. Macao TV featured individual mission companies, providing them with valuable exposure in a fast-growing market.

GREAT Week followed the highly successful Creative Industries trade mission to Hong Kong and Macao in February. The business wins above are helping to sow the seeds of another successful year for our eight HVO campaigns, building on the £1bn plus worth of contracts delivered in 2013/14.

0.2 Disclaimer

The purpose of the FCO Country Update(s) for Business (”the Report”) prepared by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is to provide information and related comment to help recipients form their own judgments about making business decisions as to whether to invest or operate in a particular country. The Report’s contents were believed (at the time that the Report was prepared) to be reliable, but no representations or warranties, express or implied, are made or given by UKTI or its parent Departments (the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)) as to the accuracy of the Report, its completeness or its suitability for any purpose. In particular, none of the Report’s contents should be construed as advice or solicitation to purchase or sell securities, commodities or any other form of financial instrument. No liability is accepted by UKTI, the FCO or BIS for any loss or damage (whether consequential or otherwise) which may arise out of or in connection with the Report.