HKTDC rolls out a comprehensive digital platform, EXHIBITION+

International trade fairs and sourcing modes have seen dramatic changes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the organisers of many physical exhibitions and seminars to transition to a digitised or hybrid path.
To help enterprises adapt to the new environment and stay closely connected to international buyers, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has launched a brand-new hybrid exhibition model, EXHIBITION+, to strengthen its exhibition platform, HKTDC said in a press release received by Rough&Polished. 
Meanwhile, the HKTDC International Sourcing Show runs from 5 to 8 July at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Exhibitors and buyers at the event will be among the first to enjoy the smart business-matching platform, Click2Match, to actively assist them in seizing business opportunities.
HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Sophia Chong said: “The pandemic has had a tremendous impact on Hong Kong’s economy and particularly on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Amid the ongoing pandemic and geopolitical tensions, many enterprises have sought support from policies and aid packages to help them ride out the storm.
“From March 2020, the HKTDC adjusted quickly to the new reality, moving its various physical fairs, large-scale seminars and business-matching meetings to online platforms, striving to continue connecting local businesses with international buyers and offering various kinds of support. Now, the HKTDC is launching EXHIBITION+ to familiarise enterprises with digital platforms and capture online-to-offline international opportunities around the clock.”
A recent buyer survey by the HKTDC – which interviewed 600 international buyers from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, Australia, Europe, Mainland China and the United States – showed that most respondents (93%) had used online sourcing platforms, and more than 85% had participated in virtual fairs to meet sourcing needs. Most respondents said they would be willing to conduct sourcing through physical fairs (63%) or hybrid fairs (59%) once travel restrictions were lifted. The survey findings revealed that in future, physical and online-to-offline integrated fairs could complement each other.
EXHIBITION+ comprises four key exhibition elements – HKTDC-organised physical fairs, the smart business-matching platform Click2Match, online-to-offline seminars under the Intelligence Hub, and the hktdc.com Sourcing platform – to provide round-the-clock services that boost the flexibility and effectiveness of business promotion for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and offer benefits such as extended fair periods, expanded platforms and enhanced opportunities.
EXHIBITION+ extends face-to-face interactions from physical exhibitions to an online smart business-matching platform to help enterprises connect with business partners proactively. As always, the HKTDC’s 50 global offices will actively recruit international buyers, while its business-matching specialists will match suitable exhibitors according to buyers’ sourcing demands and arrange online and offline meetings to facilitate business cooperation.