RC Slope Soaring in Hong Kong

Top Asian airshow in SAR debut next year
Leslie Kwoh

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Asia's largest aerospace show is heading to Hong Kong, marking the end of the event's 26-year stint in Singapore and signaling the aviation industry's growing appetite for mainland business.

Asian Aerospace, a biennial event that also features trade conferences and which attracted more than 23,000 visitors the last time it was held, will take off in September next year at the newly completed AsiaWorld-Expo adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport, event organizer Reed Exhibitions confirmed Monday.

The exhibition - the world's third largest after airshows in France and the United States - will help highlight the infrastructure at Hong Kong International Airport at a time when it is fending off stiff competition from new regional counterparts.

According to Martin J Craigs, president of Aerospace Forum Asia, Reed Exhibitions has been in talks with the Hong Kong government for a long time about moving the show here.

He said the reason the show is moving to the SAR is, in part, because the aviation industry has turned its focus to the mainland recently and hopes to use Hong Kong to get more orders from mainland airlines.

Deals worth a record US$3.52 billion (HK$27.46 billion) were signed at the last show in 2004.

"This demonstrates that Hong Kong is attractive as a destination for trade shows and fairs," said a Tourism Commission spokeswoman.

"The show will definitely bring in more visitors and benefits to Hong Kong."

Singapore, which will host the event for the last time later this month, dropped out of the deal after failing to reach an agreement with Reed Exhibitions on developing a new venue for the event, according to a Bloomberg report.

The Singapore site used for the show is undergoing redevelopment as the city expands its airport.

In 2004, Asian Aerospace brought in 758 exhibitors from 33 countries and more than 23,000 visitors to Singapore, according to the exhibition's official Web site.

A spokeswoman for Reed Exhibitions declined Monday to reveal details about next year's show until an official announcement is made tomorrow.

But if the last show is any guide, it will be a vast and multifaceted affair.

Conferences over the six-day event addressed a variety of aviation and defense-related topics such as aviation security, prospects for the air freight industry and the future of unmanned aerial vehicles.

The more than 25 aircraft featured in the show included jets for civilian use as well as the F-15E Strike Eagle, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the B-1B Lancer.

A study commissioned by the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Industry Association released last week revealed that in 2004 the exhibition industry provided 47,000 full-time jobs and contributed HK$19 billion to the economy - 1.5 percent of gross domestic product.

In contrast, well-developed exhibition industries in Germany and the UK accounted for less than 1 percent of GDP, the study said.

"From this, it's not difficult to see that the exhibition industry is contributing a great deal to keeping Hong Kong's economy moving forward," association chairman Stanley Chu said.

He added that recent initiatives such as the construction of the HK$2.4 billion AsiaWorld-Expo are "creating a real momentum" for Hong Kong.

In the meantime, Singapore has announced it will stage Changi International Airshow, a government- funded event, in 2008.

Boeing, the world's No 2 commercial aircraft maker, and US defense contractors Lockheed Martin Corp and Northrop Grumman Corp have already signed up as exhibitors for the Singapore event, according to Bloomberg.

咁即係幾時係香港搞呢 ﹖

我都好大鄉里下﹐連珠海 airshow 都未睇過。