Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo

Making its debut in 1938 and organized by the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong (CMA), the Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo (HKBPE) is a renowned exhibition aiming to promote Hong Kong's products, and to foster the development of our industry and external trade. With over 85 years of history, the HKBPE has become a cornerstone event in Hong Kong.

As a retailing exhibition traditionally held outdoors, the HKBPE not only presents a comprehensive picture of Hong Kong's manufacturing industry as a whole, but also gradually encompasses industrial products from Mainland China and overseas countries, reflecting the overall situation of international industrial activities, latest products, technologies, as well as services.

Following the Expo’s well-established tradition, the CMA always line up a wide variety of spectacular programmes and fabulous performances during the exhibition period, making HKBPE a wonderful place for citizens to enjoy a combination of shopping and entertainment. Among the others, the Miss Exhibition Pageant, with a brilliant history of over 70 years, has been commended as a precedent for Hong Kong's beauty contests. Over the decades, the HKBPE has become one of the most important annual events in Hong Kong, deeply-rooted in the hearts of the local community.

Looking back, there was no plain sailing for the HKBPE. The HKBPE was inaugurated in 1930’s. At that time, Hong Kong’s industrial products exports faced great difficulty due to imposition of heavy tariffs by Mainland. The CMA, therefore, decided to explore the Southeast Asia market. The CMA participated in the “1st Chinese Products Exhibition” in Singapore in 1935. Hong Kong's industrial products were increasingly popular since then. Southeast Asia became a major export market for Hong Kong’s industrial products. With the success in exploring foreign markets, it became widely agreed among the industry that Hong Kong should stage its own exhibition to enhance the public's understanding about local industrial products. Together with the YWCA of Hong Kong, an industrial products exhibition was held from February 4 to 8, 1938 at St Paul's College in Central, at which 40 industrial enterprises displayed 200 types of products in a total of 86 booths. This marked the beginning of the HKBPE era.

From 1939 onwards, the Exhibition was solely sponsored by the Association and the 2nd edition was held at Wah Nam Middle School in Kowloon. However, due to the Japanese occupation during the Second World War, the Exhibition was temporarily suspended for seven years as of 1941, until it was resumed in 1948.

In 1957, window display was introduced to the Exhibition for the first time. The 'Consume Hong Kong Products' Campaign advocated in this Expo received enthusiastic response from the community, which remains an interesting anecdote on many elderly people's lips even in today.

The year 1967 marked the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Industrial Products Exhibition, which was named ‘Silver Jubilee Exhibition of Hong Kong Products'. The Exhibition venue was a newly reclaimed site in Hung Hom, with an area of more than 600,000 square feet. The Hong Kong Government also began to participate in the Exhibition.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of a proper venue, the CMA had to give up staging HKBPE since 1974. There were 31 exhibitions organized from 1938 to 1974. The number of exhibitors increased from 40 in the first exhibition to about 2,000 in later ones, and the count of visitors rocketed from 30,000 to about 2 million.

The 32nd HKBPE was staged again in 1994 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the CMA. The 4-day Expo received overwhelming response and recorded 200,000 visitors. Four years later, the 33rd to 37th HKBPE were successfully held from 1998 to 2002 annually at Tamar Site in Central, and the number of visitors per expo was increased to more than million visitors.

Since the 38th edition, the HKBPE has been held at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay and has been widely popular among the citizens. The visitor numbers have consistently reached new highs. However, the 55th HKBPE in 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges, the CMA successfully organized the 55th and 56th editions in 2021 and 2022, achieving impressive attendance and sales figures.

In 2024, the 58th HKBPE, featuring diverse experiences and attractive promotions, recorded over 1.3 million visitors over 24 days, with total sales exceeding HKD 1 billion, reaffirming the event's enduring appeal and influence.

Hong Kong Food Carnival

To promote the development of Hong Kong's food industry and advocate for healthy eating, the CMA first organized the “Hong Kong Food Carnival” (Food Carnival) in 2009. Renamed in 2017, the event has gained widespread popularity and acclaim.

The 8th edition in 2019 was suspended for two years due to social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic, resuming in 2021 at the Kwai Chung Sports Ground.

Today, the Hong Kong Food Carnival has become a highly anticipated annual outdoor event, attracting a diverse audience of food enthusiasts, families, and consumers. The 2024 “11th Hong Kong Food Carnival” featured over 300 booths across five themed zones, including the newly introduced "Chillax Zone", offering a variety of beverages and snacks in a relaxing bar setting. Additionally, the event hosted a series of exciting programs, such as cooking demonstrations, a Halloween-themed party, and free games, creating unforgettable experiences for participants. Over the 9-day carnival, the event attracted approximately 200,000 visitors, achieving outstanding success and earning widespread popularity among the public.

Hong Kong Brands and Products Shopping Festival

In 2021, the CMA launched the Hong Kong Brands and Products Shopping Festival at AsiaWorld-Expo during the summer. The inaugural 3-day event featured over 250 booths and attracted more than 50,000 visitors, with total sales reaching nearly HKD 60 million, driven by the government’s consumption voucher scheme. In 2022, the Festival expanded to 4 days with over 300 booths, drawing close to 60,000 visitors and maintaining total sales of around HKD 60 million.

The 2024 edition introduced new features, including the “Chillax Zone”, offering global delicacies and wines, as well as children's playground, stage performances, and workshops. The 4-day event attracted over 60,000 visitors and achieved total sales of approximately HKD 60 million, providing a unique shopping experience for visitors of all ages.

The Hong Kong International Education and Careers Expo

Since its inception in 2004, the Hong Kong International Education Expo has consistently attracted numerous local and international schools and educational consultants. Over the years, it has evolved into one of the most popular and representative higher education expos in the city, providing students and parents with the best platform to explore local and overseas educational programmes.

In 2019, the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong (CMA) took over the organization of the “25th Hong Kong International Education Expo” and the “26th Hong Kong International Education and Careers Expo”. The events received strong support from various educational organizations, including government departments, public institutions, higher education institutions, secondary school associations, education alliances, principals’ associations, student and youth organizations, and recruitment agencies. Leveraging its extensive industry network, the two expos attracted nearly 20,000 visitors, breaking previous attendance records. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was suspended, but the expo resumed in 2021 with the 27th Hong Kong International Education Expo, which recorded around 8,000 visitors over two days.

To meet the needs of students and job seekers, starting in 2023, the CMA has organized the Hong Kong International Education and Careers Expo annually during the release period of the HKDSE and IBDP examination results. The expo is divided into two main themed zones: the "Education Zone", featuring over 1,000 prestigious institutions and educational consultants from 20 countries and regions, and the "Careers Zone", with participation from more than 50 public and private organizations, including disciplinary forces, offering diverse opportunities for job seekers.

The 2024 expo was a resounding success, attracting over 13,000 visitors, including students, parents, educators, and job seekers. Moreover, the expo featured over 40 specialized seminars, which had captured substantial level of audience, further demonstrating the high recognition of the Expo among visitors and exhibitors.