25 July 2017 – The 28th HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair and the inaugural Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo concluded today. Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Hong Kong Book Fair attracted close to one million visitors despite a postponed opening on Sunday due to a typhoon. Apart from an extensive selection of books, the fair offered a wide range of cultural activities, including seminars with renowned writers and Art Gallery exhibitions.
“Enthusiastic readers braved the elements to attend on Sunday,” said
HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau. “When the fair re-opened, many readers wasted no time to come to the fair. We took immediate measures, with advice from the police, to maintain an orderly traffic. We also extended the opening hours of the two fairs on Monday and Tuesday, allowing the public more time to visit the fairs.” Apart from the strong support of local participants, the two fairs also drew visitors from overseas. According to an onsite survey, approximately nine per cent of visitors were from outside Hong Kong.
Anita Wan, Managing Director of Sun Ya Publications (HK) Ltd, an exhibitor at the Book Fair’s Children’s Paradise, said the overall visitor flow during the week-long event was steady. Ms Wan, who is also Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Publishing Professionals Society, believed the Book Fair was an important sales channel for exhibitors. She said while the typhoon might have affected exhibitors’ sales to a certain extent, the organiser responded with prompt measures. She added that extending opening hours on the last two fair days also helped exhibitors recover the business lost during the typhoon.
Cultural events attract more than 300,000 attendees During the fair period, around 290 cultural events were held on-site, including renowned writer seminars, new book release presentations and cultural performances at the Art Gallery. Despite some weather-related cancellations, the organisers rescheduled the affected cultural events as far as possible. A total of around 600 events were held in connection with the Book Fair, including activities that took place under the month-long “Cultural July” citywide campaign, drawing more than 300,000 attendees.
Survey: 40%+ visitors interested in travel-related booksThe HKTDC commissioned an independent market research agency to conduct an on-site survey during the Book Fair. Of more than 800 visitors interviewed, 42 per cent of respondents said they paid more attention to books related to the Theme of the Year, “Travel”. Most respondents were drawn to the Book Fair by new releases (78%), followed by discounted items (50%). The average per capita spending at the Book Fair was found to be HK$812.
On reading habits, 98 per cent of respondents said they had read a printed book in the past month, spending an average of 23 hours reading, similar to last year’s findings. Most of the respondents reported having bought printed books over the past year, spending HK$1,501 on average. The most popular genres were fiction (66%), literature (38%) and travel books (31%). The survey also found that 60 per cent of respondents have read e-books in the past month, spending an average of 22 hours reading, up eight hours over last year.
Promoting book donation and waste recycling This year, the Book Fair once again set up book collection sites on the last day for exhibitors to donate unwanted books. The books will go to non-profit organisations to be distributed to individuals or organisations in need. The measure addresses environmental concerns while enabling more people in need to enjoy reading. Large recycling bins were also placed at the venue while exhibitors were reminded to recycle unwanted books and materials.
Cultural July – The joy of reading continues While the 28th edition of the Book Fair closed today, visitors can still view the recordings of some of the seminars through the Fair website and the HKTDC’s online video channels. In its sixth year, the “Cultural July” citywide campaign continues until the end of this month. Highlight activities include environmental art workshops, children reading sessions, exhibitions and dramas. For details, please visit the “Cultural July” website.
The Inaugural Sports and Leisure Expo well attendedThe inaugural Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo concluded its five-day run successfully. The fair featured about 90 exhibitors from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, Japan and Korea, showcasing a broad selection of sports and leisure products and services from around 130 brands. Some exhibitors reported better-than-expected results. Over 40 on-site events organised by the HKTDC and activities organised by exhibitors were well received by visitors, creating a good atmosphere at the fairground.
Fair WebsiteCultural July WebsiteHong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo WebsiteBook Fair Videos Playlist:
YouTubeYouku28th Hong Kong Book Fair videoFirst Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo video
The 28th Hong Kong Book Fair drew to a close today. The week-long event attracted close to one million visitors
HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam toured the Hong Kong Book Fair on 20 July (the second day). She visited the Art Gallery exhibitions and attended the event M21 TV Programme, organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. The Chief Executive also attended the award presentation ceremony of the Hong Kong Publishing Biennial Awards
Ivy Chu, General Manager and Director of exhibitor Wan Li Book Co Ltd, said sales of the company’s travel and health-related books at the Book Fair grew about five per cent on 2016, while visitor traffic was better than last year
A total of around 290 cultural activities took place during the week-long Book Fair, including eight Seminar Series. The Renowned Writers Seminar Series featured the famous local author Leung Man-tao, who spoke on “The Cultural Identity and Allegiance of a Writer – My Identity Report”
With the support of the British Council, three British authors were invited to talk about their works at the Book Fair, including renowned travel writer Sara Wheeler
Three thematic exhibitions were set up at the Book Fair’s Art Gallery, including the “Around the World Through Words” exhibition, which echoed the Theme of the Year, “Travel”. Visitor Ms Chan said the comprehensive introduction of travel writers enriched her knowledge of travel literature
Book Fair visitor Mr Shek (right) bought a number of children books for his daughter at Children’s Paradise. He said that the zone offered a diverse selection of books, including many knowledge-based books suitable for children. He also bought several philosophy books for himself
Book Fair visitors from the Chinese mainland, Ms Wang (left) and Ms Mo (right) were impressed by the vast variety of books and cultural events on offer. They plan to visit again next year
The inaugural Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo featured about 90 exhibitors, offering visitors the chance to check out new interests apart from books
Over 40 on-site events were organised and well received by visitors during the Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo, providing a new shopping and leisure experience and a fun summer activity for all ages. Celebrities Det Dik and Elanne Kong officiated at a product launch by energy drink brand CELSIUS on the Expo’s first day (21 July)
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups organised various sports activities at its booth at the Sports and Leisure Expo, attracting crowds of children and young people. Sports Manager Terrence Zee said the Expo provided a good activity for families and the visitor flow was better than expected. The company also received many enquiries about its programmes and Mr Zee was satisfied with the results
Football concept store Futbol Trend Marketing Manager Michael Yu appreciated the opportunity to promote local football culture at the expo. He said that many participants took part in the company’s activities when the expo re-opened after the typhoon. The company’s soccer jerseys also saw good sales
At the Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo, exhibitor Just Climb set up a 3.9-metre bouldering wall for visitors to try their hand at the sport. Project Officer Tim Lam said the company had effectively promoted bouldering as well as its facilities, as the wall was a popular attraction at the expo, drawing a higher-than-expected number of visitors
Mr Chow (right) brought his daughter to try bouldering at the Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo, where he said she enjoyed the activity and learnt the basics of the sport
A Weekend Author’s Corner was set up at the Book Fair to allow writers to meet the public. One of the participating writers, Dr Wong Kam Shing (left), said the Weekend Author’s Corner serves as a good platform for writers to interact with the readers
Book collection sites were set up on the last day of the Book Fair for exhibitors to donate unwanted books. Items collected will go to non-profit organisations, such as Christian Action and Chu Kong Plan, to be redistributed to individuals or organisations in need
