The Hong Kong Cruise & Yacht Industry Association and Verventia Pte Ltd, organiser of Singapore and Thailand Yacht Shows (SYS and TYS), have confirmed the launch of a new jointly-organised Hong Kong Yacht Show at the International Cruise and Yachting Festival (Hong Kong) 2020, which will take place at Kwun Tong Typhoon Shelter adjacent to the Kai Tak Runway Park Promenade from November 19-22, and annually thereafter.
An MOU committing to the partnership was signed at a press conference held during SYS 2019 last April, when Ms Kara Yeung, Chief Executive of HKCYIA, and Andy Treadwell, Verventia CEO, outlined the rationale behind the launch of the show in 2020.
The organisers’ objective is to promote and develop the yachting industry in Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Greater Bay Area). By common consent, this will bring prosperity and positive economic impact to local businesses and the supply chain throughout the China market, as well as positive international PR, inward investment, maritime education and protection of the oceans to support the Hong Kong yacht industry, together with the creation of employment.
“Hong Kong has by far one of the biggest potential markets in Asia,” said Ms. Yeung. “We are delighted to bring the Verventia organising team into this joint venture, as planned last year, because they are experienced Yacht Show organisers who have made a remarkable success of the Singapore show over the last seven years. We look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration which will boost the local and global yachting industries, as well as bringing new business, jobs and prosperity to local service, supply and hospitality industries.”
“What Kara has achieved in the last couple of years to get this project off the ground is fantastic,” added Treadwell. “Neither we nor our fellow industry practitioners could have done this without the HKCYIA. We can, however, bring in international players, and we know how to promote the show to potential buyers, so in that sense it’s a perfect partnership that we hope to develop steadily over the next few years.”
The Yacht Show and the festival will officially be launched at a special event for the Hong Kong Yacht Industry at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, provisionally to be held on April 23 - details will be announced shortly.
