(i) Trade exhibitions held in Hong Kong targeting markets outside Hong Kong

  1. Trade exhibitions held in Hong Kong targeting markets outside Hong Kong should mainly target traders outside Hong Kong and locally.  In general, public admission should not be allowed.  However, if public admission is allowed, the total period which is open to the public should not exceed half of the total duration of the activity.  The organiser should also make arrangements to attract traders outside Hong Kong to participate in the exhibition concerned.  In considering the duration which is open for public admission and the total duration of the activity, only the opening hours between 9am and 5pm each day will be taken into account.  The opening arrangement beyond the said duration will not be subject to restriction.

  2. For an exhibition held in Hong Kong which is open to both the public and traders and whereby a “trade zone” (i.e. a dedicated zone for the admission of traders exclusively within the exhibition area) is instituted by the organiser, the applicant enterprise will be considered as participating in a trade exhibition targeting markets outside Hong Kong if its booth is located inside the trade zone.  However, the organiser must seek pre-approval from TID for such arrangement.

  3. TID will consider the following factors in determining the pre-approval of the “trade zone”:

(a) The “trade zone” is segregated from the “public zone” and has a clearly separated entrance and signage indicating that admission to certain zone is restricted to traders only.  Also, effective measures should be put in place by the organiser to ensure that visitors to the “public zone” will not be allowed to enter the “trade zone”.

(b) The opening hours and admission arrangements for the “trade zone” should be publicised to all exhibitors and visitors before and during the exhibition.  The organiser should inform the exhibitors within the “trade zone” of the admission arrangements for the “trade zone” in details before they agree to join the exhibition.

(c) In seeking TID’s pre-approval, the organiser will be required to provide the price schedule for the exhibitors in both the “trade zone” and “public zone” to TID.  After the exhibition is completed, the organiser will be required to provide a list showing all the exhibitors in both zones to TID.  Applicant enterprises with booths in both the “trade zone” and “public zone” have to submit all related invoices and receipts as supporting documents for their applications.

(d) Organiser should seek pre-approval from TID not less than 2 months before commencement of the trade exhibition in question.  No retrospective application will be accepted.

  1. Information on the pre-approved “trade zone” arrangements will be uploaded to this webpage.  TID officials may conduct site visit to the exhibition venue to ensure that the relevant arrangements of the exhibition are duly implemented.

(ii) Trade exhibitions held in Hong Kong targeting the local market

  1. Trade exhibitions held in Hong Kong targeting the local market should be of a large-scale and organised in accordance with a proper theme by Government-related organisations, non-profit distributing trade and industrial organisations or reputable exhibition organisers with good track record, and the participating exhibitors should be commercial enterprises.

  2. In considering whether a local exhibition targeting the local market is of a large-scale, TID will make reference to various factors, including the venue and nature of the exhibition, the nature and the number of participants / visitors of the exhibition, and feedback of the trade on the same or similar exhibition(s) organised before, etc.  In general, trade exhibitions held in Hong Kong targeting the local market should be held in a proper and continuous exhibition area of at least 1,200 square metres.

  3. An organiser may seek preliminary advice from TID on the eligibility of its exhibition targeting the local market for funding support under EMF.  The organiser should provide TID with necessary information of the concerned exhibition in writing (email: emf_enquiry@tid.gov.hk).  TID will, based on the information provided, make a preliminary assessment on the eligibility of the concerned exhibition and provide a written response.  Please click here for details and the necessary information to be provided in seeking preliminary advice.

  4. Information on the exhibitions preliminarily assessed as eligible for EMF will be uploaded to this website.  TID officials may conduct site visit to the exhibition venue to ensure that the relevant arrangements of the exhibition are duly implemented.

(iii) Online trade exhibitions

  1. Online exhibitions should be organised on a proper electronic platform in accordance with a proper theme by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, other Government-related organisations, non-profit distributing trade and industrial organisations or reputable exhibition organisers with good track record, and the participating exhibitors should be commercial enterprises.

  2. Online exhibition may include business matching activities (e.g. arranged through instant messaging functions and online meetings) and online speaking sessions conducted in line with the objective, the theme and the target market(s) of the exhibition, in addition to the display of the own products and/or services of the participating exhibitors.  Market promotion activities conducted on electronic platforms intended primarily for retail or meeting purposes and livestreaming sales activities are not considered as online trade exhibitions.  Participation primarily as a conference/seminar speaker in an online exhibition without a paid online booth of the applicant enterprise is also not eligible.

  3. In considering whether an online exhibition is eligible for funding support under EMF, TID will make reference to various factors including the domain name of the exhibition platform, the nature of the exhibition, the structure and the presentation of the exhibition, the nature and the number of participants/visitors of the exhibition, feedback of the trade on the same or similar trade exhibition(s) organised before in physical or online form, etc.

  4. In considering whether an electronic platform is proper for conducting an online exhibition, TID will make reference to various factors, including how the electronic platform can facilitate the applicant enterprise in promoting its own products and/or services, the domain name of the platform, type of language used, content, function, type of target visitors, number and geographical distribution of visitors/downloads, nature/number/type of similar activities organised on the platform before, feedback of the trade on the same/similar activities organised on the platform before, etc.  The domain name of the platform should generally be owned by the organiser of the exhibition.  The operator of the platform should provide statistics on the visitors/downloads of the relevant platform to substantiate the credibility of the platform.

  5. An organiser may seek preliminary advice from TID on the eligibility of its online exhibition for funding support under EMF.  The organiser should provide TID with necessary information of the concerned exhibition in writing (email: emf_enquiry@tid.gov.hk) .  TID will, based on the information provided, make a preliminary assessment on the eligibility of the concerned exhibition and provide a written response.  Please click here for details and the necessary information to be provided in seeking preliminary advice.

  6. Information on the exhibitions preliminarily assessed as eligible for EMF will be uploaded to this webpage.

 
Last Revision Date : 31 August 2023