Hong Kong convention centre to host more medical, tech, finance, education events

Hong Kong’s flagship exhibition venue is ramping up its line-up of medical, technology, finance and education events this year, including hosting the LEAP East technology show that will be held outside the Middle East for the first time this summer. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre said events linked to the four sectors would account for 43 per cent of activities held at the venue in 2026, with the number rising by about 10 per cent year on year. Monica Lee-Muller, the venue’s managing director, said on Tuesday the centre was aligning its business strategy with Hong Kong’s push to strengthen its status as a global hub for innovation, finance and talent exchange. “Medical, innovation and technology, finance and education have become some of the most prominent keywords in global economic development,” she said, adding that the centre aimed to stay “ahead of the curve” by attracting events tied to emerging sectors. Several major international medical conferences were scheduled to take place at the venue this year, she said. These include the World Cancer Congress 2026 in September and the 15th China Chest Pain Centre Congress in April, which is expected to attract more than 3,000 healthcare leaders and doctors from mainland China, countries in the Belt and Road Initiative and beyond. The initiative is China’s plan to grow global trade. Earlier this year, the 41st Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress, held alongside the 37th Hong Kong Ophthalmological Symposium, drew more than 10,000 specialists and featured over 300 lectures. Beyond healthcare, the global cryptocurrency and Web3 conference Consensus Hong Kong, held last month, attracted more than 11,000 professionals from 122 countries and regions, while generating over HK$300 million (US$38.4 million) in economic benefits for the city, she said. Hong Kong will also host LEAP East in July, marking the first time the major technology exhibition, originally launched in Saudi Arabia, is held outside the Middle East. The event will occupy more than 35,000 square metres of space, close to 80 per cent of the centre’s phase two exhibition halls, and is expected to attract about 20,000 participants. Lee-Muller said attracting large-scale international events could help drive high-spending business visitors to the city and generate spillover benefits for hotels, restaurants, retail and other sectors. “If we can secure even one more international event for Hong Kong, it will bring more business travellers and benefit many industries across the city,” she said. The latest budget unveiled by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po last month had earmarked HK$100 million to “attract large international exhibitions with new elements to Hong Kong”.