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Hong Kong protests deal massive blow to trade exhibitions as visitor numbers slump 20 per cent
- Total attendance for the seven shows organised by the HKTDC in the last month and a half fell to 156,000 from 195,000 last year
- The escalating social unrest this week has seen companies cancel a slew of conferences and events
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Trade exhibitions in Hong Kong have taken a hit in the last month and a half, with buyer attendance slumping by 20 per cent, as visitors give the city a miss amid some of the worst unrest since protests started in June.
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Total attendance for the seven shows organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) in October and the first two weeks of November fell to 156,000 from 195,000 last year for the same group of exhibitions. The number of exhibitors however remained roughly the same at 9,600 versus 9,700 last year.
The HKTDC organises 42 trade shows and conferences a year.
These seven fairs, which included the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair and Eco Expo Asia, attracted nearly 95,000 buyers from mainland China and overseas compared to 123,000 a year earlier.
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Exhibitors at the most recent show, the Eco Expo Asia, reported a drop in attendance, with mainland Chinese visitors especially absent.
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