Letters | Without targeted coronavirus relief, Hong Kong’s events industry faces an existential threat

The government ought to support this economy-boosting sector like other places are doing, such as Scotland’s £10 million boost for events

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Banners for the 2020 Hong Kong Book Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai were already up on July 13 when the event was postponed due to a spike in locally transmitted coronavirus cases. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 7:25am, 21 Aug 2020Updated: 7:25am, 21 Aug 2020

Forget about the Covid-19 event courtesies – elbow knocking, foot-shakes or a no-touch fist “bump”. A new surge of cases in Hong Kong has put the events industry into deep freeze, with many events cancelled and unlikely to be rescheduled.

Cancellations have undoubtedly had a substantial impact on the industry. According to a February study by legislator Ma Fung-kwok, 94.9 per cent of surveyed professionals have had to cancel or postpone their events. Many events professionals have been affected, desperately making ends meet by taking on temporary work or by substituting live events with virtual events. This challenges the very existence of the events industry.

Since the Covid-19 outbreak, the Hong Kong government has issued various relief packages. Yet, these policies have mostly left out the events industry and its small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, and are thus fundamentally unjust and inadequate.

Government data shows that more than 98 per cent of Hong Kong’s business units are SMEs. About 10 per cent of start-ups are professional and consultancy services such as my company. Given that the exhibition industry contributed HK$52.9 billion (US$6.8 billion) to Hong Kong’s economy in 2016, it is disheartening that government relief policies have left this economy-boosting sector out.

Businesses involved in the running of events account for 40 per cent of employment in the exhibitions industry – this data further underpins the damage caused by Covid-19 and the injustice of inadequate labour protection through relief policies.

In comparison, governments of cities providing rich event experiences have provided dignified support to their own sectors – for example, the Scottish government has announced a £10 million (US$12 million) recovery fund to support its robust events scene, the most famous being the Edinburgh summer festivals.