On Saturday, 23rd May, Hong Kong hosted its first exhibition since the COVID-19 outbreak shutdown the events industry in early February. The Hong Kong Wedding Fair was organized by Hongkong-Asia Exhibition Limited (HAE). This was a purely consumer exhibition with local exhibitors and visitors. The three-day event ran from 22nd to 24th May and it was held in Hall 1 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

Mark Cochrane, UFI’s Region Manager in Asia Pacific was onsite at the exhibition and commented: “Hong Kong has not recorded a large number of imported or ‘community transmission’ infections since early April. So both the exhibitors and visitors appeared to be happy and relaxed. This event was an important first step in restarting Hong Kong’s exhibition industry.”

The organiser, HAE put in place a number of extra precautions including:

  • All visitors were required to complete a Health Declaration Form.
  • All visitors/exhibitors were required to wear a mask or entry to the hall would be denied.
  • Temperature checks were conducted at the hall entrance. Any person with a temperature over 37°C was denied entry.
  • Any person under quarantine or wearing electronic wristband (issued by the Hong Kong government to returning residents) was denied entry.
  • No children under 13 were permitted to enter the hall.
  • Social distancing of 1.5m in the registration area and at lucky draw counter was put in place.
  • An “Intelligent Disinfection Robot” regularly disinfected the hall.
  • Hand sanitizer stations were available both inside and outside the hall.
  • First aid service was available onsite for any visitor or exhibitor who was feeling unwell.

According to HAE, HKCEC offered the following hygiene measures:

  • HKCEC cleaned the facilities including tables and chairs twice each day.
  • A foot mat at the main entrance of HKCEC was cleaned and diluted bleach was added every two hours.
  • Escalator handrails, door handles and lift buttons were cleaned every hour.
  • During the hours of operation, there was a janitor on-duty to clean and sterilize the toilets regularly.
  • HKCEC and onsite restaurants rejected anyone under quarantine or wearing a government-issued electronic wristband. Security guards were to immediately report any violations to the police.
  • At the exits of HKCEC, covered rubbish bins were provided for the disposal of masks.

According to HAE, exhibitors were required to follow these guidelines:

 Exhibitors were required to have all staff on-duty complete the “Health Declaration Form” and submit it to the organiser’s office before the opening of the show each day.

  • All staff were required to wear a mask at all times.
  • There was a limit of four people allowed to gather at the information desk area of each booth.
  • There was a limit of eight staff and visitors allowed to gather in any booth and they had to maintain an appropriate social distance.
  • All booths had to offer hand sanitiser and disinfectant spray.
  • If the booth was not arranged in the “information desk” format, there had to be some form of partition that could serve as effective buffer between staff and visitors.
  • Each pair of visitor seats in the booth had to be positioned 1.5 meters from other pairs of seats.
  • The tables and chairs in the booths had to be cleaned with alcohol spray after each consultation or every two hours.
  • If all information desks were occupied, exhibitors must schedule appointment. No waiting or gathering of visitors was permitted.
  • No eating was allowed in the hall. Exhibitors had to arrange to have their staff meals outside of the exhibition hall.

Source: HongKong-Asia Exhibition press release