Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Industry	Convention and exhibition centre
Founded	1988
Headquarters	Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong
Area served	Hong Kong, International
Key people	Monica Lee-Müller (Managing Director)
Number of employees	850
Parent	NWS Holdings (wholly owned subsidiary: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited)
Website	www.hkcec.com

The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) stands as one of the two principal venues for conventions and exhibitions in Hong Kong, alongside AsiaWorld–Expo. Located in Wan Chai North on Hong Kong Island, it boasts a strategic position along the shores of Victoria Harbour. The centre is conveniently linked via covered walkways to adjacent hotels and commercial buildings, facilitating easy access for corporate events.

The architectural design was a collaboration between Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP and Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd., with Design Partner Larry Oltmanns leading the initiative.

Construction

Constructed in 1988 on reclaimed land near Gloucester Road, the original structure featured what was then the largest glass curtain wall globally, offering panoramic views of Victoria Harbour on three sides.

Between 1994 and 1997, the centre underwent its second phase of development on an artificial island, distinguished by a roof shaped like a bird. This phase took 48 months from land reclamation to completion and was executed by a joint venture between Hip Hing Construction Co Ltd and Dragages et Travaux Publics. Originally, Phase Two was connected to Phase One through an atrium link and linked to Convention Road by two road bridges; these connections have since been replaced by an enlarged exhibition hall.

The entire complex was financed by New World Development and incorporates the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, and Harbour View Apartments situated above the centre.

A further expansion from 2006 to 2009 involved an investment of HK$1.4 billion, adding 19,400 square metres to the facility. This extension increased the total exhibition area to nearly 83,000 square metres and raised the total leasable function space beyond 92,000 square metres.

Management

Daily operations are managed by Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of NWS Holdings (新創建集團有限公司), under contract with the HKTDC. The management team comprises approximately 850 employees responsible for administration, marketing, event bookings, coordination, maintenance, security, as well as food and beverage services including banquet and restaurant management. Monica Lee-Müller holds the position of managing director.

Convention facilities and statistics

Five exhibition halls
Two convention halls with seating capacity for 6,100
Two theatres accommodating up to 1,000 attendees
Fifty-two meeting rooms
Pre-function spaces
Seven restaurants with seating for 1,870 guests
Business centre
Parking facilities for 1,300 cars and 60 vans
Total rentable area
Daily visitor capacity of up to 140,000

The venue is equipped with video- and teleconferencing capabilities, satellite connectivity, simultaneous interpretation services in eight languages, audio-visual systems, foyer registration zones, and event signage.

Functions held at the site

Annually, the HKCEC hosts over 45 international trade fairs drawing buyers from more than 100 countries. These include globally significant events such as the largest leather fair and watch and clock fair worldwide. The centre also accommodates some of Asia’s biggest fairs in giftware, toys, fashion accessories, jewellery, electronics, and optical products. Additionally, it hosts CineAsia’s annual film expo where major Hollywood studios present upcoming titles to Asian theatrical distributors.

Significant historical events at the venue include the 1997 ceremony marking Hong Kong’s handover and the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2005 — notable for uniting both the conference and NGO Centre within a single location.

Since 2013, a prominent countdown clock displayed on the HKCEC facade has become part of New Year's Eve festivities featuring fireworks and light displays.

In May 2023, after initially granting approval, the HKCEC withdrew permission for a pro-democracy concert by singer Anthony Wong.

Access

Positioned along the northern coastline of Hong Kong Island, the HKCEC is easily reached by taking the Star Ferry from Wan Chai Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui Pier, located close to the Cultural Centre. Directly beneath the venue lies the Exhibition Centre station, which serves the cross-harbour East Rail line and the planned North Island line. Additionally, Wan Chai station on the Island line is a short walk away, accessible via a pedestrian bridge spanning O'Brien Road.

The centre is also well-connected through numerous franchised bus routes operated by Citybus, as well as joint cross-harbour services provided in partnership with Kowloon Motor Bus.

In popular culture

The building gained notable exposure in the movie Transformers: Age of Extinction, where it is depicted being attacked and destroyed by a Decepticon ship from above.

External links