This week Lord Marland is leading the largest ever trade mission of over 50 UK businesses to visit Hong Kong, representing the best of Britain in luxury, fashion, design and craftsmanship. The Week comprises over 30 events, from fashion shows to award ceremonies, an IP workshop to a James Bond show-case including a classic Aston DB5. In reality its a stretched week which has already started with Vivien Westwood's Halloween Show, Thomas Pink and Jack Wills holding events and Burberry opening it's Asia Flagship store this week.
The Great Week will provide opportunities for UK companies to build stronger business ties with Hong Kong and mainland China. The luxury sector in Hong Kong offers huge potential to UK exporters. In absolute terms the market here is projected to grow 475% (over the ten years from 2010), compared to a worldwide average of 130%. The Global Shopper Index, published recently by the Economist Intelligence Unit and Global Blue, declares Hong Kong the number one destination in Asia Pacific for shoppers. UK creative design and expertise is in evidence in the buildings that dominate the skyline and in the raft of major projects such as West Kowloon Cultural District and Kai Tak Multi Purpose Stadium Complex that are underway or planned, and UK has world class expertise to bring to these projects..
Our key partners for GREAT week include the British Fashion Council, London Design Festival and Walpole. The UK presence will be bolstered by Sir John Sorrell, Anya Hindmarch, Roksanda Ilincic, Jonathan Saunders , Harold Tillman and Thomas Heatherwick. I am looking forward to meeting Thomas if only to say how much I enjoyed the amazing Olympic cauldron - it really was a GREAT Olympics and British Summer..
UK brands are already strong players here in Hong Kong, with heritage or quintessentially British brands (Burberry, Dunhill, Vivien Westwood, Mulberry, Rolls Royce and Jaguar) the most popular. We aim to build on their success to give others a foothold in Hong Kong which remains one of the easiest places in the world to do business, an open door to the rest of China and Asia. This week will provide a fantastic platform from which to do so.
For more information about the week's events please visit http://www.greatweek.hk/ or get in touch by emailing greatweek@WeberShandwick.com.