The 10th edition of Eco Expo Asia concluded with great success on 31 October 2015 at the AsiaWorld-Expo. The fair, which ran from 28 – 31 October, was organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, and received full support from the Environment Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the co-organiser. This year, the event welcomed a record-breaking 320 exhibitors as well as 12,385 trade visitors, a 14% increase from last year. The pool of visitors represented 97 countries and regions including the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, India, the US, Japan, Malaysia and Iran, reinforcing Eco Expo Asia’s position as the preeminent trade platform for green businesses in Asia.
The show continues to receive support from governments and related organisations in Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and across Asia. Mr CY Leung, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, officiated at the opening ceremony. He said: “Since its launch, Eco Expo Asia has served as a premier showcase for the latest environmental products and services from Hong Kong, the Mainland of China, throughout Asia and around the world. More than 30 delegations of the Mainland of China are present here, underlining the value they see in Eco Expo Asia.”
Opening with the new theme “Embracing a Green and Sustainable Future” this year, the 2015 edition hosted new pavilions from the State of Illinois and Taiwan, alongside those returning from the Chinese mainland, the EU, Hong Kong, Japan and Switzerland as well as a participation from the Netherlands. Together with other leading companies and brands that also attended, buyers were offered an extensive selection of in-demand products that matched the latest environmental initiatives in Asia.
Strong exhibitor and delegation line-up fulfilled demands for waste management, energy efficiency and green building solutions
Sustainable development continues to draw a high-level of international attention. The fair has attracted top industry players and 55 delegations from various sectors. These experts from the waste management and recycling, energy efficiency, green building as well as the air and water quality sectors offered their distinctive green solutions at the fair.
First-time exhibitor Molok Oy from Finland of the EU Pavilion provides clean and economical solutions for efficient and environmentally friendly waste collection. Ms Saritta Duhamel, Controller of Global Activities for the company, said: “We chose Eco Expo Asia as our first stop in entering the East Asia market. We have met potential customers from the Chinese mainland, Indonesia, India, Malaysia and South Korea, which was a successful turnout for our company. China’s eco market is booming and I am optimistic about the industry prospects as well as the future of our business in Asia.”
With more countries pushing ahead with clean energy policies, a Hong Kong company, Robin Energy Ltd, presented their WindArc – a self-sustaining vertical wind turbine street light system that is equipped with a magnetic resistant-free generator. Mr Victor Cheung, Executive Director of the company, commented: “Eco Expo Asia has a concentrated buyer base and is the most relevant to our business compared to other similar shows in Macau and India. We met about 30 potential distributors from countries such as Europe, North America and Singapore on just the first day, which is a very satisfactory number.”
In-demand thematic zones and conference topics enhanced visitors’ sourcing experience
To help visitors more efficiently locate target product categories, seven thematic zones were featured at the 2015 show, which included: Air & Water Quality, Eco-Friendly Product, Green Building & Energy Efficiency, Green Transportation, and Waste Management & Recycling.
Mr Phurich Wisitworaporn, Managing Director of Allwin Project Co Ltd from Thailand, is a contractor for the Bangkok government in search of water treatment solutions. He mentioned: “I am here especially to source solutions related to sewage treatment and river remediation that can possibly be introduced to the city. I am happy with the quality of the products and have found sustainable green water treatment equipment, odour removal technologies and air purification solutions that I believe may benefit us.”
Another buyer, Ms Christy Lam, Procurement Manager at Cathay Pacific Services Ltd from Hong Kong, said: “I saw a number of leading suppliers here providing solutions for general rubbish, plastics and waste electronics which we may consider introducing into our cargo terminal. I will also recommend the temperature-regulating eco fans and wall coatings that I found here to our engineers.”
Moreover, a comprehensive programme of concurrent events helped participants capture new opportunities in Asia’s thriving eco market. More than 20 events consisting of the Eco Asia Conference, Business Matching Programme, country-focused seminars and Public Day workshops were held.
Mr Huang Jinhai, COO of the e-commerce platform for building materials XunCaiWangCai.com, was a buyer at the Business Matching Programme. He stated: “By participating in this programme, I was able to discuss matters related to domestic sales, after-sales services and distributorship directly with suppliers in a quiet environment and in a timely and efficient manner.”
The Eco Asia Conference is a reputable information exchange platform that has received critical acclaim within the industry over the years. This year, it brought together 38 guest speakers from eight countries and regions and attracted over 790 attendees.
The next edition in 2016 will again take place at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong from 26 – 29 October 2016. For more information, please email ecoexpo@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com or exhibitions@hktdc.org, or visit www.ecoexpoasia.com.
