The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) promoted Hong Kong at three events in Italy from April 1 to 4 (Italy time). The events were the Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF) from April 1 to 4, a briefing for students at Bocconi University in Milan on April 2 and the business seminar "Hong Kong: the engine driving the Asian economy" in Vicenza on April 3.
On April 1, the Deputy Representative of HKETO, Brussels, Miss Fiona Chau, officiated at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Pavilion at the BCBF held in Bologna. As the world's leading professional fair for children's books, the BCBF is an ideal platform to promote Hong Kong's publishing and printing industry by showcasing its achievements and creativity to the world.
With the support of HKETO, Brussels and Create Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Publishing Federation and the Hong Kong Printers Association jointly set up the Hong Kong Pavilion with "Soaring Creativity" as the theme at the BCBF. In addition to showcasing Hong Kong's excellent books, printing techniques and electronic books, the Hong Kong Pavilion also aims to help Hong Kong publishers and printers develop new markets and facilitate exchanges with their counterparts worldwide. At the opening of the Hong Kong Pavilion, guests also enjoyed a popular Hong Kong food, Hong Kong-style waffles.
The following day, Miss Chau gave a presentation to a group of 30 students at Bocconi University in Milan. The students, who will be visiting Hong Kong for in-company training from April 15 to 18, were particularly keen to hear more about Hong Kong and its career opportunities. During their visit to Hong Kong, the students will be divided into two separate groups, with one visiting companies in the fashion and retail industry and the other focusing on financial companies and institutions.
On April 3, Miss Chau spoke in Vicenza at the business seminar "Hong Kong: the engine driving the Asian economy", which was co-organised by HKETO, Brussels as well as Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, together with two local partners, namely Nuovo Centro Estero Veneto and Made in Vicenza. Representatives of Italian companies spoke on their success stories of doing business in Hong Kong and the business seminar was followed by a networking lunch.
Miss Chau outlined Hong Kong's unique advantages under "one country, two systems" and its fundamental strengths as a centre for finance, trade and logistics. She pointed out that Hong Kong enterprises and professionals can offer business networks and world-class services to help Italian enterprises to explore the vast opportunities provided by the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development. With innovation and technology a major priority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, innovative Italian companies can also find opportunities in Hong Kong, and the city's fertile start-up environment can help Italian entrepreneurs turn great ideas into reality.
This was the third business seminar in Italy that HKETO, Brussels has taken part in this year, after seminars it co-hosted in Milan on January 17 and Pulsano on February 1.