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Olgierd Dziekonski, Secretary of State for Economy in the Chancellery of the Polish President (second from left); Benjamin Chau, Deputy Executive Director of HKTDC (third from left); and Zhu Zenan, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province (DOFTEC) (second from right) help officiate at the opening ceremony of this year's Lifestyle Expo in Warsaw
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Warsaw hosted the largest Hong Kong-Guangdong lifestyle show staged to date last month. Lifestyle Expo in Warsaw, held 21-23 September at the Warsaw International Expocentre Expo XXI, was organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), in partnership with the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province (DOFTEC).
The expo “opens the door for future cooperation – a great way to build long-term trade relations,” said Olgierd Dziekonski, Secretary of State for Economy in the Chancellery of the Polish President.
Featuring products from more than 240 Hong Kong and Guangdong companies, the third edition of the Warsaw expo showcased the latest in consumer electronics, gifts and premium items, household products and electrical appliances, and middle-to high-end fashion and accessories.
Building Business Links
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Buyers on the hunt for the latest electronic products at Lifestyle Expo in Warsaw
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More than 3,300 buyers visited the three-day event, representing a nearly 18 per cent increase over last year’s total and reflecting the global economic shift and growing interest in Asia.
“Every year, I make several new business contacts with Hong Kong and Chinese companies, and I’m able to build new business links to import products to Poland,” said Rafal Maciejewski, Mobile Technologies General Director, who has participated every year since the inaugural edition in 2009. “In the future, I would like to begin a cooperation based not only on importing products, but also on exporting our original Polish products to China.”
The show not only attracted buyers from the Polish market, but also those from neighbouring countries, including Lithuania, Ukraine, Hungary, Russia and the Czech Republic. “The Lifestyle Expo in Warsaw is a chance for me to look for electronic products, such as mobile phones and laptops,” said Russia’s Abul Khan, Marketing Manager of Test Ltd. He added that he visited the expo for the “quality and prices” of Hong Kong’s electronic products.
“More than products, Lifestyle Expo connects buyers and suppliers through practical business seminars and business-matching services covering a wide variety of industries,” said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau.
Indeed, some 722 business-matching meetings were arranged for the 400-plus buyers who took part in the on-site service offered at the event.
New Markets
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Trade buyers at this year’s Lifestyle Expo in Warsaw came from Poland and neighbouring countries in Central and Eastern Europe
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The increase in buyer attendance underlines the increased cooperation between Hong Kong and Poland. Trade between the two economies was up 21 per cent, to US$874 million, last year. Trade continued to grow in the first seven months of this year, up 16 per cent, year-on-year.
Likewise, economic and trade ties between Guangdong and Poland have also been growing, according to Zhu Zenan, Deputy Director, DOFTEC. “Total trade between our province and Poland represented 31.8 per cent of the trade between Poland and China in 2010,” he said.
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A Polish model showcases some of the latest consumer products at a product parade at the Lifestyle Expo show
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With no signs of immediate improvement in mature economies, the event, some exhibitors said, was a chance to explore emerging markets in Central and Eastern Europe. “We are already exporting more than 90 per cent of our products to overseas markets, and are now looking for a chance to do business in the Polish market,” said Yolanda Lau, General Manager of leading stainless steel manufacturer Linkfair Hong Kong Ltd.
Promoting Hong Kong Products
First-time exhibitors at the Warsaw expo, such as Hong Kong’s Cattivo Jewelry Co Ltd, reported receiving orders on the expo’s first day. Creative Head and Manager, Thomas Tijon, said buyer interest in the company’s jewellery was strong.
The Lifestyle Expo show is one of the HKTDC’s signature events to promote Hong Kong consumer products and designs in overseas emerging markets. Similar shows have been staged in Budapest, Hungary and Mumbai, India.The next Lifestyle Expo will be staged in Jakarta, Indonesia in March.
Related Link
Lifestyle Expo in Warsaw
