ITE MICE, a newly launched exhibition for business travels and MICE market to be held concurrently with ITE Hong Kong, targets to attract 2000 corporate buyers and thousands of travel agents from the region.

Helped by a booming market, the success of the last ITE, and a wide appreciation of the synergy between ITE MICE and ITE, both exhibitions are receiving excellent responses from the international travel industry.

Over 800 corporate buyers attended ITE2005 with majority from major corporations, 5% of them from overseas and 23% from China. However, over 98% of the establishments in Hong Kong are SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises) and they together employ nearly 1.4 million staffs locally. In Hong Kong, a manufacturing company with 100 local staffs or less, and any other type of company with 50 local staff or less are classified as SME.

Hong Kong has around 15000 SME in manufacturing and many have their factories in China that employ from hundreds to thousands of workers. These export-oriented companies are no midgets by turnovers. Also, there are over 95000 SME in Hong Kong engaging in trading, and 51000 in various business services.

Top twenty percentile is equivalent to over 32000 companies, and they together constitute a significant market for business travels.

Southern China especially the Pearl River Delta is China¡¦s manufacturing and export base. Globalization will mean more of these Chinese companies traveling abroad for business. A good indication is the rapid rise of the number of exhibitors and visitors from Mainland China to exhibitions in Hong Kong, which rose respectively by over 50% and 90% in last year.

In Asia, there is a stream of new convention centers and other facilities in the pipeline. In fact, there are hundreds of event management companies in Hong Kong. Thus, reflecting the huge demands of the MICE market.

For synergy, ITE and ITE MICE will share all trade and corporate visitors during the first two professional days. Of the 9500 trade visitors attending ITE2005, nearly 60% were from travel agents. Geographically, 20% of these trade visitors were from abroad, and another 18% from Mainland China.

Majority of travel agents in the region engage in both leisure and business travels. However, an independent ITE MICE will likely draw in more agents who focus on business and up market leisure travels.

The third day of ITE MICE will also feature some Up Market Leisure travel seminars as the senior executives can then visit ITE MICE during Saturday with their families, attending seminars on business and / or deluxe leisure travels and talking to exhibitors. During this day, visitors of ITE MICE and ITE will not be shared though visitors of ITE MICE will be given full access to ITE.

"More professional bodies will be approached to help in inviting their members to attend the Up Market Travel Seminars and to visit our Travel Expos. This has already been tried out successfully in the last ITE, with one such seminar attended by over 90 medical doctors.

However, there is still a logistic issue on how tickets can be distributed efficiently to those of their members who are interested. Currently, we are experimenting with a new IT technology using SMS message that looks most promising", said KS Tong.

ITE MICE will be held from June 15 to 17, 2006 at Hall 2B, and ITE, will celebrate its 20th Anniversary next year, held from June 15 to 18, 2006 at Halls 1A, B and C of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The total scale will then grow to 4 halls, thus doubling that in 2004. For further details, please visit our official website at www.itehkmice.hk or contact TKS, the organizer, by email at travel@tkshk.com, by fax at (852) 3520 1500 or by phone at (852) 3155 0600.