As part of its celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) held a business seminar followed by a networking reception and a gala dinner at the Kunstmuseum in The Hague on 21 June 2022. The event was held in cooperation with InvestHK and the Netherlands Hong Kong Business Association.
Seminar "Business Opportunities in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area: a Key Creative Industries Hub"
After welcoming remarks by Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union, Mr Eddie Cheung, and Chairman of the Netherlands Hong Kong Business Association,** Mr Hans Poulis**, speakers during a session on business opportunities in the Greater Bay Area were Chairman of the Netherlands Hong Kong Business Association and CEO of IGC International, Mr Hans Poulis; Representative of the Shenzhen European Office, Ms Xi Mao; and founder and Managing Director of Daniel Dalen Design Limited, Mr Daniël van Dalen. The session was moderated by Head, Investment Promotion of InvestHK at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels, Ms Paula Kant.
Speakers at a session on Creative Industries were Owner, Architect at Next Architects, Amsterdam - Beijing, Mr John van de Water; Creative NL and China Connector, Ms Monique Knapen; and Founder of Orange Creatives, Ask4M Group Rotterdam - Guangzhou, Ms Boukje Koch. The Moderator was Mr Michael Pronk.
The Consul-General of the Netherlands in Hong Kong, Mr Arjen van den Berg, sent a video message.
25th Anniversary Gala Dinner
The gala event featured an exhibition about the West Kowloon Cultural District, with its new M+ and Hong Kong Palace Museums, highlighting Hong Kong's role as an international centre for East-meets-West cultural exchanges.
Through an exhibition on the West Kowloon Cultural District, M+ museum and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, guests were given an insight into Hong Kong's vibrant art and cultural scene.
HKETO, Brussels invited Michelin-starred chef Adeline Grattard to present a fusion of Hong Kong-style food and French cuisine to allow guests to have a tasty East-meets-West experience. About 200 guests attended the event. They were also served the unique Hong Kong-style milk tea.
The event was one of three hosted by HKETO, Brussels in prestigious museums in Europe to promote Hong Kong as an international platform for art and cultural exchanges. The HKETO, Brussels looks forward to forging deeper cultural collaborations and exchanges between Hong Kong and Europe.