By Mabel Hung
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (“HKCEC”) welcomed the Hong Kong International Dental Expo and Symposium (“HKIDEAS”) from January 22-24, the first exhibition in 2021. With average daily attendance of over 3,000 dental professionals, the three-day event is the first trade exhibition in Hong Kong since the fourth wave of COVID-19 hit the city in late November 2020. Stringent preventive measures were implemented by the organiser and the venue. The success of the event reinforces the irreplaceable value of physical events.
HKIDEAS is an annual recurrent event at the HKCEC and the August 2020 version was postponed due to the 
pandemic. Exhibitors, visitors, and delegates were thrilled to get together physically after the long wait. Ms Kanas Ng, Associate Sales Director of iTero, Hong Kong & Taiwan, one of the exhibitors, said, “We are eager to participate in HKIDEAS and promote our products at one of the biggest events in the dental industry. With all the comprehensive preventive measures implemented by the event organiser and venue, we feel safe and sound.”
Dr. Century Tsang, President of Hong Kong Dental Association cum Honorary Chairman of Organising Committee of HKIDEAS, was happy with the outcome and attendance. “Thanks to the support from Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (“HML”), we are excited to host the physical expo and symposium successfully at the HKCEC to allow face-to-face interactions and exchange of ideas among our members,” he said.
Ms. Monica Lee-Müller, Managing Director of HML, confident with the long-term positive growth of the industry, pledges to stride ‘Onwards and Upwards’ in the New Year. “The well-attended exhibition is a great kick-start of 2021. It clearly demonstrated strong demand for physical events and assured us that physical events cannot and will never be replaced. We are committed to work closely with organisers to implement stringent preventive and social distancing measures to enable events to be held safely. We will also continue our investment in facility renovation and the construction of 5G network. We are fully geared up to welcome events and visitors back to the HKCEC once they are ready,” she said.
HKIDEAS featured 23 parallel sessions and four workshops, which incorporated live video conferencing. It was well attended by industry professionals from Hong Kong, China, UK, USA, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Lebanon, sharing the latest clinical insights and international intelligence.
PHOTO: The three-day HKIDEAS provided an opportunity for thousands of dental professionals to exchange industry intelligence and insights face-to-face.
Mabel Hung is Director – Communications & Sustainability, for the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
