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Promoting Creative Economy with Hong Kong Brand

One of the annual highlights of Hong Kong's sports scene, the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, was held this morning. The cold weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of the runners; over 70,000 running enthusiasts started in waves, and they were cheered by friends, family members and staff along the way. This morning, I started one of the races of the Marathon and presented prizes to its winners. I was very glad to share the joy of the runners.

This morning, I started one of the races of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon and presented prizes to its winners. I was very glad to share the joy of the runners.

The Marathon has a history of more than 20 years in Hong Kong. Every year, it attracts many local and international runners. This year, about 15,000 runners from over 100 countries and regions participated in the event, making up around 20% of the total number of participants.

While the Marathon is essentially a competition, it integrates sports with the cityscape of Hong Kong. Together with the enthusiastic cheers from local residents along the way, participants can experience the city more vividly from another angle. This is an exemplar case of "shaping tourism with sports". Meanwhile, a few hundred local shops took part in supporting the event, and sought to seize the business opportunities and maximise the economic benefits of the occasion.

The Kai Tak Sports Park will be opened in March, and will host several major international sports and cultural events. The economic benefits brought by the Park, and the opportunities it present for the promotion of a vibrant Hong Kong, are truly exciting.

This morning, I started one of the races of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon and presented prizes to its winners. I was very glad to share the joy of the runners.

Apart from the activities at Kai Tak Sports Park, a number of highly anticipated events are also on the horizon, including a globally influential Web3 event, the first-ever "Consensus" conference held outside the United States (February 18-20), as well as Art Basel and LIV Golf Hong Kong in March.

These events will enrich the substance of the "Hong Kong Brand". The unique blend of Eastern and Western cultures, along with Hong Kong's international and diverse environment, has created a distinctive cultural atmosphere. Indeed, Hong Kong is a city that harmonises the Chinese and Western culture, past and present, fast and slow, and old and new. From visual arts to performing arts, and from sports to experiencing nature, Hong Kong's diverse activities have enabled vibrant cultural and intellectual exchanges. The "Hong Kong Brand" is not merely about products and services; it represents unique experiences that showcase the value of inclusiveness, and promote cultural exchange and mutual learning.

From this perspective, it is clear that the cultural and creative industries are an essential part of social and economic progress. They are a crucial component of the "Hong Kong Brand". In recent years, the global collectible toy industry and the "goods economy" have rapidly risen, where various types of animations, video games and toys have captured the attention of young people and unleashed their spending power, estimated to reach hundreds of billions of dollars. Several local artists and designers have emerged as leading figures in this global trend.

Recently, several popular art toys and trendy characters have taken hold in Hong Kong, the Mainland and the Asian market, and such characters indeed originated from local designers. Their works were deeply inspired by the local comics and animation culture, while integrating international design elements. This has made their toy characters distinctive. Each time a new product was released in collaboration with world-class brands, a buying frenzy was ignited. These intellectual property (IP) products have created billions of dollars in value, setting new benchmarks for the creative industries.

These local success stories have demonstrated how we can effectively leverage the "Hong Kong Brand" to further develop our cultural and creative industries. Designers and creators in Hong Kong possess broad perspectives and understanding of the cultures and needs of the Mainland, Asia and international markets. By taking advantage of Hong Kong's convenient connections to the vast Mainland and global markets, market players can break new grounds by creating unique and distinctive IP products that resonate emotionally with the public.

To enhance the promotion of Hong Kong's cultural and creative industries, the "CreateSmart Initiative" has continued to provide funding for projects that can support the development of the industry, while assisting with their market promotion. In recent years, the funding scheme has supported a number of projects aimed at helping the local comics, animation, gaming and trendy toy sectors promote their work in Southeast Asia and expand into new markets.

Hong Kong's cultural and creative industries boast exceptional talent, and the Government is collaborating with the industry to host more events. Last year's events, such as "Hong Kong Fashion Fest", "Business of Design Week" and "DesignInspire Creative Design Expo", received positive feedback, and showcased Hong Kong's creative strengths and enhanced the visibility of local industries. These events had gathered regional and international elites for mutual exchange, and enriched Hong Kong's role as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

February 9, 2025