Hong Kong Baby Products Fair

Baby Fair Set to Grow Bigger and Better
The successful debut of the HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair in 2010 showed just how much the industry has to gain from this event. Over 300 exhibitors from 16 countries & regions, showing products for babies and toddlers to the age of four, were placed in contact with over 20,000 buyers from 120 countries & regions around the world, including both emerging and mature markets. Group pavilions were organised from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

This debut edition received very encouraging feedback from exhibitors, with many of them remarking that it provided the ideal place for them to network with buyers from mature markets as well as meet new contacts from emerging markets - both of which are experiencing good growth in the baby products market.

The timing of the show is also a big draw card. Taking place in early January, it is the first trade fair of its kind in the calendar year, so gives exhibitors a jumpstart on their competitors by connecting with buyers just as they are setting their targets for the key selling seasons. It''s the perfect time to launch new products.

Growth Spurt
Baby products is a growth industry. In well developed markets consumers have gone way beyond functional items into branded designer collections. Affluent middle-class consumers in comparatively new but rapidly growing markets are seeking better quality goods and a wide range of choices; one of the most notable of these markets is the Chinese mainland, where 16 million babies were born in 2009. Researchers believe that it is the fourth "baby boom" since the founding of "New China" in 1949, and will last till 2015. Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics show that in urban areas spending on an infant or child accounts for over 30% of a family''s total expenditure. At the end of 2008, the babies'' and kids'' market was worth HK$966 billion, and is expected to break the HK$1.1 trillion mark by 2010. This baby boom spells enormous opportunities for this market sector, and the Chinese mainland is just one example in a huge potential pool.

The Hong Kong Baby Products Fair is the ideal platform for trading and networking with representatives of the world''s markets. This is the perfect opportunity to break into new markets while strengthening brand recognition and at the same time gaining an overview of the global baby products industry. Here, exhibitors can source the right distributors and resellers to take their products to a wider audience in more markets around the world. This was the experience of Hauck, the German pushchair and baby products company - just one of the hundreds of exhibitors that used the show to make great contacts in a variety of markets.

Exhibits
Exhibits cover the industry comprehensively with nine product categories.
--Baby Bedding Items and Furniture
--Baby Gift Sets and Souvenirs
--Baby Skincare and Bath Products
--Baby Toys and Activities
--Baby Wear and Footwear
--Feeding and Nursery Products
--Maternity Products
--Nursery Electrical Appliances
--Strollers and Gear

Promoting Brand Image
The 2011 edition will incorporate a new zone - Brand Name Gallery. This special section will showcase top-quality international baby products brands in a suitably classy and sophisticated environment. The concept of the gallery is utilised in several other HKTDC fairs, and has been proven to be an effective marketing tool for branded products, showing off not just products but the complete brand image.