The Hong Kong International Stationery Fair, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Messe Frankfurt, wrapped up Thursday after a successful four day run from 5-8 January at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. The fair, taking place for the ninth time in 2009, attracted a total of 14,686 buyers from 108 countries and regions, including 41 buying missions representing 783 companies. The top ten visiting countries and regions were the Chinese mainland, Japan, Taiwan, USA, South Korea, Philippines, Australia, Thailand, UK and India.

A wide range of stationery, artist supplies and office products were on display by the 223 exhibitors who joined this year’s show. The majority came from Asia, but North America and Europe were also represented by companies from France, Germany, Spain and the USA.

In terms of the fair’s product mix, children’s stationery and back-to-school items dominated the products on show. Traditional pens, notebooks, back packs and art sets had been redesigned, featuring a variety of popular cartoon and comic characters. Eco products were also a hot item this year.

Buyers were able to source innovative products from around the world. “ One of our strategic initiatives is to find innovative new products in order to bring colour and style to the world of office stationery ,” said first-time buyer to the fair, Chris Henwood, Merchandise Director of Office Supplies, Grand&Toy, the largest contract stationer in Canada. “I have already found about 12 to 15 exhibitors with interesting products.”

Mr. Nikoletta Kovacs, Sourcing Specialist for Erste Bank RT, one of the biggest banks in Central Europe, echoed the same sentiments. “ I’ve seen lots of things that I like, including calendars that we can use as gifts for customers.” He came to explore the possibility of sourcing products direct from suppliers for corporate promotional items and stationery products.

Reinforcing the importance of the fair in the stationery industry, Lim Tae-Su, first-time exhibitor and Foreign Trade Manager of Latech Korea said, “ This is a famous event with good name value that can offer us new opportunities. We have seen buyers from different parts of the world including Europe, Middle East and Asia.” Latech Korea is a manufacturer of stickers in Korea. “We have already had three or four serious enquiries from companies in Japan, the US and Singapore.”

Return exhibitor, Christine Ma, Manager of Creative Premium Company Limited in Hong Kong, also found the show to be a good platform to meet buyers. “ Here we can meet very focused stationery buyers.” They have been exhibiting for four years as the bulk of their Nu Design label collection revolves around stationery items. “We have met buyers from all over the world, including Australia, the US, UK, Turkey and Japan.”

The mood of the exhibitors was optimistic despite the challenging economic climate. Return exhibitor from the US, Ms. Nancy Wen of Mirage International said, “We’ve certainly noticed that buyers are looking for more cost-effective products, but the industry is still running well amidst the troubled economy, especially with children’s stationery items.” She said the fair was an important platform for them to meet with serious buyers.

Both exhibitors and visitors were inspired by a market seminar that took place on the second day of the fair. Industry expert , Ms Amy Kilby, Vice President Asia of Office Products International, directed a seminar on “Latest Market Trend and Product Design for Stationery” and discussed the changing face of retail and fashion in office products and the opportunities for China . The seminars received overwhelming responses and drew the attention of the buyers.

The next Hong Kong International Stationery Fair will be held from 11 - 14 January 2010 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will run concurrently with the HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair and the HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show.

Exhibitors’ Profile

Number of Exhibitors by Country / Region (Outside Hong Kong)