Outstanding Cultural and Creative Industries Awards in Hong Kong: Exploring the next stage of industry development

Sep 6, 2019, Hong Kong: Co-organized by Hang Seng University of Hong Kong and China Daily, the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Outstanding Cultural and Creative Industries Awards Ceremony”, plus a panel discussion entitled “Cultural and Creative Bay Area: New Development Trends of Cultural and Creative Industries in the Digital Era”, was held in Hong Kong.

Dr. Wilfred WONG Ying-wai, GBS, JP, Chairman, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, delivered the keynote address after the opening remarks. He said the cultural and creative industries should pursue “harmony in diversity”, and if they can achieve this goal, the future will be very bright for them. The cultural and creative industries have to be innovative and diversified, but that don’t have to mean they are mutually exclusive, they can develop in harmony. That’s why we need the concept of “harmony in diversity” to develop cultural and creative industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Prof. Simon Shun-Man HO, President, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, said the cultural and creative industries play a decisive role in the development of economic strength. It is predictable that both industries, together with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, could provide limitless opportunities for Hong Kong.

Dr. Moses Mo-Chi CHENG, OBE, GBS, GBM, Member of Board of Governors and Council Chairman, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, said the cooperation of the culture and creative industries among Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is the key driver for the region’s development. Meanwhile, the cultural and creative industries bring momentum to Hong Kong to develop high-value added industries and a diversified economy. Under the globalization, the traditional manufacturing in the Bay Area is facing great challenge where cultural and creative industries are needed to boost competitiveness and fuel the growth in high-end service sector. The Bay Area needs to further promote cooperation in the cultural and creative industries and learn from each other's strong points and offset the weakness.

Mr. ZHOU Li, Editorial Board Member, China Daily Group; Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, China Daily Asia Pacific said, today, cultural and creative industries have been at a stage of high-speed development. If the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area aims for a world-class city cluster, it not only requires booming economy, healthy livelihood, open innovative atmosphere, but also has to build a world leading cultural center. It relies on prospective projects and outstanding cultural enterprises.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Outstanding Cultural and Creative Industries Awards, launched in 2019, is in recognition of the outstanding performance of companies and organizations in the cultural and creative industry sectors in the Greater Bay Area. A total of 20 companies were selected as winners among 140 shortlisted enterprises. The awards affirm the efforts and achievements of the award-winning companies and organizations and promote public recognition and understanding of cultural and creative industries in the Greater Bay Area.

The panel of judges was led by Prof. Desmond Cheuk-Kuen HUI, Director, BA-CCI Programme, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong; It comprised professors and experts, including Prof. Hsiu-Chu Hsu, Director, School of Arts, Macao Polytechnic Institute; Prof. HUANG Changyong, President, Shanghai Theatre Academy; Prof. LI Fengliang, Vice-Chairman of Council, Southern University of Science and Technology; and Prof. XIANG Yong, Vice Dean, Institute for Cultural Industries, Peking University.

A following panel discussion, themed “Cultural and Creative Bay Area: New Development Trends of Cultural and Creative Industries in the Digital Era”, had four distinguished speakers -- Mr Kevin LEE, Founder & CEO, Redspots Creative (HK) Company Limited; Ms. Elaine SHIU, Founder and Chief Brand officer, Ejj Holding Limited; Mr. Jeff TUNG, Senior Project Director, New World Development Company Limited; and Dr. Rocco YIM, Principal, Rocco Design Architects Associates Limited. They exchanged views and interacted with more than 200 delegates on the topic.

Mr Kevin LEE said that known as an international metropolis, coupled with its unique status as a place where East meets West, Hong Kong has what it takes to make a difference in the cultural and creative industries. How to ride high on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area mega plan and the Belt and Road initiative to help local creators give the advantages to full play remains as an issue that should be closely watched.

Ms. Elaine SHIU said governments from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong today have offered a whole package of incubation programs to support the development of the fashion industry. Compared with the funding support, however, the provision of business matching services and office areas helps the city’s designers to make inroads into the mainland market in a more effective manner, especially acquainting them with the different cultures of the nine neighboring cities in Guangdong across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Mr. Jeff TUNG said New World Development - with its edge on culture, technology and international vision - is aimed at building the Greater Bay Area into a Silicon Valley on culture front, in an effort to facilitate Hong Kong, along with the rest ten cities within the city-cluster to be the incubation center for technology, innovation and culture.

Dr. Rocco YIM said, while technology is capable of bringing engineering to the next level, it is - at the end of the day - an auxiliary tool, and engineering will always be dominated by human beings themselves. The relationship between technology and human beings is something we have to think in a more comprehensive manner. (END)


About Hang Seng University of Hong Kong- BACCI
The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Cultural and Creative Industries programme (BA-CCI) of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong adopts a diverse range of approaches towards understanding and analysing the industries while immersing students in the discipline through design or production of cultural and creative related products, services and businesses with local, Greater China and global perspectives. The programme encourages students to explore the meaning of culture and creativity in the ever-changing business and management contexts of industries. It will equip students with the business skills and management expertise required of business leaders and entrepreneurs in the era of creative and knowledge-based economy.

About China Daily
China Daily, established in 1981 as the national English-language newspaper, has developed into a multi-media information platform combining newspapers, websites and apps with a strong presence on Facebook, Twitter, SinaWeibo and WeChat. It serves more than 200 million readers all over the world and is a default choice for people who read about China in English. The group plays an important role as a channel for information exchanges between China and the rest of the world.


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