Hong Kong IP festival Con-Con draws crowds on opening day

Crowds pack the IP extravaganza at AsiaWorld-Expo on Saturday.

Photo: Eugene Lee Fans and cosplayers flooded an intellectual property (IP) festival that debuted in Hong Kong on Saturday, featuring pop culture exports such as the hit franchise Godzilla as well as local designs and trademarks.

Long queues formed at Con-Con Hong Kong 2026, a two-day event at AsiaWorld-Expo bringing together exhibitions, music performances, licensing showcases and IP business matching opportunities.

Visitors stocked up on exclusive merchandise at booths and took pictures of the latest figurine designs.

At the opening ceremony, Undersecretary for Commerce and Economic Development Bernard Chan Pak-li noted Hong Kong ranked sixth globally in IP rights according to the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025. “We are keen on transforming our city’s unique strength into a world-class ecosystem, where IP is protected with rigour, valued with clarity and financed with confidence,” he said.

Godzilla makes an appearance.

Photo: Eugene Lee Intellectual property – creations of the mind that cover trademarks, patents, designs and copyrights – was mentioned in the budget in February as part of the government’s broader effort to develop higher value-added industries.

IP-intensive industries contributed 33 per cent of the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 29 per cent of annual total employment in 2023, according to the latest figures from the Intellectual Property Department.

Lovinia Chiu Siu-yin, founder and chief executive of Hong Kong-based Medialink Group, the show’s organiser, said it took 1½ years of planning to finally see the event come to fruition.

The industry veteran estimated full-house attendance at the festival’s musical performances of more than 10,000 attendees in total, noting overseas clients and visitors came from Thailand, Singapore, Korea, Japan and Malaysia.

She added that 63 out of 85 exhibitors were Hong Kong brands. “Con-Con is not just an event or a project, this is my own vision that Hong Kong people can create our own IP and this IP can travel,” Chiu said, adding her next goal was to bring Hong Kong’s IP to Thailand.

Con-Con – short for “Convention for Connection” – includes immersive experiences, games, a marketplace and food and drink offerings all connected through IP.

The two-day show opened on Saturday.

Photo: Eugene Lee Near the Godzilla exhibition, which showcases the monster’s evolution, a booth of Hong Kong brand MechNoiz Toys featured a “B

原文链接: 南华早报