Asiaworld-Expo

I went to the AsiaWorld-​Expo over the weekend to attend the TedxHongKong event. This was my first visit to Asiaworld-​Expo. My head thinks of a traditional events/​expo center holding giant conferences and conventions, which this does, but it also appears to hold concerts like the Imagine Dragons (which it did a few weeks earlier?).
Although far from Hong Kong itself, this place is super easy to reach via the MTR and Airport Express Line you can reach in Central. 20 – 25 minutes later, past the airport stop, you arrive at Asiaworld-​Expo.
I could say for the purposes of my experience with Tedx, everything I came in contact seemed pretty standard for a convention center. If you were an events person, you might be able to highlight details that I do not see that make this place unique. As an average consumer experiencing Asaiworld-​Expo as an attendee, everything seemed standard. They do have a Pacific Coffee, Subway, Starbucks that I could see as well.

Was here to see Imagine Dragons and the venue was perfect for it. They seem to have more cheap food options for a before concert meal or after concert snack and they seem to have got a little more organised with getting on the airport express going home and there isn’t as much pushing and shoving to get on the train. They also added some extra trains on the line as well.

I always have this theory — Foreign celebrities /​artists like to host events in AsiaExpo because it is closer to the airport, so that can just drop by Hong Kong for $$ without even going into town. LOL. Well maybe it’s not just for the celebrities per se, but I could imagine it’s much easier to transport the crew, the equipment etc just within Chek Lap Kok.
But on the other hand, major inconvenience for the audience, obviously. Take 40mins at least to get to the spot (30 from Airport Express, 10 walk to from the MTR to the entrance). Getting out is often even worse, tens of thousands of people all queuing for buses /​MTR /​cabs together ain’t no fun.
On the plus side, they have a very nice, flexible setup that can support all kinds of events/​concerts. Stand up /​sit down both work well, while venue likes Hong Kong Coliseum didn’t work for stand up concert. Or you can comfortably take a CFA exam, too, with the spacious hall here (again, spare time for the traffic, of course).
One other thing that developed countries started to implement but HK still has to catch up. Washroom facilities shouldn’t be 50%/50% for male and female anymore. The ratio should be adjusted and everyone benefits from it — ladies got a shorter queue time and all gentlemen don’t have to stand in front of the female washroom waiting for their company.

I’ve been to a few events here. China trade shows and also concerts.
Pros:
— It’s close to the airport so if you’re attending an event in Hong Kong and leaving straight after it’s easy to get back.
— Great facilities
— It’s a huge event space
Cons:
— The biggest con is that It’s far away from everything else but the airport. So it can be an expensive commute especially if you’re attending a multi-​day event here and/​or staying in town itself. Check your event organizer if they can give you discounts on transportation out here.

I have been to Asia World Expo for Fruit Logistica and I thought it was a great venue for exhibitions, in general. The facilities are great and there are plenty of cafes and restaurants to choose from. Location wise, however, it’s really not convenient. Having HKCEC at the heart of Wan Chai with everything and more you can think of… this seemed a little like a downgrade. From my office it takes more than half an hour to get there (fifteen minutes to the HKCEC) and that can seriously put you off.
On the bright side, the whole site is big enough to accommodate for a big exhibition. It’s new and modern and it’s got an excellent customer service. We had a problem with the internet connection in our booth: the free WIFI just wasn’t enough for the 13 laptops and iPads that we were expecting. In spite of our lack of technical knowledge they explained over and over the options we had. When we finally chose one of those they followed up with us until everything had been set up. I also like the fact that it’s not as huge as HKCEC which can be overwhelming at times.
And I loved that they have Starbucks there… and Pacific Coffee! Oh, and it’s really close to Terminal 2 where you can also find some restaurants when breaking up from the fair… For some of my colleagues it’s also a good option as they stay at some hotel around the airport and getting there is really easy but I’ve found out that most people would rather stay in Hong Kong Island or Kowloon to enjoy the city anyway.
I can imagine it’s a lot cheaper than HKCEC, and that may have driven the decision to locate a few fairs there… not sure how much transport and logistics cost are underestimated though…

The Asia-​world Expo is one of the newest venues in Hong Kong for exhibitions and concerts. The idea for this location was that it was near the airport and it could therefore attract customers from abroad. The idea has sort of worked and not worked at the same time. Location wise it is at the tip of the airport island and could either be reached by car or the airport express and a number of buses. This, especially for location crazy Hong Kongers, is at the far end of town for most people and I have heard on more than one occasion people refusing to go there because it is simply too far.
The other problem with it is that there are no facilities nearby. Compared to the HKCEC in Wanchai, if you were to leave the building there is nothing around here as opposed to Wanchai where you will find anything within a few minutes. Food is limited as there are only a number of restaurants and bars on sight. In short; you will only go there unless you really, really have to. Parking there is also a nightmare whereby you are left to figure your own way to an outdoor uncovered carpark, with no particular instructions on how you pay or how everything works. This is something that the organizers have to improve on.
As opposed to other reviewers here I have not been here for a concert before– I therefore can’t comment on the acoustics but from what I hear its bearable. On going there for an exhibition previously I found it to be acceptable and nothing much more that I could add. Afterall, its an exhibition centre and I would say that it does exactly what it saids on the tin.