AsiaWorld-Expo’s first dedicated yacht berthing facilities bring the exhibition onto the water and offer a preview of SKYTOPIA’s marina ambitions
Superyachts alongside an exhibition venue bring a new dimension to Hong Kong’s events calendar this November. For the debut of The Festival of Connoisseurs (TFOC), AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) has invested in upgraded amenities and its first dedicated yacht berthing facilities, allowing visitors to move between indoor displays and yachts on the water. The project also offers an early glimpse of the possibilities ahead for SKYTOPIA’s planned Airport Bay Marina.
Organised by Informa Markets, the festival takes place from 4 to 6 November 2026 at AsiaWorld-Expo. It is the first international flagship exhibition supported by the Government’s HK$100 million funding allocation to attract large-scale, distinctive international exhibitions with new elements to Hong Kong. Bringing together luxury experiences on land and at sea, it gives practical expression to the city’s drive to develop its mega-event economy.
A flagship exhibition with the city as its showroom
Hong Kong’s strengths as an international convention and exhibition hub and a major wealth management centre make it a strategic base for luxury brands seeking to reach Asian markets. TFOC builds on those advantages with nine thematic worlds spanning yachting, supercars, fine art, jewellery and watches, premium travel, prestige real estate, private aviation, wellness and longevity, and culinary excellence, bringing together collectors, investors and industry leaders from around the world.
AsiaWorld-Expo serves as the anchor venue for the November debut. A larger festival edition is planned for 2027, with organisers envisaging a “City as Your Showroom” approach across Hong Kong’s districts, with AWE as its hub. Informa Markets sees opportunities for the event to attract high-spending business travellers, generate new business and raise brand visibility, with benefits extending to hotels, restaurants, retail and services as well as the exhibition industry itself.
Officiating guests and distinguished attendees mark the opening of The Festival of Connoisseurs at AsiaWorld-Expo.
The festival’s innovative land-and-sea format also offers a preview of Hong Kong’s wider airport-city ambitions. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said, “You (AWE and AAHK) have taken the exhibition beyond the halls and onto the water, offering a glimpse of what lies ahead with SKYTOPIA.”
For AsiaWorld-Expo, bringing the festival to Hong Kong has involved an active role in developing the project alongside its work as venue partner. From initial planning and coordination of resources to the provision of facilities, it has worked with the organiser and other parties to turn an ambitious exhibition concept into a workable event.
Three weeks to bring the waterfront into the exhibition
The most visible result is at the water’s edge. Dedicated berthing facilities allow yachts to be displayed alongside the venue and buyers to step aboard, connecting the indoor exhibition with a setting suited to experiencing the vessels themselves.
AsiaWorld-Expo worked closely with Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK)’s engineering team on assessments, design and delivery of AWE Waterfront. Visits to renowned international yacht shows overseas helped inform a design tailored to local waters and the festival’s requirements.
Design, procurement and component prefabrication progressed in parallel. Once the components arrived, the team completed construction and safety testing in just three weeks. That compressed building schedule depended on the planning and coordination that preceded it, allowing the venue to connect its exhibition halls with a new waterfront showcase.
Engineering a sheltered showcase on open water
Turning the waterfront into a yacht exhibition space required the team to address exposed waters, infrastructure needs and marine safety requirements within a demanding timetable.
Six barges help reduce wave impact
The waters outside the venue have little natural shelter. Wave conditions, airport height restrictions and seabed characteristics all shaped the approach to temporary wave protection and mooring. Using hydrological data, the team deployed six large flat-top barges together with floating wave barriers to create a temporary system for reducing wave impact.
Berthing positions, anchoring arrangements and floating access routes were configured around vessel sizes, mooring methods and power requirements, enabling yachts to berth and guests to board.
Coordinating marine access and safety across agencies
The site also shares waters used by fire and rescue vessels and high-speed ferries serving SkyPier. Early coordination with government departments covered statutory approvals, permits and maritime access arrangements, with measures to keep navigation routes clear throughout the work and event. Emergency evacuation, rescue support and tugboat standby were incorporated into the safety plan.
AsiaWorld-Expo’s experience in managing major events informed the exhibition layout, visitor routes and programme arrangements, while AAHK contributed engineering solutions and contingency preparations. Months of coordinated work underpin the three-day showcase, opening up new possibilities for marine events beside the airport.
A practical preview of SKYTOPIA’s Airport Bay Marina
The facilities also leave the team with experience that can inform future events. Vessel approaches and berthing, guest reception and coordination between marine and land-based emergency operations all provide a practical foundation for further international marine exhibitions and shows spanning land and water.
That experience has particular relevance to SKYTOPIA, AAHK’s vision for a world-class airport-city destination integrating commercial activity, culture, tourism, entertainment and leisure. Plans include Airport Bay Marina, a waterfront resort hotel and an area for water-based recreation.
The marina is planned as Hong Kong’s largest yachting facility, offering more than 500 berths and accommodating superyachts up to 100 metres long. Dining and waterfront leisure would complement the area’s exhibition, entertainment, art and tourism facilities, creating a destination for a range of visitors.
For now, TFOC provides a tangible preview of how that waterfront could support major events. The route from the exhibition halls to the yachts demonstrates how AsiaWorld-Expo’s existing facilities and the waters beside them can form a single visitor experience, giving substance to the wider marina vision.
With the implementation of “Southbound Travel of Yachts from Guangdong” and Hong Kong’s drive to become an Asian yachting hub, the city is poised to benefit from steady growth in the global yachting industry, particularly the significant expansion of the luxury yacht market.
The festival’s waterfront showcase offers a practical preview of the potential of SKYTOPIA’s planned Airport Bay Marina.
Sea, land and air connections expand the airport city’s events potential
AsiaWorld-Expo’s location gives it a distinctive advantage, bringing together connections by sea, land and air. Beside Hong Kong International Airport and close to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the venue connects international markets with the Greater Bay Area. As SKYTOPIA’s key facilities progressively take shape, international business travellers attending events in Hong Kong will be able to complement their visits with yachting, dining, entertainment, art and culture. These experiences will give visitors more reasons to extend their stay and spend across different sectors.
AsiaWorld-Expo is also expanding its capacity for major events, with its Phase 2 development progressing towards targeted construction completion by the end of 2028. Upon completion, AWE’s exhibition space will increase from approximately 70,000 square metres to 100,000 square metres. The project will add a flagship multipurpose indoor venue accommodating more than 20,000 spectators, seamlessly connected to the existing Phase 1 exhibition facilities. It will complement a surrounding mix of a yacht marina with more than 500 berths, an upscale waterfront hotel, storage facilities for art and valuables, and entertainment, retail, dining and tourism amenities.
Combining premium exhibitions, waterfront leisure and convenient cross-border access, this integrated exhibition and convention destination will broaden the airport city’s events offering. It will also provide lasting support for Hong Kong’s development as an international convention and exhibition hub and an Asian yachting hub.
International recognition for event expertise
The work behind TFOC draws on AsiaWorld-Expo’s ability to adapt its venue and coordinate expertise across different fields. That capability has also received international recognition: the venue recently won Best Convention Centre at the C&IT Awards 2026 in the United Kingdom, becoming the only Hong Kong winner across this year’s award categories.
The award recognises its flexible venue configurations, project coordination and continuing development of event experiences. As the festival extends its exhibition space onto the waterfront, the recognition also reinforces Hong Kong’s standing as a destination capable of hosting international conferences, exhibitions and major events.
AsiaWorld-Expo wins Best Convention Centre at the C&IT Awards 2026, the only Hong Kong recipient across this year’s award categories.
