Brands expo feels the WTO pinch

The 40th Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo is being cut short because of last week's World Trade Organisation conference.

The organisers said the expo had to be cut from last year's 21 days to 16 because they could only take over the Victoria Park venue on Monday after the protesters left.

The shortened period is expected to cut the number of visitors from more than 2 million last year to more than 1 million this year.

'The greatest problem we have is time as we only got the venue [on Monday] because of the WTO, leaving us only eight days to set up the event. Last year, we had two weeks,' said Lui Ming-wah, chairman of event organiser the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong.

The fair, from December 24 to January 8, will have 680 booths set up by more than 350 exhibitors.

Mr Lui said the fair could only open at 5pm on Christmas Eve. 'Workers have been setting up the venue overnight. Time is very tight this year,' he said.