Later this year, the first Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo, or HKPAX, will open in the West Kowloon Cultural District at Victoria Harbor, presenting visitors a variety of stage productions.

Organized by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, the expo will take place from Oct 14 to 18 and will serve as a platform for exchange and collaboration between performing arts troupes from China and abroad, in support of Hong Kong's development as a hub for international cultural exchange.

On June 17, China Cultural Media Group and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council cohosted a promotional event for HKPAX at the China National Opera House in Beijing to introduce the event to performing arts troupes and organizations from across the Chinese mainland and to attract the participation of top-level productions and organizations.

At the event, representatives from the HKPAX's organizers introduced the expo and its highlights.

Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, pointed out in his speech that the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) supports Hong Kong's development as an international center of cultural and artistic exchange, creating a broader space for the development of the city's cultural sector.

"We hope to establish HKPAX as a pivotal platform within the performing arts sector that gathers theater artists from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, as well as other countries, to foster the exchange of culture and art, deepen mutual understanding, and facilitate cooperation and trade," he said.

According to Heidi Chu, HKPAX's executive director, the event will include 16 productions by major Hong Kong arts groups, including three new pieces co-created by the expo and its partners, and 15 stage productions from the Chinese mainland and 10 other countries, in genres encompassing theater, dance, music, multimedia arts and traditional Chinese opera.

HKPAX also seeks to create new business opportunities and global partnerships for performing arts organizations, such as organizing pitch sessions for 12 projects from seven countries, including Germany, Italy and Spain.

A series of talks will be given by performing arts leaders and practitioners from around the world in which they will share their experiences of organizing events and managing organizations, and innovative strategies practiced in their places of origin.