Hong Kong IP festival Con-Con draws crowds on opening day
The inaugural event at AsiaWorld-Expo highlights Hong Kong's push to become a global IP hub.
Hong Kong debuted its first major intellectual property festival, Con-Con 2026, on April 4th, attracting significant public and commercial interest. Held at the AsiaWorld-Expo, the two-day event saw fans and cosplayers flock to exhibitions featuring global pop culture icons like the Godzilla franchise alongside homegrown Hong Kong designs and trademarks. The festival combined consumer-facing attractions—including exclusive merchandise booths and new figurine reveals—with professional elements like licensing showcases and IP business matching opportunities, aiming to bridge fandom with commercial development.
At the opening ceremony, Undersecretary for Commerce and Economic Development Bernard Chan Pak-li directly linked the event to Hong Kong's strategic economic goals. He cited the city's sixth-place global ranking for IP rights protection in the 2025 World Competitiveness Yearbook, stating the government is "keen on transforming our city’s unique strength into a world-class ecosystem." This initiative is part of a broader policy, mentioned in the February budget, to pivot Hong Kong's economy toward higher value-added industries by rigorously protecting and confidently financing intellectual property, from patents and trademarks to designs and copyrights.
- The inaugural Con-Con Hong Kong 2026 festival launched April 4th at AsiaWorld-Expo, featuring global IP like Godzilla and local designs.
- Government official Bernard Chan highlighted Hong Kong's 6th-place global IP ranking, framing the event as part of a strategy to build a world-class IP ecosystem.
- The festival blends public exhibitions and merchandise with professional IP business matching, supporting a government push toward higher value-added industries.
Why It Matters
Signals Hong Kong's strategic pivot to become a global hub for IP creation, protection, and commercialization, moving beyond traditional finance and trade.