With the theme of “Unveiling the Future of Finance, Trade and Wealth Management “, this year’s Wealth Management Expo 2024 invited several renowned political and business figures and academic elites to share their unique and insightful views, provided comprehensive insight on global investment and wealth management, and conducted an in-depth analysis of the impact of global economic challenges on Hong Kong’s consumer willingness and production incentives to high-net-worth customers and professional investors.
The Wealth Management Expo 2024 kicked off after the Opening Ceremony, followed by the Opening Summit under the theme of “Assessing Macroscopic Global Economy and Prospective Financial Trends”. The opening event featured three eminent figures from different business industries and academics, including Dr. Lo Kam Wing, President of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong; Mr. Ricky Wong Kwong Yiu, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Wheelock Properties; Dr. Billy Mak Sui Choi, Associate Professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, to share their profound insights.
The Opening Summit explored how retailers, manufacturers, and property developers are deploying in the current environment of a strong US dollar, high interest rates, and a continued post-pandemic economic downturn. They expressed their views on the impact of various supportive policies introduced by the Chinese government, such as expanding the Individual Visit Scheme, supporting leading Mainland enterprises to list in Hong Kong, and removing all demand-side management measures for residential properties, on the development prospects of various industries. The Summit also analysed how Hong Kong can accelerate the formation of “new quality productive forces” in line with national policies, promote productivity through technological innovation, and discussed the development opportunities for the green finance industry in Hong Kong.
The subsequent Summit was held under the theme of “Connecting Talents and Wealth in the Greater Bay Area”. It looked into how Hong Kong can compete for talent under its unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world. The forum invited four distinguished financial experts from the Mainland and Hong Kong as speakers, including Mr. Kenneth Fok Kai Kong, Deputy to the National People’s Congress and Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council; Mr. Jesse Shang Hailong, Founding President of the Hong Kong Top Talent Services Association and Founder and Secretary-General of the Hong Kong New Entrepreneurs Association; Mr. Hao Hong, an acclaimed economist in the Mainland; and Dr. Kang Qu, Managing Director of Sustainability Strategy of BOCHK and Vice President of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association.
The four speakers delved into the future development prospects and direction of the Greater Bay Area in the context of Hong Kong’s economy and international financial situation from a macro perspective. The speakers also had in-depth discussions on the HKSAR Government’s active development of innovation and technology in recent years, including emerging industries like biomedicine and financial technology, and thoroughly explored their impact on supporting economic development and attracting talents.
In addition, as a top international financial centre and wealth management centre, Hong Kong has a distinct advantage not only in family offices but also in private individual wealth management. Moses Chan, a popular celebrity and the founder of a chain coffee shop brand, was invited to share his views on wealth inheritance in the “Star Legacy” session. At the event, it was also announced that Moses Chan has officially become the brand ambassador of BOCHK Private Wealth.
At the same time, the event featured five enriching workshops and special sessions conducted by well-known financial experts and elites. These workshops and sessions provided in-depth analysis of investment strategies with highly forward-looking content. In terms of the global market, they mentioned that the global economy will be below trend but showing positive growth, and they are particularly optimistic about high-quality and defensive stocks, US Treasuries, and the emerging market of India which shows potential. In terms of the Asian market, Hong Kong dollar bonds are of investment value, among which short-term bonds with lower interest rate sensitivity are preferred. Experts also expect the pace of China’s economic recovery to slow down, with further room for policy interest rate cuts, and loose policies will benefit the Chinese government bonds and policy bank bonds. One of the workshops, with the theme ” Passing down Wealth and Wisdom through Generations”, explored the wealth inheritance of individuals and SMEs. Experts shared difficulties and solutions encountered in wealth inheritance in the form of case studies, as well as how to make careful arrangements for corporate succession, such as legal restrictions and tax arrangements. There were also two special sessions, one dedicated to securities with the theme of ” Winning with Stocks” and the other one “Financial Wisdom for the Future” in Mandarin for cross-border audience.
