This three-year partnership will create a significant new luxury lifestyle platform in Asia, bringing an unprecedented “City-as-Your-Showroom” experience to Hong Kong’s most iconic destinations
HONG KONG, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Informa Markets, a leading B2B events organiser, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) on May 27, 2026, to support the launch The Festival of Connoisseurs (the “Festival”) in Hong Kong. The Festival of Connoisseurs, which will hold its first edition in November 2026 before expanding into a full-scale festival in 2027, will transform Hong Kong into a living, breathing luxury universe. By signing the MOU, HKTB becomes the first strategic partner for this new initiative.
Introducing The Festival of Connoisseurs: Asia’s Definitive Luxury Lifestyle Platform
The launch of The Festival of Connoisseurs in Hong Kong represents a long-term strategic commitment by Informa Markets to build a definitive luxury show platform in Asia. The vision extends well beyond a single annual event: The Festival of Connoisseurs will serve as the foundation to introduce further leading brands in this market to Hong Kong in the coming years.
The Festival of Connoisseurs will initially showcase nine distinct worlds of connoisseurship — Marina, Marque, Vault, Galerie, Passage, Estate, Zenith, Vitalis, and Culinaire — each representing a defining pillar of the luxury lifestyle. This universe is designed to be dynamic and expansive; as the festival grows, these worlds will evolve and multiply to encompass even more facets of luxury living.
The Festival of Connoisseurs will draw on Informa’s international expertise, networks and partnerships built from its existing market-leading brands, which include the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), the world’s largest in-water boat show; Top Marques Monaco, an exclusive international supercar show, and Cityscape, the world’s leading real estate platform, ensuring the Festival remains at the absolute forefront of the global luxury lifestyle market.
A New Paradigm for Luxury Events: “City-as-Your-Showroom”
Rather than being a single venue event, The Festival of Connoisseurs adopts a “City-as-Your-Showroom” approach — an immersive, multi-day consumer experience that takes place across Hong Kong’s most celebrated landmarks and cultural precincts.
From the shimmering waters of the harbour to the city’s world-class cultural galleries and vibrant lifestyle districts, the city itself becomes the stage. This citywide format is designed to activate Hong Kong’s unique urban geography and world-class infrastructure in ways that no single venue could achieve.
The 2026 edition of The Festival of Connoisseurs will serve as a high-impact soft launch, setting the stage for a full-scale expansion in 2027 with a broader programme, a larger international exhibitor base, and an even richer portfolio of immersive city experiences.
Supporting Hong Kong’s Strategic Vision
Hong Kong is a major global hub for the luxury lifestyle market, with the fourth-highest concentration of ultra-high-net-worth individuals globally, over 3,300 single-family offices, and a top three world ranking as an arts trading centre. Combined with its world-class infrastructure and East-meets-West cultural identity as Asia’s “super-connector,” Hong Kong is ideally placed to host a festival dedicated to connoisseurship, closely aligned with the Hong Kong SAR Government’s strategic priorities, including the promotion of Yacht Tourism and the “Tourism is Everywhere” initiative.
By establishing the yachting and marine lifestyle as a key pillar of the event, The Festival of Connoisseurs directly supports the development of Hong Kong’s yacht economy and amplifies the city’s unique maritime heritage to international audience.
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