Shape up and keep up, business leaders tell Hong Kong at forum
They want city to draw from its rich history and culture, and become a unique nexus for region
Hong Kong should strive for the title of Asia’s cultural hub as well as have the courage to break out of its comfort zone, according to panel members at the “Celebrating Hong Kong’s Coming of Age” conference organised by the South China Morning Post on Monday.
Douglas Young, the co-founder and CEO of lifestyle products brand Goods of Desire, said he was optimistic about the city’s future and hoped Hong Kong could position itself as a cultural hub in Asia.
“I wish for the future government to really grab this title,” Young told the conference, adding that the city’s history, rule of law and freedom of expression had given it a huge edge in moving towards this goal.
Citing some successful events, such as Art Basel, he said that a cultural hub would mean hosting movie festivals, fashion shows and sports programmes regularly.
Young also said that malls in the city had become more homogenised with the influx of international labels which had flooded the market as China opened up after the 1997 handover.
