25 October, 2012

The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Creative
Industry Development Forum Builds Platform for
Exchange and Interaction

On October 25, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC) held the Creative Industry Development Forum at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The forum served as an open brainstorming session for a winning strategy for the development of the animation and digital technology industries. A number of HKSAR officials, industry practitioners, experts and scholars were on hand to discuss and explore the growth prospects of the cultural creative industries. As one of the key sponsors of the forum, Dim Sum TV had worked closely with the CGCC to organize the event.

In his welcome speech. Dr. Jonathan Choi, Chairman of the CGCC, said that the association has long been a leading supporter of the development of Hong Kong’s creative industries, having organized a number of cultural delegations to Guangdong, Zhejiang and the relevant Central Government departments to exchange ideas with local cultural, technology and media enterprises. He expressed his hope that the forum would rally Hong Kong’s cultural industries and build an effective, interactive platform for the city’s creative export.

In her speech, Ms. Susie Ho Shuk Yee, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology), said that the 12th Five-Year Plan of the central government has called for the accelerated development of cultural creative industries in order to put Chinese culture on the world stage. Within the framework of CEPA, she said, the mainland market has been developing new service industries. The cross-border co-production of many popular films is an example of the successful match-up of supplementary competitive advantages.

In late 2009, the HKSAR government established CreateHK to provide dedicated services in this area. Mr. Jerry Liu Wing Leung, Head of CreateHK, highlighted the government’s 3 development objectives in his speech: nurturing professional talents, expanding cooperation with the mainland and growing the China market, and strengthening Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s creative hub.

Mr. Liu followed up his speech by answering a host of questions from the audience during the Q&A session. Talking about support for small and medium-sized enterprises, he said the Government encourages the industrialization of scientific research and resource recycling, and has introduced the BUD (Branding, Upgrade, and Develop) scheme.

The Entrepreneurs’ Dialogue part of the forum was marked by a lively exchange of witty remarks and humorous repartees by the 4 guests, which elicited rounds of thunderous applause from the audience

Mr. Lo Wing Keung, Senior Advisor of Toon Express Hong Kong Ltd., provided a vivid description of the relationship between the media and the animation industry. He stressed that the success of his Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf animated film would not have been possible without the support of the media. He suggested that the animation industry stay up-to-date on new media. For example, he observed, smartphones have become part of everyday life.

Mr. Chin Yiu Tong, Chairman of Asia Animation Ltd., also shared his experience and insights into the process of building the animation cultural industry. He emphasized that, in order to expand the China market, Hong Kong enterprises should make policy consistency their top priority.

Mr. Samuel Choy, General Manager of Bliss Concept Ltd., brought the famous McDull to the forum. McDull has its origin in an illustrated book called McMug. Before promoting McDull, Mr. Choy said, he and his partners traveled to many countries to learn and to research. The originality and distinctive iconography of McDull give it a unique Hong Kong flavour that sets it apart from Japanese and American animation. In the series, a naïve, kind-hearted McDull makes for an interesting contrast to the wearying, hectic lifestyle of Hong Kong people. McDull succeeded because it resonated with the audience; everyone has a soft spot for a character who warmed the cockles of their hearts. The commercial success of McDull has put it in a position to give back to society, with McDull participating in many public welfare activities and educational TV productions.

Mr. Shi Yan, Account Director for the London Olympics project at Crystal CG, captivated the audience with a combination of stunning visuals and fresh perspectives. With innovation as the theme of his speech, he used the works of Crystal CG as examples to illustrate the development of the digital technology industry. After elaborating on the technical support provided by Crystal CG to the London Olympics and the Paralympics, Mr. Shi’s presentation moved closer to home, to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Dubbed the Pride of the China Pavilion, Along the River During the Qingming Festival is one of Crystal CG’s most celebrated works. Originally intended as an added-value exhibit, the animated painting eventually became the main attraction. By the end of the event, over 5 million visitors had stopped in front of the 100m high wall on which it was mounted to take in the animated visual extravaganza.

As host of the forum, Mr. Kit Szeto, Member of the Standing Committee and Chairman of the Art and Culture Committee of the CGCC, and Director & CEO of Dim Sum TV, not only engaged the guests in in-depth discussion, but also distilled their wisdom into simple, concise language for the audience. Mr. Lo Wing Keung was forthright in his disclosure of the investment required by Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf. Mr. Chin Yiu Tong and Mr. Samuel Choy explored the current state of development of Hong Kong media. As the youngest speaker at the forum, Mr. Shi Yan talked about what young people can bring to the table in cultural creative industries. Mr. Kit Szeto cited the mature U.K. and South Korean markets as examples to illustrate the huge potential of creative industries in terms of income generation, job creation and export growth.

Over 200 guests were at the forum to share their thoughts and ideas for the development of cultural creative industries.

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