Local firms urged to help with 2010 Asian Games

Hong Kong enterprises are encouraged to help in the market development of the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games, a senior official from the games organizing committee said yesterday.

"Neighboring Guangdong province, Hong Kong enterprises will find lots of business opportunities in the market-development project of the Asian Games," said Chen Canhui, a market development official with the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GAGOC).

For example, animation and comics companies in Hong Kong are invited to take part in the badge design development for the games, Chen said.

"Hong Kong has taken a leading role in the animation and comics design industry. As a result, they are welcome to take part in the badge-design project," Chen said.

GAGOC launched the badge-design competition in Guangzhou yesterday. Officials said that there will be at least 2,010 categories of badges issued for the games.

"A growing number of comics companies and experts based in Hong Kong have contacted us, expressing their willingness to participate in the badge-design competition," Chen told China Daily yesterday.

According to Chen, badges of the games will be designed and produced by specially invited experts and licensed companies.

In another development, there has been one Hong Kong company selected as one of the officially licensed garment producers of the Asian Games, according to Chen.

"We have also received many bidding letters from Hong Kong companies willing to become official sponsors of the games," Chen said.

According to Chen, there will be at least 30 companies from the mainland and overseas that will be selected as officially licensed manufacturers for the games.

The market for licensed products of the games has seen a robust development since the debut of the first batch on Feb 15, Chen said, declining to give the sales revenue.

"We will speed up the design and production of licensed products after the Beijing Olympics, and after we are sure that the market will see a continuous rapid development," Chen said.

In a recent interview with China Daily, Timothy Fok, president of the Sports Federation and Olympics Committee of Hong Kong, said: "The Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games means a lot more than just a sporting event to Hong Kong enterprises. It has plenty of business opportunities to tap into the mainland market".