As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, Spotlight explores how Hong Kong’s startup and cultural scenes have evolved through a mix of online and offline activities.

Hong Kong opened to trade. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, its economy and cultural activities continued thanks to rapid measures and numerous adaptations to contain the spread of the virus.

The pandemic has curbed a number of events, but that didn’t last long. Hong Kong took swift and early action to contain the outbreak. With only about 1,100 infected and very few deaths in a city of 7.5 million, Hong Kong has progressed rapidly.

going virtual

Another event that became virtual in July is StartmeupHK Festival. A lively conference that often connects startups and investors goes online. We spoke with Jayne Chan, head of StartmeupHK, Invest Hong Kong.

**”**What we’re trying to do is try to preserve the best of the face-to-face interactions you get at physical activities, along with the best of the virtual side,” Chan said. “We have world-renowned industry figures who will be talking about a range of topics like smart cities, retail tech, AI, fintech, everything Hong Kong is really strong in, and we’re going to marry him at a job fair and one-on-one investor matching and we’re paired with it.” he added.

Also Cyberport, the city’s leading incubator for 1,560 of them, supporting Hong Kong’s start-ups.

Eric Chan, Cyberport’s Chief Public Mission Officer: “All startups in Cyberport receive free rentals as a waiver from the government as a subsidy. The government also gives subsidies to people to keep their businesses and create new jobs. … It responds quickly. They found a lot of solutions that really helped Hong Kong.”

One startup from Cyberport that is well positioned to help organizers adapt to the pandemic is EventXtra. He has organized thousands of online and offline events for leading companies such as Alibaba, Siemens and Honeywell. Sum Wong is the CEO and co-founder.

“Event is at the forefront in the pandemic because all activities need to be suspended or canceled, just like airlines or travel… because we have a hybrid solution, almost 80% of our revenue actually comes from virtual event and over 300% of total revenue during the pandemic period. I would say it has increased too much,” Sum explained.

Culture during COVID

Hong Kong’s cultural scene and back market is also adapting to the online environment during the pandemic. Offline activities are reigniting despite observing social distancing, with the help of Arka Power HK, an online platform that started in the middle of the pandemic and now has more than 130 partners.

Alice Mong is in Arka Power HK’s working group. She manages Asia Society Hong Kong, one of the venues participating with Back Power, she.

“We’ve never been in isolation, so galleries, exhibitions, events are enabled,” Mong said, adding: “We work with artists to have their backs seen or experienced. Maybe on this social day. The distance cannot be seen live, but on a digital platform. they can be seen.

Hong Kong’s cultural scene continues to grow in a big way. The M+ museum is under construction and is scheduled to open next year. It is the latest addition to the vast West Kowloon Cultural District, built from the ground up.

Mong sums it up: “There’s something coming every year that celebrates the back and the voices of the artists, and that’s what’s so exciting about Hong Kong’s back ecosystem today.”