Anyone looking for a ray of sunshine amid the economic gloom of the last year need look no further than the performance of HKCEC in the first quarter of its new fiscal year, from July-September 2009.

The Centre recorded the best first quarter in its 21-year history, with revenues soaring upwards by a very impressive 20.2% over the previous first quarter, while overall attendances rose by 20% to 2.3 million.

These excellent figures are the perfect way to celebrate the 21st anniversary of HKCEC and are also a tribute to the successful completion of the second expansion. The Centre, which is already the main driver behind the establishment of Hong Kong as Asia's most important exhibition and meeting hub, can now proudly move into a new era.

Eight of the Centre's annual exhibitions show growth, including the Hong Kong Book Fair, staged in July and organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which attracted 900,000 visitors - an 8% increase over 2008. Another notable success was 2009 Sibos, the international conference and exhibition run by the Society of Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommuniction (SWIFT), where the attendance of almost 6,000 delegates exceeded expectations. Also turning in a sparkling performance was the Jewellery and Gem Fair, organised by UBM Asia. The biggest jewellery event of its type in the world, it made excellent use of the expanded Centre.

There is no doubt that the expansion has made a big difference to organisers of large-scale events. The additional 19,400 sq.m of space brings the total rentable space to 91,500 sq.m (of which 66,000 sqm is purpose-built exhibition hall space) - the largest venue in Hong Kong and Macau.

For the record, HKCEC hosted 231 events in its first quarter of 2009, consisting of 548 event days, or an average of six events each day.