Later this year, the first Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo, or HKPAX, will open in the West Kowloon Cultural District at Victoria Harbor, presenting visitors a variety of stage productions.

Organized by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, the expo will take place from Oct 14 to 18 and will serve as a platform for exchange and collaboration between performing arts troupes from China and abroad, in support of Hong Kong's development as a hub for international cultural exchange.

On June 17, China Cultural Media Group and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council cohosted a promotional event for HKPAX at the China National Opera House in Beijing to introduce the event to performing arts troupes and organizations from across the Chinese mainland and to attract the participation of top-level productions and organizations.

At the event, representatives from the HKPAX's organizers introduced the expo and its highlights.

Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, pointed out in his speech that the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) supports Hong Kong's development as an international center of cultural and artistic exchange, creating a broader space for the development of the city's cultural sector.

"We hope to establish HKPAX as a pivotal platform within the performing arts sector that gathers theater artists from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, as well as other countries, to foster the exchange of culture and art, deepen mutual understanding, and facilitate cooperation and trade," he said.

According to Heidi Chu, HKPAX's executive director, the event will include 16 productions by major Hong Kong arts groups, including three new pieces co-created by the expo and its partners, and 15 stage productions from the Chinese mainland and 10 other countries, in genres encompassing theater, dance, music, multimedia arts and traditional Chinese opera.

HKPAX also seeks to create new business opportunities and global partnerships for performing arts organizations, such as organizing pitch sessions for 12 projects from seven countries, including Germany, Italy and Spain.

A series of talks will be given by performing arts leaders and practitioners from around the world in which they will share their experiences of organizing events and managing organizations, and innovative strategies practiced in their places of origin.

Most of the events will be hosted in the West Kowloon Cultural District, with others taking place in cultural venues such as the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts and the Asia Society Hong Kong Center.

Following the expo, representatives from international troupes will have the opportunity to visit Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province for discussions with local performing arts organizations.

Winsome Chow, chief executive of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, said that the expo had adopted the letter "X" as a symbol to signify its desires to "explore", "experience", "express", "exhibit" and "exchange" that lie at the heart of its mission.

"'X' represents intersecting for people and cultures from different regions, where they converge, explore opportunities to collaborate and exchange creative ideas," Chow said.

Xu Haijun, chairman of China Cultural Media Group, said that the group has been involved in the expo's organization, particularly through planning expo events taking place on the Chinese mainland.

The performing arts organizations invited to the promotional event included the China National Opera House, the Chongqing Performance Arts Group, the Tianjin North Performing Arts Group and the Beijing-based comedy production company Mahua FunAge.

"During HKPAX, we will organize a performing arts networking session to fully showcase the achievements of the sector on the Chinese mainland, as well as arrange meetings with representatives from overseas performing arts organizations and agencies to help Chinese performing arts groups to tap international markets," Xu said.