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Monetary Fund, the World Trade Centers Association General Assembly, the 14th Asia Pacific Cancer Conference and 4th Hong Kong International Cancer Congress, the 6th World Economic Development Congress and Alimentary Disease Week Hong Kong 1997.
All upcoming conferences and exhibitions are listed in a calendar available in print and on the Wonder Net website. Major events scheduled to be held include: in 1998, the 11th Rehabilitation International Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference-cum- Campaign '97 for Asia and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons 1993-2002, the International Union of Public Transport Regional Conference and Exhibition, the 1st International Conference on Application of Psychology to the Quality or Learning and Teaching and the 20th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society; in 1999, the International General Meetings of the Pacific Basin Economic Council and the 14th World Congress of Sexology; in 2000, the 11th Asian Pacific Congress of Gastroenterology and 8th Asian Pacific Congress of Digestive Endoscopy, the Society of Travel Incentive Executives International Conference, and the International Conference on School Effectiveness and Improvement. The 12th World Productivity Congress will be held in Hong Kong in 2001, the World Congress of Accountants in 2002, the International Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology Society World Symposium in 2003, and the Asia Pacific Dental Congress in 2004.
The HKTA continued to strengthen efforts to promote Hong Kong as the venue for international conference and incentive travel. The Hong Kong Convention Ambassador Programme, launched in 1994, now has some 800 top business leaders, professionals and academics from a wide variety of fields. They are committed to developing Hong Kong's status as a venue for international meetings, conventions and incentive events, and work closely with the HKTA to spread the Hong Kong message to overseas counterparts and business associates.
In July 1997, the HKTA hosted the International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaux Annual Convention. Some 200 leaders of convention and visitors bureaux around the world experienced Hong Kong's many advantages as an international meeting destination, and exchanged ideas on the development of the global meetings industry.
A Hong Kong delegation attended a number of international trade shows, including the European Incentive and Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition in Geneva, the Incentive Travel and Meetings Executives Show in Chicago and the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo in Melbourne. Participation by members of the Hong Kong travel industry in such events continued to grow.
The HKTA offered assistance to individuals and groups with on-site inspections and educational visits. Among the most important was the biennial Incentive Travel Workshop in April 1997, attended by more than 120 major incentive travel agents from around the world. Special programmes and itineraries were developed for participants to enable them to experience the advantages of Hong Kong as a top incentive travel destination.
In anticipation of the growing use of hi-tech software throughout the travel industry, the HKTA is currently developing a CD-ROM to assist incentive and corporate meeting organisers to plan their programmes in Hong Kong. Relevant information is also available on the Wonder Net.