XN000022-1986-07-23 — Page 46

44

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986

JUL 85 TO

JUL 84 TO

INCREASE

JUN 86

JUN 85

LAST 12 MONTHS

HK$ MN.

HK$ MN.

HK$ MN.

6

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

134 848

135 703

-855 -0.6

RE-EXPORTS

105 661

98 916

6 745

6.8

TOTAL EXPORTS

240 509

234 619

5 890

2.5

IMPORTS

241 982

230 588

11 394

4.9

TRADE BALANCE

-1 473

4 031

-5 504

BUSINESS COMMUNITY ENCOURAGED TO SUPPORT ARTS

*****

PLANS ARE BEING LAID FOR ESTABLISHING AN ARTS SPONSORSHIP AWARD BY THE COUNCIL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, AIMED AT ENCOURAGING BUSINESS SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS IN HONG KONG.

THIS WAS DISCLOSED YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL, MR ALEX WU, IN A SPEECH TO THE 1986 WORLD CONFERENCE ON ARTS, POLITICS AND BUSINESS CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN VANCOUVER, CANADA.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE FOUR-DAY CONFERENCE, ON THE VALUE OF THE ARTS FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, MR WU SAID THAT SPONSORSHIP OF THE ARTS PROVIDED A PRESTIGIOUS METHOD OF PROMOTING A COMPANY'S PRODUCTS AND ITS CORPORATE IMAGE.

+ IT IS ALSO AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF TARGETTING PUBLICITY AT A SPECIFIC MARKET SECTOR, HE SAID.

MR WU SAID THAT SPONSORSHIP OF THE ARTS SHOULD BE REGARDED AS AN EXTENSION OF A COMPANY'S MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ACTIVITIES, AND AS A CRUCIAL PART OF THAT EFFORT.

+ IT IS ENCOURAGING INDEED TO SEE THAT, BOTH IN THE BUSINESS AND ARTS COMMUNITIES, THERE IS A GROWING RECOGNITION OF THE COMMERCIAL VALUE OF SPONSORSHIP OF THE ARTS,+ HE SAID, THOUGH +A GREAT DEAL MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE.+

HE TOLD THE CONFERENCE THAT THE BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP AND PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS WAS FORMULATING PROPOSALS TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP AND TO ASSIST LOCAL PERFORMING GROUPS IN RAISING ADDITIONAL FUNDS.