Agencia de Nova reports: Businesspeople in the telecom industry from all over the world came to ITU TELECOM ASIA 2002, which was held in Hong Kong 2-7 December. Besides taking part in the Asia's largest occasion for trading business cards, they experienced our city's distinctive hospitality first-hand.

During the week, the 20,000 delegates investigated the future prospect of telecommunications, looked at the latest technologies, and had fun in Hong Kong. They had their mug-shots taken with multimedia mobile handsets, checked out the city's hot-spots listed in the HK Hospitality Kit, and enjoyed street performances in Stanley.

ITU TELECOM ASIA 2002 Stop Press

Apart from Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary-General of ITU; Mr. Wu Jichuan, Minister of Information & Industry for China, and Mr. Tung Chee-hwa, Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR, dozens more VIPs were present at ITU TELECOM ASIA 2002. Maybe you even brushed past some of them. Now; let's see if you are in some of the pictures!

Photo Gallery

While you were busy swapping business cards and pacing the exhibition halls with carrier-bags of brochures, young folks from all over Asia toured around Hong Kong—the City of Telecommunications—and met key figures of the telecom industry. The Hong Kong, China Secretariat issued each of the guys a mobile phone and a PDA featuring Blue Tooth technology.

What's worth noting, perhaps, is that some of them have never been in a cyber café, or even used a mobile phone. The few days of idea-exchange in the Youth Forum highlighted the "vacuum" between the ready availability of telecom in some Asian countries and its utter absence in others. Please take a look at the First Youth Forum Declaration -- their take on the "digital divide".

Youth Declaration

A visit to Hong Kong for ITU TELECOM ASIA 2002 may have let you experience for yourself the true meaning of "Asia Leading Change." Besides being an excellent base for ventures into the gigantic markets of China, Hong Kong has sound telecom, legal, and financial infrastructures that provide a fair and handy environment for rapid maneuvers that's imperative for doing business today. Peddle or no peddle, you can easily come up with another 100 reasons.

Hong Kong Means Business

If you have come to Hong Kong for the event, you would no doubt have got the contacts and information you wanted. However, if couldn't make it, please visit our portal site to check out the fantastic hospitality we worked so hard to extend to our visitors.

Nowhere else in the world does telecom grow faster in Hong Kong. There is more to discover in this city with every visit. Please do come again.

And a Happy and Safe X'mas from Nova, Yours Truly. Who knows? You just might see me again as a soft toy some day in your country!