50,000 Spectators Expected at AsiaWorld-Expo, Showcasing Hong Kong's Strength as an International Sports Hub
HONG KONG, July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kerry Fencing World Championships 2026 Hong Kong, China, jointly organised by the Fencing Association of Hong Kong, China (FAHKC) and the International Fencing Federation (FIE), will take place at AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) from 22 to 30 July 2026. Featuring a brand-new venue configuration, AWE will be transformed into a world-class competition arena, marking a significant milestone in Hong Kong's development as a destination for major international sporting events.
The Championships will welcome more than 1,000 elite fencers from around the world competing in men's and women's individual and team events across the three disciplines of foil, épée and sabre. The event has been awarded "M" Mark status by the Major Sports Events Committee and is expected to attract more than 50,000 spectators over the nine-day competition period.
Cities wishing to host the Fencing World Championships have to undergo a competitive bidding process, with hosts selected by over 100 international delegates at the FIE Congress. Hong Kong successfully secured the hosting rights for the 2026 Championships in November 2023. This marks the first time Hong Kong has hosted the Fencing World Championships and demonstrates the international sporting community's confidence in the city's capability to stage major global events.
The organisers believe Hong Kong is exceptionally well placed to host the Championships. For instance, AWE offers ample venue capacity, with all halls featuring pillar-free designs that provide flexible and spacious environments capable of meeting the diverse requirements of competition, spectator experience and event operations.
Two Years in Preparation to Create a World-Class Fencing Stage
From initial planning to the opening of the Championships, the organisers and AWE team have spent nearly two years preparing for the event. In response to the scale of the Championships, AWE has introduced a dual-venue configuration for fencing for the first time, enabling a more efficient and seamless competition schedule.
AsiaWorld-Arena will serve as the main competition venue, featuring nine finals pistes and dedicated spectator seating areas designed to bring fans closer to the action. AsiaWorld-Summit will function as the secondary venue, accommodating preliminary rounds and training with 50 pistes. The two venues are located adjacent to each other, allowing athletes, coaches and spectators to move between them swiftly.
The main arena layout makes innovative use of AWE's retractable seating system, creating a crescent-shaped spectator stand while freeing up space for the command centre, athlete call rooms, event offices and other operational facilities. Equipment inspection, medical testing and event logistics facilities have also been integrated to establish a comprehensive and efficient operating model for an international sporting event.
Airport Gateway Advantage Enhances Accessibility for International Athletes
Situated next to Hong Kong International Airport, AWE offers unrivalled connectivity, providing exceptional convenience for athletes travelling from around the globe and improving the efficiency of transporting sporting equipment. The venue is surrounded by comprehensive accommodation and dining options, enabling athletes to enjoy a seamless experience from arrival to competition and focus fully on their practices.
AWE - A Home of Triumph for Hong Kong Fencing
For many years, AsiaWorld-Expo has served as a key home venue for fencing in Hong Kong. Over the past decade, it has hosted 24 major competitions, including the Asian Fencing Championships, the FIE Foil World Cup Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Open Fencing Championships. Next year, it will also host the biennial Para Fencing World Championships.
At the local level, the venue has staged numerous events such as the All Primary School Fencing Competition, the Junior Open Fencing Championships and the Asian Veterans Fencing Championships, helping to foster a comprehensive fencing ecosystem in Hong Kong.
AWE has become a "fortunate venue" for Hong Kong's fencing team. At major international and Asian competitions held at AWE, Hong Kong athletes have won a total of over 90 medals, including 22 gold, 18 silver and 51 bronze medals, reflecting the team's steady rise on the global stage.
AWE is set to become the centre of the international fencing world once again and has the potential to mark another milestone in Hong Kong fencing history. With the support and cheering of home spectators, the Hong Kong team will be aiming to achieve further success on home soil.
Download hi-res photos: https://www2.asiaworld-expo.com/2026/PressRelease/Fencing.zip
(Photos are from the past fencing competitions held at AWE, for reference only)
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Hong Kong to Host the Fencing World Championships for the First Time
SEOUL, South Korea, July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hospitality Asia Event Series successfully marked its highly anticipated expansion into East Asia with the conclusion of the inaugural Hospitality South Korea Conference (#HSKC2026). Held at the prestigious Sofitel Ambassador Seoul Hotel & Serviced Residences, the premier leadership summit brought together the region's critical Power Triangle: senior executives, institutional investors, and hospitality developers for a high-intensity, one-day roadmap navigating South Korea's fast-evolving hospitality landscape.
The debut event established an elite footprint for the market, drawing a specialized crowd of 158 total attendees representing 104 distinct leading companies. Backed by a strong contingent of 37 event sponsors and partners, the conference served as a powerful networking and commercial showcase, facilitating high-level matchmaking and pre-scheduled business meetings in the dedicated Match & Meet Area.
A Deep Dive into Strategy, Yield, and Market Potential
Across a dense educational agenda, 36 expert speakers took the stage to dissect South Korea's rapid industry shifts, real estate economics, and global capital influx. The conference provided 360-degree market intelligence spread across four meticulously curated tracks: The Macro Stage, The Yield & Ops Block, The Execution Stage, and The Future Frontier.
Key panels and solo briefings confronted the industry's most pressing topics, including the intense institutional investment environment, asset alpha strategies via branded residences, office-to-hotel spatial conversions, design ROI, and navigating the regional workforce crisis.
Collaborative Synergy Between Hospitality Experts
The conference's uniquely focused business environment drew widespread praise from international partners looking to establish local roots. Reflecting on the value of the summit's layout, Mark Zwerner, VP Strategic Partnership/Business Development ABB stated, "We are very pleased to be a part of the first HSKC because we believe in that interesting format that brings together all the main players in the hospitality market. For us especially, we're very excited to meet potential customers and be able to show off our portfolio here and have a 1-on-1 conversation with customers." He added that "there's also an interesting panel, session, speech where you can take a lot of takeaways from development, industries, and information you can gather from this event. It's a very interesting event."
This sentiment of commercial productivity was echoed by Sunny Mu, STR CoStar Sales Manager for North Asia, who emphasized the importance of high-touch client engagement. "First of all, I am always excited to join Hospitality Asia events. My main purpose here is mainly about meeting people, meeting my contact, prospect in person," Mu explained. "By far I've met many potential clients and also existing clients. I also book several meetings to do product demos. It was very productive for me. The content of the event is quite good and very intense."
From a local and operational perspective, Kevin Lee, General Manager of Mercure Seoul Magok highlighted how the conference successfully united the entire ecosystem in one room. "I think the biggest advantage is that many people in the hotel industry, from business development to management personnel who must increase revenue and profitability in the field, as well as those involved in operations who contemplate service quality and development, can come together in one place to share experiences," Lee observed. "Furthermore, it seems to be the biggest advantage that they can meet various opportunities to apply different things in the future, enhance productivity and efficiency through advancement, and comply with ESG management. In the future, I hope that more international events will be held in Korea, providing more opportunities to discuss and exchange opinions in depth, even if the events are small."
The event also served as a critical gateway for global expansion and foreign market entry. Sharing her experience as an international delegate, Honoka Serizawa, Jtas Business Division/Global Strategy Office from EDEYANS Inc. remarked, "I'm interested in the session that talks about the overview and outline of the Korean hospitality market because I'm Japanese and I'm not familiar with the Korean market." Looking ahead, she concluded, "Today I learned a lot and I think the Korean hospitality market has a lot of potential to grow so I'm really excited to jump into the market and try to expand our business globally."
Following this successful inaugural launch, the Hospitality Asia Event Series looks forward to establishing HSKC as a permanent, anchor fixture within its portfolio of flagship regional conferences, which span key travel hubs across Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Japan.
Stay connected with us on social media for updates on our ongoing 2026 program, speaker lineup, and partnership opportunities.
For more information, visit: https://hospitality-southkorea.com/
PR Newswire is the Media Partner of the Inaugural Hospitality South Korea Conference (#HSKC2026).
About Hospitality Asia
The Hospitality Asia Event Series is a leading platform for senior leaders across the region's hospitality and tourism sectors. It is known for bringing together key decision-makers and industry innovators while creating strong opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, and strategic collaboration.
The series features seven flagship events across Asia, including the Hospitality Indonesia Conference (HIC), the Hospitality Vietnam Conference (HVC), the Hospitality Thailand Conference (HTC), the Hospitality South Korea Conference (HSKC), the Hospitality Malaysia Conference (HMC), the Hospitality Philippines Conference (HPC) and the Hospitality Japan Conference (HJC). These events attract a high-level and diverse audience from across the region.
Hospitality Asia is distinguished by its balanced engagement of both C-level executives and senior professionals such as Vice Presidents, General Managers and Directors who manage contracts, negotiations and daily operations. Supported by regional advisors who provide real-time market insights, the content focuses on practical strategies that enable participants to drive business growth.
The series is guided by four summits that represent the main drivers of industry success. These include the Hotel Investment Summit Asia #HISA, the Hotel Design Summit Asia #HDSA, the Hotel Revenue Summit Asia #HRSA and the Travel Byte Summit Asia #TBSA. Each summit is delivered with a localized approach to ensure relevance and meaningful engagement with the region's most important opportunities.
To learn more about Hospitality Asia, please visit our website at www.hospitality-asia.com.
Contact:
Hospitality Asia Media
Ifnur
ifnur@hospitality-asia.com
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Inaugural Hospitality South Korea Conference (#HSKC2026) Concludes Successfully in Seoul, Unlocking the Future of the Domestic Travel Market
