The International Talent Forum, centerpiece of the upgraded Global Talent Summit Week (GTS Week) beginning March 17, is expected to draw at least 7,000 in-person attendees and around 130,000 viewers via live stream.
The GTS Week will send a clear signal to the world that Hong Kong is the hub for talent and a stage where international talent can showcase their abilities and potential, said Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on Monday at the press conference.
The flagship events of the Week – the International Talent Forum and the CareerConnect Expo – will be held on March 18 and 19. Nine satellite events will also be running in the week, including job fairs and regional conferences.
Sun said Hong Kong has attracted more than 270,000 talents from around the world for settlement and work as of the end of January, about 40 percent of them arrived under the Top Talent Pass Scheme.
He noted that the government’s talent attraction and retention measures introduced over the past three years have achieved encouraging results. Hong Kong has drawn many senior executives from finance, trade, shipping, and innovation and technology sectors, which he believes helped the city top Asia in the IMD World Talent Ranking 2025.
As this year marks the start of the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan, Sun said Hong Kong will further integrate into the nation’s development and accelerate the building of a world-class talent pool.
Meanwhile, Jeff Tang, partner and market development leader of Ernst & Young Advisory Services, expressed hope that the International Talent Forum could foster cross-sector exchanges amid the fast-changing talent development trends.
He urged employers to showcase Hong Kong’s lifestyle and career advantages to attract overseas and mainland talent and their families.
Tony Zhou, account delivery director at DayOne Data Centre, came to Hong Kong from Shanghai two years ago under the Category B of the Top Talent Pass Scheme and initially did not speak Cantonese.
He said the scheme offers a convenient route for global talent to settle and helps their families access support.
He noted that Hong Kong’s focus on innovation and technology has broadened his horizons and connected him to vast mainland market opportunities.
GTS Week, organized by the Labour and Welfare Bureau and Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE), will be held from March 17 to 29 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
