To become a mega-events city, Hong Kong needs more than just the venues to host these events. We need people who know how to operate them and a government that facilitates these events.
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Officials seem to think that we are all set after the completion of Kai Tak Sports Park and the 50,000-seat stadium. Well, we’re not quite there yet.
The opening ceremony for the stadium went well enough, except for touts who got people into the venue through the back door without a valid ticket. These people didn’t go through security checks, either. This serious breach prompted an investigation and raised questions over whether the management is up to running a venue of this scale.
Then came the World Grand Prix, where Hong Kong snooker fans were kicked out while a match was in progress because of a curfew imposed by the venue. The Kai Tak Arena made an announcement citing “local curfew rules in place for the venue”. The incident, which made headlines around the world, could have been avoided.
Basically, it came down to a communications breakdown as messages were not passed to the right people. That means it was a low-level error for which the city paid a high price. The incident was not only embarrassing, it also called into question the competence of the government and the venue management – with the doubts broadcast to the rest of the world.
The issue of an 11pm closing time for some public spaces came up in January. Lawmaker Yim Kwong raised the question, noting its potential to deter mega-events and asking whether authorities had reviewed the restrictions on opening hours for sports and performing arts or made flexible arrangements at the request of event organisers.
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