By Jason Fong, Global Head of Family Office at InvestHK
March has been a truly exceptional month, once again cementing Hong Kong's unrivalled position as an international hub. This month has become a definitive highlight on the calendar—a time when families, investors, artists, and visionaries gather to witness the vitality of our city across finance, culture, and beyond to the international stage.
There is a unique energy to the city during our "Mega Event March." A heavyweight lineup of flagship activities took place one after another, driving a remarkable performance in visitor numbers. By 27 March, total visitor arrivals for the year had already surpassed 13.7 million. These figures represent more than just footfall; they reflect the world's unwavering attention on Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is undoubtedly the focal point for international capital, culture, and ideas, with multiple heavyweight events taking centre stage. Art Basel Hong Kong brought together 240 galleries from 41 countries and regions. Over five days, it drew 91,500 visitors, creating a vibrant atmosphere and generating sustained sales for galleries and institutions. Alongside this, a diverse tapestry of sporting, artistic, and trend-setting events—including LIV Golf, Art Central, and ComplexCon, allowed international visitors to immerse themselves in our dynamic and unique cultural landscape.
The financial sector witnessed a similarly dense concentration of global wisdom. Within a single month, we hosted a series of high-level gatherings, including the Wealth for Good in Hong Kong (WGHK) Summit, the Bloomberg Family Office Summit, and the Milken Institute Global Investors' Symposium.
At the heart of our efforts was the fourth WGHK Summit, which drew to a successful close on 24 March. Under the theme "Building Lasting Legacies," the summit gathered over 400 influential top global family office decision-makers, next-generation successors, industry leaders and pioneers. Our dialogues moved beyond the simple foundations of wealth management to dive deep into intergenerational wealth planning, family governance, brand building, and how cutting-edge technology will co-create the future.
The highlight of this year's summit was undoubtedly the depth of conversation among the participants. We were thrilled to see the highly positive feedback from attending families and representatives, many of whom lingered to continue their discussions. Guests reflected that the Summit left a profound impression on them, noting that the uniquely "Hong Kong" design elements were eye-catching, and the speakers' insightful sharing was immensely beneficial. The WGHK Summit served as a powerful catalyst, fostering connections among families from around the world, advancing their understanding of Hong Kong, and providing a solid foundation for their long-term visions.
This summit has served not only as a platform for dialogue but also as a global window, bringing more international families to Hong Kong to gain first‑hand, meaningful insight into the city. For example, during my visit to Europe last year I cultivated relationships with several European families—planting the seed for future collaboration—and now multiple European family leaders have flown to Hong Kong to take part in our WGHK Summit, engaging with us in deeper conversations. The rise in two‑way engagement is a particularly welcome development: it signals that global families are no longer content with remote familiarity but are prepared to cross oceans to be present and participate directly. This, to me, encapsulates the appeal of WGHK—it attracts families from around the world to come to Hong Kong, to co‑create a promising future with the city, and to reaffirm Hong Kong’s irreplaceable magnetism as an international family‑office hub.
Notably, even amid geopolitical uncertainty, one family office from the Middle East arrived in Hong Kong early in order to join the event.
One of the most rewarding sights was seeing many WGHK guests from Asia, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Oceania, and Africa—family decision-makers, next-gen heirs, and industry pioneers, actively participating in other events across Hong Kong, such as Art Basel. Many of them have begun to explore Hong Kong's family office ecosystem. Their presence is not only a vote of confidence in Hong Kong, but also reflects their desire to join this vibrant city where opportunity and innovation intersect.
As we look back on this spectacular month, Hong Kong has demonstrated a profound convergence of talent, culture, and ideas. From its deep historical roots to the latest cutting-edge innovations, the city has captured global attention, creating a far-reaching impact for both Hong Kong and the world. Building on the energy accumulated from these events, we look forward to witnessing the continuous deepening of relationships across various international sectors, bringing even more possibilities for the future.
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