More than 3,000 buyers attended a houseware and gifts fair in Hong Kong yesterday, which organisers said was higher than expected in view of the Sars outbreak.
The four-day Hong Kong Houseware and Gifts and Premium Fair opened at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, after 90 per cent of exhibitors had withdrawn.
A total of 448 exhibitors attended, in stark contrast to last year's record 5,000 exhibitors and 80,000 buyers.
As a precautionary measure, all exhibitors and buyers had to undergo infrared temperature checks before entering.
Some exhibitors were worried that the reduced turnout might affect their orders while some buyers were unhappy that the size of the show had been scaled back.
Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, chairman of the organising committee, said the response was better than expected.
