In a dazzling closing ceremony at Sha Tin tonight, 8 May, the hugely successful 35th Asian Racing Conference (ARC), hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, concluded. Beginning with an opening ceremony and gala dinner on Monday, 5 May, the conference welcomed a record number of almost 800 delegates to four days of meetings, business sessions and other events, including an evening at Happy Valley racecourse to witness the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) Trophy race.

The 35th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) yesterday heard from eight major racing nations about how they are promoting their most prominent race days in a session titled “Big Events – Today and Tomorrow”. Experts presented the strategic marketing and corporate alliances that underpin the world’s great race meetings including the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, British Champions Day, The Championships in Australia, America’s Breeders’ Cup, the Singapore Gold Cup, Dubai World Cup and Arima Kinen.

Horseracing is leading the field when it comes to integrity and fighting corruption in almost all sports world-wide, but there is no room for complacency and, in an ever-changing technological landscape, international cooperation must be the way forward. That was the message from the 35th Asian Racing Conference this morning when a panel of experts delivered presentations in a plenary session titled: ‘Sport Integrity: racing as the frontrunner’.

The final morning of the 35th Asian Racing Conference, 8 May, opened appropriately in the Grand Hall of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, as delegates were treated to video presentations of many of the world’s great race meetings – under the banner: ‘Big Events – Today and Tomorrow’.

Bill Barich, lead writer for the HBO racing series Luck, and best-selling author Don Watson drew a rapt assembly of delegates to this afternoon’s plenary session, titled: ‘Connecting racing with popular culture’, at the 35th Asian Racing Conference, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The innovative customer engagement strategy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) took centre stage at the 35th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) yesterday. Richard Cheung, the Club’s Executive Director, Customer and Marketing, told delegates that the Club was utilising new technology within a clear strategy in order to meet customer expectations, and noted the fundamental principle that “the experience is key.”

The latest session of the 35th Asian Racing Conference this afternoon at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre informed delegates that Hong Kong horseracing is looking ahead with confidence as customer participation and turnover continue to grow, while in Japan, the JRA (Japan Racing Association) is innovating to offset the effects of a “greying society”.

Television industry leaders Joerg Heise and Gary Burns, keynote speakers at today’s ‘Cutting Edge Technology in Sports TV’ session at the Asian Racing Conference, entertained and informed a large audience with the latest innovations in sports broadcasting – some of which may potentially be applied to horse racing.

The second day of the 35th Asian Racing Conference commenced this morning (7 May) with Mr Richard Cheung, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Executive Director, Customer and Marketing, delivering a presentation detailing HKJC’s mould-breaking customer engagement.

Mimi Cunningham, Director of Human Resources and Sustainability at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Koji Katsumi, Head of Environmental Measures at the Japan Racing Association, explained to delegates at the 35th Asian Racing Conference in Hong Kong that conserving precious resources by a whole range of initiatives is already part of racecourses’ daily operations.

Mr Louis Romanet, Chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) reaffirmed his organisation's commitment to horse welfare and medication control today, May 6, at the session titled ‘Fair Competition and Drug Control’ at the 35th Asian Racing Conference in Hong Kong.

Matthew Cheung, Secretary for Labour and Welfare of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), delivered a keynote address at the 35th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) in which he emphasised the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC)’s “sterling contribution” to the Hong Kong community.

The 5th International Stewards’ Conference was conducted today, 5 May, at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong, in conjunction with the 35th Asian Racing Conference. Chaired by Mr. Kim Kelly, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Stipendiary Steward, the conference was attended by 71 delegates representing 28 racing jurisdictions.

On the eve of the 35th Asian Racing Conference, the outstanding reputation of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Racing Operations team resulted in an enormous turnout from across the world for the first ever Racecourse Operations Seminar today, held at Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong.

The 35th Asian Racing Conference held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre starts today, with an opening ceremony and gala dinner officiated by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Leung Chun-ying.