GOING ahead with the second Business Travel Expo (BTE), held in Hong Kong from March 25 to 26, was a bold move given SARS was deterring people from gathering in large numbers in Hong Kong.

Raffles International director global sales Hong Kong, Mr Holmon Fong, said: “The number of buyers was certainly lower although we managed to make a few new contacts. It's a place where we expect to network, not do actual business.”

Langham Place Hotel director sales and marketing, Mr Jorgen Christensen, added: “While it was worthwhile attending it was not as big as I thought it would be and I think some people didn't show up who originally intended to.”

The organiser, UK-based Centaur Exhibitions, while admitting to a few problems, remained upbeat about the prospects for the show.

Event director, Mr Paul Robin, said: “The long-term strategy is to grow the show slowly. It's a small show but the underlying trend in the industry is growth and BTE will increase with it.”

Mr Robin added the format of future shows would remain much the same with visitors free to visit booths with no appointments.