Opening Day:
Wednesday 14th May
3pm-6pm	Preview (Invitation Only)
6pm-9pm	Vermissage (By invitation or pre-booked tickets only)
General Opening:
Thursday 15th May	11am ¡§C 7pm
Friday 16th May	11am - 7pm
Saturday 17th May	11am - 7pm
Sunday 18th May	11am - 5pm

The inaugural ART HK 08 is the first truly international art fair to be staged in Hong Kong in over a decade. With over 100 top galleries from across the globe, ART HK 08 is the only fair in Asia to present the very best in both Modern and Contemporary Art. It will introduce Asian collectors to blue-chip and emerging artists from the West, as well as showcasing new art from Asia and around the world to a global audience.

A well organised art fair in an internationally recognised venue is a key way for galleries to develop new contacts, and with the right promotion this is a proven way of developing new audiences and new business. Building interest within business and cultural communities, locally, regionally and internationally, is at the core of our strategy.

Hong Kong is one of the most advantageous destinations to stage an international art fair in Asia as there are no duties or taxes imposed on the import or export of art.

The Asia-Pacific region provides galleries with a huge wealth base as it contains 27.1% of the global high net worth individual wealth (Asia Pacific Wealth Report 2006 ¡§C Cap Gemini/Merrill Lynch). There is huge potential within Hong Kong itself to develop the art market. Hong Kong¡¯s 7 million population includes 88,000 high net worth individuals. We aim to nurture a great number of this demographic into becoming art collectors through a comprehensive education and VIP programme.

Hong Kong is now the third largest art market in the world by auction sales. Asian Collectors have had an established collecting presence in the international art market for some time but new wealth generated in the region is leading to increasing demand for international blue-chip Modern and Contemporary work driven by interest from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Galleries in both Hong Kong and mainland China are reporting increased sales to Asian collectors, whose interest has been stimulated by the investment potential of the international art market. The market for Contemporary Asian Art is strong and, contrary to popular belief, buyers from the region are playing an increasingly important role in developing this market - 76 % of the buyers in the April sale of Chinese Contemporary Art at Sotheby¡¯s Hong Kong were from Asia.

Hong Kong¡¯s location at the centre of Asia provides ease of access to visitors from all over the continent. In particular, its special political status means that Hong Kong is convenient for visitors from Taiwan who are a key collector group, with direct flights taking just over 1½ hours. Direct flights are currently not permitted between Taiwan and mainland China and journey times to Beijing and Shanghai take between 6 and 7 hours with a stop-over in Hong Kong. Approximate journey times to Hong Kong from other locations are as follows: Sydney 9 hrs, Delhi 5½ hrs, Tokyo 4½ hrs, Beijing, Singapore and Seoul 3½ hrs, Bangkok and Shanghai 2½ hrs.