Successful first edition underscores Hong Kong's importance as Asia's cross‑industry IP trend‑culture hub

CON-CON^® to return in 2027 and expands overseas for the first time tentative to Thailand

HONG KONG, April 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fully invested by Medialink Group Limited (Hong Kong Stock Code: 2230.HK) and all‑out orchestrated by its wholly owned subsidiary CON-CON (HK) Limited, CON-CON^® HONG KONG 2026 — Hong Kong's first homegrown flagship Asian cross‑industry IP trend and pop culture mega‑event, led by Hong Kong and rooted in the city's cultural DNA — concluded successfully on 4–5 April 2026 at AsiaWorld‑Expo, Hong Kong. Over two days, the event generated strong momentum and widespread buzz across IP, trend culture, pop culture, designer toys, music, anime and entertainment, attracting enthusiastic participation and positive recognition from brands, partners, creators and industry professionals. As the first flagship IP cultural event pioneered and driven by Hong Kong, CON-CON^® HONG KONG underscores the city's role as an originator, creator and cultural tastemaker in Asia's cross‑industry IP and trend‑culture landscape and further demonstrates Hong Kong's strategic value as a platform that enables meaningful connections through IP across regions and sectors.

The opening ceremony on 4 April was led by Guest of Honour Dr. Bernard Chan Pak-li, JP, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR, and officiated by distinguished guests including Ms. Lovinia Chiu, Founder, Chairwoman of the Board and CEO of Medialink Group Limited; Ms. Enid Low, Chief Strategy Officer of AsiaWorld‑Expo Management Limited; and VIP guests Mr. Andy Lam Siu-hong, JP, Deputy Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR, and Mr. David Wong Fuk-loi, JP, Director of Intellectual Property of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR. Celebrity guest Mr. Philip Ng, renowned Hong Kong actor, also attended in support.

Dr. Bernard Chan Pak-li, JP, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR said, "Congratulations to Medialink Group on the successful planning and delivery of this Asia‑wide cross‑industry IP trend‑culture event. Through a series of IP cultural activities, the music festival and the Blackbox Theatre, the event brought together cross‑sector collaboration experiences spanning designer toys, music, art, animation, games, fashion, sports and food, enabling creators, industry professionals and on-site audiences to experience the latest pulse of Asian pop culture. The HKSAR Government will continue to promote the development of local IP and enhance Hong Kong's IP regime, ensuring it remains up to date, aligned with international trends and responsive to Hong Kong's economic needs. This includes implementing the Copyright (Amendment) Ordinance 2022, which strengthens copyright protection in the digital environment, and conducting a comprehensive review of the local registered designs system, to encourage the sustained growth of Hong Kong's cultural and creative industries and drive related value chains across different sectors. We will also actively support cultural IP initiatives, helping applicants pursue IP protection for creative products, develop IP agreements, and manage IP portfolios, to assist creators in unlocking business opportunities. The HKSAR Government will continue to adopt innovative thinking and leverage Hong Kong's strengths in technology, animation, performing arts, and film and television culture to support IP creation, development and collaborations, attracting more members of the public, visitors and potential partners from around the world to experience Hong Kong's unique cultural essence. We also encourage industries such as catering, retail and tourism to make full use of IP projects to identify business opportunities and promote broader economic multiplier effects."

In her welcome remarks, Ms. Lovinia Chiu, Founder, Chairwoman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Medialink Group Limited said, "As the Founder, Chairwoman and CEO of Medialink Group—and as the 'Mother of CON-CON'—today is deeply meaningful to me. This is Medialink Group's first large-scale mega-event, and CON-CON^® is a Mega-Event IP born in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has always been a vital regional hub. We have a unique geographic advantage, an international outlook, and deep-rooted foundations for cultural and business exchange. In the IP sector, Hong Kong also has clear strengths as a regional intellectual property trading hub. The launch of CON-CON^® is precisely about further transforming these advantages into a cultural Mega-Event IP that truly belongs to Hong Kong and sets off from Hong Kong."

Ms. Chiu added, "One aspect of this edition makes me particularly proud: out of 85 exhibitors, 63 were Hong Kong local brands. This number is especially meaningful because CON-CON^® is not merely a venue for showcasing IP content—it is also a platform for Hong Kong's next-generation brands and creators to be seen, recognised and supported. Through this platform, I hope more people will discover Hong Kong's creative energy, while also creating opportunities for local brands to set off from Hong Kong and expand across Asian markets. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to every visitor. We hope everyone found their own inspiration and opportunities at CON-CON^®, and that they will join us in witnessing a new milestone as Hong Kong's IP culture moves onto the world stage."

Ms. Chiu continued, "Building on the strong results achieved by the inaugural CON-CON^® and the positive response from all sectors, the Group hereby officially announces that CON-CON^® will continue next year, further strengthening its positioning as a Hong Kong‑original Mega‑Event IP, and testifying that Hong Kong can and will be the regional IP trading centre as the envisioned in China's 14^th and 15^th five years plan. At the same time, the Group will actively advance CON-CON^®'s regional development strategy, tentatively expanding to Thailand as the first overseas tour destination. This will extend Hong Kong's mega‑event model to more markets across Asia, further enhancing CON-CON^®'s brand influence and regional reach, and progressively realising CON-CON^®'s long‑term vision, starting from Hong Kong, connecting Asia, and going global."

CON-CON^® HONG KONG 2026 delivered a content‑rich programme, bringing together multiple highly anticipated Asian IP highlights and cross‑industry experiences. Centred on IP as its core language, the event brought together immersive IP experiences, a music festival, a Public Stage, public appearances by Asian super idols, cosers and VTubers, Blackbox Theatre Asian creators dialogues, and a marketplace featuring more than 80 major brands, exclusive and limited‑edition merchandise, entertainment, and food and beverage offerings, and more — all integrated into a sustainably operated "Mega‑Event IP." Collectively, these elements showcased the new value and significant development potential created when IP converges with technology, content, retail, live performance and community culture.

Across the two days, the event sustained strong momentum, with consistently high footfall across the exhibition zones, stage programmes, brand activation areas and the music festival—underscoring clear market appetite for a high-quality IP cultural mega‑event with a distinctive original positioning and an Asia‑wide outlook. CON-CON^® not only successfully energised local audiences and spending but also delivered meaningful value for participating brands by driving visibility, enabling commercial partnerships and facilitating cross-industry exchange, further validating CON-CON^®'s business model and long-term value as a sustainably operated "Mega‑Event IP."

CON-CON® is also open to the public, especially the younger generation, offering opportunities to experience the power of IP through direct participation and immersive engagement. Through an "edutainment" approach, the event seeks to deepen public understanding of the cultural industries and demonstrate that cultural creativity is not merely a hobby or short-term trend, but a viable long-term professional pathway.

"CON-CON^®" stands for "Convention for Connection." More than a showcase of IP, the platform is designed to create meaningful connections among IPs and creators, brands and audiences, performers and fans, and wider industry resources. Through the Blackbox Theatre Asian creator sharing sessions and dialogues, CON-CON^® convened leading voices from across the creative and entertainment sectors to explore IP creation thinking, development pathways and cultural value, deepening industry exchange and cross-sector dialogue. By bringing together immersive experiences, content curation, stage performances, creator engagement, marketplace retail and community interaction within a single shared space, CON-CON^® is building a cross-industry cultural platform with sustainable growth potential—pioneering a new Mega‑Event IP model that is born in Hong Kong, connects Asia, and is designed to scale internationally.

The successful conclusion of the inaugural CON-CON^® HONG KONG 2026 marks an important milestone for Medialink Group in advancing an Asia‑wide, cross‑industry IP and trend‑culture landscape. Looking ahead, Medialink Group will continue to leverage its strengths as a cross‑industry IP "super connector" in Asia, further strengthening high‑efficiency linkages among content, brands, creators and markets. The Group remains committed to continuously enhancing CON-CON^®'s cultural influence, commercial value and international visibility, while opening up broader development opportunities for Hong Kong's, and Asia's cultural industries.

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About CON-CON^® HONG KONG

CON-CON^® HONG KONG 2026 is solely invested by Medialink Group Limited and fully conceived and organized by its wholly owned subsidiary, CON-CON (HK) Limited. It is the first mega IP flagship festival in Hong Kong created for a global audience. "CON-CON" stands for Convention for Connection and is designed as a cross-sector platform with intellectual property ("IP") at its core, fostering collaboration and cultural exchange.

Originating in Hong Kong, CON-CON^® HONG KONG 2026 is the first flagship IP cultural event led and driven by the city, underscoring Hong Kong's role as an originator, creator and cultural tastemaker in Asia's cross-industry IP and trend-culture landscape. In a groundbreaking format, CON-CON^® brings together immersive experiences, a music festival, the Public Stage, public appearances by Asian super idols, cosers and VTubers, Blackbox Theatre creator dialogues, a marketplace featuring more than 80 major brands, exclusive limited-edition merchandise, entertainment, food and beverage offerings, and more — all connected through IP and integrated into a new "Mega-Event IP." Visitors are invited to spark new possibilities in their own way and create their own unique chemistry at the event.

Launching from Hong Kong as its first stop, CON-CON^® points toward a sustainable and extensible future for IP culture. CON-CON^® HONG KONG 2026 is planned as an annual mega-event, beginning in Hong Kong and gradually expanding into other parts of Asia, with the aim of promoting IP, pop culture, ACG culture, and cross-industry collaborations between well-known IPs and brands. The event will take place on April 4–5, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday) at AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong International Airport.

CON-CON^®: https://www.con-con.asia/
CON-CON^® on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conconhk2026
CON-CON^® on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conconhk2026
CON-CON^® on Xiaohongshu: 搜尋「CON-CON HK」
CON-CON^® on WeChat: [CON-CON HK]

About Medialink Group Limited

Medialink Group Limited (Stock Code: 2230.HK) is a leading intellectual property (IP) management company headquartered in Hong Kong, with business in Greater China, Japan and Southeast Asia, actively promoting cultural exchanges through its IP, bring high-quality entertainment to the whole of Asia.

Founded in 1994, its business mainly focuses on content distribution and brand licensing, and is also involved in content production, distribution arrangements and animation product development. The Group invests and cooperates closely with media content licensors to distribute media content related to animation, variety shows, TV dramas, animated and live-action movies. At the same time, it also obtains copyright licensing from various brand licensors in the Asia-Pacific region, including merchandising rights and location-based entertainment rights and promotion rights.

The Group has its own animation brand, its various Ani-One^® YouTube channels (including Ani-One^® Asia which is Asia-focused, Ani-One^® 中文官方頻道 which is run in Chinese, and other South East Asia channels – Ani-One^® Thailand, Ani-One^® Philippines, Ani-One^® Vietnam, Ani-One^® Indonesia and Ani-One^® India) have more than 10 million subscribers and more than 2.4 billion views. In addition, the Group also owns two channels broadcasting Asia-produced animations, Ani-Mi^®, and the e-commerce platform Ani-Mall^®, selling animation products and exclusive anime boutique items.

This press release is distributed by Above The Line PR on behalf of CON-CON (HK) Limited.