New venue in Hong Kong should iron out its kinks
Kai Tak Stadium has won deserved acclaim for its debuts as Hong Kong's new prime venue for major sporting and entertainment events. Credit must be given for intensive preparations such as trial runs to identify problems that can arise around mega-events involving huge crowds.
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The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens and concerts by British group Coldplay and Cantopop star Nicholas Tse Ting-fung stress-tested the city's latest showpiece. It passed with flying colours, showcasing its ability to handle large-scale events seamlessly.
Moreover, it hosted a K-pop concert in the 10,000-seater Kai Tak Arena alongside one of Tse's concerts.
Ultimately, however, customer experience also determines whether it lives up to high expectations. In that respect it is good that complaints about blocked views are being addressed.
More than 230 complaints filed with the city's consumer watchdog after Coldplay's four shows at the 50,000-capacity stadium were followed by more after Tse's concerts.
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According to the Consumer Council, in one case involving HK$6,000 the complainant said that when buying four tickets, the system did not indicate that they were for seats with obstructed views, which only became apparent on receipt of printed tickets.
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