Hong Kong is always a party town. The IMF/World Bank meeting can only add to its renown as the city that never stays sober. Delegates will be faced with over eight cocktail parties on Monday 22 September and at least 10 the next day. But which are the ones to be seen at?
The fun starts with Sunday's Euroclear bash - always favoured for its lavish food. Next stop will be the Goldman Sachs gathering in Hong Kong socialite David Tang's China Club, an excellent venue with its eclectic art collection and old Shanghai ambience. Monday's highlight is the Citicorp party in an air-conditioned marquee in the Hong Kong Park just outside the Tea Museum. Since most parties are in faceless hotel function-rooms this will be a little out of the ordinary and promises to be rather civilized. The competing soiree for the Arab Banking Corp in the Bankers Club might be just a little too civilized. Delegates at its party in Washington last year report that a wide choice of drinks was on offer: 12 different varieties of mineral water.
The problem will be getting cabs. The parties are spread over the Wanchai area, Central and beyond, and even getting between parties in close proximity could prove a 20-minute exercise for those who don't have drivers.