Reed announces new JV with Shanghai Forever Exhibition

Shanghai, 7th December: This week, Reed Exhibitions, a RELX Group company, announced a new joint venture with Shanghai Forever Exhibition. Although announced as new joint venture, this appears to be a Reed acquisition. Detailed terms of the deal were not published.

The new joint venture (JV), Reed Exhibitions Hengjin, will manage the Automotive Manufacturing Technology & Material Show (AMTS), a leading trade exhibition serving the automotive engineering sector in China. AMTS is co-located with Assembly & Handling Technology Exhibition (AHTE). The two shows occupied a gross exhibition area of about 100,000 m2 at the 2018 edition, attracting more than 77,000 professional trade visitors, according to Shanghai Forever.

HKTDC concludes SmartBiz Expo and Franchising Show

Hong Kong, 7th December: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) concluded its SmartBiz Expo and Hong Kong International Franchising Show running from 5th to 7th December at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). One of the main themes of the event was “Industry 4.0,” presenting the latest industry developments, technology applications and local case studies for the benefit of small- to medium-size enterprises (SMEs).

The SmartBiz Expo, now in second edition, showcased more than 520 exhibitors from about 40 countries and regions, offering business solutions and innovative business services. The fourth Franchising Show featured over 130 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions, showcasing franchising opportunities in various industries across four key zones.

CPhI & P-MEC India opens at new location

New Delhi, 12th December: Earlier this week, UBM India, a UBM plc company, opened its CPhI & P-MEC India. This was the first time that the event was held at India Expo Mart – Greater Noida. It showcased more than 1,600 exhibitors from 42 countries.

Now in its 12th edition, CPhI & P-MEC India, positioned as South Asia’s largest pharma event, was held from 12th to 14th December. Prior moving to the new location, the event was previously held in Mumbai. This year’s show was held during the India Pharma Week (IPW), a weeklong series of pharma-related activities and events.

CloserStill Media to launch vet show in Singapore

Singapore, 4th December: CloserStill Media, organiser of the London Vet Show, will launch the Singapore Vet next year running from 11th to 12th October 2019 at Suntec City Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Singapore Vet will be launched in partnership with the Singapore Vet Association, the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). The two-day conference-led exhibition will serve veterinary professionals in the Asia Pacific region. According to the organisers, world-class expert veterinary leaders will share their expertise through conference sessions and provide practical clinics.

Pico Thailand’s revenues up 47% in FY2018

Bangkok, 7th December: Last week, Pico Thailand, the Thai-listed subsidiary of Pico Far East Holdings, announced its full-year financial results for the year ended 31st October 2018. The company reported total revenues of US$61 million, which is a large increase of 47% year-on-year.

The company’s net profit jumped 61% compared with last year, reaching US$2.2 million in the financial year. Earnings per share for the year were Baht 0.337 (US$0.0101).

Alibaba Group to take controlling stake in Alibaba Pictures

Beijing, 10th December: China’s leading e-commerce company, Alibaba Group, announced the company will increase its stake in Alibaba Pictures from 49% to 50.92%, for HK$1.25 billion (US$160 million) giving the Group a controlling stake.

Under the terms of the agreement, Alibaba Pictures will issue one billion new shares to Alibaba Group at HK$1.25 per share. After the transaction, Alibaba Group will have majority control over Alibaba Pictures. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including, among others requirements, approval of the transaction by the independent shareholders of Alibaba Pictures as well as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Share price movement in B2B media companies involved in Asia

Figure 1: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement over past 12 months)

Figure 2: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement since January 2018)

ITE’ revenues up 11% in FY2018, Chinacoat up 20%

London, 4th December: International event organiser, ITE Group plc, recently released its financial results for the year ended 30th September 2018. Revenues for the year were £175.7 million (US$229 million), representing growth of 11% on a like-for-like basis. Profit before tax was £35.4 million (US$46 million), compared to £31.6 million (US$43 million) in 2017. In addition, the company’s forward bookings for FY2019 were up 11% on a like-for-like basic.

In Asia, ITE generated revenues of £25.7 million (US$33 million) in the current financial year, which represents an increase of 10% on a like-for-like basis. The company organised a total of 29 events in the region during the year. Overall, ITE had a stronger biennial year with three new launches, which offset the disposal of TradeLink in Malaysia.

In China, ITE continues to maintain offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Its flagship event, Chinacoat/Surface Finishing China (SFCHINA), was held in November 2017 in Shanghai recording 20% growth reaching sales of over 48,000 m2.

3,350 exhibitors at bauma China 2018

Shanghai, 30th November: The latest edition of bauma China 2018 – an international trade fair serving the construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines and construction vehicles sectors concluded last week, posting record numbers. The biennial event was held at Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), running from 27th to 30th November.

A total of 3,350 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions showcased their products and services at the show representing an increase of 13% compared with the previous edition held in 2016. The exhibition covered an area of 330,000 m2 including two new halls and outdoor areas. Approximately, 212,500 visitors attended the show representing a 25% increase over the last edition.

Largest ever Labelexpo India

India, 4th December: International exhibition organiser, Tarsus Group, recently concluded the 6th edition of its Labelexpo India, which was its largest edition to date, according to the organiser.

Running from 22nd to 25th November, the biennial show took place at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Nodia. A total of 250 exhibitors were showcased at the event covering an exhibition area of 7,073 m2 compared with 200 exhibitors occupying 5,900 m2 at the previous edition in 2016.

UBM to launch OSH in Bangladesh in 2019

Mumbai, 29th November: UBM India, a UBM plc company, opened its Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) India on 29th November at Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre in Mumbai.

During the show, the organiser announced plans to launch a preview show of OSH in Dhaka, Bangladesh next year. OSH will expand to South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region next year, with the preview edition of OSH Bangladesh in Dhaka running from 18th to 20th April 2019.

ITB China launches the ITB China Buyers Circle

Shanghai, 28th November: A leading event serving China’s travel industry, ITB China, plans to launch a new event targeting professional Chinese travel buyers. The ITB China Buyers Circle will be held from 12th to 15th December at Wanning in Hainan Province.

The Buyers Circle will feature a custom networking, content-exchange and procurement platform exclusively available for professional Chinese travel product procurement managers. It is expected that approximately 50 leading Chinese travel agencies will participate the inaugural event to discuss topics such as the development opportunities in island adventure travel for Chinese travellers.

IE expo expands portfolio in Chengdu

Chengdu, 29th November: Messe München has announced plans to expand its event portfolio focused on the environmental technology industry by adding a new event, IE expo Chengdu in 2019 running from 27th to 29th June at the Western China International Expo City.

According to the organiser, the new event will focus on the market in China’s western provinces. The Chengdu Municipal People’s Government, the Chengdu Environmental Protection Bureau and the Chengdu Expo Bureau have agreed to partner with Messe München and support the show.

Share price movement in B2B media companies involved in Asia

Figure 1: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement over past 12 months)

Figure 2: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement since January 2018)

Tarsus unveils new Brand Print portfolio

Worldwide, 22nd November: The Tarsus Group announced the launch of a new portfolio of trade shows, Brand Print, targeting the branded print market.

According to Tarsus, there will be four events planned under Brand Print umbrella: Brand Print Thailand – Bangkok, Brand Print Turkey – Istanbul, Brand Print China – Guangzhou, and Brand Print Mexico – Mexico City.

Subcon Indonesia co-located with Manufacturing Indonesia

Jakarta, 21st November: Pamerindo Indonesia, a UBM plc subsidiary, is set to open its Manufacturing Indonesia at Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) next week. It will run from 5th to 8th December 2018. More than 1,600 companies will exhibit at the show and it is expected to draw some 34,000 trade visitors.

Newly launched Subcon Indonesia will be co-located with Manufacturing Indonesia, where local subcontractors will have the opportunity to present their products, services and capabilities to the market in Indonesia.

KLCC hosts nearly 1,200 events in year-to-date

Kuala Lumpur, 28th November: As of 31st October 2018, a total of 1,189 events were held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) featuring more than 1.85 million participants.

The number of association meetings held at KLCC reached a new record high in 2018 – including 11 European association meetings. According to KLCC, the venue contributed RM 788 million (US$188 million) in economic impact to Kuala Lumpur.

Messe Düsseldorf China reports strong results in 2018

China, 27th November: Messe Düsseldorf China (MDC) and Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai (MDS) have reported record show results in 2018.

In China, MDS organised 12 trade shows and conferences in the year resulting in gross area sold of 656,000 m2. That represents a 32% increase year-on-year. A total of 8,761 national and international exhibitors showcased their products at these events, up 20% compared with last year. Some 440,000 visitors and buyers attended these events – that is an increase of 32% year-on-year.

Macau’s MICE attendees up 20% in Q3

Macau, 26th November: Earlier this week, Macau’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) released its MICE statistics for the third quarter of 2018. In the quarter, a total of 311 MICE events were held in Macau, seven events more than the same quarter last year. The total number of participants grew 20% reaching 697,000 in the quarter.

According to DSEC, among the 311 MICE events, a total of 283 were meetings and conferences, four events more than the previous year. However, the total number of participants dropped 20% down to about 48,000.

Japan wins bid to host World Expo 2025

Japan, 26th November: Japan has won the bid to host the World Expo 2025 in Osaka running from 3rd May to 3rd November 2025. The theme of World Expo 2025 will be “Designing a Future Society for Our Lives”.

The 2025 World Expo will be officially known as the Osaka-Kansai Japan Expo, which will showcase advanced technologies – especially focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology. It will also highlight technologies designed to help meet the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals in the areas of health and welfare – particularly in ageing societies.