Sands expands Marina Bay resort

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Singapore, 17th July: Sands announced expansion of its Marina Bay resort in Singapore, with a cost of US$8 billion.

 

After completion, the resort will include a 570-suite hotel tower, rooftop dinning, retail space, a casino, spa and wellness facilities, and meeting space of about 18,600 m2. In addition, a 15,000-seat arena will be built alongside the tower to host regional and international live events.

 

Sands chairman and CEO, Robert Goldstein, was quoted, “Our new development will raise the bar and redefine the ultra-luxury hospitality realm on a global scale… we look forward to forging a new chapter together and continuing to contribute meaningfully to Singapore’s future success.”

Informa Markets’ revenues post 10% up in half year

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London, 23rd July: Earlier this week, London-listed Informa PLC released its financial results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. Revenues in the first half were £2.04 billion (US$2.8 billion), representing an underlying increase of 7.8%. Adjusted operating profit in the six months was £579 million (US$795 million), representing growth of 9.2%.

 

Informa’s event business, Informa Markets, generated revenues of £952 million (US$1.3 billion) during the period, an increase of 10%. The Live B2B Events business (Informa Markets, Informa Connect, and Informa Festival) generated revenues of £1.5 billion (US$2.1 billion), with adjusted operating profit of £468 million (US$643 million).

 

Informa’s remaining revenues were generated from Taylor & Francis (£329 million, or US$451 million), and Informa TechTarget (£172 million, or US$236 million).

 

Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive, Informa PLC, said, “Informa is further increasing the pace of performance, delivering 20%+ growth in our four key performance measures: Revenues, Profits, Earnings and Free Cash Flow. Informa is built around world class Brands, leading International market positions, First Party Data and, most importantly, Colleagues with specialist expertise and a passion to deliver for customers.”

GL events Exhibitions’ revenues jump 52% in H1 2025

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Lyon, 23rd July: GL events has also released its financial results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. It reported revenues of €889 million (US$1.05 billion), representing year-on-year growth of 8%.

 

In terms of business sectors, GL events Exhibitions, with revenues of €172 million (US$203 million), recorded year-on-year growth of 52%. GL events Venues’ revenues increased by 23% year-on-year, reaching €258 million (US$304 million). However, GL events Live generated revenues of €459 million (US$541 million), down 8% year-on-year.

 

The company attributed the growth of revenues in GL events Exhibitions to a favourable biennial effect, growth in other major trade exhibitions, and the beginning of a recovery in Première Vision trade shows.

 

Olivier Ginon, Chairman-CEO of GL events Group, commented, “GL events performed well in the first half, buoyed by its strong fundamentals, the relevance of its global strategy and the unwavering commitment of its employees around the world. Our financial performance highlights the benefits of combining the strengths of our complementary services and the robustness of our business model for achieving sustainable growth. And by leveraging its powerful growth drivers, GL events has further strengthened its position.”

Quick takes

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UFI announces theme for 92nd UFI Global Congress

UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, announced its official theme for the 92nd UFI Global Congress: “Shaping the Future”. The congress will take place from 19th to 22nd November 2025 in Hong Kong SAR, uniting leaders from across the global exhibition industry.

AIPC’s 2025 Board

The International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) announced its new composition of the Board for 2025 – a team of leaders set to guide the association through another year of innovation, collaboration, and excellence: Julianne Jammers, SwissTech Convention Center – President; Taubie Motlhabane, Cape Town International Convention Centre – Vice President; Ross Steele, Te Pae Christchurch – Treasurer; Gabor Ganczer, HUNGEXPO – Director; Greg Newton, Calgary BMO Centre – Director; Maurits van der Sluis, RAI Amsterdam – Director; John Burke, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre – Director.

16,000+ visitors at Print Expo Chennai

Jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd and Showcase Trade Fairs and Business Media Pvt Ltd, Print Expo Chennai was collocated with Media Expo Chennai, organised by Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd. The co-located events in 2025 showcased a total of 185 exhibitors, presenting printing, signage and branding solutions, and attracting 16,089 visitors from 262 Indians cities, 27 states and union territories and 22 countries.

HKTDC’s Book Fair attracts nearly 900,000 visits despite typhoon

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) concluded three events this week: the 35th Hong Kong Book Fair, 8th Sports and Leisure Expo and 5th World of Snacks, featuring more than 770 exhibitors and combining the fun of reading, sports, leisure and food. The three events attracted 890,000 visits although the passage of the typhoon forced a full-day closure on 20th July.