Approval of new ISO for events sector

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Paris, 9th September: UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, announced the approval of a new ISO Technical Committee on Events (TC 354), advancing international standards for the global events sector.

TC 354 is championed by UFI and managed by AFNOR (Association Française de Normalisation). Its scope spans across event formats and purposes. Its work will establish standards for event management, addressing key areas. TC will feature a Sub-Committee on Sustainability in Event Management, building on the legacy of PC 250, which developed ISO 20121 on event sustainability management systems.

A total of 17 countries have already participated in TC 354, which will mark the events industry as a key global sector and establishing harmonised international standards that benefit the entire event ecosystem.

UFI President Hugh Jones, commented, “This is a landmark moment for our industry. For the first time, we have a dedicated ISO committee to define and align global standards for events. TC 354 recognizes the vital role our sector plays worldwide, not only as a driver of economies and industries, but also of knowledge and professionalism. I encourage our colleagues and partners worldwide to support this initiative to ensure our collective expertise shapes the standards that will define the future of our events and our industry.”

TCEB’s new vision and direction for MICE

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Thailand, 4th September: New President of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Dr. Supawan Teerarat, announced vision and a new direction to drive Thailand’s MICE industry forward under the concept of “Change That Matters”, aiming to make Thailand become a global MICE leader and establish Thailand as a trusted destination worldwide.

Dr Supawan’s vision for TCEB will drive Thailand towards becoming “Global-Asia’s Trusted Gateway”, which will be driven by four key strategies, GLOC:

·       Global Reach – focusing on building the destination’s brand, smart bidding for international MICE events, expanding foreign markets, and creating strategic partnerships to attract high-impact events to Thailand.

·       Local Strength – developing MICE City Clusters in 10 cities to add value and create flagship events that can elevate Thailand’s positioning on the global stage.

·       Organisation Transformation – transforming the organisation to support, including people transformation by fostering a culture of trust and psychological safety, moving towards data-driven digitalisation, and providing incentives/motivation for employees.

·       Capabilities Excellence – elevating TCEB’s role into a policy shaper, creating new industry standards, developing personnel to become ASEAN MICE experts, and driving innovation and sustainability within the industry.

In addition, TCEB’s commitment will develop Thailand’s competitive capabilities to keep pace with changing situation and internation challenges. Key focus will strengthen the Thail MICE industry ecosystem and increase MICE stakeholders, to enable the industry to achieve the shared goals.

SEEC Media narrows its loss

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Hong Kong, 29th August: Last month, SEEC Media Group, a Hong Kong-listed media company, announced its financial results for the first half of 2025. Revenues in the six-month period were US$2.01 million, an increase of 2.7% year-on-year. The company narrowed its loss from US$3.3 million in the first half of 2024, down to US$48,000 in the first half of 2025.

More than 65% of SEEC’s total revenues were generated through its provision of advertising services, amounting to US$1.3 million. This segment grew 25% year-on-year. The remaining revenues were generated from SEEC’s money lending business, generating revenues of US$686,000, which dropped 22% from the first half of last year.

The company attributed the increase revenues of the advertising business to the recovery of the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic in China. In addition, the company has developed digital media marketing services and multi-channel network (MCN) business since 2020 to diversify its advertising business revenues.

In the future, the company will develop its advertising business, especially the digital media marketing and the MCS business. The company will also monitor the performance, development and potential business risks of the financial business and identify the most suitable diversification of the company’s portfolio of businesses.

Meorient’s performance down in first half

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Shanghai, 29th August: Shenzhen-listed exhibition organiser, Meorient, has recently announced its financial results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. The group’s revenues in the first half of 2025 dropped by 7.4% year-on-year, down to US$34 million.

The company posted a net profit of US$2.2 million, a year-on-year decline of 62%. Diluted earnings per share in the six-month period were RMB 0.05 (US$0.0070).

The company claimed the decrease in revenues to the cancellation of exhibitions (from 6 projects to 5 projects). While the decrease in net profits was mainly due to the implementation of foreign trade assistance and relief policies (lowering the threshold for foreign trade companies to participate in exhibitions) and the increase in AI development investment and marketing investment.

In the reported period, the company organised five exhibitions in four countries, which featured some 3,000 exhibitors, occupying over 100,000 m2 of exhibition space, and attracted over 110,000 buyers.

Quick takes

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Events Venture Group invests in Explori

Events Venture Group (EVG), venture-backed community connecting event founders and entrepreneurs, announced its strategic investment in Explori, a leading provider of standardised feedback, benchmarking, and intelligence for the global events industry. Under the completion of the investment, Explori will be positioned to: accelerate product and AI innovation; expand its global intelligence services; and strengthen its role as the go-to source for event performance benchmarking and attendee, exhibitor and sponsor insights.

Messe Frankfurt launches new subsidiary in Saudi Arabia

International exhibition organiser, Messe Frankfurt, launched a new subsidiary, Messe Frankfurt Saudi Arabia, aiming to strengthen Messe Frankfurt’s regional presence and help shape the future of the MICE sector in the Middle East. At the same time, Azzan Mohamed is also appointed as Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt Saudi Arabia, reporting to CEO Ted Bloom of Messe Frankfurt Middle East (Dubai). Azzan Mohamed will be responsible for all commercial matters and for the existing event portfolio. He will also develop new sector-specific formats, manage governmental relations and ensure that the company’s activities are in line with both corporate objectives and local stakeholder needs.

RX launches WTM Spotlight in Saudi Arabia

RX Global, a leading company in events and exhibitions announced to launch World Travel Market (WTM) Spotlight in Saudi Arabia, which is scheduled to take place in Riyadh Front Exhibition & Convention Centre (RFECC), Saudi Arabia, running from 29th September to 1st October 2026. WTM Spotlight is a new brand and launch within the WTM portfolio, focusing on a specific market and creating invaluable opportunities for regional and international exhibitors and visitors.

Made-in-China.com up in revenues and profits

Shenzhen-listed Focus Technology, which owns and operates the B2B trading platform Made-in-China.com, announced its financial results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. Revenues were US$128 million, representing year-on-year growth of 16%. Profit in the reported period increased by 26% year-on-year, reaching US$41 million. Diluted earnings per share in the six-month period were RMB 0.9291 (US$0.13). As of 30th June, the company reported that Made-in-China.com platform had 28,699 paid members. At the same time, “AI Mai” service had more than 13,000 members.