TCEB extends MICE Lane service

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Thailand, 26th September: Following the Thai government’s visa exemption policy for tourists from China (and Kazakhstan), the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is preparing to increase its “MICE Lane” services at five airports in the Kingdom in anticipation of increased demand.

The MICE Lane service is now available at two major airports: Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport. TCEB plans to extend the service to five major airports: Suvarnabhumi Airport, Don Mueang International Airport, Chiang Mai International Airport, Phuket International Airport and Udonthani Airport.

NOVA’s loss widens in FY2022-2023

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Hong Kong, 29th September: Last week, Hong Kong-based exhibition and event organiser, NOVA Group (formerly known as Mega Expo) announced its financial results for the year ended 30th June 2023. The company reported total revenues of US$5.3 million, a decrease of 63% compared with the previous year. The company’s loss widened to a rather large US$65 million, compared with a loss of US$16 million last year.

The company did not generate revenues from its exhibitions & events business. The company has not organised any exhibitions since 2020 due to COVID-19 and the travel restrictions which effectively closed Hong Kong during that period.

Quick takes

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AI will strategy personalise attendee experiences

Michael Kreitzer explains that AI is not going to take our jobs. It will allow organisers to collect more data, improve marketing and personalise events for visitors and exhibitors alike.

Hong Kong needs more (hotel) conference space

Next month, Hong Kong will host the Global Financial Summit organised by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). Interestingly, HKMA chief executive, Eddie Yue Wai-man, told the South China Morning Post the event had almost hit its limit for guests due to limited conference capacity in the city.

SMX Convention Center Cebu to open end 2025

The SMX Convention Center Cebu is now scheduled to open in 2025 and it will be larger than SMX property in Manila. The Cebu convention centre will feature a floor area of 52,000 m2, compared with 35,000 m2 in Manila.

Alibaba to spin-off and list Cainiao

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Hong Kong, 26th September: China’s leading e-commerce company, the Alibaba Group, announced that the company intends to spin-off Cainiao as a separate listing on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx).

Alibaba has submitted a spin-off proposal to HKEx and the exchange has confirmed that the company may proceed with the proposed spin-off. After the new listing is complete, Alibaba will continue to own more than 50% Cainiao, and as a result, Cainiao will remain a subsidiary of Alibaba.

Incentive travel recovers worldwide

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­Worldwide, 20th September: IBTM World’s 2023 Incentive Travel Report showed a strong recovery in incentive travel with companies eager to reward employees with incentive travel benefits. IBTM World’s report forecasts that global market value of the sector will reach US$217 billion by 2031 if current annual growth rate continues.

The report stated that the incentive travel industry is currently growing at an annual rate of 12%, and its predicts that the number of people participating in incentive travel programmes worldwide will grow 61% in 2024 compared to the same figure in 2019.

IAEE appoints Interim CEO

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USA, 25th September: The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) has appointed long-time Executive Vice President and COO, Cathy Breden, to step into the role of Interim CEO, effective 1st October 2023 until a permanent replacement for ex-President and CEO, David DuBois can be hired.

Breden will return to her current role when new President and CEO is hired, but she is schedule to retire in June 2024. Breden is also the CEO of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), and has served as a member of several boards of directors, as key staff contact, chief staff executive volunteer leader and as a consultant.

Quick takes

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Informa HK Jewellery back with big numbers

The 40th edition of Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong resulted in strong numbers this week. It ended on 24th September with over 3,400 exhibitors from 44 countries and regions. There were nearly 54,000 buyers – similar to 2018 figures according to the organiser. Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines all recorded significant increases in visitor numbers.

TCEB and Bangkok get ready for ICCA

This week International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) kicked off the media launch for its 62nd annual Congress. ICCA’s president, Marta Gomes; its CEO, Senthil Gopinath and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) president Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya were all in attendance. The three-day conference will be held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) running from 12th to 15th November.

Philippines’ DoT receives increase in budget

The Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DoT), which oversees the MICE industry, has received a much-needed increase in allocated budget. The specifics have not been released but the tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco noted that tourism generates nearly US$33 billion for the national economy.

India (finally) gets a new venue

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New Delhi, 16th September: Phase 1 of India’s newest exhibition venue, the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), officially opened on 17th September. Located at Dwarka, a New Delhi suburb, the venue is also known as “Yashobhoomi.”

With total built-up area of more 180,000 m2, the new venue cost approximately US$650 million. It consists of a convention centre, multiple exhibition halls and other facilities. The convention centre covers 73,000 m2 across 15 convention halls with a total capacity of 11,000 delegates. The exhibition halls cover over 107,000 m2.

PATA appoints new CEO

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Bangkok, 20th September: The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has appointed Noor Ahmad Hamid as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1st October 2023.

In the three-year term, Noor will lead PATA, “one of the world’s most influential travel industry associations” dedicated to promoting responsible travel and tourism within the Pacific Asia region.

Thai government new plans to boost visitor revenue

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Thailand, 20th September: The Thai government has recently unveiled a new set of initiatives to designed attract more business events travellers to drive the Kingdom’s tourism revenue. The initiatives will target the China market in particular.

The government plans to collaborate with businesses across all sectors to host trade fairs and festivals such as Loy Krathong and Songkran. They also aim to host more exhibitions throughout the year. The government will also introduce a new and improved Fast Track Visa programme for business events visitors.

Quick takes

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HKTDC’s Watch & Clock Fair attract 15,000

Close to 15,000 visitors from 95 countries (and regions) attended the 42nd edition of the HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair.  That figure is down from the 18,000 recorded in 2019. The change in exhibitor numbers is not known at this time.

Singapore F1 posts impressive results

The Singapore F1 recorded nearly 265,000 attendees over the three-day race surpassing government expectations of 250,000 spectators, but the 2023 results are surprisingly lower than 2022’s record high of 302,000 attendees.

KLCC goes green

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) has begun participating the Malaysian government’s Green Electricity Tariff (GET) programme. The programme is managed by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), the nation’s largest electricity utility company. The programme enables KLCC to only renewable electricity making it the first venue in Malaysia to be powered by green energy.

HKTDC’s watch fairs attracts 15,000 buyers

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Hong Kong, 10th September: Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades & Industries Ltd, the 42nd Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and 11th Salon de TE concluded last week. Despite interruptions caused by extreme weather conditions on 8th September, the four-day physical fairs attracted nearly 15,000 buyers from 95 countries and regions. Online exhibitions, under the Exhibition+ hybrid model, will continue until 16th September.

Separately, CENTRESTAGE, Asia’s premier fashion event organised by the HKTDC, also concluded last week, with more than 7,700 buyers from 78 countries and regions visiting the three-day event.

Pico Thailand’s revenues down 33%

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Bangkok, 8th September: Last week, Pico Thailand, the Thai-listed subsidiary of Pico Far East Holdings, released its financial results for the quarter ended 31st July 2023. Revenues in the quarter were US$5.1 million, which dropped 33% from the same quarter in 2022. The company posted a loss of US$225,000 in the quarter, compared with a loss of US$64,000 during the same period in 2022.

The company attributed the decrease in revenue to uncertainty regarding the establishment of the new government, which has led to the postponement of several projects.

Informa Markets launches The Battery Show India

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India, 11th September: Following the success of The Battery Show in the USA and Europe, Informa Markets India will launch a new event serving the battery manufacturing industry in India, The Battery Show India (TBSI).

The new event will be co-located with the Renewable Energy India Expo, running from 4th to 6th October 2023, at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida. It is expected to attract over 200 brands and 8,000 trade visitors.

MEET TAIWAN Festival unveils plans for business events industry

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Taiwan, 7th September: MEET TAIWAN, organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs and executed by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), hosted the MEET TAIWAN Festival Global Launch Event last week.

Almost a hundred prominent figures from Taiwan’s business event industry attended the launch event, marking the start of a series of domestic and overseas business events to be held throughout September, promoting Taiwan’s thriving business events sector.

Quick takes

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Alibaba Group welcomes new Chairman and CEO

Alibaba Group announced the completion of its leadership transition, with Joseph Tsai assuming the role of Chairman and Eddie Yongming Wu assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company. Wu will also succeed Daniel Yong Zhang as active Chairman and CEO of the Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group. Zhang previously served as Alibaba Group’s CEO since 2015 and as its Chairman since 2019, and also led Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group since 2022.

Messe Frankfurt expands portfolio with new event in Istanbul

Expanding its international portfolio of events, Messe Frankfurt announced the debut of Light + Intelligent Building Istanbul from 27th to 29th November 2024. Organised in cooperation with the Turkish Lighting Equipment Manufacturers Association, the event provides a platform for decorative, architectural and technical lighting, electric lamps, components and accessories, electrical engineering, smart homes and building automation.

New governor takes helm at Tourism Authority of Thailand

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced that Thapanee Kiatphaiboon has taken on the role of governor. She previously held various positions with the organisation, which she joined in 1999, including deputy governor for tourism products and business, and most recently deputy governor for domestic marketing.