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.

JTB to acquire Northstar

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Tokyo, 28th August: JTB Corp., a leading travel solutions providers in Japan, announced to acquire Northstar Travel Group, a leading B2B travel industry events, media and information services company, from investments funds managed by EagleTree Capital and its co-investors. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

After the acquisition, JTB’s business development will focus on the followings: 1) Expanding Northstar’s established brand presence into new regions and business domains; 2) Enhancing digital product offerings through AI and advanced data utilization; and 3) Strengthening customer services and solutions across the entire JTB by leveraging Northstar’s global network and advanced marketing capabilities. In addition, JTB will operate Northstar as an independent, wholly owned subsidiary, and will continue to be led by its existing management team.

Northstar’s Chief Executive Officer Jason Young, said, “We are thrilled to partner with JTB as we enter the next phase of our company’s incredible history. Our shared commitment to the travel industry, cultural alignment, and collective expertise – combined with the opportunity to accelerate Northstar’s geographic expansion in the Asia Pacific region – will enhance our ability to deliver value to our audiences and customers as we advance our mission.”

Terrapinn buys Australia’s Digital Health Festival

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Australia, 1st September: Terrapinn announced the company has acquired Digital Health Festival (DHF), an event for health professionals in Australia committed to a digital future. No financial details of the acquisition have been disclosed.

DHF takes place in Melbourne in May, which is the claimed to be the largest events of its type in the southern hemisphere, featuring 350 exhibitors, 125 start-ups and 400 speakers, attracting 8,000 attendees.

Hamish Steel, CEO and founder, Digital Health Festival, was quoted, “Terrapinn gets DHF and has all that is needed to take the show to the next level. We are confident that they will grow the show, serve the community and be a great home to our team. We are delighted to bring the quality of Digital Health Festival to our stable of international life science and health events.”

Alibaba’s profit jumps 76% in June quarter 2025

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Hangzhou, 29th August: Last week, Alibaba Group, China’s largest e-commerce company, announced its results for the quarter ended 30th June 2025. The company recorded revenues of US$35 billion, an increase of 2% year-on-year.

The company’s profit posted a rise of 76% over the same quarter in 2024, reaching US$5.9 billion. Diluted earnings per share in the quarter were RMB 2.25 (US$0.31). The company attributed the increase in profits to mark-to market changes from its equity investments and gain from the disposal of local consumer service business of Trendyol.

In terms of its B2B business, revenues from the China commerce whole of the Alibaba China E-commerce Group, primarily generated through 1688.com, were US$937 million, an increase of 13% over the same quarter last year. While the International commerce whole from the Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, primarily from Alibaba.com, generated revenues of US$886 million, also up 13% year-on-year. In total, the B2B business only accounted for 5.3% of Alibaba Group’s total revenues.

In terms of the business segment, the largest segment was the Alibaba China E-commerce Group, accounted for 57% of the total revenues, amounting at US$20 billion. The Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group was the second largest segment, generated revenues of US$4.9 billion, and accounted for 14% of the total revenues. The remaining revenues were generated from the Cloud Intelligent Group (US$4.7 billion) and other businesses.

Eddie Wu, Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group, stated, “This quarter, our strategic focus on consumption and AI + Cloud delivered strong growth. Our decisive investment in the quick commerce business achieved key milestones as we won consumer mindshare. We generated substantial synergies from combining resources of our consumer platforms which resulted in new highs in monthly active consumers and daily order volume. Driven by robust AI demand, Cloud Intelligence Group experienced accelerated revenue growth, and AI-related product revenue is now a significant portion of revenue from external customers. Looking ahead, we remain committed to investing in our two strategic pillars of consumption and AI + Cloud to capture historic opportunities and drive long-term growth.”

DLG’s posts decreases in first half

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Shanghai, 28th August: DLG Exhibitions & Events (formerly Shanghai Lansheng Corporation) has recently reported its financial results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. Revenues in the first half of the year were US$77 million, representing a year-on-year decrease of 6.2%.

The company’s net profit dropped 31% year-on-year, down to US$7.9 million in the first half of 2025. Diluted earnings per share in the first half of the year were RMB 0.08 (US$0.011).

In the reported period, the company hosted or co-hosted 11 exhibitions, featuring some 684,000 m2. Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, the venue operated by DLG, hosted 35 exhibitions and events, with a total rental area of 4.27 million m2.

Sino Splendid posts a profit

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Hong Kong, 29th August: Also last week, Hong Kong-listed company Sino Splendid (formerly China.com) released its results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. Revenues during the period were US$2.4 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 1.5%. The company recorded a net profit of US$323,000 in the first half of 2025, compared with a loss of US$768,000 in the first half in 2024. Diluted earnings per share in the six-month period were HK$0.017 (US$0.0022).

Majority of Sino Splendid’s revenues were generated from the Financial Magazine and Other Media Business, amounting at US$2.3 million, which is flat with the first half of last year. The remaining revenues were generated from its Money Lending segment (US$55,000), the Securities Investment segment (US$45,000), and the Travel Media segment (US$44,600).

The company claimed the increase in revenues was mainly due to the increase in revenues from the travel media business, which increased 46%.

In the future, the company will improve its operation efficiency and profitability of its business. It will also seek opportunities to expand its customer base and its market share and undertake more projects.

Quick takes

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New Director appointment of MIPIM

RX France has appointed Nicolas Boffie as its new Director of MIPIM, the global urban festival. Boffi has over 20 years of experience in real estate and urban development, working across project management, business development and public affairs. With his experience, he will strengthen MIPIM’s position as the global forum. In addition, MIPIM will introduce new content initiatives to support real estate’s transformation, from a stronger focus on AI disruption and to the road to net zero, to help industry leaders turn technological change into strategic advantage.

RX appoints Global Head of Digital Product Development

International exhibition organiser, RX Global, announced the promotion of Jamie Harrison, Senior Vice President, Product Development, to be the new Head of Digital Product Development. In the new position, he will continue his current responsibilities of leading RX’s global product development, and he will also lead digital innovation, customer insights, and commercial product opportunities across the business.

Netsun’s revenues up, but deepen loss

Shenzhen-listed Zhejiang Netsun, a B2B e-commerce platform, has released its financial results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. The company’s revenues were US$43 million during the period, representing an increase of 26% over the first half of 2024. However, the company posted a net loss of US$982,000, compared with a loss of US$421,000 in the first half of 2024. The company attributed the loss to its strategic adjustment of its supply chain service business, leading to a decrease in supply chain service revenues and interest income.

New BeautySum India 2025 launches in New Delhi

Organised by Messe Esang, exhibition management company in South Korea, the inaugural BeautySum India 2025 was held at Yashobhoomi (India International Convention & Expo Centre) in Dwarka, New Delhi. Running from 28th to 30th August, the event covered an exhibition area of about 9,600 m2, providing a platform for beauty innovation, collaboration, and trade.

Messe Frankfurt launches International Smart Space Exhibition in Hangzhou

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Hangzhou, 21st August: The inaugural International Smart Space Exhibition (ISSE) will be held as a standalone fair at the Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE). Running from 25th to 29th September 2025, the co-located fairs will take place at the Hangzhou Grand Convention and Exhibition Center in China.

Jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and Hangzhou Expo Group, ISSE will be displayed in four focus areas: Intelligent Buildings and Smart Parks; Urban Public Spaces; Smart Commercial Spaces; and Smart Living. It will bring together leading companies and international standards organisations, showcasing innovative technologies and products in the smart space field.

Apart from the exhibition, ISSE will also host a series of forums designed to create a premium platform for industry dialogue that fosters the exchange of ideas and collaboration on technology.

HC narrows loss in first half

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Hong Kong, 22nd August: Last week, Hong Kong-listed HC Group released its interim results for the six months ended 30th June 2025. The company’s revenues increased slightly by 1.8% year-on-year, amounting at US$838 million. The company also posted its net loss decreased from US$7.6 million in the first half of 2024, down to US$3.2 million recorded in the first half of 2025.

The company attributed the loss during the reported period to the share of post-tax losses of associates.

In terms of business segment, more than 97% of HC Group’s revenues were generated from its smart industries segment, amounting to US$816 million. Revenues from this segment grew 1.2% from the first half of 2024. The remaining revenues were generated from HC’s technology-driven new retail segment (US$23 million), which increased by 30% year-on-year.

In short term, the company continues to review its development strategies and make timely adjustments to its business, operating and cost structure, to focus on its resources on more promising areas and achieve sustainable development of its business. In mid-to long-term, the company will optimize its competitiveness to better seize opportunities by giving special focus on the opportunities for industrial upgrading driven by AI technology, and reconstructing its traditional business models through AI technology to continuously optimize resource allocation.

CCID Consulting’s profit up 12%

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Beijing, 22nd August: CCID Consulting, a research and information service provider in China, has announced its financial results for the first half of 2025. Revenues were US$18 million, up 6.7% from the first half of 2024. The company’s net profit posted a year-on-year growth 12%, reaching US$6.0 million. Earnings per share in the six-month period were RMB 0.0639 (US$0.0089).

More than 72% of CCID’s revenues were generated from its Decision-making consulting services, amounting to US$13 million. This segment increased by 20% year-on-year. The second largest business segment was CCID’s Science and technology innovation platform services, generating revenues of US$3.0 million, and accounting for about 16% of the company’s total revenues. This segment dropped 15% from the first half of 2024. The remaining revenues were generated from its Data platform services (US$2.0 million), which decreased by 18% from the same period last year.

The company stated the increase of revenues from its Decision-making consulting services was mainly due to the transformation and upgrading of its consulting business. The company also promoted project acceptance and settlement, leading to an increase in the business volume of the consulting segment.

In the future, the company will continue to deepen and practical implement the Business 3.0 strategy; deeply explore two major customer groups and pursuing new growth opportunities; and continuously enhance its technological attributes.

IATA to hold World Sustainability Symposium in Hong Kong

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Hong Kong, 14th August: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced to hold its World Sustainability Symposium (WSS) in Asia for the first time. The third WSS will take place in Hong Kong, running from 21st to 22nd October 2025, hosted by Cathay Pacific.

WSS will gather leader from aviation, energy, finance, and policy to advance the industry’s commitment to achieving net zero CO2 emission by 2050. WSS will follow the 42nd International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly at which the industry will have advocated for stronger government policies to support aviation’s energy transition to Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and the integrity of Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). It will also precede COP30 which is focusing on turning pledges into actions.

WSS will focus on removing hurdles standing in the way of expanding SAF production; attracting financing for the US$4.7 trillion cost of decarbonization; integrating emerging technology developments by existing players and start-ups; and increasing collaboration across the value chain.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, said, “We are at a crucial point. Airlines are fully committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. But we have not seen sufficient, timely action by policymakers, aerospace manufacturers, oil companies, or fuel producers to support this commitment. This event is an essential rallying call for all those who have a stake in air transport’s future to overcome any challenges in the way of accelerating the pace of this crucial energy transition.”

Quick takes

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Thailand updates its tourist arrivals forecasts

Thailand’s central economic planning agency, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has recently released its 2Q2025 Economic Report, showing Thailand’s tourism sector is slowing although earnings continue to rise. The latest forecast of international arrivals in 2025 are projected at 33 million, down from 35.5 million in 2024 and below earlier forecasts.

Macau welcome 3m+ visitor arrivals in July

Macau’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) its latest report of visitor arrivals in July 2025. A total of 3,458,366 visitor arrivals to Macau were recorded in July, increased by 15% year-on-year. Same-day visitors grew by 24%, reaching 1,980,732, while overnight visitors were 1,477,634, up 3.7%.

2025 Sydney Boat Show at new location

The 2025 Sydney Boat Show concluded at the Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park for the first time, attracting 23,525 attendees from 14th to 17th August 2025. Covering an exhibition area of 21,000 m2, more than 130 exhibitors presenting some 400 boats and accessories, gadgets and technologies.

135 exhibitors at GPCE Melbourne 2025

General Practice Conference & Exhibition (GPCE) Melbourne 2025 featured a total of 135 exhibitors, showcasing the latest in allied health, medical devices, software, pharmaceuticals. The event was held from 11th to 13th July, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), attracting some 1,046 healthcare professionals.