MEET Thai Plus 2026 Shenzhen concludes

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Shenzhen, 11th September: The inaugural MEET Thai Plus 2026 Shenzhen has concluded at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center (Futian), welcoming a total of 3,976 participants.

During the event, a wide range of engaging sessions were covered, from exploring opportunities in trade and investment and connecting the MICE industry, to showcasing Thailand as a leading destination for MICE visitors. More than 1,000 appointments were held through the Business Matching programme. Of the 3,976 participants, 1,798 were B2B participants and 2,178 were B2C participants.

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) aims the event to provide new opportunities, business collaborations, and to further strengthen the collaboration between Thailand and China.

Hong Kong releases latest Policy Address

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Hong Kong, 16th September: Earlier this week, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, John Lee, delivered the latest Policy Address 2026 and the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the HKSAR (2026-2030).

The two plans provided a clear blueprint for Hong Kong to reinforce its role as an international financial, trade, maritime and aviation centre. They also focused on Hong Kong’s strengthens in innovation and technology as well as cultural and talent development.

In terms of promoting the development of convention and exhibition industry, the government will take forward the Wan Chai North Redevelopment project, expanding the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) and related facilities. In addition, the government has earmarked HK$100 million (US$12.7 million) to attract high-quality, large-scale international exhibitions with new elements to Hong Kong.

Chairman of the HKTDC, Professor Frederick Ma said, “With Hong Kong’s unique advantage of enjoying the mainland’s strong support while being connected to the world, our position as an international trade fair capital has been enhanced in the past few decades. However, as the scale and diversity of fairs and conferences continue to grow in Hong Kong, there is a need to expand our facilities if we are to remain competitive. That is why I fully support the Government’s proactive measure of setting up a task force led by the Deputy Financial Secretary to steer the Wan Chai North Redevelopment project.  We are pleased to have the opportunity to leverage our 60 years of expertise in this area to submit a proposal on the development approach of the project to the Government.”

Pico Thailand posts loss

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Bangkok, 10th September: Last week, Pico Thailand, the Thai-listed subsidiary of Pico Far East Holdings, released its financial results for the quarter ended 31st July 2026. Revenues in the quarter were US$5.26 million, which dropped 41% year-on-year.

The company attributed the decrease to the special government projects implemented during the same period last year, and the increased budget constraints among private-sector customers for marketing activities in the current year. During the quarter, the company posted a net loss of US$153,000, comparing with a profit of US$404,000 recorded in the same quarter last year.

Pico Thailand also announced its results for the nine months ended 31st July. Revenues in the nine-month period were US$17.7 million, down 29% year-on-year. The company posted a net loss of US$792,000, compared with a loss of US$258,000 in the same period last year.

MMI and IDA form strategic partnership

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India, 11th September: Messe Muenchen India, the Indian subsidiary of the international exhibition organiser, Messe München, has entered a strategic partnership with Indian Dairy Association (IDA) (West Zone), with IDA (West Zone) being a Strategic Association Partner of drinktec India 2026.

drinktec India 2026 will run from 28th to 30th October 2026, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. The event is positioned as an international trade platform for the beverage, dairy and liquid food industries, expecting to bring together businesses and technology companies showcasing solutions spanning processing, packaging, filing, automation and other critical areas of production.

The partnership will create greater opportunities for industry professionals, technology providers, manufacturers and policymakers to connect, exchange knowledge and explore emerging solutions across the dairy, beverage and liquid food ecosystem.

Quick takes

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UFI releases winners of two awards

Earlier this week, UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has released its winners of the 2026 UFI Digital Innovation Award and the 2026 UFI People & Culture Award.

itemdrop, the winner of the 2026 UFI Digital Innovation Award, showcased how technology can significantly impact trade show performance and how these innovations can benefit the entire industry, under the theme of “Creating Better Event Experiences through Digital Innovation”.

The winner of the 2026 UFI People & Culture Award is Informa Markets ASEAN. With the theme “Strengthening Internal Relationships and Collaboration”, it aimed practical approaches to support performance, employee experience, and organisational resilience.

Thailand LAB INTERNATIONAL 2026 opens at BITEC

VNU Asia Pacific opened its Thailand LAB INTERNATIONAL 2026 at Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Bangkok. Co-located with Bio+ HealthTech INTERNATIONAL 2026 and FutureCHEM INTERNATIONAL 2026, the events took place from 2nd to 4th September 2026, featuring more than 300 exhibitors from 15 countries, with over 500 brands and technologies, occupying an exhibition space of more than 15,000 m2. During the three days, the co-located events attracted over 13,000 visitors.

300 exhibitors at Fire Safe Build India 2026

Fire Safe Build India (FSBI) 2026 was held at Yashobhoomi (IICC), Dwarka, New Delhi. Running from 8th to 10th September 2026, the organiser, NürnbergMesse India Pvt. Ltd., focused the event on passive five protection systems and their growing importance in modern buildings and infrastructure. Some 300 exhibitors were expected to showcase at the event, with more than 20,000 visitors attending the event.

NürnbergMesse and Messe Berlin launch new events in Mumbai

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Nuremberg/Berlin/Mumbai, 1st September: Two international exhibition organisers, NürnbergMesse Group and Messe Berlin, announced to enter into a strategic partnership for the Indian market, by launching new food industry trade fairs, to create business opportunities for India’s fresh produce and organic food industries.

The new events, BIOFACH INDIA and FRUIT LOGISTICA Connect India, will be held from 25th to 27th May 2028, at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. The two events will provide exhibitors and buyers with access to complementary business communities and an expanded international network. BIOFACH INDIA will be under the BIOFACH exhibition network, targeting as India’s leading trade fair for the organic industry. Through FRUIT LOGISTICA Connect India, Messe Berlin will bring its globally recognized brands for the international fresh produce trade to India.

Sonia Prashar, Managing Director, NürnbergMesse India, said, “Our partnership with Messe Berlin reflects a shared vision of bringing together two globally recognized exhibition brands in a way that creates new business opportunities for our customers. We are confident that the co-location of BIOFACH INDIA and FRUIT LOGISTICA Connect India will further support the growth of India’s organic food and fresh produce sectors.”

Katrina Leung, Managing Director & Vice President Asia Pacific, Messe Berlin, was quoted, “The co-location of FRUIT LOGISTICA Connect India and BIOFACH INDIA will create new opportunities for exhibitors, buyers and industry stakeholders while preserving the unique identity of each event. Together with NürnbergMesse, we look forward to strengthening international business connections and supporting the long-term development of both industries.”

DLG drops in revenues and profit in first half

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Shanghai, 27th August: Last month, DLG Exhibitions & Events (formerly Shanghai Lansheng Corporation) reported its financial results for the six months ended 30th June 2026. Revenues in the first half of the year were US$78.9 million, representing a year-on-year decrease of 3.1%.

The company’s net profit dropped 69% year-on-year, down to US$2.5 million in the first half of 2026. The decrease was due to the reduced scale of certain exhibitions and a decline in exhibition venue business. Diluted earnings per share in the first half of the year were RMB 0.02 (US$0.0029).

In the reported period, the company hosted or co-hosted 12 exhibitions, featuring an exhibition area of 635,700 m2, with 9,319 exhibitors and 856,200 professional visitors. Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, the venue operated by DLG, hosted 39 exhibitions and events, with a total rental area of 3.21 million m2, welcoming 7,349 exhibitors and 544,000 visitors.

Sino Splendid’s revenues up 6.4%

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Hong Kong, 31st August: Last week, Hong Kong-listed company Sino Splendid (formerly China.com) released its results for the six months ended 30th June 2026. Revenues during the period were US$2.6 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 6.4%. The company attributed the increase to the increase in revenues from the Travel Media business and Financial Magazine and Other Media Business.

However, the company’s net profit dropped 4.5% year-on-year, amounting at US$309,000 in the first half of 2026. Diluted earnings per share in the six-month period were HK$0.0119 (US$0.0015).

Majority of Sino Splendid’s revenues were generated from the Financial Magazine and Other Media Business, amounting at US$2.5 million, which posted an increase of 10% over last year. The remaining revenues were generated from its Travel Media segment (US$70,000) and the Money Lending segment (US$53,000). While the Securities Investment segment recorded a loss of US$51,000. The Travel Media business jumped 57% year-on-year.

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

Messe Muenchen India and dmg events announce partnership

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India, 3rd September: Messe München’s Indian subsidiary, Messe Muenchen India, announced partnership with dmg events, to launch AiX DataWorld 2027, which will be a dedicated conference and platform with two editions in Mumbai and Chennai for India’s data centre industry.

Mumbai edition will be held first, and followed by the Chennai edition, under the tagline of “The Infrastructure of Intelligence”. The event will serve developers, financiers, operators, technology providers and enterprise customers, with growing computing and storage needs.

The new event will consist of an industry exhibition, strategic conference, curated meetings and networking programmes. The exhibition will showcase solutions across data centre development, power and cooling systems, connectivity, engineering and construction, AI computing infrastructure, cybersecurity and renewable energy, with targeted exhibitors include developers, operators, equipment manufacturers, engineering firms, connectivity providers, software companies, energy suppliers, security specialists, investors and consultants. While the conference will focus on key commercial, technical and policy issues shaping India’s data centre growth.

Quick takes

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UFI announces winner of 2026 Industry Partners Award

UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, released the winner of the 2026 UFI Industry Partners Award, to be bnetwork. This year’s topic was “The Biggest Lesson Learnt: From Zero to Hero”, focusing on practical learning, resilience, and innovation, aiming to spotlight initiatives where industry partners and their collaborators turned adversity into opportunity, creating value for stakeholders and the broader exhibition industry. The 2026 UFI Awards winners will be recognised at the 93rd UFI Global Congress, taking place from 2nd to 5th November 2026 in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

550 exhibitors at VIV Select China 2026

VIV Select China 2026, organised by Globus Events and VNU Europe, concluded on 21st August 2026, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center (SWEECC). The three-day event posted a new scale record, with 50,000 m2 of exhibition area, drawing 550 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions. Some 20,300 professional visitor attendance from 113 countries and regions joined the event. The next edition of VIV Select China will be held from 17th to 19th August 2027.

Medical Fair China 2026 concludes with 17,000+ visitors

Organised by Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Medical Fair China (MFC) 2026 was held from 20th to 22nd August 2026, at Suzhou International Expo Center. With the theme of “From Innovation to Application: Driving Medical Transformation and Global Expansion”, the event gathered medical device companies, healthcare institutions, research organisations, industry associations and professionals from China and abroad. About 320 medical device companies and innovative organisations showcased at the event, attracting 17,486 professional visitors, healthcare representatives, experts, academics and industry professionals. The next MFC will return to Suzhou International Expo Center, running from 19th to 21st August 2027.

HKTDC concludes CENTRESTAGE and Watch & Clock Fair

Earlier this week, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) concluded its CENTRESTAGE, Asia’s annual premier fashion event featuring over 12,000 trade buyers from 93 countries and regions, and over 20,000 public visitors. The Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair and the Salon de TIME were also concluded, attracting over 17,000 trade buyers from 115 countries and regions to source watch and clock products.

Messe Muenchen India acquires India International Cargo Show

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Mumbai, 1st September: Messe Muenchen India, the Indian subsidiary of international exhibition organiser, Messe München Group, announced to acquire the India International Cargo Show (IICS) from Upstream Business Solutions LLP. Financial details of the transition were not disclosed.

IICS provided a platform for freight forwarders, airlines, shipping lines, ports, terminals, warehousing and cold-chain operators, express logistics providers, cargo-handling companies and logistics technology businesses. IICS 2025 featured more than 200 exhibiting brands, occupying over 15,000 m2 of exhibition space, and attracted more than 25,000 trade visitors from over 80 countries.

After the acquisition, IICS will become part of Messe München’s international transport logistic network, including other events in China, India, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Türkiye and the United States. The upcoming IICS will be held in Mumbai, scheduling from 2nd to 4th December 2026, at the Jio World Convention Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex.

Bhupinder Singh, President IMEA, Messe München and CEO, Messe Muenchen India, said, “India International Cargo Show has built strong relationships across India’s cargo and freight-forwarding industry. Bringing it into our portfolio allows us to serve the market through a series of focused yet complementary platforms. Exhibitors, visitors, associations and industry partners will be able to engage with a much wider part of the logistics value chain through one coordinated portfolio. At the same time, every event will continue to address the specific business priorities and communities it was created to serve.”

MCEC appoints new GM, Operations

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Melbourne, 1st September: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) announced the appointment of Monica Rizzi as its General Manager, Operations.

In the new role, Monica will focus on operational excellence, innovation, and customer experience, to support MCEC’s continued growth and its ambition to become the world’s trusted partner for delivering impactful events. Monica has more than 20 years’ experience of operational and commercial leadership experience across Australia’s events. She has also held senior leadership positions with Australia’s events and hospitality businesses.

Lauren Milsop, Chief Operating Officer of the Victorian Convention and Event Trust (VCET), MCEC’s operator, was quoted, “Monica is an accomplished leader with a proven track record of delivering exceptional operational outcomes and leading high-performing teams. As we continue to grow, Monica’s extensive industry experience and customer focus will be invaluable in helping us deliver exceptional experiences for our customers and visitors.”

At the same time, MCEC also announced to expand its Business Development team to strengthen its domestic market position and pursue new opportunities in international markets. The Business Development will be led by the Head of Business Development, Sandra Lady, with a team of industry professional.

BFB Health turns profit

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Hong Kong, 27th August: Last month, BFB Health (formerly SEEC Media Group), a Hong Kong-listed media company, announced its financial results for the first half of 2026. Revenues in the six-month period were US$36.2 million, compared with the figure of US$2.01 million last year. The increase was driven by the marketing efforts of the advertising and e-commerce business.

The company posted a profit of US$1.2 million in the first half of 2026, compared with a loss of US$48,000 in the first half of 2025. Diluted earnings per share in the first half of year were HK$0.008 (US$0.001).

The company has developed digital media marketing services and MCN business to diversify its advertising business revenue. In the reported period, more than 98% of total revenues were generated from this business, amounting at US$35.8 million.

In November, the company renamed as BFB Health, owned by BFB Group, which operates a health and wellness brand, “Dyesoo”, at various e-commerce platform and MCN. The company has established operating systems on major e-commerce platforms, to gain the online presence of its health management products. In the future, the company will continue to develop its advertising business, especially the digital media marketing and the MCN business.

CCID Consulting down in revenues and profits

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Beijing, 27th August: CCID Consulting, a research and information service provider in China, has announced its financial results for the first half of 2026, with revenues of US$11.6 million, down 39% from the first half of 2025. The company’s net profit dropped 87% year-on-year, down to US$811,000. Earnings per share in the six-month period were RMB 0.0079 (US$0.0012).

More than 54% of CCID’s revenues were generated from its Decision-making consulting services, amounting to US$6.3 million. This segment decreased by 54% year-on-year. The second largest business segment was CCID’s Science and technology innovation platform services, generating revenues of US$3.9 million, and accounting for about 34% of the company’s total revenues. This segment grew 24% over the first half of 2025. The remaining revenues were generated from its Data platform services (US$1.4 million), which recorded a decline of 35% from the same period last year.

The company attributed the decrease to intensifying industry competition, changes in customer demand, and tighter budgets, leading to a decrease in revenue the Decision-making consulting services.

In the future, the company will continue to transform its focus from “quantity and scale growth” to enhancing “quality and influence”, under four directions: stability, innovation, digitalization, and optimization.

Quick takes

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TCEB promotes “Meet Thai Plus 2026 Shenzhen”

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) announced to launch MEET Thai Plus 2026 Shenzhen from 9th to 10th September 2026, at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre (SZCEC) in Shenzhen. With the theme of “Thailand: Meet for More”, TCEB aims to introduce a new dimension of overseas business events marketing focused on the Chinese market. The event will gather major Thai economic and investment-related organisations, for Chinese companies to understand Thailand’s support policies and investment information.

Hong Kong exhibition industry drives economic boost

The Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association (HKECIA) reported the exhibition industry generated HK$50.2 billion (US$6.4 billion) in total economic output in 2024, which was 1.6% of Hong Kong’s GDP. The figures reflected the industry as a high-value economic driver and a critical engine for contributing to the Government’s target of raising tourism’s GDP contribution to 5% by 2029.

Melbourne to host Money20/20 Australia

Melbourne will host Money20/20 Australia conference in February 2028, which is the first time the global financial tech gathering to be held in Australia. The bidding process was led by the Melbourne Convention Bureau with backing from the Victorian Government and Tourism Australia via its Bid Fund Program. The new event is expected to attract financial decision-makers, technology firms, and startups to Victoria, drawing over 1,000 delegates. Money20/20 Australia will run alongside Intersekt, and Australian Data Center World and AI Summit.

Netsun posts profit in first half

Last week, Shenzhen-listed Zhejiang Netsun, a B2B e-commerce platform, released its financial results for the six months ended 30th June 2026. The company’s revenues were US$57.4 million during the period, representing an increase of 27% year-on-year. The company posted a net profit of US$448,000, compared with a loss of US$982,000 in the first half of 2025. The diluted earnings per share in the first half of 2026 were RMB 0.01 (US$0.0015).

Alibaba Group’s revenues up 9% in June Quarter

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Hong Kong, 20th August: Last week, Alibaba Group, China’s largest e-commerce company, announced its results for the quarter ended 30th June 2026. The company recorded revenues of US$40 billion, an increase of 9% year-on-year. However, the company’s profit posted a decrease of 75% over the same quarter in 2025, down to US$1.5 billion. Alibaba attributed the decline to the decrease in come from operations, decrease in net gains from disposal of investments, and the decrease in net gain from mark-to-market changes of the equity investment. Diluted earnings per share in the quarter were RMB 0.46 (US$0.07).

The new Alibaba E-commerce Group, including its B2B business, presents its revenues in four segments: China E-commerce, China Quick Commerce, International E-commerce, and Global Wholesale, reflecting the company’s strategic focus on unlocking significant synergies across its domestic and cross-border e-commerce businesses. The Alibaba E-commerce Group generated revenues of US$30 billion, a year-on-year 4% increase. The Global Wholesale segment recorded revenues of US$2.05 billion in the quarter, up 7% from the same quarter last year.

For the whole company, the Alibaba Group reported revenue growth was due to AI monetization and Cloud revenues growth.

Eddie Wu, Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group, said, “We delivered a strong quarter, driven by the improving commercialization of our full‑stack AI capabilities. Alibaba Cloud’s external revenue growth accelerated to 45%, with AI-related product revenue delivering triple-digit growth for the twelfth consecutive quarter. We recently launched frontier language, coding, video, audio, image and music models, all delivering top-tier performance. We introduced QwenWork, an AI workforce agent that unleashes enterprise productivity and capabilities. With our full‑stack AI strategy, we have put Alibaba in a superior position to capture the substantial growth of demand for artificial intelligence and AI compute.”

Separately, the Alibaba Group announced the pricing of its HK$80 billion placing of 710,000,000 newly issued ordinary shares of the company (Placement Shares) to non-U.S. persons outside the United States, at a placing price of HK$112.70 per Placement Share, which is expected to close on 26th August 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.