GL events China to become a strategic investor in North Star Convention

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China, 9th July: Hong Kong registered Chinese industrial conglomerate, North Star Company Limited, announced it has brought on board four new strategic investors, including GL events China, to strengthen the capital base of its convention and exhibition subsidiary, Beijing North Star Convention Group Co., Ltd. The three other investors are: Beijing Capital Tourism Group Co., Ltd., Beijing Shougang Construction Investment Co., Ltd. and Jingdong Technology Holding Co., Ltd.

The registered capital of North Star Convention Group will be raised from RMB 120 million (US$18.5 million) to RMB 200 million (US$30.8 million) after the completion of the deal. The parent company will own 60% while the four new investors will each hold 10%. The company will also be renamed as “Capital Convention (Group) Co., Ltd.”, and will remain as a subsidiary of the North Star Company.

Hyve releases FY21 Q3 trading update

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London, 8th July: London-listed Hyve Group plc has released its trading update for the three-month period from 1st April to 30th June (Q3).

During the quarter, the company ran 18 in-person events, for a total of 28 events held for the financial year. In respect of cancelled events, £2.1 million (US$2.9 million) of further insurance claims have been approved. Therefore, net debt as of 30th June was reduced to £73 million (US$101 million), from £92.4 million (US$128 million) as of 31st March 2021.

HKTDC opens twin jewellery shows in July

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Hong Kong, 8th July: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will organise the 37th edition of Hong Kong International Jewellery Show and seventh edition of Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show from 25th to 29th July, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

The twin jewellery shows will be held for the first time in a hybrid format. The physical fairs will be attended by industrial buyers and will also open to public for the first time. The online business matching service will run until 5th August, allowing global jewellers to make business deals through online video conferences.

Thailand tightens restrictions in Bangkok and 9 provinces

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Thailand, 9th July: The Thai Government announced a 14-day nightly curfew that applies to Bangkok and nine other provinces, starting from midnight on 12th July. Daily new COVID-19 infections in the country have been on the rise, with 5,530 cases reported on 1st July and 9,276 cases on 9th July.

The affected areas include Bangkok and its vicinities (Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Nonthaburi and Nakhon Pathom) and four provinces in the southern region (Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla).

Quick takes

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Andrew Phua to lead Singapore Tourism Board’s operations in Greater China

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Executive Director Andrew Phua will be moving to China to lead STB’s operations in the China, Hong Kong/Macau and Taiwan markets. Effective 16th September 2021, Andrew Phua’s successor in Singapore will be Poh Chi Chuan, the previous ED of the Board’s Technology Transformation Group.

 

Elsie Cheung to step down as SCMP COO

After 20 years of service, South China Morning Post Chief Operating Officer Elsie Cheung will be leaving the news organisation for personal reasons, effective 30th July 2021. Cheung’s contributions have been “integral to the transformation of the brand” according to SCMP Chief Executive Gary Liu.

 

Tokyo Olympics to be closed to spectators amid new COVID spikes

Japan has declared a state of emergency in Tokyo from 12th July to 22nd August following a spike in COVID-19 cases. To prevent the unnecessary spread of the Delta-variant, public spectators will not be allowed to attend the Olympic Games.

Ecosystm partners with Constellar

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Singapore, 30th June: Ecosystm, the disruptive technology research and advisory platform, and Constellar Venues, a subsidiary of Constellar Holdings (formerly known as SingEx-Sphere Holdings), have agreed to collaborate on a series of Executive Think Tanks globally.

Under the new partnership, Ecosystm’s deep industry knowledge gained through their real-time technology research platform and pool of world-class industry and technology analysts, in conjunction with Constellar’s renowned operational excellence in venue and events management plus their extensive customer and partner networks, will deliver an enhanced standard of virtual, physical and hybrid events around the world.

MCEC unveils sustainability strategy

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Melbourne, 5th July: The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) unveiled its new five-year sustainability strategy and issued ambitious targets for creating positive impact.

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an urgent call-to-action for all countries to address the world’s most pressing challenges by 2030. These goals form the foundation of MCEC’s Sustainability Strategy.

AWE marks 15th anniversary with renovation project

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Hong Kong, 5th July: Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) celebrated its 15th anniversary under the theme of “Change • Possibilities” with a HK$600 million (US$77 million) venue-wide renovation project.

The renovation project has already started and will be completed in phases over the coming five years, intended to eliminate disruptions to daily operations. It will further enhance venue facilities, benefiting future event organisers, exhibitors, concert performers, visitors of public shows and the general public.

Comexposium’s physical events return

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Paris, 24th June: According to Comexposium, a leading event organiser, 75% of exhibiting companies intend to attend physical shows in 2021. The company also organised its first post-crisis events in May, most notably Sial China and the Franchise Expo.

The company has confirmed the main events will be held this autumn in key sectors across all its markets.

Quick takes

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Thailand takes on proactive MICE recovery strategy

To combat the pandemic’s toll on Thailand’s struggling MICE industry, the country has adopted several new proactive strategies. In addition to producing e-learning courses in MICE, the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau will also be implementing the country’s first E-MICE marketplace (Thai MICE Connect) to create more business opportunities for entrepreneurs of business events and supply chains.

 

Vasyl Zhygalo appointed as Portfolio Director of IBTM and WTM Brands

Reed Exhibitions (RX) UK has chosen Vasyl Zhygalo as its new Portfolio Director for the IBTM and WTM brands, in addition to his existing duties as Managing Director of RX Abu Dhabi.

 

Labelexpo India to return in 2022

Labelexpo India 2021 has been cancelled and is set to return on 9-12 November 2022. The Tarsus Group, the organiser of the Labelexpo Global Series, chose to reschedule the show to allow more time for COVID-19 vaccination programmes to roll out and for pandemic situations to stabilise. The event will continue to be held at Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida, Delhi NCR.

Messe Frankfurt form a strategic alliance in Tianjin

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Tianjin, 24th June: Last week, the National Convention & Exhibition Center (Tianjin), the Tianjin Commission of Commerce and Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings established a new strategic alliance to develop international branded trade fairs and events organised at the National Convention & Exhibition Center (Tianjin).

Under the new cooperation agreement, the Tianjin Commission of Commerce, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings and the National Convention & Exhibition Center (Tianjin) will become strategic partners in developing Tianjin’s national exhibition economic zone, establishing a world-class platform for exhibitions, conferences and events, together with local and international marketing and promotion teams, exhibitor recruitment, and training of exhibition personnel.

Informa Markets launches ProPak Connect

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Bangkok, 24th June: The world largest exhibition organiser, Informa Markets, launched a new B2B online platform for the processing and packaging industry, ProPak Connect.

The platform supports ProPak’s portfolio of events, providing a comprehensive and year-round showcase for suppliers and buyers. It also aims to offer suppliers a unique opportunity to extend their brand presence online and reach new buyers.

HKTDC opens Book Fair on 14 July

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Hong Kong, 24th June: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will host its 31st Hong Kong Book Fair from 14th to 20th July 2021, at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The event will also run together with Hong Kong Sports & Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks.

More than 700 exhibitors are expected to deliver cultural activities and leisure experiences under this year’s theme of Inspirational and Motivational Reading, with the tagline “Reading the World • Inspiring the Mind and Refreshing the Soul”.

Pico Far East’s profit up 9.2%

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Hong Kong, 24th June: Last week, Hong Kong-listed Pico Far East Holdings announced its interim results for the six months ended 30th April 2021. Revenues were US$242 million, flat with last year. Profits from core operations in the six-month period grew 9.2%, amounting to US$12 million. Diluted earnings per share in the first half of the financial year were HK$0.0465 (US$0.0060).

More than 76% of Pico’s revenues were generated from its exhibition & event marketing services business, amounting to US$184 million. This business decreased 3.4% year-on-year. The company claimed that despite having only three months to operate in a normal business environment during the period, the encouraging performance in China delivered an impressive number of in-person exhibitions and events.

Quick takes

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Shanghai DLG wins UFI Digital Innovation Awards

At the 2021 edition of the UFI Digital Innovation Awards, Shanghai DLG Exhibitions and Events received first place for their outstanding work on the 2020 World AI Conference (WAIC) – a large-scale online event that was staged with only two months of preparation time. The company’s success story will be shared via a live case-study at Rotterdam during the 88th UFI Global Congress held in November.

 

Singapore lowers stay-home notice for travellers from higher-risk zones

Travellers to Singapore from higher-risk countries and regions will have their stay-home periods shortened from 21 to 14 days starting from June 24. All travellers will need to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival and on the final day of the stay-home notice, in addition to the newly implemented self-administered antigen rapid test (ART) kits on days 3, 7 and 11.

 

Malaysia extends MCO 3.0 lockdowns again

The Malaysian Government has extended its nationwide lockdown to stem COVID transmission rates. As part of phase one of Malaysia’s movement control order (MCO) 3.0, the lockdown will continue until three main threshold indicators are reached – the number of new daily cases must drop below 4,000, public health systems must return to moderate levels, and 10% of the population must be fully vaccinated. Hopefully Malaysia recovers quickly!

Quick takes

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UFI opens registrations for Global Congress 2021

Registrations are now open for the 88th UFI Global Congress, which will take place in person from 3-6 November 2021 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Travel regulations permitting, hundreds of industry leaders from around the world are expected to attend. 

Hong Kong benefits from tradeshow bonanza

A series of 20 in-person B2C and B2B events at HKCEC attracted more than a million visitors during the second quarter of 2021. Hong Kong trade and tourism officials say the city is ready for larger international events.

Korea to host four-in-one travel expo

The Korea Tourism Organization will hold a new, hybrid travel expo from 29th June to 13th July 2021, bringing together four tourism events under a single umbrella. The Korea International Travel Expo (KITE 2021) will feature a roadshow, CVB showcase and exhibition on meeting technologies.