Informa to divest Pharma Intelligence

London, 10th February: Informa PLC, a London-based international B2B markets, knowledge services and business intelligence group, announced that it will sell Pharma Intelligence (the largest business within its Informa Intelligence division) to Warburg Pincus for £1.9 billion (US$2.6 billion).

In 2020, Pharma Intelligence accounted for about 40% of Informa Intelligence’s reported divisional revenues of £305 million (US$414 million), with reported divisional adjusted operating profit of £103 million (US$140 million).

RELX’s exhibitions record profit in 2021

London, 10th February: Last week, RELX Group plc, parent company of RX Global (formerly Reed Exhibitions), released its financial results for the year ended 31st December 2021. Revenues in RELX’s exhibitions business posted underlying growth of 44%, amounting to £534 million (US$721 million). Adjusted operating profit for the year was £10 million (US$13 million), compared with a loss of £164 million (US$224 million) in the previous year.

Management attributed the growth in revenues of the exhibitions business to a gradual reopening of exhibition venues across geographies. In 2021, the company held a total of 269 face-to-face events. In addition, the company announced it had made good progress on digital initiatives, with digital tools supporting their physical events.

BOL’s profit up 31%

Bangkok, 11th February: Business Online (BOL), a leading online information service provider in Thailand, recently released its financial results for the year ended 31st December 2021. Revenue for the year was US$19 million, representing moderate growth of 3.9% year-on-year. BOL’s net profit for the year grew 31% to US$7.0 million. Diluted earnings per share in 2021 were Baht 0.28 (US$0.0085).

More than 93% of BOL’s revenue was generated from its service business, which contributed US$18 million, representing year-on-year growth of 2.1%. The remaining revenue was generated from dividend income (US$827,000) and “other income” (US$411,000).

Singapore Airshow 2022 opens

Singapore, 15th February: Organised by Experia, Singapore Airshow 2022 opened on 15th February at the Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore, featuring 600 participating companies from more than 39 countries and regions.

The biennial event will run until 18th February, and targets to attract over 13,000 trade attendees. However, this year’s Singapore Airshow will not be open to public. In addition, all attendees must be pre-registered, fully vaccinated and adhere to the prevailing safe management measures, including mandatory mask-wearing, safe distancing protocols, designated F&B zones and regular disinfection of event spaces.

Quick takes

Hong Kong spirals into panic mode

As Hong Kong faces new daily highs in Omicron infections, Chief Executive Carrie Lam has requested that hotel operators provide up to 10,000 rooms to serve as isolation facilities. With experts anticipating up to 5,000 new daily cases by mid-March and hospitals already at capacity, these spaces will be vital to continue the city’s “dynamic zero-COVID” policy.

Other markets in Asia move to fully reopen

As of 14th February, India will remove mandatory quarantines and negative pre-arrival COVID PCR tests for international travellers. Instead, travellers will only need to present a completed vaccination certificate. By 30th April, Vietnam will require a vaccination certificate issued 14 days before entry, a negative PCR test issued within 72 hours prior to entry and at least US$50,000 of travel insurance in COVID treatment coverage. Taiwan will be lowering its compulsory two-week on-arrival quarantine period to only 10 days by mid-March.

Constellar appoints M&A Director

MICE venue and events group Constellar Holdings has announced that Luke Han will take on the newly created position of Director of Group Mergers & Acquisitions. He will play an integral role in driving Constellar’s acquisition and growth strategy and bolstering the group’s status within Asia.

Share price movement in B2B media companies involved in Asia

Figure 1: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement over past 12 months)

Figure 2: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement since January 2022)

VNU AP partners with Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce

Thailand, 3rd February: VNU Asia Pacific, an international exhibition organiser, has announced a new partnership with the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce (TICC). TICC will officially become a corporate partner of VNU Asia Pacific later in 2022.

Under the terms of the new partnership, TICC will support VNU Asia Pacific with marketing and promotion, with a special focus on two key events: AGRITECHNICA ASIA and Free From Food Asia.

Quick takes

Hong Kong shoots itself in the foot – again

Monocle offers an accurate short summary of Hong Kong’s unfailing determination to take strong positions against its self-interest. There will be no quick recovery from this for Hong Kong.

Where can you go in Asia?

Mix Meetings offers a good short summary of which countries/territories are being sensible and which are not.

Thailand to launch a new air show in 2027

This week, TCEB and various key government stakeholders in Thailand announced plans to organise Thailand's first-ever air show in 2027. The event will be held near Pattaya in the country’s developing Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), and the show will offer direct competition to the long-established Singapore Airshow.

Share price movement in B2B media companies involved in Asia

Figure 1: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement over past 12 months)

Figure 2: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement since January 2022)

Quick takes

Hong Kong lowers quarantine to 14 days

Is the fever breaking in Hong Kong? Perhaps. Yesterday, the Hong Kong government announced that it will reduce its mandatory hotel quarantine from 21 days down to 14 days beginning on 5th February. This follows Thailand decision, last week to revert to its “Test and Go” approach and after the WTO noted that travel restrictions do more harm than good.

LVS remains committed to Asia

Interesting, somewhat lengthy article on Las Vegas Sands’ long-term corporate strategy which essentially features cashing out of its Las Vegas properties and remaining committed to its investments in Asia.

UFI appoints new COO

Adeline Vancauwelaert has been hired as UFI’s new Chief Operating Officer. She will join the global association on 22nd February from Comexposium where she was an event director for many years.

Singapore inches towards better tourism numbers in 2021

Singapore, 25th January: Singapore’s international visitor arrivals (IVA) and tourism receipts (TR) posted a modest recovery in the last three quarters of 2021 – compared to the year before.

According to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Singapore welcomed 330,000 IVA in 2021 and recorded S$1.9 billion (US$1.4 billion) in tourism receipts. IVA jumped 221% in the last three quarters of 2021, while TR was up 92% in the second and third quarter of 2021 – compared to the very low base in 2020.

Quick takes

Thailand to resume “Test and Go” scheme

The Thai government has decided to start its quarantine-free entry program for all vaccinated travellers as of 1st February. Thailand suspended the programme in December as a result of the omicron variant, but the country has experienced low hospitalization and mortality rates despite increased case numbers.

Hong Kong… it is difficult to know where to start

After recording case numbers barely in double digits, Hong Kong has closed gyms, secondary schools, dine-in restaurants (after 6pm) and so on. Then this week, the Hong Kong government made worldwide headlines by taking the decision to euthanise 2,000 hamsters after it made a very suspect claim about a hamster-to-human transmission of COVID-19. It is difficult to know how they can top that… but they will certainly give it a go.

Reed acquires U.K-based event

This is not an Asian deal, but worth noting that M&A activity is really picking up at this point. Reed Exhibitions announces the acquisition of 3rd Street Group, the owners and organisers of Big Data LDN.

Sarawak secures 109 business events

Sarawak, 12th January: Looking for some good news, Business Events Sarawak (BE Sarawak) reported that Sarawak has secured a total of 109 future business events and these events are expected to generate an estimated economic impact of RM 365 million (US$87.2 million) and create more than 28,000 new job opportunities. According to BE Sarawak, the secured events will welcome more than 43,000 delegates and generate direct delegate expenditure of RM 193.7 million (US$46.3 million).

Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak’s newly-appointed minister of tourism, said, “Business events are playing an increasingly important role in developing Sarawak as an economically prosperous, socially inclusive, and environmentally sustainable destination by 2030. The sector’s involvement in achieving the Sarawak Government’s Post Covid-19 Development Goals is centred around delivering and optimising knowledge, innovation, and partnerships from business events.”