Quick takes

ASM Global launches training

ASM Global has announced plans to launch a multilingual training programme named “ASM Global Academy.” It will serve the group’s workforce of 61,000 employees, offering more than 1,800 multi-language content courses.

Jimé Essink on new venture

Exhibition World caught up with former CEO of Informa Markets Asia, Jimé Essink. He discussed his latest ventures including VenueScout, a digital platform enabling event organisers to evaluate and find the best venues.

MCH appoints new CEO

It seems that James Murdoch & Co. have finally settled on a new CEO. As of 1st July, Florian Faber will become Group CEO. He will take over from former CFO, Beat Zwahlen, who succeeded Bernd Stadlwieser. Faber has been with MCH since 2009.

Taiwan reduces quarantine for arrivals to three days

Taiwan, 13th June: Earlier this week, Taiwan announced its latest easing of COVID-related rules, reducing its mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from seven to three days as of 15th June 2022.

However, visitors need to continue to monitor their health for another four days after completion of the quarantine period. In addition, other COVID-19 restrictions remain in place. According to media reports, the number of overseas arrivals permitted to enter Taiwan will be limited to just 25,000 a week.

Japan reopens with tight regulations

Japan, 14th June: Tourists from 98 countries have been allowed to enter Japan as of 10th June 2022. This comes after more than two years of closed international borders.

However, local travel agents complain that the recovery of Japan’s travel and hospitality industries will be limited due to tight rules maintained by the Japan Tourism Agency. Tourists must join a tour conducted by a Japan-registered travel agency and agree to abide by the government’s COVID-19 control measures. Tourists will also have to secure a visa and private health insurance before entering the country.

GIFA and METEC Indonesia launch in 2023

Indonesia, 9th June: GIFA and METEC Indonesia will be held for the first time in Jakarta next year, serving Indonesia’s metallurgy and foundry industry.

Running from 13th to 16th September 2023, the shows will be organised by Messe Düsseldorf Asia (MDA) in Singapore, a subsidiary of Messe Düsseldorf Group and PT Pamerindo Indonesia, a leading trade fair organiser in Indonesia which is also part of Informa Markets.

The new events will showcase machines, plants and technologies from additive manufacturing, foundry machines and processing plants to new technologies for user industries in various vertical markets.

Pico Thailand’s revenues up 55% in Q2

Bangkok, 10th June: Pico Thailand, the Thai-listed subsidiary of Pico Far East Holdings, has released its results for the quarter ended 30th April 2022. Revenues in the quarter were US$7.3 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 55%.

The company posted a net profit of US$16,000, compared with a net loss of US$321,000 in the same quarter last year. Pico’s management attributed the results to the Thai government’s easing of COVID-19 controls, as well as the economic recovery that has begun in Thailand.

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

Thailand welcomes return of international MICE events

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) rolled out a new business events brand at IMEX Frankfurt, Thailand MICE – Meet the Magic, which aims to revitalise and re-energise the industry after two years without international travel. This year’s first large convention is the 2022 Global Summit Women, scheduled for 23-25 June, which will welcome over 1,000 participants from more than 60 countries.

Pet Fair South East Asia comes to Bangkok

Organised by the VNU Group, Pet Fair South East Asia – The ASEAN Pet Industry Partnership Hub for Distribution, Retail and Sourcing – is set to take place from 26-28 October at the BITEC Exhibition Centre in Bangkok. The event is the first fully B2B pet industry tradeshow platform for South East Asia’s fast-emerging pet markets.

Messe Muenchen India partners with ICEA

Messe Muenchen India and the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) will join forces to focus on display manufacturing at electronica India 2022 and productronica India 2022, to be held from 21-23 September at India Exposition Mark Ltd. in Greater Noida. The partnership supports the government’s vision to increase self-reliance in India’s electronics manufacturing sector.

South Korea eases restrictions on travel

From 8th June, South Korea will remove quarantine requirements for unvaccinated foreigners and ease restrictions on international flights. The number of flights allowed to land at Incheon is being increased from 20 to 40 flights per hour, and a previous flight curfew from 20:00 to 05:00 has been lifted. International travellers are still required to present a negative PCR test result prior to entry and within 72 hours after arrival.

Phase 2 of China National Convention Center to Open in 2024

Beijing, 30th May: China National Convention Center, Phase 2 (CNCC-II), located in the Beijing Olympic Green Area in the north of Beijing, served as the Main Media Center (MMC) for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The venue is now undergoing transformation into a flexible events venue, aiming to open in 2024.

CNCC-II will feature 420,000 m2 of floor space and 270,000 m2 of meeting and event space in three floors. The first will include a 7,300 m2 divisible plenary hall and 30,000 m2 of exhibition floor space. On the second floor, it will have over 35,000 m2 of function space with meeting rooms in sizes from 100 to 2,000 m2. The top floor will see over 35,000 m2 of function space comprising three banquet halls and two gardens. In addition, there will be over 30 VIP lounges spread across the three floors. The centre complex will also comprise an office building, boutique retail outlets and two hotels.

Messe Frankfurt India’s run of 9 shows in May

India, 3rd June: Messe Frankfurt India, the Indian subsidiary of international exhibition organiser, Messe Frankfurt, hosted nine physical exhibitions and conferences in May, introducing leading innovations by over 600 companies and attracting over 50,000 visitors from 57 countries and 6 continents.

The nine events included the Mumbai debut of Gartex Texprocess India, Denim Show alongside Screen Print India, the Paperworld India, Corporate Gifts Show, Interior Lifestyle India presented by Ambiente India, Media Expo and LED Expo fairs, and the NGV (Natural Gas Vehicles) India Summit.

Global Exhibitions Day 2022 shows value of physical exhibitions

Paris, 3rd June: The seventh edition of Global Exhibitions Day (GED) took place on 1st June 2022. This year’s GED focused on the irreplaceable value of physical exhibitions and face-to-face business events in creating platforms for economic growth and recovery.

The exhibition industry is seeing the re-emergence of face-to-face events as the world moves past the pandemic. GED 2022 reached more than 800 million people around the world online, through social media and web posts, messages and comments.

Melbourne is back for business events

Melbourne, 2nd June: Earlier this month, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) attended IMEX Frankfurt, showing the international market everything Melbourne has to offer as a destination. Resulting demand for business events in Melbourne has bounced back faster than expected.

The Australian team also demonstrated how business events can be conducted safely and effectively in Melbourne with COVID-prevention measures in place. They expect to welcome 17,600 international delegates attending 25 business events in Melbourne before the end of 2022.

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

Japan to slightly ease COVID restrictions

Japan is competing with Hong Kong and China in the contest to remain as cautious as possible about letting in foreigners. Tour packages will be available to citizens of 98 countries, but no independent travel is permitted yet.

Thailand to end “sandboxes”

Meanwhile at the other end of the spectrum, Thailand, much like Singapore has essentially re-opened for business now.

MACEOS launches nine-year roadmap

In Malaysia, MACEOS launches a nine-year roadmap. Perhaps ten years was a bit to ambitious. The strategic roadmap (2022-2030) emphasises innovation, development, education and advocacy – and includes key performance indicators for industry players to uphold and implement.

Constellar gears up for a dynamic event calendar

We have “dynamic COVID-Zero” strategies in mainland China and Hong Kong. Now, Singapore-based organiser, Constellar unveils its dynamic event calendar for the rest of 2022.

Macau hosts 97 MICE events in Q1

Macau, 26th May: Recently, Macau’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) released its MICE statistics for the first quarter of 2022. A total of 97 MICE events were held in Macau in the quarter, up 29 events from the first quarter of 2021. The total number of participants and attendees grew 20%, reaching just over 165,000.

A total of 14 exhibitions were held during the quarter, seven exhibitions more than the previous year. The number of attendees increased by 20%, amounting to 158,000. The total gross area occupied by these exhibitions jumped 147% year-on-year, covering a total area of 33,200 m2.

Baidu records loss in Q1

Beijing, 26th May: Also announced last week, Baidu, the leading Chinese language Internet search company, reported revenues of US$4.5 billion for the quarter ended 31st March 2022, which is similar to the figure posted in the first quarter of 2021. The company recorded a net loss of US$140 million in the reported period, compared with a huge profit of US$3.9 billion in the previous year.

About 60% of Baidu’s revenues were generated from its online marketing services, amounting to US$2.7 billion. That figure fell 6.4% year-on-year. While the rest of its revenues, categorised as “other” increased by 14%, to US$1.8 billion. According to the company, the increase in “other” revenues was mainly driven by its cloud and AI-powered businesses.

Alibaba’s revenues up 19% in FY2022

Hangzhou, 26th May: Last week, China’s largest e-commerce company, the Alibaba Group, announced its financial results for the year ended 31st March 2022. Revenues in the year were US$135 billion, representing year-on-year growth of 19%. However, the company posted a 59% drop in net income, down to US$9.8 billion. Diluted earnings per share in the year were RMB 22.74 (US$3.59).

Just 4.1% of total revenues were generated from its B2B businesses, amounting at US$5.5 billion. Revenues from Alibaba’s B2B business in China, mainly through its 1688.com platform, increased by 17% year-on-year, reaching US$2.6 billion. Meanwhile, the international B2B business, Alibaba.com, generated revenues of US$2.9 billion, up 28% year-on-year.

Freeman splits and sells Info Salons

Middle East, 30th May: Freeman announced the sale of Info Salons after it acquired the business in 2018. Freeman sold Info Salons Middle East to GRS Research & Strategy. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

Info Salons was launched in the early 1990’s in Australia by Jo-Anne Kelleway and it was acquired by Freeman in 2018. After the acquisition, Info Salons Group will split into Info Salons Middle East and Info Salons Greater China + Southeast Asia. Both companies will maintain their co-operation in supporting their regional clients. The buyer of Info Salons Greater China + Southeast Asia was not disclosed, but both deals seem to include Info Salons managers as new shareholders.

Quick takes

Hong Kong tries to make lemonade

“Hong Kong flaunts new developments, experiences for tourism revival.” Hong Kong remains one of the few places in the world with a mandatory hotel quarantine for all arrivals. The city’s tourism revival, although much needed, is a long way off in the future.

Japan is another COVID-restricted holdout

Along with Hong Kong and mainland China, Japan’s government is also holding onto highly restrictive entry rules. Each day only 10,000 foreign visitors are allowed to enter the country. The Japanese travel industry is lobbying to end that.

Bangkok effectively works to win bids

Gary Grimmer’s consultancy, Gaining Edge, has released some interesting research highlighting the fact that Bangkok’s government is one of the most effective in Asia at working with associations to win bids. Not really surprising about Bangkok, but an interesting read.

Automechanika to hold nine editions in 2022

Global pandemic aside, in general, automotive shows have not been doing well in recent years. However, Exhibition World reports that Automechanika will be holding nine editions in 2022.

BCEC to host 100 events in May

Brisbane, 18th May: More good news from Australia. The Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) will host a total of 100 events this month, including 16 conventions which are expected to feature more than 43,000 delegates.

The 16 conventions to be held at BCEC includes two largely international events, while the others are national or state level events. The conventions are mostly focused on the scientific, medical and healthcare sectors - including leukaemia research, critical care, cardiovascular genetics and nuclear medicine. In June, the venue will host an additional 14 conferences and five exhibitions, as well as a number of corporate meetings and functions.