Constellar partners to focus on food security in Malaysia

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Kuala Lumpur, 7th July: One of the larger food and beverage trade fairs in Malaysia, Malaysian International Food & Beverage Trade Fair (MIFB), opened its (physical) doors running from 6th to 8th July 2022 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). This year, MIFB 2022 also partnered with the Though For Food Foundation (TFF) to focus on food security.

Organised by Singapore-based Constellar, MIFB featured over 200 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions, and the organiser expects more than 10,000 trade visitors – including those from around the globe as Malaysia eases its border control policies.

Quick takes

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UFI and MAD Event Management announce partnership in North America

MAD Event Management and UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, announced a new strategic partnership to develop and enhance UFI member services and grow UFI’s membership base in North America. MAD President Martha Donato and CEO Marty Glynn will become the official representatives of UFI in the region.

Hyve reports “full recovery” of revenue in Q2

In its latest trading update, global event organiser Hyve Group plc reported a full recovery of revenue for the period from 1st April to 24th June, delivering a faster than anticipated recovery. During the period, Hyve ran nine in-person events across four continents, however three events in Ukraine – as well as all future events in the country – were postponed until further notice.

TCEB wins UFI Marketing Award

The 2022 UFI Marketing Award was granted to the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) for the “best marketing strategy in a changing exhibition industry.” The UFI Marketing Committee has organised the UFI Marketing Award since 2001, recognising the best marketing initiatives by exhibition professionals.

WTTC sees revival in Japan’s tourism sector

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC’s) Economic Impact Report is forecasting Japan’s travel and tourism sector will contribute nearly JPY 40 trillion (US$293.5 billion) to the country’s GDP by the end of 2023 – just 2.2% below 2019 levels. Employment levels are expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels to reach more than 5.8 million by the end of the year.

Constellar launches Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia in October

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Singapore, 1st July: Singapore-based exhibition organiser, Constellar, will launch Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia (AFTEA), from 26th to 28th October 2022 at Sands Expo and Convention Centre. It will also be an event under Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW).

Themed Ag-Volution For The Future, AFTEA will cover key sectors including Aquaculture & Urban Protein Production, Food Safety & Security, Novel Food Technologies and Smart Farming. The event is expected to attract over 6,000 trade professionals.

Taiwan ready for industry recovery

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Taiwan, 29th June: The reopening of borders and gradual return of travel indicate that Asia Pacific’s business events industry is recovering. Taiwan continues to focus on the visitor economy, as authorities and the MICE community work to lure back shows and delegates after the past two years of the pandemic.

Meet Taiwan and the Bureau of Foreign Trade have made sterling efforts to ensure the health and safety of delegates. In addition, the first edition of the Taiwan MICE Industry Online Seminar was held on 28th June, preparing the industry for a post-pandemic revival, targeting Japanese buyers of conferences and incentive travel.

VNU Asia sees busy second half of 2022

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Thailand, 6th July: Due to the pandemic, Thailand put in place travel restrictions and strict entry regulations at the beginning of 2022. Now, with the lifting of mandatory PRC tests for entry and a plan to become more lenient with mask-wearing from July, Thailand is forecasting positive trends for its exhibition industry in the second half of the year.

After two years of adapting to an online-focused approach during the pandemic, VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific developed a digital exhibition and webinar series to complement its shows. AGRITECHNICA ASIA and HORTI ASIA were the first trade shows successfully executed this year.

In the coming months, VNU Asia will organise exhibitions not only in Thailand, but also in Vietnam and Indonesia. The company will also host several first editions of previously postponed trade fairs.

KLCC confirms 127 meetings scheduled through 2024

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Kuala Lumpur, 30th June: Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) saw a significant growth in demand for in-person events, with a total of 127 global meetings (51 conventions and 76 exhibitions) booked at the venue from 2022 to 2024.

After Malaysia opened its international borders and eased meetings and events restrictions in April, KLCC has hosted some 300 in-person events, welcoming about 200,000 delegates and guests.

Quick takes

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Thailand further eases entry requirements

Effective 1st July 2022, incoming travellers will no longer be required to register for the Thailand Pass, and the US$10,000 health insurance requirement will be lifted if proof of vaccination or a pre-arrival negative Covid test result is provided. Vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers who have a negative RT-PCR test result or professional ATK within 72 hours of travel will be allowed entry and unrestricted travel within the kingdom.

Emerald acquires Advertising Week

B2B events organiser Emerald has acquired all business assets and employees of Advertising Week from Stillwell Partners. Founded in 2004, Advertising Week is a premier global event and thought leadership platform focused on marketing, media, technology and culture – with events in New York, London, Tokyo, Mexico City and Sydney. 100,000 attendees and 3,000 speakers participate in its trade shows every year.

RWS gears up for international conferences

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) has already confirmed more than 50 key conferences and corporate meetings will be held at the resort in the second half of 2022, bringing more than 100,000 international and local participants to events. Around one third of these confirmed bookings are large scale events, as Singapore has lifted all restrictions on social distancing.

Japan takes step-by-step approach to re-opening

On 10th June, Japan relaxed its immigration policies to allow foreign nationals to enter Japan for “short-term stay for tourism”, however the trip must be organised by a travel agency or destination management company (DMC). All visitors must obtain a visa and possess a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of departure from their home country.

UFI and MAD announce partnership in North America

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New York & Paris, 24th June: UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, announced a new strategic partnership with MAD Event Management LLC, aiming to further develop and enhance UFI’s member services for North American members.

Under the new partnership, MAD President, Martha Donato, and CEO, Marty Glynn, will become the official representatives of UFI in the region, working to promote and support the business interest of UFI members. MAD will also create stronger links between the North American exhibition industry and the global industry, and grow UFI’s North American membership base.

HKTDC launches EXHIBITION+

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Hong Kong, 28th June: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will launch a brand-new hybrid exhibition model, Exhibition+, to strengthen its exhibition platform.

The HKTDC will run its International Sourcing Shows from 5th to 8th July, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) together with seven trade fairs. Over 1,700 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions will showcase more than 83,000 products.

Participants can stay connected through Click2Match, the smart business-matching platform of Exhibition+, from 5th to 15th July. Exhibition+ comprise four key exhibition elements: HKTDC-organised physical fairs, the Click2Match smart business-matching platform, online-to-offline seminars under the Intelligence Hub, and the HKTDC.com Sourcing platform.

Pico Far East’s revenues up 25% in first half

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Hong Kong 23rd June: Last week, Hong Kong-listed Pico Far East Holdings announced its interim results for the six months ended 30th April 2022. Revenues were US$299 million, a year-on-year increase of 25%. Profit in the six-month period grew 20%, amounting at US$8.8 million. Diluted earnings per share in the first half of the financial year were HK$0.0556 (US$0.0071).

More than 81% of Pico’s revenues were generated from its exhibition, event & brand activation business, amounting at US$244 million. This business jumped 34% year-on-year. The remaining revenues were generated from its museum & themed entertainment business (US$27 million), visual branding activation business (US$25 million), and meeting architecture activation business (US$3.5 million).

HKECIA updates members on industry trends

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Hong Kong, 23rd June: The Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association (HKECIA) held its annual conference in June. More than 130 participants attended the physical conference held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), which updated members and industry players about the latest industry trends and the government’s plans to help tourism recover.

Participants showed particular interest in analysis of Hong Kong’s exhibition industry from both the global and regional perspectives. Insights on how Hong Kong’s exhibition industry could tap into opportunities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and the roadmap to unrestricted international business travel were other popular sessions.

Quick takes

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First hybrid MICE meetings space launched in Macau

Sands China has unveiled the first hybrid meeting space in Macau, Smart Stage at The Londoner Macao, an Extended Reality (XR) studio. It offers professional broadcast quality live-streaming capability and hologram functionality, allowing presenters to interact with real-time visual markers to deliver a more authentic experience.

Hong Kong government creates new tourism body

The Government of the Hong Kong SAR has formed a new Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), to be headed by Kevin Yeung, the former secretary for education. In addition, a new Travel Industry Authority (TIA) will be in place from 1st September 2022, overseeing licensing and regulating travel agents, tourist guides and tour escorts.

Macau experiences decline in visitor arrivals

Macau’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) announced a total of 600,748 visitor arrivals in May 2022, a decline of 30.6% year-on-year, and a drop of 1.0% month-on-month. Numbers of same-day visitors (358,920) and overnight visitors (241,828) decreased by 8.5% and 49% year-on-year, respectively.

India Exposition Mart receives approval for IPO

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India, 22nd June: India Exposition Mart Ltd, a leading integrated exhibitions and conventions venue in India, announced that it has received capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) approval to raise Rs 6 trillion (US$77 million) through an initial public offering (IPO).

According to the draft red herring prospectus, the IPO comprises the fresh issue of equity shares of up to Rs 4.5 trillion (US$58 million) and an Offer For Sale (OFS) of up to 11,210,659 equity shares by existing shareholders.

SCMP appoints new CEO

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Hong Kong, 15th June: The South China Morning Post (SCMP) announced the appointment of Catherine So as Chief Executive Officer, effective 15th July 2022. She will succeed Gary Liu, who will transition into a new role to oversee the development of Artifact Labs, a new blockchain and NFT company created by SCMP.

Under the new role, Catherine So will bring her leadership experience in media and technology, strong track record for corporate transformation and innovation, and success in growing consumer-focused companies. She is also experienced in digitalisation, audience development and content commercialization; and will be responsible for SCMP’s next stage of audience and subscriber growth.

Constellar appoints Chua Wee Phong as Chief Executive (Venues)

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Singapore, 20th June: Constellar appointed its current Chief Executive (Markets), Mr Chua Wee Phong, as Chief Executive (Venues), effective from 1st July 2022.

Since February 2021, Mr Chua has served as Chief Executive (Markets) at Constellar, bringing experience and knowledge of consumer verticals in the exhibition space, and an extensive network of industry players in Singapore and Asia. In his new role, Mr Chua will be instrumental in evolving the Singapore EXPO business as it embarks on a new growth strategy to drive the recovery of the sector.

Informa reports robust trading

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London, 16th June: Last week Informa PLC, an international B2B markets and digital services group, issued a trading update reconfirming its full year guidance on the back of robust year-on-year trading, and reported its progress on the 2021-2024 Growth Acceleration Plan II (GAP II).

According to the group, Live Events continue to return at pace across North America, the Middle East, Europe, ASEAN and Latin America. Customer demand was stronger than anticipated and post-show feedback was also positive, with high levels of rebooking, back to pre-pandemic levels. This year, more than 200 Live Event brands have been held by Informa Markets around the world, featuring over 25,000 exhibitors and attracting more than 1 million participants.