Jakarta government offers support to MICE

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Jakarta, 26th September: The Jakarta city government has launched a new initiative to support its business events industry. Jakarta will create a bid fund aimed at bringing events to the city.

The government has earmarked a budget of 10 billion rupiah (US$675,000) to support event organisers bidding for and hosting major events. The level of support will need to be approved by an independent board which includes the Creative Economic & Jakarta Art Council committees

Fiera Milano launches new show in Singapore

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Singapore, 22nd September: The inaugural edition of FIND – Design Fair Asia (an acronym of Furniture, Interiors and Design) opened at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Center in Singapore running from 22nd to 24th September 2022. More than 250 brands from all over the world showcased their design creations for the home, lighting, bathroom, textiles and interior décor sectors.

Organised by Fiera Milano through a joint venture with dmg events, the new show targets audiences including architects, interior designers, retailers, experts and design enthusiasts from across Asia. The new event was the highlight of Singapore Design Week, a large design festival in Singapore which brings together 50 events and 200 designers over 10 days in multiple venues.

NOVA’s revenues down 51% in FY2022

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Hong Kong, 23rd September: Last week, Hong Kong-based exhibition and event organiser, NOVA Group (formerly known as Mega Expo) announced its financial results for the year ended 30th June 2022. The company reported total revenues of US$14.3 million, a decrease of 51% compared with the previous year. The company’s loss widened substantially to US$16 million, compared with a loss of just US$700,000 last year.

NOVA Group’s revenues were entirely generated from its key two non-event business segments: cultural entertainment segment (US$7.2 million) and financing segment (US$7.1 million). The cultural entertainment segment dropped 68%, while the revenues from the financing segment were up slightly by 5.1%. The company did not generate revenues from its exhibitions & events business.

TCEB wins three energy industry conferences

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Thailand, 22nd September: Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and IEEE PES – Thailand join forces to host three power and energy industry conferences in a variety of Thai cities over the next several years.

The three conferences are the 15th Annual Asia-Pacific Power & Energy Engineering Conference (IEEE PES APPEEC 2023) in Chiang Mai, the IEEE International Smart Cities Conference (ISC2) 2024 in Pattaya and the IEEE PES GTD Grand International Conference and Exposition Asia (GTD Asia 2025) in Bangkok. More than 10,000 participants from around the world will attend these conferences which are expected to generate more than 837 million baht (US$22.5 million) in economic impact.

Quick takes

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Stephen Brooks back in B2B

This is not an Asian development, but still interesting. Stephen Brooks, the former owner of Mack Brooks is stepping back into B2B events three years after selling his company to Reed Exhibitions. Co-investors are Clarion’s Simon Kimble and George Rockett, the founder of the investee company, DCD International.

Japan, Korea and Taiwan ease COVID restrictions

Following Hong Kong’s move to effectively end hotel quarantine, Japan removes its visa and arrival caps. Korea ends (its rather silly) outdoor mask mandate and Taiwan drops its “quarantine on arrival” rule as of 13th October.

Singapore hosts Hong Kong’s jewellery expo

Informa’s massive flagship jewellery expo opened in Singapore this week. This represents another one of Hong Kong’s missed opportunities. Usually, that event is held in Hong Kong and it fills Hong Kong’s two key venues, AWE and HKCEC. The event should return to Hong Kong in 2023, but nothing is certain these days.

White paper highlights Hong Kong’s event opportunities

It will take a lot more than white papers to reverse the damage to Hong Kong’s events industry reputation, but nonetheless, this paper offers interesting suggestions and insights.

Koelnmesse and Messe Düsseldorf launch new shows in Japan

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Japan, 14th September: International exhibition organisers, Koelnmesse and Messe Düsseldorf announced plans to launch new gourmet food and wine & spirits events in Japan.

Koelnmesse will launch its ISM Japan in 2023, covering a range of products including sweets and snacks. Messe Düsseldorf will expand its wine & spirits portfolio by organising ProWine Tokyo beginning in 2024. These events will be co-located with The World Food And Beverage Great Expo (FABEX) organised by Japan Food Journal. Prior to launching ProWine Tokyo in 2024, Messe Düsseldorf will organise Wine & Gourmet – powered by ProWein.

Automechanika Shanghai 2022 to be held in Shenzhen

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China, 19th September: The 17th edition of Automechanika Shanghai will be moved to the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, running from 20th to 23rd December 2022. This special arrangement is a result of China’s ongoing “COVID-Zero” policies and restrictions.

According to the organisers, Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) and the China National Machinery Industry International Company (Sinomachint), the relocation provides participants with more flexibility in their planning and will allow the show to meet the industry’s expectations for in-person activities. Automechanika Shanghai – Shenzhen edition is expected to attract at least 3,500 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions.

TCEB launches “Product MICE Premium” initiative

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Thailand, 15th September: Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has launched a new initiative, the “Product MICE Premium” is designed to engage local SMEs to produce souvenirs for distribution at MICE events. This initiative will provide business opportunities for souvenir producers.

According to TCEB, the selection of community products for MICE events require three criteria: culture, ways of life, and local raw materials. The products include souvenirs and local cuisine that are unique to the community. TCEB has already selected a total of 15 products in collaboration with communities in three regions in Thailand: the southern, northern and northeastern regions.

Quick takes

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Hong Kong finally drops hotel quarantine

Last week, the Hong Kong government said it will scrap its mandatory hotel quarantine. This comes after more than two years of isolation. The city currently has a three-day hotel quarantine with four subsequent days of restrictions that ban some activities such as eating in restaurants.

Thailand expects US$46b tourism revenues in 2023

The Thai government has set the tourism revenue target for 2023 more than US$46 billion. More than five million foreign tourists have arrived in Thailand between January and September this year. Thailand, along with Singapore, were the first Asian markets to reopen in 2022.

Damage from China’s COVID-zero policy grows

The Industrial Automation Show (IAS 2022), originally scheduled to be held at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai) on 26-30 September 2022, will be postponed to 30th November to 4th December 2022.

Japan further eases entry restrictions

Japan will soon allow visa-free, independent tourism. As of 11th October, Tokyo will also remove the country’s daily entry cap. Under the new system, tourists will still need to show proof of triple-vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test before travel.

BPA acquires VSef

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Shelton, CT, 14th September: BPA Worldwide, a global assurance provider of media, technology, events and sustainability standards compliance announced the acquisition of VSef, a company which has developed a global data format for the digital events industry. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

VSef was launched in early 2021 on the back of the rapid increase in the number of digital events and platforms as a result of the global pandemic. VSef is a “universal data format for hybrid and virtual events.” It was developed through a collaboration between event organisers and virtual event platforms.

Thailand records 60,000+ recent MICE arrivals

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Thailand, 8th September: The meetings and incentives travel industry in Thailand continues to rapidly recover. More than 68,000 international MICE arrivals were recorded from April to June 2022.

According to the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), another 4,100 overseas groups are scheduled to arrive in September as part of TCEB’s support programme. In addition, another 30,100 are expected to arrive from October to December. The top three Thai destinations for hosting meetings and incentives are Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya; while other popular destinations include Hua Hin, Krabi and Khao Lak.

ICC Sydney hosted 470,000 visitors in FY

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Sydney, 8th September: International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) has recently released its 2021/2022 Annual Performance Review, reporting that the venue’s visitor numbers and visitor spend have doubled compared to the previous financial year.

Managed by ASM Global, ICC Sydney reported that it welcomed more than 470,000 visitors in FY2021/2022, delivering A$190 million (US$131 million) in visitor expenditure across some 300 events. The is more than double the 200,000 visitors and A$80 million (US$60 million) in economic contribution recorded in FY2020/2021.

Pico Thailand’s revenues up 236%

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Bangkok, 8th September: Last week, Pico Thailand, the Thai-listed subsidiary of Pico Far East Holdings, released its financial results for the quarter ended 31st July 2022. Revenues in the quarter were US$7.1 million, up an impressive 236% compared with the same quarter in 2021.

The company narrowed its loss from US$714,000 last year, down to just US$64,000 in 2022. The company attributed its improving performance to recovery of the Thai economy as the government eased social distancing measures associated with the global pandemic.

Quick takes

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China continues to cancel shows due to Covid crackdown

Beijing continues refuse to consider any alternatives to its “COVID-zero” approach and as a result, the list of postponed and cancelled exhibitions in China is rapidly rising.

Macau receiving interest from MICE-planners in China

Reopening borders (between Macau and the mainland) and reduced quarantine travel requirements have brought China-based event planners back to Macau.

Informa buys back €200m of Eurobonds

Informa announced a successful tender offer for bonds maturing in 2023. This comes alongside its £725m Share Buyback Programme. The successful tender is a part of Informa’s commitment to debt reduction and balance sheet strength.

STB boosts spending on tourism

As Singapore continues to actively try to put the pandemic behind them, the Singapore Tourism Board has unveiled another S$8 million (US$5.6 million) programme to support the recovery of its tourism and lifestyle business sector.

Quick takes

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Major cities in China lockdown and events cancelled

China is sticking with President Xi’s Zero COIVD policy as dozens of cities go into lockdown and events are cancelled across the country.

Clarion Events announces new CEO

Clarion Events has announced that Lisa Hannant will become the company’s new CEO taking over from Russell Wilcox who will become executive chairman. Hannant will officially begin as CEO on 1st October. Clarion Events owned Hong Kong-based Global Sources.

South Korea ends pre-departure test requirement

South Korea has removed its pre-departure COVID test requirement for arriving visitors as of 3rd September. The development came after the Korean state infectious disease advisory committee recommended the government end the mandatory pre-travel PCR tests for all international arrivals.

Constellar announces addition to leadership team

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Singapore, 7th September: Singapore-based exhibition organiser, Constellar, has announced new members of its senior leadership team.

Mel Shah has been appointed as Senior Vice President, International and Business Development, effective 1st September 2022. Also in September, Alexandra Goto joined Constellar as Vice President of Digital Marketing. In July, Sim Lim Ng was appointed as Vice President of Sales responsible for developing strategic partnerships to expand the range of offerings at Singapore EXPO.