Australia hosts UFI Asia-Pacific Conference for the first time

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Paris/Melbourne, 18th February: UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, brought its UFI Asia-Pacific Conference to Australia for the first time. Hosted at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), the conference ran from 13th to 14th February, gathering industry leaders from more than 20 countries to Australia.

The UFI Asia-Pacific Conference was co-located with the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) and the Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) Leaders Forum, with a week of exceptional networking, insights, and industry collaboration. The two-day conference featured speakers and leaders from across the APAC region and beyond tackled key issues shaping the exhibition industry.

Chris Skeith OBE, Managing Director and CEO of UFI, commented, “We were thrilled to bring the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference to Australia for the first time ever. As the exhibition industry continues to evolve, the conversations we’ve had here in Melbourne – on sustainability, AI, talent, and more – will help shape the future of our sector in the region and beyond. We’re excited to see the momentum from this event drive innovation and growth across the industry.”

The next UFI Asia-Pacific Conference will take place in Bangkok, Thailand in 2026, and it will be hosted by the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).

1,500+ MICE events held in Macau in 2024

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Macau, 17th February: Earlier this week, Macau’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) released its MICE statistics for the year 2024, reporting a total of 1,524 MICE events were held in Macau in the year, up 31% year-on-year. However, the total number of participants and attendees dropped 17%, down to 1,332,000.

Of the 1,524 MICE events held during the year, 1,423 were meetings and conferences, which grew by 32% year-on-year. The total number of participants at meetings and conferences increased by 8.2%, amounting at 185,000.

A total of 61 exhibitions were held in Macau in 2024, which is 3 exhibitions less than the previous year. The number of attendees decreased by 21%, to 1,133,000 attendees. Meanwhile, the total gross area occupied by these exhibitions grew 7.1% year-on-year, covering a total area of 464,100 m2.

DSEC also reported its MICE statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024. A total of 465 MICE events were held in Macau during the quarter, up 22% year-on-year. However, the total number of participants and attendees decreased by 15% from the fourth quarter of 2023, to 325,000.

Baidu’s FY2024 revenues down, but profits up

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Beijing, 18th February: Baidu, the leading search engine in China, has recently announced its financial results for the year ended 31st December 2024. The company reported revenues of US$18 billion, down 1% year-on-year. However, net income for the year grew 17%, reaching US$3.3 billion. Diluted earnings per share for 2024 were RMB 65.91 (US$9.03).

Revenues from Baidu’s core business reached US$14 billion in 2024, up 1% year-on-year. The majority of its revenues (US$10 billion) were generated from Baidu’s online marketing business, declining by 3% year-on-year, while the non-online revenue increased by 12%, amounted to US$4.3 billion.

Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO of Baidu, said, “2024 marked a pivotal year in our ongoing transformation from an internet-centric to an AI-first business. AI Cloud gained momentum, fuelled by broad market recognition of our full stack AI capabilities. In Mobile Ecosystem, we have been steadfast in advancing the AI transformation, making search more AI-native to deliver a better user experience. Apollo Go, after years of investment, validated its business model, paving the way for global expansion and scalable, asset-light strategies. With our strategic foresight increasingly validated, we expect our AI investments to deliver more significant results in 2025.”

For the ended 31st December, Baidu reported revenues of US$4.7 billion, down 2% year-on-year. However, net income for the quarter jumped 100%, reaching US$711 million.

BOL posts decrease in revenues and profits in FY2024

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Bangkok, 14th February: Last week, Business Online (BOL), a leading online information service provider in Thailand, reported its financial results for the year ended 31st December 2024. Revenue for the year was US$21 million, representing year-on-year decrease of 7.6%. BOL’s net profit for the year dropped 5.0%, down to US$8.1 million. Diluted earnings per share for the year were Baht 0.34 (US$0.010).

More than 94% of BOL’s revenue was generated from its service business, amounting to US$20 million, a decline of 6.4% year-on-year. The remaining revenue was generated from the dividend income (US$1.3 million) and “other income” (US$7,400).

According to BOL, due to delays in government budget approval, the company and its subsidiaries, especially in terms of revenue from project revenue, declined as the majority of customers for this type of revenue are government.

Quick takes

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HKTDC new Chairman appointment

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced the appointment of Prof Frederick Ma Si-hang as the new Chairman for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), effective 1st June 2025. His two-year term will run until 31st May 2027.

Jakarta Convention Center rebrands as Jakarta International Convention Center

The Jakarta Convention Center has been rebranded as the Jakarta International Convention Center (JICC). Gelora Bung Karno Complex Management Center (PPKGBK), the management company, plans to establish a dedicated business unit to manage JICC operations, following the rebranding. During the transition period, the venue will be managed by PPKGBK under the leadership of Sri Lestari Puji Astuti, head of marketing and sales at PPKGBK.

Koelnmesse posts strong results in FY2024

International exhibition organiser, Koelnmesse, posted solid results for the year 2024. Turnover for the year was €365 million (US$388 million), with a profit of €20 million (US$21 million). During the year, the company’s trade fairs featured some 34,500 exhibitors from 106 countries, attracting more than 2.1 million visitors. The company also made significant progress in developing its trade fair grounds, expanding its international trade fair business and improving its sustainability.

UFI: further growth expected in 2025 for exhibition industry

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Paris, 11th February: Earlier this week, UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, released its latest Global Exhibition Barometer research.

According to the survey research, the exhibition industry continued to grow revenues globally in 2024, at 16% year-on-year, while the growth rate for 2025 will be 18%. Nearly half of the companies plan to increase their workforce in the next six months, with another 51% will keep current staff numbers stable.

Chris Skeith OBE, Managing Director and CEO at UFI, commented, “UFI’s Barometer research has provided like-for-like benchmarking on key metrics for 18 years, and this new edition shows positive indicators for the year ahead across all markets, which is heartening to see. However, at the same time, it shows some uncertainty around economic environments and geopolitical challenges, demonstrating we operate in an ever-changing world.”

The latest edition of this biannual research was concluded in January 2025 and it featured data from 390 companies in 56 countries and regions. The report included detailed analysis covering 19 countries and regions: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, the UAE, the UK, and the USA – as well as five additional aggregated regional zones.

ABEA and AIPC announce partnership

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Australia, 12th February: The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) has announced the partnership with the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), to deliver tailor-made leadership training program for convention centres from June 2025.

The first event for the alliance in Australia will be the AIPC Academy, the flagship educational initiative. The ANZ Academy will be held in June 2025 for five days. The program will cover topics in leaderships and convention centre management, combing expert lectures and hands-on exercises to equip participants with actionable insights they can apply in their venues. It will be hosted by Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).

Peter King, Chair of ABEA, said, “I’m thrilled we can bring this outstanding management program to the ANZ region, whilst removing a big part of the financial threshold for participation. It will be the first, but definitely not last outcome of the partnership between these two great associations.”

RELX’s exhibitions business up 31% in profit in 2024

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London, 13th February: The RELX Group, the parent company of RX Global (formerly Reed Exhibitions), has released its financial results for the year ended 31st December 2024. Revenue in RELX’s exhibitions business recorded underlying growth of 11%, amounting at £1.2 billion (US$1.6 billion). Adjusted operating profit for the year was £398 million (US$499 million), which increased 31% over the previous year.

The company attributed the growth in its exhibitions business to the improved growth profile of its event portfolio and a favourable first half comparison to the prior year. The business also made good progress on value-enhancing digital initiatives, with increased usage of digital tools for the customers of its face-to-face events.

The company expects the exhibitions business in 2025 to be with a strong underlying revenue growth and an improvement in adjusted operating margin over the year of 2024.

RELX’s group revenue in 2024 was £9.4 billion (US$12 billion), representing an underlying growth of 7%. Adjusted operating profit for the year grew 10%, reaching £3.2 billion (US$4.01 billion).

Chief Executive Officer, Erik Engstrom, was quoted, “RELX delivered strong revenue and profit growth in 2024. Our improving long-term growth trajectory continues to be driven by the ongoing shift in business mix towards higher growth analytics and decision tools that deliver enhanced value to our customers across market segments. We develop and deploy these tools across the company by leveraging deep customer understanding to combine leading content and data sets with powerful artificial intelligence and other technologies. This has been a key driver of the evolution of our business for well over a decade, and will remain a key driver of customer value and growth in our business for many years to come.”

Quick takes

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UFI celebrates 100th anniversary

UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, was founded in 1925, and the association celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025. The theme of the celebration is “Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present, Shaping the Future”. At the same time, UFI also introduces its UFI 100-Year Logo and celebration plans.

New Zealand International Convention Centre to open in February 2026

New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) will open for conferences and events in February 2026. The venue will feature capacity for meetings, exhibitions, pre-function, banquet and performance spaces. Configurable spaces for various events with intimate meeting space, pre-function capacity for 2,700 people, convention capacity for 3,150 and one-off events for 4,000.

BCEC appoints new Communications and Marketing Manager

The managements of Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BECE), ASM Global, has appointed a new Communications and Marketing Manager for the venue. Karyn Sutton will lead the marketing team, for developing, driving and managing the Communication, Marketing, and Engagement Strategy for BCEC.

Tahaluf’s LEAP East expands to Hong Kong

Tahaluf, the leading B2B events organiser in Saudi Arabia, expands into Asia, with the launch of LEAP East, a new show offering insights into the future of technology. The new event will be held at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), running from 9th to 11th July 2026, expecting more than 300 expert speakers and 300 exhibitors.

Messe Düsseldorf China posts rapid growth in 2024

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China, 27th January: International exhibition organiser, Messe Düsseldorf, posted a rapid growth momentum in China in 2024.

During the year, Messe Düsseldorf China organised 11 leading exhibitions in China, drawing 9,800 exhibitors and over 500,000 professional visitors, occupying an exhibition area of 710,000 m2.

Ms. Evian Gu, General Manager of Messe Düsseldorf (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., was quoted, “The past year was a period marked by both challenges and opportunities. Building on our established business strengths, we proactively ventured into new markets and business sectors. As we look forward to the new year, we are dedicated to further fortifying and solidifying our market leadership. I am confident that we possess the requisite capabilities to consistently sustain and propel this positive trajectory of growth.”

In 2025, the company will host nine shows in China, including the biennial ProWine Hong Kong. In addition, the inaugural Organic Festa Asia will take place from 3rd to 5th September 2025, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), featuring the entire organic value chain.

TCEB unveils MICE plans in 2025

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Thailand, 3rd February: The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has recently unveiled plans to drive Thai MICE industry in 2025, to reach 34 million pax domestic and overseas MICE travellers, generating 200 billion baht (US$6.0 billion) in revenue for the year.

TCEB highlighted five strategies focusing on digital and future industries:

1)    Promoting MICE through high-value industries and flagship events, attracting mega events and focusing on new potential markets.

2)    Developing venues, organising marketing activities.

3)    Using innovation-driven development, raising capacities with Thailand MICE One Stop Service, resulting in reduced unnecessary procedures, and expanding MICE Lane Service to new areas.

4)    Developing system and workflow with digital transformation and Streamline Office Operations.

5)    Elevating MICE knowledge and sustainable operation in accordance with the principle of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and designing environment-friendly MICE venues.

In addition, TCEB also introduced 3s schemes: “Stay Longer”, “Spend More” and “See You Again”. It targeted on BRICS as a promising new market as well.

Mr. Pasu Loharjun, Chairman of the Board, TCEB, stated, “The MICE industry has received high priority from the government, as it is not just part of tourism but a key asset to drive the national economy, a platform for international cooperation and foreign investment and a tool to strengthen the branding of Thailand on an international scale. MICE industry is a long-term asset that creates value for the Thai economy.”

According to TCEB, in 2024, Thailand attracted a total of 25,350,288 local and overseas MICE travellers, generating 148 billion baht (US$4.4 billion) of income and contributing over 309 billion baht (US$9.2 billion), or 1.67% gross domestic product (GDP).

GL events posts 15% growth in revenues in 2024

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Lyon, 23rd January: GL events released its preliminary results for the year ended 31st December 2024, with revenue growth of 15%, amounting at €1.64 billion (US$1.7 billion).

In terms of business sectors, more than 62% of revenues were generated from GL events Live, at €1.02 billion (US$1.1 billion), up 24% year-on-year. The company attributed the increase to the volume and the quality of the services provided for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The second largest sector was GL events Venues, generating revenues of €443 million (US$461 million), representing year-on-year growth of 13%, driven by strong contributions from France and Brazil.

The remaining revenues, €168 million (US$175 million), were generated by GL events Exhibitions, decreasing 20% from the previous year due to a less favourable biennial effect and economic difficulties in the fashion and construction sectors.

Olivier Ginon, Chairman-CEO of GL events Group, commented, “GL events’ positive momentum remained on track throughout 2024, as we once again exceeded all expectations with a new record of €1.635 billion in annual revenue and strong growth of 15%. By leveraging the combined strengths of our Live, Venues and Exhibitions divisions, our strong local roots and our international reach, we successfully met the year's major challenges while at the same time preparing for the future. We can take pride in this remarkable performance which reflects the strength of our market positions and the relevance of our strategy.”

Pico Far East up 57% in profit in FY2024

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Hong Kong, 24th January: Hong Kong-listed Pico Far East Holdings reported its annual results for the year ended 31st October 2024. The company posted revenues of US$814 million, up 19% year-on-year. Pico’s net profit jumped 57% during the financial year, reaching US$46 million. Diluted earnings per share for the year were HK$0.2874 (US$0.037).

About 86% of Pico’s revenues (US$700 million) were generated from its exhibition, event & brand activation business, representing year-on-year growth of 23%. Other revenue streams were generated from museum & themed environments business (US$54 million), visual branding activation business (US$38 million), and meeting architecture activation business (US$22 million). The meeting architecture activation segment grew 28% over the previous year, while the museum & themed environments segment increased by 6.3%, however the visual branding activation segment dropped 23.5% year-on-year.

In terms of geographical region, the Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) generated about 40% of total revenues, amounting at US$329 million. The second largest market is the Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam), generated revenues of US$171 million, or 21% of total revenues.

Quick takes

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GED 2025 theme announced

UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, announced the tenth edition of Global Exhibitions Day (GED) will be held on Wednesday, 4th June 2025. The theme of GED 2025 was “Exhibitions unleash potential”, with four key messages being introduced.

Messe München brings IFAT to Saudi Arabia

Messe München will expand in the Middle East by hosting its leading trade fair for environmental technologies, IFAT, in Saudi Arabia for the first time in 2026. The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Center for Waste Management (MWAN) in Saudi Arabia to jointly organise the trade fair.

UFI welcomes new Research Coordinator

UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has appointed Benjamin Duclos as its new Research Coordinator. He will work alongside Research Manager, Christian Druart to support UFI’s market research initiatives, and contribute to data-driven research projects.

Nineteen Group appoints new President in Americas

Nineteen Group, exhibitions and media business in the U.K., announced Mary Larkin to join the group as President of Nineteen Group Americas. She has over 25 years of experience in the event and media business. She has been the US lead for Diversified Exhibitions and worked across various sectors and geographies.

Messe Frankfurt India and Austrian Fibers Institute announce collaboration

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Mumbai, 15th January: Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India, the Indian subsidiary of international exhibition organiser, Messe Frankfurt, announced the collaboration for Techtextil India, a leading platform for the technical textiles industry in India, with Austrian Fibers Institute.

Under the strategic alliance, the two technical textiles platforms will bring the Asia edition of Dornbirn GFC at a part of Techtextil India Symposium in 2025, targeting to offer opportunities for the entire value chain of the technical textiles industry to explore global advancements in fibre technology, sustainable materials and cutting-edge applications, aligning with the growing focus on innovations in the domain.

The next edition of Techtextil India is scheduled from 19th to 21st November 2025, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. In its 10th edition, the event will also open its doors for the Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress Asia on 18th November 2025, under Techtextil India Symposium.

According to Messe Frankfurt, Dornbirn GFC Asia in India 2025 will be titles as “Shaping the future: Sustainable Grow in Fiber Solutions and Innovations”. The conference will be led by globally acclaimed subject matter experts, researchers, manufacturers and thought leaders.

Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd, was quoted, “The technical textiles industry is at a transformative juncture in India. At this point of time, the partnership of Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India with Austrian Fibers Institute to organise Dornbirn GFC along with Techtextil India 2025 will amplify the benefits of networking and knowledge sharing for the industry professionals. A collaboration of this stature for technical textiles will set a new benchmark for the industry segment.”

Nineteen Group acquires Pro Integration Future Asia

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Singapore, 20th January: Nineteen Group, international exhibition organiser and media company, announced the acquisition of Pro Integration Future Asia (PIFA) Singapore from Montgomery.

Following its opening of the APAC HQ in Singapore and the launch of Safety & Security Asia, Nineteen Group further expands into the APAC market.

PIFA is a leading international event for the Professional Audiovisual, Lighting & Live Entertainment Technologies in the Southeast Asia. Nineteen Group will host the next edition of PIFA in November 2025.

Peter Jones, CEO of Nineteen Group, said, “We’re thrilled to welcome PIFA to our APAC portfolio. This acquisition strengthens our global presence and enhances value for exhibitors and visitors. We look forward to building on Montgomery’s strong foundation and driving PIFA’s future growth.”

Messe München strengthens IMEA regions

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Munich, 16th January: International exhibition organiser, Messe München announced to strengthen its strategic focus on the Indian, Middle Eastern and Africa regions by combing responsibility for this area in “IMEA” (India, Middle East, Africa).

At the same time, the company appointed Bhupinder Singh as President IMEA, effective 1st January 2025. Previously the CEO of Messe München India, he has led the subsidiary to become the second largest international subsidiary of the Messe München Group. In addition to his responsibility in India, he will also oversee Messe München’s events in Africa and drive the company’s market entry in the Middle East in the new position.

The two CEO’s Stefan Rummel and Reinhard Pfeiffer, commented, “Bhupinder Singh is characterized by his strategic vision, his in-depth understanding of the dynamics of the trade fair industry and his exceptional leadership. He has already led our Indian subsidiary to extraordinary success and will now also establish our trade fairs in the Middle East.”