Quick takes

BESydney CEO to step down

Business Events Sydney (BESydney) announced its CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith, will step down in July 2025. Meanwhile, BESydney also held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the financial year 2023-2024, reporting strong results: 69 meetings attracted 51,000 delegates generating an estimated A$216 million (US$144 million).

Beijing to attract more international meetings

Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau aims to attract more international association meetings to the city by intensifying efforts. Earlier this year, the bureau led a delegation of business events industry stakeholders in Beijing to major B2B business event tradeshows to promote the city. In terms of hardware, Beijing offers more than 500 star-rated hotels, which can host large-scale conferences and events.

HKTDC’s lighting fairs draw 60,000 buyers

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has recently concluded it Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), Hong Kong International Outdoor & Tech Light Expo, and Eco Expo Asia, attracting some 60,000 buyers from 150 countries and regions. The survey done during the fairs showed 61% of lighting industry respondents expect overall sales to grow in the next 12-24 months, and 61% of respondent foresee AI as a key growth driver in lighting industry.

New record for exhibitor number at Global Sources Hong Kong Shows

Hong Kong-based Global Sources concluded its October 2024 Global Sources Hong Kong Shows at AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE), setting a new record for exhibitor number, with nearly 5,000 Asian suppliers, showcasing over 500,000 innovative products across the three phases. More than 120,000 attendees visited the shows, with an increase in professional buyers from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.