Quick takes

UFI elects Hong Kong’s Monica Lee-Müller as president

Monica Lee-Müller, managing director of the HKCEC venue in Hong Kong, has been elected as president of UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, for the 2021/22 term.

Reed Australia discontinues fitness expos

Following the discontinuation of CES Asia (see above article), Reed Exhibitions Australia has decided to cancel its fitness exhibitions. This is just the beginning of a long, difficult process for the industry. As the pandemic rolls on, exhibition organisers around the world will review their portfolios and cut shows unlikely to recover or expected to recover too slowly.

South China Morning Post reverts to paywall

A good summary of the SCMP’s decision to revert to a subscription model four years after Alibaba’s acquisition of the Hong Kong-based newspaper.

Indian court issues summons to Jack Ma and Alibaba

First came the U.S.-China TikTok political dust-up. Now it seems Alibaba is getting dragged into India-China trade politics. The international political landscape is getting increasingly difficult and complex for tech players.

Casinos still facing dark days ahead

Similar to the business events industry, the gaming industry is facing difficult months ahead. MGM announces that furloughed staff who have not been recalled by 31st August will be laid off permanently. And Las Vegas Sands offers free rent to retail tenants in Macau and Singapore. LVS cannot have malls with no shops when punters eventually return.