Quick takes

Pico getting some business to build temporary hospitals

Two brief articles (with a few good photos) showing how Pico has transformed halls at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong and SINGEX in Singapore into temporary hospitals for COVID-19 patients. AWE has 400 beds available now.

Confusion and political tension over state borders in Australia

“There now appears a genuine disconnect around how various governments are approaching what one hopes is a future pathway to reopening our internal borders.” That is true worldwide as governments take very different approaches to the pandemic.

Bids for Japan’s IR projects seem to be losing interest

Las Vegas Sands withdrew from Japan completely in May. Wynn Resorts closed its Yokohama office.  Caesars pulled out last year. MGM is “expressing hesitancy,” but Hong Kong-based Galaxy Entertainment Group and Macau-based Melco are still interested. If any of these IRs are actually built, it will eventually add significant exhibition and conference capacity to the Japanese market.

Diversified cancels November event in Singapore

This is not a good sign for the outlook of events in Singapore through to the end of 2020, but it is worth noting that Diversified was the first and only organiser to cancel a B2B exhibition in Hong Kong due to the protests in 2019.