HKTDC opens Book Fair on 14 July

Hong Kong, 24th June: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will host its 31st Hong Kong Book Fair from 14th to 20th July 2021, at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The event will also run together with Hong Kong Sports & Leisure Expo and the World of Snacks.

More than 700 exhibitors are expected to deliver cultural activities and leisure experiences under this year’s theme of Inspirational and Motivational Reading, with the tagline “Reading the World • Inspiring the Mind and Refreshing the Soul”.

Pico Far East’s profit up 9.2%

Hong Kong, 24th June: Last week, Hong Kong-listed Pico Far East Holdings announced its interim results for the six months ended 30th April 2021. Revenues were US$242 million, flat with last year. Profits from core operations in the six-month period grew 9.2%, amounting to US$12 million. Diluted earnings per share in the first half of the financial year were HK$0.0465 (US$0.0060).

More than 76% of Pico’s revenues were generated from its exhibition & event marketing services business, amounting to US$184 million. This business decreased 3.4% year-on-year. The company claimed that despite having only three months to operate in a normal business environment during the period, the encouraging performance in China delivered an impressive number of in-person exhibitions and events.

Quick takes

Shanghai DLG wins UFI Digital Innovation Awards

At the 2021 edition of the UFI Digital Innovation Awards, Shanghai DLG Exhibitions and Events received first place for their outstanding work on the 2020 World AI Conference (WAIC) – a large-scale online event that was staged with only two months of preparation time. The company’s success story will be shared via a live case-study at Rotterdam during the 88th UFI Global Congress held in November.

Singapore lowers stay-home notice for travellers from higher-risk zones

Travellers to Singapore from higher-risk countries and regions will have their stay-home periods shortened from 21 to 14 days starting from June 24. All travellers will need to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival and on the final day of the stay-home notice, in addition to the newly implemented self-administered antigen rapid test (ART) kits on days 3, 7 and 11.

Malaysia extends MCO 3.0 lockdowns again

The Malaysian Government has extended its nationwide lockdown to stem COVID transmission rates. As part of phase one of Malaysia’s movement control order (MCO) 3.0, the lockdown will continue until three main threshold indicators are reached – the number of new daily cases must drop below 4,000, public health systems must return to moderate levels, and 10% of the population must be fully vaccinated. Hopefully Malaysia recovers quickly!

Share price movement in B2B media companies involved in Asia

Figure 1: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement over past 12 months)

Figure 2: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement since January 2021)

Quick takes

UFI opens registrations for Global Congress 2021

Registrations are now open for the 88th UFI Global Congress, which will take place in person from 3-6 November 2021 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Travel regulations permitting, hundreds of industry leaders from around the world are expected to attend. 

Hong Kong benefits from tradeshow bonanza

A series of 20 in-person B2C and B2B events at HKCEC attracted more than a million visitors during the second quarter of 2021. Hong Kong trade and tourism officials say the city is ready for larger international events.

Korea to host four-in-one travel expo

The Korea Tourism Organization will hold a new, hybrid travel expo from 29th June to 13th July 2021, bringing together four tourism events under a single umbrella. The Korea International Travel Expo (KITE 2021) will feature a roadshow, CVB showcase and exhibition on meeting technologies.

Messe Frankfurt India postpones new Light + LED Expo India

India, 21st June: Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd announced that the inaugural edition of Light + LED Expo India will be postponed to 3-5 November 2022, running at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

The new event will cover the entire lighting ecosystem – targeting lighting and component manufacturers and suppliers – and enabling them to strengthen their supply chains and tap into investment.

Macau welcomes large conference of 6,000 delegates

Macau, 21st June: Macau hosted the largest conference since the COVID-19 pandemic forced a worldwide slowdown for the MICE industry.

Running from 20th to 23rd April, 6,000 delegates attended the Pro-Health event, a four-day conference and tour for a Chinese health products company, under stringent but efficient hygiene protocols. The company held the conference to review the past year while mapping out future strategies, and also to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. Pro-Health China chose Macau for its event due to its convenient location, ease of access from China and the availability of world-class facilities in Cotai.

electronicAsia reschedules to co-locate with 6 other fairs

Hong Kong, 21 June: Co-organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and MMI Asia Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Messe München, electronicAsia will be rescheduled from 13-16 October 2021 to 27-30 October 2021. It will coincide with the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Fair) and five other concurrent fairs at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

The decision to reschedule was made after consultation with industry representatives and key stakeholders. The co-located events will cover a wide range of product categories, creating synergy amongst the fairs, providing convenience and attracting buyers to visit various fairs in Hong Kong for one-stop sourcing.

SingEx-Sphere rebrands as Constellar

Singapore, 23rd June: The MICE portfolio company of Temasek, SingEx Holdings Pte Ltd, and a subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings Limited, Sphere Exhibits Pte Ltd, merged to form SingEx-Sphere Holdings in February. Recently, the merged company announced its new name, Constellar.

According to the company, the outbreak of COVID-19 has given the MICE industry the opportunity to become a digitally-enable intellectual property business, and Constellar will create a new path for growth through reinvention and collaboration.

Share price movement in B2B media companies involved in Asia

Figure 1: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement over past 12 months)

Figure 2: BSG B2B Media Index vs. All Tracked B2B Stocks (price movement since January 2021)

Phuket to reopen next month

Phuket, 9th June: The Thai government announced Phuket will reopen on 1st July 2021 to vaccinated international tourists, the first city in the country to do so.

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is in discussions with airlines to increase seat capacities and is planning support packages for groups of 30 or more staying in Thailand for at least two nights. TCEB will also target tourists from China.

HKTDC launches GoGBA one-stop platform

Hong Kong, 10th June: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) launched a new business support programme, the GoGBA one-stop platform, to help companies access the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

The launch of the GoGBA one-stop platform includes the GoGBA WeChat mini programme – a digital information and business tool, and the opening of the HKTDC GBA Centre, located in Shenzhen. Several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were also signed during the launch event to expand the network of support for Hong Kong companies.

Reed Exhibitions rebrands as RX

London, 10th June: Last week, Reed Exhibitions announced it is rebranding as RX, with a refreshed visual identity and updated brand positioning.

After rebranding, RX will leverage its capabilities in data and technology to create year-round communities that support businesses and help their customers to grow. The company will also combine both digital and face-to-face interactions to create better livelihoods for its customers, better careers for people and better experiences for audiences to connect.

Pico Thailand narrows loss

Bangkok, 11th June: The Thai-listed subsidiary of Pico Far East Holdings, Pico Thailand, released its results for the quarter ended 30th April 2021. Revenues in the quarter were US$5.1 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 23%. The company narrowed its loss to US$321,000, from a loss of US$791,000 recorded in the same quarter last year.

The company attributed its revenue growth to eased government measures to control the COVID-19 situation in mid-February 2021.

Quick takes

CEIR issues positive 2021 first quarter results

The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has announced that the U.S. B2B exhibition industry showed modest improvement in the first quarter. Rising vaccinations in the U.S. are expected to improve industry performance.

Singapore eases COVID-19 restrictions from June 14

Following the decline of daily infection cases in Singapore, restrictions will be relaxed across two phases. Size limits of MICE events and other small-scale public gatherings have been raised to 250 attendees (with pre-event testing). For events with 50 or fewer attendees, testing will not be required.

Catja Caspary named VP of Marketing Communications at Koelnmesse

Catja Caspary, former Vice President of Trade Fair Management at Koelnmesse, will now serve as the company’s VP of Marketing Communications.