Quick takes

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Thailand further eases entry requirements

Effective 1st July 2022, incoming travellers will no longer be required to register for the Thailand Pass, and the US$10,000 health insurance requirement will be lifted if proof of vaccination or a pre-arrival negative Covid test result is provided. Vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers who have a negative RT-PCR test result or professional ATK within 72 hours of travel will be allowed entry and unrestricted travel within the kingdom.

Emerald acquires Advertising Week

B2B events organiser Emerald has acquired all business assets and employees of Advertising Week from Stillwell Partners. Founded in 2004, Advertising Week is a premier global event and thought leadership platform focused on marketing, media, technology and culture – with events in New York, London, Tokyo, Mexico City and Sydney. 100,000 attendees and 3,000 speakers participate in its trade shows every year.

RWS gears up for international conferences

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) has already confirmed more than 50 key conferences and corporate meetings will be held at the resort in the second half of 2022, bringing more than 100,000 international and local participants to events. Around one third of these confirmed bookings are large scale events, as Singapore has lifted all restrictions on social distancing.

Japan takes step-by-step approach to re-opening

On 10th June, Japan relaxed its immigration policies to allow foreign nationals to enter Japan for “short-term stay for tourism”, however the trip must be organised by a travel agency or destination management company (DMC). All visitors must obtain a visa and possess a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of departure from their home country.

UFI and MAD announce partnership in North America

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New York & Paris, 24th June: UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, announced a new strategic partnership with MAD Event Management LLC, aiming to further develop and enhance UFI’s member services for North American members.

Under the new partnership, MAD President, Martha Donato, and CEO, Marty Glynn, will become the official representatives of UFI in the region, working to promote and support the business interest of UFI members. MAD will also create stronger links between the North American exhibition industry and the global industry, and grow UFI’s North American membership base.

HKTDC launches EXHIBITION+

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Hong Kong, 28th June: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will launch a brand-new hybrid exhibition model, Exhibition+, to strengthen its exhibition platform.

The HKTDC will run its International Sourcing Shows from 5th to 8th July, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) together with seven trade fairs. Over 1,700 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions will showcase more than 83,000 products.

Participants can stay connected through Click2Match, the smart business-matching platform of Exhibition+, from 5th to 15th July. Exhibition+ comprise four key exhibition elements: HKTDC-organised physical fairs, the Click2Match smart business-matching platform, online-to-offline seminars under the Intelligence Hub, and the HKTDC.com Sourcing platform.

Pico Far East’s revenues up 25% in first half

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Hong Kong 23rd June: Last week, Hong Kong-listed Pico Far East Holdings announced its interim results for the six months ended 30th April 2022. Revenues were US$299 million, a year-on-year increase of 25%. Profit in the six-month period grew 20%, amounting at US$8.8 million. Diluted earnings per share in the first half of the financial year were HK$0.0556 (US$0.0071).

More than 81% of Pico’s revenues were generated from its exhibition, event & brand activation business, amounting at US$244 million. This business jumped 34% year-on-year. The remaining revenues were generated from its museum & themed entertainment business (US$27 million), visual branding activation business (US$25 million), and meeting architecture activation business (US$3.5 million).

HKECIA updates members on industry trends

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Hong Kong, 23rd June: The Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association (HKECIA) held its annual conference in June. More than 130 participants attended the physical conference held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), which updated members and industry players about the latest industry trends and the government’s plans to help tourism recover.

Participants showed particular interest in analysis of Hong Kong’s exhibition industry from both the global and regional perspectives. Insights on how Hong Kong’s exhibition industry could tap into opportunities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and the roadmap to unrestricted international business travel were other popular sessions.

Quick takes

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First hybrid MICE meetings space launched in Macau

Sands China has unveiled the first hybrid meeting space in Macau, Smart Stage at The Londoner Macao, an Extended Reality (XR) studio. It offers professional broadcast quality live-streaming capability and hologram functionality, allowing presenters to interact with real-time visual markers to deliver a more authentic experience.

Hong Kong government creates new tourism body

The Government of the Hong Kong SAR has formed a new Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), to be headed by Kevin Yeung, the former secretary for education. In addition, a new Travel Industry Authority (TIA) will be in place from 1st September 2022, overseeing licensing and regulating travel agents, tourist guides and tour escorts.

Macau experiences decline in visitor arrivals

Macau’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) announced a total of 600,748 visitor arrivals in May 2022, a decline of 30.6% year-on-year, and a drop of 1.0% month-on-month. Numbers of same-day visitors (358,920) and overnight visitors (241,828) decreased by 8.5% and 49% year-on-year, respectively.

India Exposition Mart receives approval for IPO

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India, 22nd June: India Exposition Mart Ltd, a leading integrated exhibitions and conventions venue in India, announced that it has received capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) approval to raise Rs 6 trillion (US$77 million) through an initial public offering (IPO).

According to the draft red herring prospectus, the IPO comprises the fresh issue of equity shares of up to Rs 4.5 trillion (US$58 million) and an Offer For Sale (OFS) of up to 11,210,659 equity shares by existing shareholders.

SCMP appoints new CEO

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Hong Kong, 15th June: The South China Morning Post (SCMP) announced the appointment of Catherine So as Chief Executive Officer, effective 15th July 2022. She will succeed Gary Liu, who will transition into a new role to oversee the development of Artifact Labs, a new blockchain and NFT company created by SCMP.

Under the new role, Catherine So will bring her leadership experience in media and technology, strong track record for corporate transformation and innovation, and success in growing consumer-focused companies. She is also experienced in digitalisation, audience development and content commercialization; and will be responsible for SCMP’s next stage of audience and subscriber growth.

Constellar appoints Chua Wee Phong as Chief Executive (Venues)

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Singapore, 20th June: Constellar appointed its current Chief Executive (Markets), Mr Chua Wee Phong, as Chief Executive (Venues), effective from 1st July 2022.

Since February 2021, Mr Chua has served as Chief Executive (Markets) at Constellar, bringing experience and knowledge of consumer verticals in the exhibition space, and an extensive network of industry players in Singapore and Asia. In his new role, Mr Chua will be instrumental in evolving the Singapore EXPO business as it embarks on a new growth strategy to drive the recovery of the sector.

Informa reports robust trading

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London, 16th June: Last week Informa PLC, an international B2B markets and digital services group, issued a trading update reconfirming its full year guidance on the back of robust year-on-year trading, and reported its progress on the 2021-2024 Growth Acceleration Plan II (GAP II).

According to the group, Live Events continue to return at pace across North America, the Middle East, Europe, ASEAN and Latin America. Customer demand was stronger than anticipated and post-show feedback was also positive, with high levels of rebooking, back to pre-pandemic levels. This year, more than 200 Live Event brands have been held by Informa Markets around the world, featuring over 25,000 exhibitors and attracting more than 1 million participants.

Quick takes

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ASM Global launches training

ASM Global has announced plans to launch a multilingual training programme named “ASM Global Academy.” It will serve the group’s workforce of 61,000 employees, offering more than 1,800 multi-language content courses.

Jimé Essink on new venture

Exhibition World caught up with former CEO of Informa Markets Asia, Jimé Essink. He discussed his latest ventures including VenueScout, a digital platform enabling event organisers to evaluate and find the best venues.

MCH appoints new CEO

It seems that James Murdoch & Co. have finally settled on a new CEO. As of 1st July, Florian Faber will become Group CEO. He will take over from former CFO, Beat Zwahlen, who succeeded Bernd Stadlwieser. Faber has been with MCH since 2009.

Taiwan reduces quarantine for arrivals to three days

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Taiwan, 13th June: Earlier this week, Taiwan announced its latest easing of COVID-related rules, reducing its mandatory quarantine for all arrivals from seven to three days as of 15th June 2022.

However, visitors need to continue to monitor their health for another four days after completion of the quarantine period. In addition, other COVID-19 restrictions remain in place. According to media reports, the number of overseas arrivals permitted to enter Taiwan will be limited to just 25,000 a week.

Japan reopens with tight regulations

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Japan, 14th June: Tourists from 98 countries have been allowed to enter Japan as of 10th June 2022. This comes after more than two years of closed international borders.

However, local travel agents complain that the recovery of Japan’s travel and hospitality industries will be limited due to tight rules maintained by the Japan Tourism Agency. Tourists must join a tour conducted by a Japan-registered travel agency and agree to abide by the government’s COVID-19 control measures. Tourists will also have to secure a visa and private health insurance before entering the country.

GIFA and METEC Indonesia launch in 2023

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Indonesia, 9th June: GIFA and METEC Indonesia will be held for the first time in Jakarta next year, serving Indonesia’s metallurgy and foundry industry.

Running from 13th to 16th September 2023, the shows will be organised by Messe Düsseldorf Asia (MDA) in Singapore, a subsidiary of Messe Düsseldorf Group and PT Pamerindo Indonesia, a leading trade fair organiser in Indonesia which is also part of Informa Markets.

The new events will showcase machines, plants and technologies from additive manufacturing, foundry machines and processing plants to new technologies for user industries in various vertical markets.

Pico Thailand’s revenues up 55% in Q2

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Bangkok, 10th June: Pico Thailand, the Thai-listed subsidiary of Pico Far East Holdings, has released its results for the quarter ended 30th April 2022. Revenues in the quarter were US$7.3 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 55%.

The company posted a net profit of US$16,000, compared with a net loss of US$321,000 in the same quarter last year. Pico’s management attributed the results to the Thai government’s easing of COVID-19 controls, as well as the economic recovery that has begun in Thailand.

Quick takes

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Thailand welcomes return of international MICE events

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) rolled out a new business events brand at IMEX Frankfurt, Thailand MICE – Meet the Magic, which aims to revitalise and re-energise the industry after two years without international travel. This year’s first large convention is the 2022 Global Summit Women, scheduled for 23-25 June, which will welcome over 1,000 participants from more than 60 countries.

Pet Fair South East Asia comes to Bangkok

Organised by the VNU Group, Pet Fair South East Asia – The ASEAN Pet Industry Partnership Hub for Distribution, Retail and Sourcing – is set to take place from 26-28 October at the BITEC Exhibition Centre in Bangkok. The event is the first fully B2B pet industry tradeshow platform for South East Asia’s fast-emerging pet markets.

Messe Muenchen India partners with ICEA

Messe Muenchen India and the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) will join forces to focus on display manufacturing at electronica India 2022 and productronica India 2022, to be held from 21-23 September at India Exposition Mark Ltd. in Greater Noida. The partnership supports the government’s vision to increase self-reliance in India’s electronics manufacturing sector.

South Korea eases restrictions on travel

From 8th June, South Korea will remove quarantine requirements for unvaccinated foreigners and ease restrictions on international flights. The number of flights allowed to land at Incheon is being increased from 20 to 40 flights per hour, and a previous flight curfew from 20:00 to 05:00 has been lifted. International travellers are still required to present a negative PCR test result prior to entry and within 72 hours after arrival.