Asia Business Media: October 2012

Friday, October 26, 2012

Marina Bay Sands breaks its MICE record

News this week: Marina Bay Sands (MBS) announced it will host 13 tradeshows and a number of key conferences – a record high since the opening of the Sands Expo and Convention Center in April 2010.

MBS estimates about 46,000 delegates from various industries will attend the 13 tradeshows scheduled this month. This includes first time tradeshows at the venue: 5^th World Architecture Festival, 100% Design, Houses of Worship Technologies for Asia, GAS Asia Summit and SkyBridge Alternatives Conference (SALT). Returning shows include Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia, APVIA photo Voltaic (PV) Asia Pacific Expo 2012 and ASTD (America Society for Training & Development)-STADA (Singapore Training & Development Association) Asia Pacific Conference 2012. Five of the eight TravelRave events will also be held at the venue: Hotel Technology Conference, Tourism Destination Investment Conference Asia, Web in Travel Conference Asia, Aviation Outlook Asia conference and ITB Asia 2012.

John Mims, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Resort Marketing Asia, Las Vegas Sands Corp. said: “October marks a milestone for us as our team builds on the MICE momentum since we opened in April 2010. We have the honour of welcoming several new-to-Singapore shows that have chosen to debut at Marina Bay Sands.”

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theMICAM to launch in Shanghai

News this week: Footwear event, theMICAM, will launch its first Asian edition – theMICAMshanghai in Shanghai next year as part of theMICAM in the World project. The new event will be organised by ANCI Servizi and in partnership with Fiera Milano and Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai (HMFS).

The inaugural theMICAMshanghai will be held concurrently with the Shanghai Fashion Week and take place from 9^th to 11^th April 2013 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. ANCI Servizi, the Italian Footwear Manufacturers’ Association, expects 200 exhibitors from the footwear and leather goods sector to cover around 6,000 m² of exhibition space at the event.

Gimmi Baldinini, ANCI vice president and responsible for theMICAM over the World project, said, “The footwear segment exports a large proportion of its production abroad. It is therefore very interesting to participate in events beyond national borders particularly in markets such as China that will continue to grow in an exponential fashion over following years. In particular, the retail market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 20% from 2012 to 2015.”

Bauma China reaches record size

News this week: Messe München International (MMI), organiser of bauma China, anticipates a record-size show this year with more than 2,600 exhibitors from 39 countries expected to attend – close to a 40% increase over its previous edition. Billed as the “International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Construction Vehicles and Equipment”, bauma China will run from 27^th to 30^th November 2012 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC).

According to MMI, there will be eight national pavilions including Austria, Germany, Finland, Great Britain, Italy, Korea, Spain and the U.S., as well as a joint stand of exhibitors from Incheon city. MMI is expecting to use all of SNIEC’s 200,000 m² indoor exhibition space.

Eugen Egetenmeir, managing director of MMI, said, “This statistic shows how important the Asian market still is for the global building machinery industry. We are very pleased to report that bauma China will be taking up all the available capacity at the SNIEC, even though we were not able to meet every request for more booth space.”

Made-in-China.com revenues up, profits down

News this week: Shenzhen-listed Focus Technology, the operator of Made-in-China.com, has released its results for the quarter ended 30^th September 2012. Revenues were US$18 million, an increase of 6.1% over the same quarter in 2011. However, the company’s net income dropped 26% year-on-year in the quarter, amounting to US$5.4 million. Dilute earnings per share in the period were RMB 0.29 (US$0.046).

The Nanjing-based company also reported its results for the nine months ended 30^th September. Revenues in the period were US$53 million, which grew 8.0% over the same period last year. Net income attributable to company shareholders in the nine-month period was US$15 million, declining 22% year-on-year. Diluted earnings per share were RMB 0.79 (US$0.13) in the first nine months of 2012.

As of 30^th September 2012, Made-in-China.com had 12,754 registered members. The company’s flagship English-language site featured most of its members (12,095), while the remaining 659 members registered on the Chinese site.

Alibaba Group’s new partnership and mapping service

News this week: Alibaba.com, the B2B subsidiary of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, has reportedly entered into a partnership agreement with Pakistan-based Pearl Shine Group International (PSGI) to help small businesses from Pakistan to market their products and services overseas. According to media reports, Alibaba.com reportedly has 650,000 Pakistani small and medium enterprises members.

Separately, Alibaba’s consumer-focused division Taobao, has launched a new mapping service in China to provide information about local businesses and the discounts and services available to its users – although Alibaba has made no official announcement about the new service.

From mobile devices, the mapping service is available to users of Taobao’s Local Life mobile app, Taobao Travel and price comparison app, Etao Guangjie. The service is also accessible via map.taobao.com.

An Alibaba spokesperson was quoted saying, “The Taobao Lifestyle platform is simply making use of maps provided by the AliCloud mapping service, which was already available via the Aliyun OS when it was launched last year, to display locations of offline stores and services.”

TCEB signs partnership agreement with Indonesia

News this week: The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Directorate General for National Export Development (DGNED) of Indonesia at the Trade Expo Indonesia 2012 to partner on the promotion and cooperation of trade shows between the two countries.

The MoU covers facilitation and support provided to delegates in exhibition and trade events, support in cross-promotion, exchanging market surveys in the ASEAN region and the exchange of trade exhibition information and related supported campaigns.

Supawan Teerarat, Director of Exhibition Department at TCEB, commented, “TCEB is keenly aware of the importance of regional cooperation to boost the growth of the industry. We expect the forthcoming economic integration within ASEAN in 2015 to drive a major expansion of the exhibition industry in Southeast Asia, and it is therefore crucial to develop multifaceted bilateral cooperation with other member countries to contribute to ASEAN prosperity and development in the region.”

Friday, October 19, 2012

KLCC hosted 1,119 events in 2012 year-to-date

News this week: The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) reported that the venue has hosted 1,119 events during the period from 1^st January to 30^th September 2012. That is up 13% from the 973 events held in the same period last year at KLCC.

During this period, KLCC received 1.2 million delegates and visitors, and reportedly generated an economic impact of around US$133 million to the city of Kuala Lumpur. According to KLCC, there are more than 25 major events scheduled to take place at the venue before the end of this year.

Over the seven and a half year period of KLCC’s operations, the venue reportedly hosted 6,322 events and attracted 13.2 million delegates. The venue also claims a US$1.3 billion economic impact since its inception in June 2005.

Interim results: UBM event revenue up 22%

News this week: Yesterday, London-based B2B media group, UBM plc, released its interim results for the nine months ended 30^th September 2012. The company posted revenues of £734.6 million in the first nine months in 2012, a year-on-year increase of 4.0% compared with last year’s £706.2 million. Adjusted operating profit in the period was £141.7 million, compared with £127.5 million in the first nine months in 2011 – an 11% growth.

Revenues from its events business during the nine-month period were £338.9 million, up 22% over £278.5 million recorded in 2011. Adjusted operating profits from events were £105.1 million this year, a rise of 23% compared with £85.5 million in the same period last year.

UBM also reported that some of the company’s top 20 shows recorded double-digit growth in the quarter including Furniture China and Children-Baby-Maternity-Expo. Forward bookings for the company’s top 20 annual events are also up 15% compared with the previous year.

David Levin, CEO of UBM said, “UBM remains on track to deliver the consolidated group guidance we reiterated at the interim results. Events growth continues as expected with good growth in our large Q3 events, particularly in China, and we continue to invest to strengthen our global events business.”

HKTDC’s electronics fair post record number of buyers

News this week: HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition), and the concurrent event, electronicAsia, concluded earlier this week running from 13^th to 16^th October at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). According to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the two events featured 3,900 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions with 5,300 booths.

During the four days, more than 97,000 buyers from 140 countries and regions attended the events. The electronics fair alone reportedly attracted a show record of more 64,000 buyers, representing a 5% increase over the previous edition.

Global Sources’ China Sourcing Fair attracts 1,900 exhibitors

News this week: NASDAQ-listed B2B media company, Global Sources, opened its co-located consumer goods shows at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) featuring the participation of more than 1,900 exhibitor booths.

This year’s show runs from 19^th to 22^nd October and includes the China Sourcing Fairs: Gifts & Premiums, Home Products, Christmas & Seasonal Products, Baby & Children’s Products, Solar & Energy Saving Products, Medical & Health Products, and India Sourcing Fair: Home Products.

Global Sources reports exhibitors this year originate from a wide number of markets including: mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam.

According to a buyer survey conducted by Global Sources in April this year, 82% of buyers sourced green products, 74% are willing to pay a premium for green products and 50% of surveyed buyers took suppliers’ social responsibilities into consideration while sourcing.

China’s e-commerce market valued at US$45 bil in Q2

News this week: Recently published research claims that the transaction volume of China’s e-commerce industry reached US$44.5 billion in the second quarter of 2012 – a jump of 45% year-on-year.

A report published by Analysys International claims that the consumer-focused arm of Alibaba Group, Taobao, holds a 76% market share of China’s e-commerce industry with transaction volume exceeding US$31.9 billion in the second quarter of this year. Trailing far behind Alibaba were 360buy (5.5%), Tencent (4.5%), Suning (1.2%), Amazon.com (0.8%), Dangdang (0.7%) and Yihaodian (0.3%).

In May this year, China’s vice minister of commerce, Jiang Yaoping stated that e-commerce represented 4% of retail sales in China in 2011, with transactions up 30% to US$925 billion – or 12.5% of China’s GDP.

UFI Congress in Abu Dhabi will set new delegate record

News this week: UFI, The Global Association for the Exhibition Industry, is set to organise the 79^th edition of the UFI Congress. The congress is expected to break the delegate record when the event opens in Abu Dhabi on 6^th November. The current record was set at the Singapore edition in 2010 which attracted 425 attendees including all delegates, speakers, staff and accompanying persons.

The programme of the four-day congress will include speakers such as Hamish McRae, chief economics commentator of U.K.-based news outlet The Independent, H.E. Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, managing director of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), and a panel discussion moderated by UFI’s managing director Paul Woodward.

Woodward was quoted saying, “We are now… aiming for 450-plus. There are already over 50 countries represented. They are looking for more international business opportunities and the UFI membership brings together expertise from almost every country where major exhibitions are taking place. We are focused on trying to make sure that we add value to our members’ businesses in all that we do and that we offer them good return for their time invested in UFI.”

The previous edition of the UFI Congress was held in Valencia, Spain, and attracted 405 attendees.

Friday, October 12, 2012

UBM and RajaMICE launch SATTE Indonesia

News this week: After acquiring the B2B travel and tourism event SATTE last year, UBM plc has announced the launch of an Indonesian edition of SATTE in partnership with RajaMICE next year. The inaugural SATTE Indonesia will be held in Bali from 12^th to 14^th June 2013.

SATTE Indonesia is expected to attract more than 300 domestic and international exhibitors, and will feature business sessions and the promotion of best practices in MICE and leisure management to develop Indonesia’s tourism industry.

Panca R. Sarungu, CEO of RajaMICE said, “By bringing SATTE to Indonesia in 2013, we hope to support government introducing the world to Indonesia and Indonesia to the world. Last year the original SATTE event, SATTE India, attracted 33 countries and 6,249 unique qualified buyers and sellers. We hope that SATTE Indonesia will take the tourism industry of both countries to the next level.”

Contract awarded for construction of MECC

News this week: Daewoo Engineering and Construction (E&C), has been awarded the contract for the construction of the new Matrade Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC) from Naza TTDI, the development company of the KL Metropolis.

Work on the foundation of the project was reportedly completed in August this year, with the completion of the US$182 million MECC expected in 2015. MECC will become the largest exhibition centre in Malaysia with a floor space of 90,000 m². It will feature 11 exhibition halls, a multi-purpose hall and conference rooms.

Penang to set up new convention bureau

News this week: The northern Malaysian state of Penang plans to set-up a convention bureau in the near future to attract more MICE business to the region. It is not yet known whether the bureau will be government assisted or privately run at this stage.

There will also be a number of new MICE facilities opening in Penang in the coming years. The subterranean Penang International Convention & Exhibition Centre (sPICE) is scheduled to open in 2015. sPICE will contain a floor area of 4,459 m² along with a business class hotel and F&B services.

Another convention centre, the Light Convention Centre will open in 2016, which is privately funded and developed by IJM Land. The architectural details of the venue have not yet been confirmed.

According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the number of international association meetings held in Penang increased from 8 in 2010 to 12 last year – increasing its ranking from 45 to 32 in Asia & Middle East in 2011.

Exhibitors up 10% at Messe Frankfurt’s Interior Lifestyle China

News this week: Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai), organiser of Interior Lifestyle China, is reporting 10% growth in exhibitor numbers compared with the show’s 2011 edition. There were some 248 exhibitors from 15 countries this year. The four-day trade show will run from the 10^th to 13^th October at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre.

With a focus on middle- and high-end household products and accessories, Interior Lifestyle will feature five group pavilions from Germany, France, Italy, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Messe Frankfurt also announced that as a result of the show’s expansion, Lifestyle China will relocate to the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) next year and run from 25^th to 27^th September 2013.

Evan Sha, general manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai), said, “The change of date also allows for Interior Lifestyle China to be held concurrently with Paperworld China, a major consumer goods show for the stationery industry. Furthermore, the new venue has facilities to meet the ongoing needs of our expanding show. In fact during the past six years, the number of overseas exhibitors and brands participating in the show has increased from less than 30% in the first edition to more than 70% in 2012.”

Alibaba is most valuable private tech company

News this week: According to the latest media reports, Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group is now the most valuable private tech company in the world. Alibaba is now worth an estimated US$40 billion based on the company’s recent buyback of half of the shares held by Yahoo.

According to a ranking list compiled by Business Insider, Alibaba’s next closest competitors are financial news outlet Bloomberg (US$35 billion), micro-blogging network – Twitter (US$5.3 billion), and the competing Chinese e-commerce platform 360buy.com (US$5 billion).

As reported in Yahoo’s latest stock filings in the U.S., Alibaba Group recorded a net profit of US$235 million in the first quarter of 2012, up 356% year-on-year. Alibaba’s consumer-focused subsidiaries, Taobao and Tmall, are expecting more than US$157 billion worth of transactions this year, up 150% from the US$63.7 billion recorded in 2010.

Global Sources fall electronics shows feature 4,000+ booths

News this week: NASDAQ-listed B2B media company, Global Sources, reported the attendance of 4,000 exhibitor booths at its co-located fall 2012 electronics trade shows. The China Sourcing Fairs: Electronics & Components, Security Products, and Korea Sourcing Fair: Electronics & Components occupy all 10 halls at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) running from 12^th to 15^th October 2012.

The electronics shows will feature products from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea amongst others and also include pavilions for products ranging from consumer electronics & accessories, electronic components, to telecom & smartphones.

Tommy Wong, president of Global Sources Exhibitions, was quoted, “we are very excited to be staging the largest consumer electronics sourcing show in Asia featuring 4,000 booths, many of whom do not exhibit at other shows in the region.”

Friday, October 05, 2012

Montgomery to launch conference business

News this week: Angus Montgomery, holding company of U.K.-based exhibition organiser Montgomery, has announced the launch of a new business division, Montgomery Conferences, which will cover the global conference sector.

The new division will be headed by Simon Polledri, who previously has extensive experience in international conference development with both ITE Group and PennWell. Polledri’s main focus will be on launching paid-for, stand-alone conferences to be held alongside Montgomery’s portfolio of existing exhibitions, as well as helping Montgomery to enter new markets by launching conferences in emerging markets.

Damion Angus, managing director of Montgomery, was quoted, “This is a very exciting development for Montgomery. Not only will a conference arm help reinforce and develop some of our existing brands, but also aid comprehensive exhibition development in certain emerging territories.”

New Jakarta venue expected to boost MICE business

News this week: As part of the Indonesian government’s strategy to promote trade and business through MICE activities, a large new exhibition centre will be built in Jakarta. The new venue, the Jakarta International Exhibition and Convention Centre (JIECC), will be located in the centre of the city.

According to Indra Sukirno, executive director and chief executive of the Jakarta Convention and Exhibition Bureau, JIECC will be used for conventions, exhibitions, sports and entertainment events. The venue will cover a total area of 20 hectares, with a 60,000 m² exhibition hall and a 6,000 m² ballroom – which can be divided into three sections.

Construction of phase 1 of JIECC will begin later this month and is expected to be completed in October 2014. Phase 2 is scheduled to be finished in 2017.

When asked about the types of exhibitions to be held at JIECC, Sukirno stated, “We will organise business-to-consumer exhibitions, but we will switch to industry-specific events that focus, for example, on handicrafts, furniture, agriculture, car production, etc.”

Malaysia’s GO acquires Cambodian event management company

News this week: Malaysia-based GO Communications Group has acquired Active Event Management, a public relations and events agency based in Cambodia. Financial details of the deal were not available.

According to GO Communications, the deal takes the group closer towards creating “one of the largest independent PR networks in Asia.” Earlier this year, GO acquired DC Consultants, a Bangkok-based public relations agency.

Bob Chua, chairman of GO Communications Group, said, “Cambodia has one of the fastest-growing economies within ASEAN, with a GDP [growth] averaging more than 8% for the last three years. Cambodia has a population of over 15 million people, tourism is growing with more than three million visitors a year and foreign direct investment is rapidly increasing. China alone is planning to invest over US$8 billion with 360 new projects over the next year.”

Active Event Management has a staff team of 25 – in addition the company also has 180 field support staff. Active Event managing director, Sisopheak Siet, will continue in his role with Active Events.

Exhibitors up 10% at ACLE China

News this week: The All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE), the largest exhibition of its type in China, last month attracted 1,301 exhibitors from 41 countries and regions as well as over 22,000 visitors this year – up 10% and 16% respectively compared with the 2011 edition.

ACLE is jointly organised by the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) and APLF Ltd., a joint venture between SIC Group and UBM Asia. The exhibition was held from 4^th to 6^th September 2012 at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre (SNIEC). Exhibitors and products showcased at ACLE ranged from tanneries and tanning machinery producers to chemical companies and leather traders.

According to the ACLE’s organisers, 18,699 visitors from China and 3,138 overseas visitors attended the trade show this year. The largest amongst the overseas exhibitors was the Turkey pavilion which showcased products from 62 exhibitors.

BESydney to manage bookings for two new venues

News this week: Business Events Sydney (BESydney) announced it will manage the business event enquiries and bookings for the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct (SICEEP) and the Glebe Island Expo until operators of the two venues are appointed.

Glebe Island Expo will be a temporary facility used during the construction of the SICEEP from December 2013 until 2016. Major public exhibitions and trade shows affected by the SICEEP development will have first right of refusal for booking for the Glebe Island Expo. It is also expected new events will be held at the Glebe Island Expo during the construction period.

Lyn Lewis-Smith, BESydney CEO, stated: “BESydney will be a one-stop shop for business events. Glebe Island Expo is part of the Sydney-wide interim solution that will enable Sydney to remain a vibrant hub for business events while SICEEP is constructed. The new facilities will deliver great opportunities for business events in the city, both now and in the future, and the team is looking forward to working closely with the industry to ensure their success.”

UBM launches logistics event in India

News this week: International media group, UBM plc, launched the inaugural Intermodal India at the Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre. The exhibition ran from 25^th to 27^th September.

Intermodal India’s launch follows the success of UBM’s Intermodal South America, now in its 20^th edition and is reportedly the second largest exhibition in the world for logistics, cargo transport and international trade.

Intermodal India was supported by several Indian associations and was expected to attract more than 2,000 buyers from India and abroad. The event showcased a wide range of products and solutions for the logistics industry.

Speaking at the event Mr. Sanjeev Khaira, Managing Director of UBM said, “Intermodal India 2012 aims at fulfilling the increasing need felt in the logistics industry both in India and abroad for a common platform to come together and deliberate on the prospects in the booming logistics Industry in this country. It is an opportunity for the delegates to interact with the key players of the industry from all over the world about the immense business possibilities in the emerging Indian logistics industry.”

Asia Business Media