Asia Business Media: December 2012

Friday, December 21, 2012

Global Sources’ Private Sourcing Events deemed a success in 2012

News this week: NASDAQ-listed Global Sources announced the company’s series of Private Sourcing Events successfully served more than 320 sourcing teams from over 100 buying organisations in 2012.

The company’s Private Sourcing Events match international buyers with pre-screened large-volume suppliers that can deliver quality products. In 2012, Global Sources reported that over 1,500 high-quality, one-to-one selling opportunities took place between buyers and suppliers.

According to Global Sources, in the first half of 2013, more than 40 Private Sourcing Events are planned, and some of the biggest buyers in developed and emerging markets will participate.

This post is excerpted from BSG's weekly e-newsletter which is part of our subscription research service, BSG Tracker. Visit our website to find out more about this service. You can also follow us on Twitter for all the latest updates.

Sydney to invest US$1.6m to support conference segment

News this week: In a bid to develop the local conference industry, the City of Sydney will invest A$1.5 million (US$1.6 million) in Business Events Sydney (BESydney) over the next three years.

The independent, not-for-profit BESydney is set to receive A$500,000 (US$533,000) annually in the next three years to promote the city as a global business events destination. BESydney has reportedly confirmed 103 events for Sydney which will bring an estimated US$241 million and attract 58,000 visitors.

Deputy premier of New South Wales (NSW), Andrew Stoner, said, “As part of an aligned economic development strategy, these events also stimulate trade and investment opportunities for local businesses, fuel knowledge exchange, and more broadly promote innovation and productivity.”

HKTB appoints new GM of MICE & Cruise

News this week: The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced the appointment of Kenneth Wong as general manager of MICE & Cruise with immediate effect. Prior to his new role, Wong was Head of Product Marketing at the HKTB.

In his new role covering the MICE industry, Wong will oversee the development and implementation of business strategies of the Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong (MEHK) Office to continue to provide support to the industry and attract more international, world-class events to Hong Kong. For the cruise industry, he will be tasked with strengthening partnerships with cruise line operators and industry players to expand Hong Kong’s cruise tourism.

Executive director of HKTB, Anthony Lau commented, “I believe that with Ken’s extensive experience and knowledge in tourism and marketing, as well as your staunch support, we will be able to further strengthen Hong Kong’s positioning as the leading MICE destination and cruise hub in the region and reap greater benefits for our mutual business.”

Auto Expo India relocates to Greater Noida venue

News this week: The biennial India Auto Expo motor show will relocate from its current venue at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi to the India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida at the next edition. The change was based on serious traffic and visitor management problems reported by attendees and the Indian Trade Promotions Organisation (ITPO) at this year’s show.

Auto Expo was last held from 7^th to 11^th January 2012, and will be changed to run from 6^th to 12^th February 2014. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the change in timing and venue was mainly to avoid clashing with the Detroit Auto Show in the U.S. and availability at Pragati Maidan.

The relocated 2014 show is expected see an increase of 25% in floor space. A trial show for bus and utility vehicles will be held next year on 15^th to 18^th February.

Malaysia expects event industry revenues of US$294 mil

News this week: The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) is forecasting revenues generated by international events in Malaysia to reach US$294 million in the 2012 financial year.

According to Tony Nagamaiah, general manager of International Events at MyCEB, as of the end of November 2012, total revenues reached US$249 million. Although it is worth noting that the total number of international events held in Malaysia in 2012 was slightly lower than the year before. A total of 189 international events were held in 2011 versus 179 this year.

In a separate report, MyCEB also announced the appointment of Shazrina Othman as its new public relations and communications manager. Ms. Othman will work under the bureau’s communications team and report directly to Ho Yoke Ping, general manager of sales and marketing.

Taobao removed from U.S. list of “notorious” pirate markets

News this week: Last week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced the removal of Alibaba Group’s consumer-focused e-commerce platform, Taobao, from its list of “notorious markets” of pirated and counterfeit goods.

The USTR’s annual report names websites and physical venues “that have a negative impact on legitimate businesses and industries of all sizes that rely on intellectual property to protect their goods and services.”

In April this year, Alibaba hired James Mendenhall, a former general counsel of the USTR, to aid its discussions with the U.S. government and industry groups in an attempt to have Taobao removed from the list.

John Spelich, spokesman for Alibaba Group, commented, “We would like to thank the USTR for the acknowledgment of our efforts. The IPR issue is a long march in China, this is a milestone and it is only the beginning.”

Friday, December 14, 2012

Penang to build US$113m convention centre

News this week: Singapore-based, Suntec International has signed a partnership agreement with IJM Land to jointly develop the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) at an estimated cost of US$113 million. Construction work on the waterfront venue will begin next year and it is expected to be completed by 2017.

The PWCC is part of a US$1.6 billion project that will also include hotels, malls, retail outlets and a marina over 102 acres of reclaimed land space. Under the partnership agreement, Suntec will be involved in the designing, marketing and operational management of PWCC. Facilities at the venue will include a 10,000 m² multi-purpose hall which will be convertible into a 9,000-seat arena.

Lim Guan Eng, Penang’s Chief Minister commented, “It will be in addition to the Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa) which is currently being developed into the Subterranean Penang International Conference & Exhibition Centre (sPICE)… It is good to have two international-standard convention centres in Penang to cater to more international business events. I am also confident that PWCC will serve the manufacturing industry well since major multinational companies are located on both the island and the mainland.”

New venue in Pune approved

News this week: The Pune International Exhibition and Convention Centre (PIECC) has been approved by the local authorities and construction will soon commence.

PIECC is scheduled to be completed by 2017 and it will feature floor space of 13,000 m² and seating capacity of 20,000. Overall, the facility will consist of exhibition space, a convention centre, a golf course, a five-star hotel, a business complex, shopping malls and residences.

The venue will be developed by the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Town Development Authority. After completion, a private sector company will be appointed to market the PIECC to an international audience.

Sushil Wadhwa, chairman, Platinum Incentives, a MICE service provider commented, “In India, the domestic demand for large MICE spaces is high and the sooner the PIECC is functional, the better it will be for the industry. With many international corporations and global associations looking at India to host their events, this will be a huge boost for the MICE trade in India.”

Taobao surpasses 1.2 million users in Hong Kong

News this week: Hangzhou-based e-commerce giant, the Alibaba Group announced that its consumer-focused platform, Taobao, has surpassed 1.2 million registered users in Hong Kong as of September this year. The closely followed the announcement in June this year after Taobao Hong Kong broke through the one million mark.

Taobao’s management stated that its next priority is to improve users’ shopping experience by further streamlining logistics and offering additional payment methods. Taobao recently partnered with 7-Eleven in Hong Kong to offer electronic vouchers at more than 920 stores across the city.

Earlier this month, Alibaba announced that Taobao.com and Tmall.com achieved 1 trillion yuan (US$160 billion) in gross merchandise volume (GMV) as of the end of November. In 2011, the company’s GMV totalled 632.1 billion yuan (US$101 billion).

Pico Thailand’s revenues and profits slide

News this week: Pico Thailand, the Thai-listed subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Pico Far East Holdings, released its results for the financial year ended 31^st October 2012. The company posted revenues of US$42 million, a decline of 5.4% compared with the previous year. Pico Thailand recorded a net profit of US$2.1 million this year, a year-on-year 13% decrease. Earnings per share in the financial year were Baht 0.377 (US$0.0123).

Pico Thailand’s management did not provide any commentary to explain the reasons of the decline in revenue and profit. The company’s financial statements do reveal that selling expenses and administrative expenses increased by 132% and 13% year-on-year, respectively.

AsiaWorld-Expo expands its conference capacity

News this week: Earlier this week, AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) unveiled new convention space, named Runway 11 and the Runway Suites series, which will serve to expand the venue’s conference and events capabilities.

The new suites can be arranged into a maximum of 10 rooms - each capable of seating between 80 and 200 people in a theatre configuration. All of the rooms are carpeted and offer excellent sound-proofing as well as a full range of audio-visual technologies.

Allen Ha, CEO of AsiaWorld-Expo Management Limited, commented, “We are pleased that our Runway 11 and Runway Suites series have provided new major convention spaces for Hong Kong and are very much welcomed by the MICE industry with a view to attracting more international conferences and events to Hong Kong. In the financial year of 2011-2012, the number of large-scale EXPOtainment events hosted at the venue and the total metreage sold increased by over 20%. Looking ahead, we expect to sustain strong growth throughout 2012.”

Winner named for Sydney venue bid

News this week: The New South Wales (NSW) Government has announced the winner for the bid to build the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct (SICEEP), which will now be formally known as the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) – the Destination Sydney consortium.

The Destination Sydney consortium is comprised of AEG Ogden, Lend Lease, Capella Capital and Spotless Facilities Services. AEG Ogden will be the operator of the new ICC Sydney, which will replace the existing Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC). The ICC Sydney is scheduled to open in December 2016.

According to Geoff Donaghy, AEG Ogden’s director of Convention Centres and CEO of the new venue’s management company, the ICC Sydney will include a convention facility capable of holding four concurrent events of over 12,000 delegates, an exhibition capacity of 40,000 m², an external event deck of 5,000 m² featuring city views, a red carpet theatre with a capacity of 8,000 seats, a Grand Ballroom able to host more than 2,000 guests and a new ICC hotel complex with approximately 900 rooms.

Friday, December 07, 2012

Messe Düsseldorf partners with CTS in China

Düsseldorf, 3^rd December: Earlier this week, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, announced that Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai and the China National Travel Service Group Corporation (CTS) signed a cooperation agreement.

Messe Düsseldorf, an international exhibitions organiser, noted that CTS is a key player in the Chinese tourism industry. The first event held by the new joint venture will be All in Caravanning China 2013.

ALL IN CARAVANNING was originally launched in Beijing earlier this year – held from 10^th to 12^th August at the National Agriculture Exhibition Centre. It featured products for mobile homes, caravans, off-road vehicles, basic vehicles, as well as auto-tuning, concept cars, customised vehicle construction, racing cars and accessories.

The inaugural event covered over 20,000 m² with more than 150 exhibitors. The 2013 edition will be held from 15^th to 17^th June, also at the National Agriculture Exhibition Centre in Beijing

Werner M. Dornscheidt, President & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, commented, “The new joint venture will make it much easier for our customers to access the Chinese market. It is a consistent part of our strategy to develop international markets with high-level local partners for our exhibitors and visitors and thus also to create positive effects in the opposite direction, for our own events. CTS is one of the biggest players in the Chinese tourism industry and therefore a most valued partner for our Caravanning segment.”

Alibaba reaches transaction value of 1 trillion RMB

Hangzhou, 3^rd December: Chinese e-commerce giant, the Alibaba Group, announced the sales volume through its various marketplace platforms, including Taobao and Tmall, surpassed RMB 1 trillion (US$157 billion) from January to November this year. This figure surpasses the combined transaction value of other e-commerce leaders, Amazon and eBay.

Earlier this year, Alibaba recorded US$3 billion in sales transactions in a single day from its marketplaces. All payments are handled by Alipay, Alibaba’s payment processor which has more than 700 million registered users.

According to Alibaba, e-commerce in China’s third and fourth-tier cities grew 60% year-on-year in 2012. The company predicts total volume of sales within its marketplaces will be RMB 3 trillion (US$471 billion) in 2017.

Alibaba’s chairman and CEO Jack Ma said in a company statement, “It’s very likely that next year our transaction volume will be bigger than all the American e-commerce companies combined.”

800+ exhibitors at Global Sources’ South Africa’s fairs

Johannesburg, 28^th November: More than 800 booths were featured at the third annual China Sourcing Fair in Johannesburg. The event opened last week running from 28^th to 30^th November at the Gallagher Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The co-located fairs include a wide variety of categories such as consumer electronics, solar & energy-saving products, fashion accessories, garments & textiles, baby & children’s products, gifts & premiums, home products, and hardware & building materials.

Tommy Wong, President of Global Sources Exhibitions, said, “Africa’s trade with China continues to expand… Our Fairs in Johannesburg are an ideal platform for business people in South Africa and throughout continental Africa to meet directly with manufacturers and find the right products for their home markets.”

According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, in the first months of 2012, trade between China and Africa grew 22% to US$80.5 billion and export from China to Africa increased 17.5% to US$30.9 billion.

Asia Business Media