Asia Business Media: February 2013

Friday, February 22, 2013

Alibaba rolls-out new Internet search engine

News this week: China’s leading e-commerce company, Alibaba Group, has launched its own Internet search engine, Aliyun, (which is also the name of its mobile OS). The search engine will come under its cloud computing subsidiary – AliCloud.

Search features offered by Aliyun include the ability to search news, sites, images and maps (via AutoNavi). Aliyun was launched as a mobile OS in 2011 and since then Aliyun has launched other web-based applications, such as an Android app store and online maps. The search engine service represents Alibaba’s continued push into all areas of the e-commerce eco-system.

According to a research report released in late 2012, China’s top 10 search engines ranked by page views were: Baidu (72.97%), Qihoo 360 – So.com (9.64%), Sogou (7.83%), Google (4.72%), Soso (3.68%), Bing (0.52%), Youdao (0.31%), Yahoo (0.25%), Zhongsou (0.03%), and Qihoo.com (0.01%).

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.

i2i Events Group appoints new India country manager

News this week: U.K.-based i2i Events Group has announced the appointment of Tulika Sen as the new country manager for its India operations with immediate effect. Ms. Sen will be responsible for managing operations and developing existing and new business opportunities.

Sen’s background in the industry includes previous work for International Trade and Exhibitions India (ITEI), Montgomery India, Expomedia Events India, Business Standard as well as a number of India-based events including Paperex, MMMM and the India Banking Summit.

Gordon Payne, international director of i2i Events Group, said, “We are delighted to welcome Tulika to i2i Events Group and look forward to working with her and her team to develop i2i’s position on the Indian market. This is the latest development in our ambitious international growth strategy and adds India to our list of overseas offices, which already includes China, USA, Brazil, Turkey, France, Italy, Germany and Spain. ”

BOL revenues drop 7.7% in 2012

News this week: Earlier this week, Bangkok-listed business information provider, Business Online (BOL), announced its financial results for the year ended 31^st December 2012. The company reported revenues of US$12 million, down 7.7% year-on-year. Net income for the year was US$2.8 million, flat compared with 2011. Diluted earnings for the period were Baht 0.11 per share.

The decrease in revenue was attributed to a drop in BOL’s “other service” segment, declining 22% to US$4.3 million. That segment represents 35% of total revenues. More than 60% of the revenues were generated from online information service activities, amounting a total of US$7.7 million - up 1.6% over the previous year.

MyCEB secures business events worth US$205m

News this week: The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) estimates that it helped to secure business events in 2012 that will contribute RM 635 million (US$205 million) in terms of economic impact to Malyasia’s economy.

During the year, MyCEB confirmed 26 association meetings will be held in Malaysia over the coming five years. The bureau also secured an addition of 109 corporate and incentive meetings for the country in 2012.

In 2012, MyCEB supported 255 business events, of which 50% were corporate and incentive meetings, 44% association meetings and the remaining 6% were exhibitions.

Mr. Zulkefli Hj. Sharif, CEO of MyCEB commented, “Bids won cover a wide spectrum of industry sectors especially those identified as National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) under the country’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).”

Koelnmesse extends events contract in India

News this week: Koelnmesse through its Indian subsidiary, Koelnmesse YA Tradefair, has signed an agreement with the Institute of Indian Foundrymen (IIF) to continue to organise foundry trade fairs IFEX and Cast India Expo until 2017.

IFEX has been jointly organised by Koelnmesse and IFF since 2006 and Cast India Expo since 2010. The co-located events are held in a different city each year. The last edition of the trade fairs recently took place in Kolkata at the end of January.

Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH, said, “This is a clear indication that Koelnmesse will continue to expand its business activities in India, which is one of the core countries of our growth strategy outside Germany.”

ITE buys Baird Maritime and launches new show

News this week: Earlier this week, the ITE Group announced its acquisition of Australian media group, Baird Maritime’s event business. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Baird Maritime’s portfolio of events includes the Asian Workboat exhibition in Singapore and China Maritime in Hong Kong. Upon completion of the transaction, ITE will move operational management of the events to its office in Hong Kong. Neil Baird, will reportedly retain an active role in the business for at least two years.

At the same time, ITE also announced the launch of a new event, TransAsia, a trade exhibition for the transport and logistics segment in Southeast Asia. The event will be held in November 2014 at the Suntec Centre in Singapore and it will focus on transport services for professionals from across the ASEAN region.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Las Vegas Sands launches event app

News this week: The Las Vegas Sands Corporation (LVS) announced that meeting, exhibition and conference organisers using any of LVS’ properties will have access to a customisable, branded event app – SnapApp. Developed by QuickMobile, LVS sees the app as a potential revenue-generating service as well as a means to create venue loyalty.

The company plans to roll-out the app across all its properties worldwide in February. In Asia, LVS operates two integrated resorts: the Venetian in Macau and the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

LVS’ event clients will have access to more than 30 built-in features including: instant messaging, exhibitor and speaker profiles, photo galleries and social media. The SnapApp platform also features security, privacy and access control settings.

Displaced Sydney events head for alternative venues

News this week: A series of trade events will look to alternative venues as the closure of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre nears for the redevelopment of the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct (SICEEP).

Major shows including the Australian Fitness & Health Expo will relocate to Melbourne until the new facilities in Sydney come online. Other events including the 2014 edition Rotary International Convention and Australian International Motor Show will relocate to alternative venues such as Sydney Olympic Park, Moore Park, the Australian Technology Park and the temporary Glebe Island Expo.

IT event, Vforum, is currently looking for an alternative venue in another state, while the New South Wales government is searching for a temporary home in Sydney for the annual IT trade fair, CeBIT Australia, expected to attract more than 32,000 visitors and 500 exhibitors.

The SICEEP is scheduled to open in December 2016.

Inaugural Automechanika New Delhi attracts 250+ exhibitors

News this week: Messe Frankfurt’s inaugural ACMA Automechanika New Delhi exhibition was held last week at the Pragati Maidan venue. The exhibition covers the auto component and aftermarket industry. More than 250 exhibitors from 12 countries and territories participated in the event which featured 9,500 m². There were five international pavilions from Italy, Germany, the U.K., China and Taiwan.

Categories covered included automotive parts & systems, accessories & tuning, tires & batteries, repair & maintenance services, IT& management systems and service station equipment. Major brands participated such as BASF India, Delphi Automotive Systems and TATA Auto Systems.

ACMA president, Mr. Surinder Kanwar, commented, “The automotive aftermarket in India is currently growing at a pace of 10% to 15%. Although the industry is growing, it is currently going through a rough stage.”

Two co-located events added to UBM’s pharmaceutical show

News this week: Two new co-located events, P-MEC and InnoPack South East Asia, will be added to this year’s pharmaceutical ingredients trade show, CPhl Southeast Asia. Organised by UBM’s subsidiary, UBM Live, the three-day show will run from 20^th to 22^nd March 2013 at the Jakarta International Expo in Indonesia.

One newly added event, P-MEC, serves the pharmaceutical machinery, laboratory equipment and analytical technology industry, while InnoPack South East Asia focuses on packaging and drug delivery solutions. In addition to the new events, UBM also announced the addition of a new learning summit and training workshops.

Martin Wilson, UBM Live’s Pharma Event manager, commented, “With CPhI Southeast Asia providing a unique opportunity to engage with industry leaders and decision makers from the region. We are pleased that the event was such a success in its first year with 220 exhibitors and 4,500 attendees, and we look forward to providing another focused, innovative event in a region that is actively building up infrastructure and encouraging foreign investment to our attendees and exhibitors in 2013.”

Reed’s China Golf Expo to surpass 30,000 m2

News this week: Reed’s China Golf Show will be held in late March at the China National Convention Centre. Reed expects the event to feature more than 30,000 m². The exhibition will include exhibitors ranging from golf equipment manufacturers and brands to golf course design and construction to maintenance and golf facilities management.

The exhibition is expected to attract more than 18,000 trade buyers and 550 VIP buyers. The China Golf Show will also feature activities including educational seminars as well as PGA demonstrations and clinics.

The China Golf Show is an annual event which was launched in 2002. The previous edition featured over 400 brands covering 27,000 m²and more than 15,000 trade visitors. The exhibition is organised by Reed Guanghe Exhibitions. Reed Exhibitions acquired the China Golf Show in December 2010.

HKTDC’s Education & Careers Expo features 730 exhibitors

News this week: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) reported that its recent HKTDC Education & Career Expo attracted more than 730 exhibitors from 20 countries and territories.

Exhibitors included education institutions, professional associations, government departments, public organisations and private companies. The 23^rd edition of the expo was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) over four days at the end of January.

In addition to seminars, workshops and tutorials, the exhibition featured two key zones: Education and Careers. Professional associations participating included the Hong Kong Securities and Investment Institute, the Hong Kong Logistics Association and the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport in Hong Kong.

Messe Frankfurt finds Indian media partner

News this week: Messe Frankfurt’s subsidiary, Messe Frankfurt India, and India-based Business Broadcast News Pvt Ltd. have announced that a strategic partnership has been formed to jointly develop a series of trade shows for the Indian market.

The two companies recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreeing to develop exhibitions with themes of such as infrastructure development, power & energy, and telecommunications.

Sriram Kilambi, president of Business Broadcast News, said, “Our goal is to present Messe Frankfurt a better understanding of key growth areas in India’s economy and ultimately work together to conceptualise and ideally position our joint exhibitions as the leading events within the chosen sectors. Through our extensive network of media channels and products, as well as our knowledge of the Indian business needs, Business Broadcast News plans to grow our influence in the Indian exhibition industry.”

Friday, February 08, 2013

UBM to sell data services business

News this week: Earlier this week, U.K.-based media group, UBM plc, announced the company has received a binding offer from private equity firm Electra Partners LLP to purchase UBM’s Data Services business portfolio for US$251 million. UBM was advised by Credit Suisse on the transaction.

According to UBM, its data services segment also includes health, technology and IP, trade & transport, and paper business units – which generated revenue of US$298 million in 2011 and US$281 million in 2012.

David Levin, CEO of UBM, said, “This transaction is a significant strategic step forward for UBM: by divesting Delta we simplify UBM’s business, improve the quality of our earnings, enhance our underlying growth rates and remove the challenges inherent in the continued transition to digital data delivery. We can now look forward to focusing on further developing UBM as a fast-growing and increasingly profitable events-led, marketing services and communications business.”

CyberMedia’s profit rises, revenue down

News this week: Indian specialty publisher, CyberMedia, released its financial results for the quarter ended 31^st December 2012. Revenues in the quarter were US$3.1 million, a year-on-year 13% decrease. The company recorded an increase of 17% in net profit, reaching US$44,000 in the period.

In the quarter, CyberMedia generated 56% of the revenue from the media business. This resulted in revenues of US$1.8 million, a year-on-year 24% increase. The remaining revenues were generated from the media services business which grew 1.3% to US$1.4 million.

CyberMedia also announced the results for the nine months ended 31^st December. Revenues in the period were US$10 million, roughly flat with the same period last year. The company posted a net profit of US$237,000 in the nine-month period – a jump of 160% compared with 2011. Dilute earnings per share were Rs. 1.24 (US$0.023) in the first nine months of their financial year.

Over 600 companies attend Indian aviation show

News this week: The ninth edition of the biennial air and aviation exhibition, Aero India 2013, has attracted the participation of more than 600 exhibiting companies from India and overseas. Exhibitors displayed technology related to military and civil aircraft, avionics and sub-systems.

Organised by India’s Ministry of Defence, the Indian Air Force, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Department of Space and Civil Aviation Ministry, Aero India runs from 6^th to 10^th February 2013 at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangalore.

A. K. Antony, Defence Minister of India, was quoted saying, “Self-reliance in defence area is our focus area. We want to create a strong defence industrial base in the country. There are big opportunities for major international aerospace companies to enter into new alliances and forge partnerships with Indian industry and set up bases in India.”

ITE posts revenue of US$45.3m in Q1

News this week: U.K.-based exhibition and conference organiser, ITE Group, reported interim results for the quarter ended 31 December 2012. The company posted revenues of US$45.3 million down 8% compared with the US$50.1 million in revenue recorded in the same period in 2011. This was in line with the company’s expectations.

According to ITE, its first quarter results on a like-for-like basis represent a 6% year-on-year increase in revenues. Reporting good growth across most regions, ITE had net cash of approximately US$25.3 million as of 24^th January 2013.

The group recently announced the purchases of a 75% stake in Malaysian event organiser Trade-Link for approximately US$6.3 million, along with a 28% stake in Indian organiser Asian Business Exhibitions and Conference (ABEC) for US$22 million in December 2012.

Baidu’s revenue jumps 54% in 2012

News this week: NASDAQ-listed Baidu, the leading Chinese-language Internet search provider, released results for its fourth quarter and full fiscal year in 2012. Revenues in the year were US$3.6 billion – an impressive year-on-year growth of 54%. Net income in 2012 increased 58% reaching US$1.7 billion. Diluted earnings per share in the period were RMB 29.83 (US$4.79).

Baidu attributed the growth to increases in both the number of active online marketing customers and revenue per customer. In 2012, the company had about 596,000 active online marketing customers, up 22% from 2011. Revenue per customer was US$5,987 in 2012 – a rise of 26% compared to the previous year.

Baidu’s management expects revenues in the first quarter of 2013 to be between US$945 million and US$976 million, representing an increase of 38% to 43% over the first quarter of 2012.

Robin Li, chairman and CEO of Baidu, said, “We made encouraging progress in 2012, integrating Baidu’s superior search and search-related products and functions, like maps and image recognition, into our offering. In 2013 we will continue to enhance functionality, introduce new products, and step up efforts to push our products to users.”

Manch Communications to launch shop-fitting event

News this week: Manch Communications, an Indian event organiser, announced the launch of a new exhibition and conference in India. The India Retail & ShopFittings Show will be held from 25^th to 27^th July 2013 at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

The new event will serve the retail and shop fitting industry and feature exhibitors from shopfitting, store equipment & fixtures, lighting solutions & planning, refrigeration cabinets, frozen food display cabinets, point of sale, information technology, security technology, building services engineering, and architecture & store design sectors. In addition, the event’s concurrent conference, India Retail & ShopFittings Summit, will take place from 25^th to 26^th July.

Kiran Mittal, Managing Director at Manch Communications, said, “Indian retail market is undergoing a transition and will touch new skies in coming years. We strongly believe that it is the right time when the industry needs an event which will enable them to come together to become much organised and structured.”

Friday, February 01, 2013

ITE acquires Trade Link in Malaysia

News this week: International exhibition organiser, ITE Group plc, announced that the group had acquired 75% of the Malaysian company, Trade Link ITE Sdn Bhd, on behalf of ITE’s wholly-owned subsidiary, International Trade and Exhibitions (JV) Ltd. The remaining 25% stake is held by Albert Lai, CEO of Trade Link. ITE agreed to pay £4 million (US$6.33 million) for its stake in the exhibition organiser.

According to ITE, Trade Link’s revenues in FY2013 are expected to reach £2 million (US$3.2 million).

ITE’s Chief Executive Russell Taylor commented, “This acquisition is a strategic move for ITE into the South East Asian exhibition market. Trade Link operates some of South East Asia’s key events in our strongest sectors which are expected to realise good growth in the future.”

Alibaba to invest in China’s logistics infrastructure

News this week: According to Reuters, the Alibaba Group, together with partners, plans to invest US$16 billion in the first phase of its plan to build a sophisticated logistics network in China.

The initiative will be led by Alibaba Group founder, Jack Ma. Over the next decade the group aims to build a logistics network which could allow the delivery of products within China in less than 24 hours. The network will supposedly be able to support online sales of RMB 10 trillion. Other investors include private equity firms, express companies and a bank.

“This is consistent with what we've said in the past that logistics is a key industry bottleneck for e-commerce growth in China and that everyone involved in this sector needs to work together to drive rapid development,” an Alibaba spokeswoman said in an email to Reuters.

SES launches Special Coffee & Tea at FHA

News this week: Event organiser Singapore Exhibition Services (SES) announced the launch of a new sub-event at the next FHA (Food&HotelAsia). The new event, SpecialCoffee&Tea, is a biennial international event which will be held from 8^th to 11^th April 2014 at the Singapore Expo. FHA’s five other specialised events include: FoodAsia, HotelAsia, Bakery&Pastry, HospitalityStyleAsia and HospitalityTechnology. According to SES, coffee consumption almost doubled in the last 40 years to 8.1 million tonnes in 2010, and is expected to hit 9 million tonnes by 2019.

Messe Düsseldorf Group revenues up 3%

News this week: Earlier in January, exhibition organiser, Messe Düsseldorf Group, released its 2012 financial results. The company reported revenues of US$422 million compared with US$410 million in 2011, of which US$58.5 million were generated outside of Germany.

The company reported the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was the most important international market generating 67% of international revenues, followed by India (13%) and China (10%). Messe Düsseldorf reported its overall performance was up 3% year-on-year and 6% above the original budget.

Werner M. Dornscheidt, CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, said, “Our international trade fairs follow the dynamic developments of the growth markets. To develop new regions quickly, we rely on the area-specific expertise of our network and increasingly on joint ventures with regional providers. We steer a distinct course with our strategic partnerships in growth markets.”

Pico’s revenues up 10%

News this week: Hong Kong-listed, Pico Far East Holdings announced its results for the year ended 31^st October 2012. Revenues increased by 10% year-on-year reaching US$498 million. Profits dropped 3.8% to US$31 million, while diluted earnings per share for the year were HK$0.1963 (US$0.025).

The exhibition & event marketing services generated just more than 70% of the company’s revenues (US$351 million), a 13% increase over last year. The remaining revenues were generated through Pico’s brand signage & visual communication business (US$73 million), museum, themed environment, interior & retail business (US$63 million) and conference & show management business (US$11 million).

The brand signage & visual communication business was up 33% and the museum, themed environment, interior & retail business grew 28%. The conference & show management business was the only segment record a decrease (of 71%), as the previous year Pico organised ITMA (Internationale Textilmaschinen Ausstellung) show in Barcelona – the world’s largest international textile machine show, which is held once every four years.

TCEB prioritise Asian MICE markets

News this week: The Thailand Exhibition and Convention Bureau (TCEB) announced its first road shows in 2013 will head to the Indian cities of Combiatore, Mangalore and Pune. As part of the bureau’s plan to focus on the short-haul Asian and the ASEAN countries markets, TCEB is aiming to create a platform to provide the latest MICE information, products and services to India’s business community.

According to TCEB, India is projected to become Thailand’s most important MICE market, with earnings from the country in 2013 expected to reach over US$1.83 billion. The road show, jointly organised with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thai Airways, will showcase Thai MICE operators’ products and services to 152 potential corporate buyers.

Thongchai Sridama, acting president of TCEB, commented, “In line with our preparations for the establishment of the AEC in 2015, Asia is developing as Thailand’s most important MICE market… In 2012 India was Thailand’s largest MICE market. TCEB’s marketing strategy, which targeted Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, resulted in more than 39,000 MICE visitors from India to Thailand. This year we are extending our marketing program to cover 3 more major cities: Coimbatore, Mangalore and Pune, which are ranked highest in the country in terms of economic growth.”

Asia Business Media