Asia Business Media: January 2015

Friday, January 30, 2015

Alibaba results surprise markets & Beijing criticises Alibaba for counterfeits

News this week: Yesterday, Alibaba Group announced its financial results for the quarter ended 31^st December 2014. Revenues in the period were US$4.2 billion, a year-on-year 40% growth, but this missed the average analyst estimate of US$4.4 billion. In addition, net income dropped 28% to US$964 million, and diluted earnings per share were RMB 2.29 (US$0.37).

Revenues from the China commerce retail business in the three-month period were US$3.4 billion, up 32% year-on-year, due to growth in commission revenue and online marketing services revenue. Mobile revenues from the China commerce retail business grew surprisingly by 448%, amounting at US$1.04 billion, caused by a greater proportion of GMV generated on mobile devices and an increase in the mobile monetization rate.

Separately, on Wednesday, Beijing released a report criticising Alibaba for the number of counterfeit goods available on its e-commerce platforms. The State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) reportedly wrote the sternly worded report in July, but held back releasing the report until after Alibaba’s September IPO.

Alibaba’s stock dropped 8.8% to close at a three month low of US$89.81 on Thursday. The controversy may also have implications for Yahoo which announced this week it has plans to spin off its US$40 billion Alibaba shares into a new company – primarily to avoid paying taxes on the eventual sale of those shares.

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UBM Asia partners with Interexpo in Malaysia

News this week: UBM Asia has reached a partnership agreement with Malaysian organiser, Interexpo (M) Sdn Bhd, to organise the annual Beauty Expo beginning with this year’s event. According to UBM, key members of the Beauty Expo team will join UBM Malaysia to further develop the show.

Mak Weng Kit, owner and CEO of Interexpo and a 30-year veteran of the exhibition industry in Malaysia, developed the Beauty Expo more than 15 years ago. This partnership adds to UBM’s growing portfolio of beauty, cosmetics and wellness events across Asia, which already includes PhilBeauty in the Philippines, ASEANBeauty in Thailand, Diet & Beauty in Japan and Hong Kong’s Cosmoprof Asia.

Commenting on the partnership, Mak said, “Before becoming an entrepreneur I used to work for UBM. So it feels like something of a homecoming to be once again working with the company. I am excited about the potential to further grow Beauty Expo in partnership with UBM.”

Philippines to host luxury travel show

News this week: The Philippines will host Southeast Asia’s first luxury travel show, Asia Premium Travel Mart, from 26^th to 28^th May 2015 at SMX Convention Center.

Organised by S8 Exhibitions, Corporate International Travel & Tours, Light Miles Travel, Celebrate Life Travel & Leisure, Luxus Pacific and Rajah Tours, the annual event will showcase the Philippines as a luxury destination through hosting luxury inbound and outbound travel professionals. According to the organisers, an expected 150 to 200 exhibitors will join, with half of those originating from Asia-Pacific and others from Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.

Shan David, president, S8 Exhibitions, said, “Even if the north doesn’t have many luxury accommodation, we will make it a luxury experience for our buyers; we have three UNESCO sites, so the culture and heritage experience is there. We also know some buyers may not want to see beach destinations (only).”

Taiwan to grow MICE venue capacity over next 3 years

News this week: According to Meet Taiwan, Taiwan’s MICE promotion programme organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), Taiwan will have more MICE capacity in the next three years with construction taking place in Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung.

The additional venue capacity includes the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center which opened in April 2014. The construction of further exhibition space at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall will be completed in 2017 and will be able to host a further 5,000 booths. The Taichung Convention and Exhibition Center will have a capacity of more than 3,350 booths, and is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Meanwhile, various prominent local hotels are also expanding their MICE facilities, with Marriott Taipei to open a convention centre in the second quarter this year. The centre will have a capacity of approximately 2,000 persons. Overall, in 2015, Taiwan is expecting to welcome 12 international conferences and attract several thousand participants.

TCEB launches ASEAN Rising Trade Show campaign

News this week: Last week, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) launched the ASEAN Rising Trade Show (ART) campaign at the Thailand International Exhibitions & Events Forum 2015 (TIEEF 2015) designed to position Thailand as the top events destination for exhibitions in the ASEAN region.

The ART marketing campaign focuses on three strategies: i) upgrading international exhibitions in the five key industries of automotive, energy, infrastructure, food & agriculture, and health & wellness over the next three years; ii) providing financial support to exhibition organisers’ international marketing efforts; and iii) expanding the ASEAN MICE Collaboration programme to capture new markets in southern China.

TCEB’s strategic and business development vice president, Mrs. Supawan Teerarat, said, “It is a three-year programme running until 2017. TCEB will provide financial support of US$764,000 annually to encourage trade show organisers to attract more quality visitors. We see the opportunity to expand the sector in ASEAN as well as to capture new markets in south China like Yunnan.”

UBM Asia acquires textile printing expo CSTPF

News this week: Earlier this week, UBM Asia announced the acquisition of digital textile printing trade show China (Shanghai) International Printing Industry Expo (CSTPF) from SUNEXPO Exhibition. UBM added that Mr. Gong Changming, general manager of CSTPF, will continue to lead the CSTPF staff and the team will join UBM China’s Shanghai office. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

CSTPF was launched by SUNEXPO in 2009. The 2013 edition of CSTPF attracted 158 exhibitors and occupied gross space of 12,000 m² at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). More than 15,200 visitors and buyers attended the show, including overseas visitors from Italy, the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Japan, Korea, Russia, India, Thailand, and Iran.

Jimé Essink, president & CEO of UBM Asia, commented, “We are entering a dynamic new sector through the acquisition of CSTPF. Textile and apparel is one of the largest and most important industries in China. The development of digital printing has accelerated with the drive for innovation and technological transformation in China to upgrade this industry. Today’s fast fashion characterised by small lot and customised printing adds further demand for digital printing.”

Friday, January 23, 2015

Alibaba signs MOU with CII

News this week: China’s largest e-commerce company, Alibaba Group, has signed an MOU with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to collaborate on trade and e-commerce opportunities between Indian and Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its B2B arm – Alibaba.com.

Under the MOU, Alibaba will work with CII to run e-certificates programmes in India and help Indian SMEs to develop their business by engaging in partnerships with overseas businesses. The MOU will also help Indian SMEs to build brand image at both B2B and B2C levels through collaborations on promotional, training and educational activities.

Head of Global Business Development for Alibaba, Timothy Leung, said, “India is one of the key markets for Alibaba.com. We are confident that the CII and Alibaba.com partnership will support greater business engagement between Indian SMEs to the rest of the world.”

UBM launches new Indian event, concludes 2nd Kolkata jewellery show

News this week: Last week, UBM India announced the launch of Personal Care India Expo 2015, a new trade show focusing on personal care, cosmetic and home care ingredients, and the machinery and packaging industries. The three-day show will take place at New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan from 19^th to 21^st August.

UBM expects the inaugural show to attract around 150 exhibitors and 4,000 participants from around the world. Personal Care India Expo is supported by various industry bodies including the Chemexcil – Basic Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Export Promotion Council, Indian Home and Personal Care Industry Association (IHPCIA), Fragrances and Flavours Association of India (FAFAI), EU Chamber of Commerce, Oil Technologists’ Association of India (OTAI), and the All India Cosmetic Manufacturers' Association (AICMA).

Separately, UBM India concluded the second edition of Kolkata Jewellery & Gem Fair (KJGF ‘15) hosting more than 200 exhibitors and 6,000 trade visitors. KJGF ’15 was held at the Milan Mela Exhibition Complex from 10^th to 12^th January, and hosted in association with the Calcutta Gems & Jewellery Association.

1,800+ exhibitors join HKTDC’s fashion events

News this week: Billed as Asia’s largest fashion event, the HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter opened earlier this week concurrently with co-located event, HKTDC World Boutique, Hong Kong. The trade events were held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from 19^th to 22^nd January.

Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the two fashion events together reported an exhibitor number of more than 1,800. The 46^th edition of Fashion Week attracted some 1,500 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions, with first-time participants originating from Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and the Netherlands.

More than 600 brands were exhibited at the 13^th World Boutique, where more than 300 first time participants from Finland, Nepal, New Zealand, South Africa and the U.S. exhibited this year. A new feature at this year’s show was the Fashionally Pavilion, which focused on designs from local designers.

Construction on schedule for Sydney’s ICC venue

News this week: The acting premier of New South Wales and Minister for Trade and Investment, Troy Grant, has announced construction of the new exhibition, convention and entertainment facilities at Sydney’s Darling Harbour is on schedule for its planned opening in December 2016.

The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) has welcomed the news and claims the site has been completely transformed over the past 12 months which now shows evidence of the new structures rising since demolition began. According to Sydney’s CVB, Business Events Sydney (BESydney), 19 major international business events have already been secured for the new International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney).

Joyce DiMascio, chief executive of EEAA, commented, “With a redevelopment of this scale it’s good to know that construction by Lend Lease is progressing well and according to the timetable shared with industry. EEAA members are major users of the exhibition and convention centre precinct and so it’s very pleasing to know that at this stage we can look forward to an on-time return to the site.”

KLCC sets new record in 2014

News this week: The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) celebrated its 10^th year in operation by setting a new record in 2014. During the year, a total of 1,759 events were held at the venue attracting more than 1.97 million delegates. The number of events increased from 1,565 in 2013, while delegates were up from the 1.96 million recorded in 2013.

According to KLCC, the Entertainment segment grew the most by 40%, followed by the TenOnCall segment’s 14% increase, the Banqueting & Functions segment and Exhibitions segment both rose by 9%. Since its opening in June 2005, KLCC has reportedly served more than 17.6 million visitors through the hosting of 9,969 events, and contributed RM 5.5 billion (US$1.5 billion) in economic impact towards the Malaysian economy.

In 2015, KLCC will host a number of high-profile events, including the ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting 2015, Global Food Safety Conference 2015, 18^th Human Genome Meeting 2015, Global Round World Scholar Cup 2015, International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) 2015, Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS) 2015, Congress of the International Society for Hemodialysis (ISHD) 2015, Congress of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology 2015; and Asean Federation of Endocrine Society (AFES) 2015.

Reed Exhibitions reveals acquisition of new joint venture

News this week: Further to an announcement made in November 2014, Reed Exhibitions Greater China has revealed its partnership agreement with Shanghai Kuozhan Exhibitions, the organiser of C-TOUCH, resulted in the formation of a new joint venture (JV) – Reed Exhibitions Kuozhan. Reed Exhibitions did not previously acknowledge this, but it appears that the partnership is in fact an acquisition.

Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed. The JV will form part of Reed’s portfolio of five China-based events serving the wider electronics industry, which together cover more than 150,000 m² of gross exhibition space. C-TOUCH is held twice each year – in Shenzhen in November and in Shanghai in May – and focuses on touch screen technology including touch panels, manufacturing materials, components and equipment, and other touch screen products.

Nat Wong, president of Reed Exhibitions Greater China, noted, “I am proud to welcome yet another dynamic team to the Reed family. C-TOUCH is an exciting addition to our electronics manufacturing and assembly portfolio. This highly-successful event goes beyond the limits of show floor exhibits by offering suppliers and buyers an effective platform to conduct business while networking with industry experts and potential partners at all points of the market chain. I am confident that we will work together to not only fulfil, but exceed client expectations.”

Friday, January 16, 2015

Clarion Events acquired by Providence Equity

News this week: London-headquartered Clarion Events was recently acquired by global asset management firm Providence Equity. According to media reports, the deal was announced to Clarion staff on 9^th January and worth more than US$303 million.

Other bidders in the acquisition reportedly included ITE Group, Penton Media, Charterhouse Capital Partners and Carlyle Group LP. Providence Equity is a leading global investor specialising in media, communications, education and information industries. The asset management firm is expected to invest heavily in Clarion to begin an aggressive expansion strategy that will involve large and small international acquisitions.

Clarion employs more than 500 staff globally and operates offices in the U.S., Germany, Brazil, Singapore, UAE, the Netherlands, Turkey and South Africa. The company organises more than 200 events worldwide in various industries including telecommunications, defence and security, life sciences, oil and gas, as well as consumer events in gaming, travel, housing and parenting.

ITE acquires transport shows from AXIO Data

News this week: Last month, international exhibition organiser, ITE Group plc, acquired the Breakbulk series of exhibitions and related media from AXIO Data for a maximum consideration of US$42 million.

Breakbulk events are held annually in Houston, Antwerp, Shanghai, Johannesburg, Istanbul and Sao Paulo, serving the transport and logistics equipment market for large-scale projects. A print and digital magazine for the global breakbulk community will also be included in the deal. The current management team will remain with the business.

ITE’s CEO, Russell Taylor, said, “ITE is continuing to build businesses in strategically important industry sectors and the acquisition of Breakbulk increases our presence in the global transport and logistics sector. This complementary move represents progress in achieving the Group’s ambitions to expand its operations in markets and geographies with further potential for growth as well as continuing to diversify the geo-political risk in our portfolio.”

SIMA launches new edition in Thailand

News this week: SIMA, an international trade fair organised by Exposima, will launch a new edition in the ASEAN region. The inaugural SIMA ASEAN Thailand will be held in association with venue and organiser, IMPACT, in Bangkok from 17^th to 19^th September 2015. Exposima is a joint subsidiary of French organiser COMEXPOSIUM and AXEMA, the French Association of Manufacturers of Agricultural Equipment.

SIMA ASEAN Thailand will cover a wide range of products including inputs, traction, soil working equipment, plant treatment, harvesting, irrigation, storage, breeding equipment, spare parts and new technologies. The event is supported by the Thai authorities and will include a conference programme alongside the main event.

Martine Degremont, SIMA show manager, commented, “I’m very proud to bring SIMA in Bangkok for its first edition abroad and to be partner of IMPACT, a renowned show organiser. Thailand is a fast growing country with strong agriculture issues. Being in Thailand will enable SIMA to shine all around ASEAN countries, bringing experience from well-established agricultural companies to provide Asian professionals with strong and efficient solutions to meet their needs.”

UBM prepares for formation of AEC

News this week: International exhibition organiser, UBM Plc, is confident that the integration of ASEAN markets through the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will make Southeast Asia an important destination for exhibitions. The company reiterated its focus on Asia as an important revenue generator particularly in its major markets of Japan, China, India and the ASEAN region.

In an interview with the Bangkok Post, UBM’s management revealed the ASEAN exhibition market is estimated to grow on average by 10% annually in terms of the number of events and trade visitors. The organiser has realigned its major ASEAN operations to upgrade local events to serve on a regional level, and has plans to bring a new international exhibition to Thailand on an annual basis.

Jimé Essink, president and chief executive of UMB Asia, commented, “Thailand is a key part of UBM in this region thanks to its strategic location as a hub of ASEAN. Its strengths are good transport infrastructure, world-class exhibition venues and hotels, value-for-money tourism products and government support. The key challenge for Thailand is to remain politically stable, as it's important to sustain the exhibition industry in the long term.”

UFI survey: positive perspectives for exhibition industry in 2015

News this week: Last week, UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, announced the results of its 14^th edition of Global Exhibition Barometer Survey, with a majority of surveyed companies in all regions declaring an increase in revenues since 2011. The survey was conducted in December 2014 and answered by 203 companies from 55 countries.

In terms of profits, majority of the surveyed companies reported stable or increasing annual profits, but less than half of them declared an increase of more than 10% in 2014. New business developments are planned for many companies where 76% are planning new activities and 51% are planning to expand exhibition operations to new regions.

Paul Woodward, UFI Managing Director, concluded, “In a globally fragile economic environment, the exhibition industry continues to demonstrate a fairly good performance, except in some countries with specific current issues. UFI encourages all surveyed companies to keep providing their input in order to maintain this important tool for the industry and its stakeholders.”

Reed Exhibitions signs partnership agreement with CFTC Group

News this week: Earlier this week, Reed Exhibitions and the China Foreign Trade Centre (Group) – CFTC Group – held a signing ceremony in Shanghai to announce their new strategic alliance agreement and partnership. Mr Wang Zhiping, chairman of CFTC Group and Mike Rusbridge, chairman of Reed Exhibitions, were representative signatories at the ceremony.

The CFTC Group is China’s leading state-owned enterprise with operations in event organising and is also an exhibition venue provider – including the recently opened National Exhibition and Convention Centre (Shanghai) in Hongqiao and the China Import and Export Fair Complex (Pazhou Complex). The partnership will result in regular executive meetings, resource sharing, professional talent cultivation, exhibition projects, organisation and venue cooperation.

Mike Rusbridge was quoted saying, “Reed’s commitment to China has never been stronger with our eight outstanding member companies who currently organise over 50 events covering 12 specialised industries nationwide. This new partnership will prove mutually beneficial in the joint projects that we intend to undertake together in China. This alliance will remain instrumental to the modernisation and sustained success of the industry.”

Friday, January 09, 2015

Indonesia focuses on MICE tourism

News this week: Indonesia is looking to its MICE industry to drive the country’s tourism sector in anticipation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) – which is officially due to take effect in December 2015. According to the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board (BPPI), MICE tourism contributed 40% towards Indonesia’s total overseas tourist arrivals in 2013.

The Indonesian tourism industry identified several areas of focus to prepare itself for the regional competition including the required human resources needed to serve the industry during the next year, as well as favourable government policies targeting MICE.

Ms. Wiryanti Sukamdani, head of the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board (BPPI), was quoted in the local media, “With its nature, marine and eco-tourism destinations as the country’s great assets, Indonesia can be a paradise for MICE tourists from all around the world. We personally hope that the number of foreign tourists in 2019 can reach 20-25 million and 275 million for national tourists. That number can be reached by pushing forward the work performance of the MICE sector.”

FESPA China 2014 grows 30%

News this week: The 2014 edition of FESPA China & CSGIA grew 30% to reach 50,000 m² over last year’s edition in Shanghai. The screen printing tradeshow was held 19^th to 21^st November at Guangzhou’s Poly World Trade Center Expo. This edition of FESPA China hosted more than 500 international manufacturers and local suppliers.

The organiser reported visitor attendance reaching 11,667 – an increase of 32% compared to the last CSGIA event held in Guangzhou in 2012 and a 23% increase on the first FESPA China exhibition which took place in 2013 in Shanghai. Overseas visitors originated from 91 countries and regions.

Nigel Steffens, FESPA’s board advisor, was quoted, “It is great to see such growing interest in the FESPA China event and we're thrilled to have expanded the event and its audience to make it the biggest FESPA China and CSGIA event to date. With the number of visitors in attendance in Guangzhou, it’s clear to see that Asian printers value FESPA events as an environment to see technological developments and access educational content that will support their business growth.”

HKTDC to host 2,600 exhibitors in January trio

News this week: The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is expecting to host more than 2,600 exhibitors at a trio of shows in January, which includes the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, Hong Kong Baby Products Fair, and Hong Kong International Stationery Fair – a show co-organised with Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

The trio will run from 12^th to 15^th January 2015 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The HKTDC forecasts steady economic growth and a boom in new-borns from mainland China will drive market demand for toys and baby products.

New products zones added to this year’s show will include a Sporting Goods and Playground Facilities zone. The HKTDC also announced a joint networking reception will host participants from the Toys & Games Fair and the Baby Products Fair to expand business opportunities.

UBM’s digital signage show draws 500 exhibitors

News this week: One of UBM Asia’s joint venture companies in China, Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo, reportedly attracted some 13,200 trade visitors from over 50 countries and regions to the 2014 edition of Digital Signage, Audio Visual Integration and Equipment Show – up 23% over 2013. Some 500 exhibitors were hosted at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center from the 25^th to 27^th September.

For the upcoming edition in 2015, the show will be split into a Shanghai edition and Guangzhou edition, to be held in September and November respectively. The Shanghai edition in will be concurrently held with Sign China 2015 and LED Lighting China 2015 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). More than 500 exhibitors are expected to showcase their latest technologies and solutions.

The Guangzhou edition is expected to attract more than 300 exhibitors to the Poly World Trade Center Expo and span 15,000 m² of exhibition space. It will be co-located with the Intelligent Education Show and Intelligent Retail Show.

Johor plans formation of CVB

News this week: The Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) and Johor Tourism Department will partner to attract more business events to the region with plans of establishing a regional CVB – Johor Convention & Exhibition Bureau (JCEB). The two departments recently submitted a paper to the Johor state government in November on the formation of JCEB within a year’s time.

A MICE Working Group has reportedly been created to discuss the development, which includes regional hotels, Tourism Malaysia, Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (Inbound), Malaysia Airlines and other industry players.

Mohammad Rosly bin Md Selamat, IRDA senior vice-president economics & investment, said, “Our revised Comprehensive Development Plan II (2015 – 2025) acknowledged the need for a CVB, and to focus more on the MICE sector, in line with the state’s objective of increasing revenue by having more higher-spending visitors and increasing room-nights. We want to position Johor Bahru as a competitive secondary MICE city after Kuala Lumpur, and also take full advantage of our easy access from Singapore — a major convention and exhibition hub.”

Expansions planned for Malaysia’s SCCC

News this week: Malaysia’s Setia City Convention Centre (SCCC) is planning to add a new 6,000 m² hall adjacent to its main entrance to cater for larger events. Scheduled for completion in mid-2016, gross floor space will reach close to 10,000 m².

SCCC is a two-year old venue located in the Setia Alam Township – a 40 minute drive from Kuala Lumpur. The configurable new hall can be split into two and connects to the main convention centre via a covered walkway. SCCC’s expanded capacity will be able to cater for exhibitions of up to 350 booths and larger conventions with up to 8,000 people in a theatre arrangement.

Francis Teo, head of SCCC, commented, “There aren’t many venues in Klang Valley that can accommodate large conventions. We are building this extension as we see demand for space for exhibitions and large banquets.”

Monday, January 05, 2015

MMI’s concludes first bC India in New Delhi

News this week: Messe München International’s (MMI) Bauma CONEXPO Show, bC India, recently drew 635 exhibitors from 25 countries to the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida. Currently in its third edition, the four-day trade show was held from 15^th to 18^th December 2014.

This edition was the first time bC India was held in Greater Noida since its relocation from Mumbai. MMI reported the attendance from 26,000 trade visitors despite difficult market conditions. Exhibitor product categories covered construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines and construction vehicles, and many exhibitors stated their satisfaction with the quality of attending trade visitors.

Igor Palka, CEO of bC Expo India, said, “That our exhibitors have so much trust in our brand and are continuing to support bC India in what is still a difficult economic environment. The event is now a firm date in the calendar for many companies and it has established itself. We have had a lot of positive feedback – and of course we are delighted about that.”

Indometal 2014 features near 300 exhibitors

News this week: indometal 2014 attracted 296 exhibitors from 26 countries. The event also attracted close to 6,500 trade visitors. The exhibition is jointly organised by Messe Düsseldorf Asia and and local exhibition organiser PT Wahana Kemalaniaga Makmur (Wakeni). indometal is a leading metal & steel event serving Southeast Asia.

The event reportedly covered 8,300 net m² and key categories and themes included: metallurgical technology, thermo process technology, foundry machinery, equipment and supplies, accessories and components and metal cutting machine tools. The three-day exhibition was held from 11^th to 13^th December at the Jakarta International Expo (JIE) venue.

Gernot Ringling, Messe Düsseldorf Asia’s managing director commented, “We are proud that this second edition of indometal has garnered strong participation from more international companies looking towards larger and more sustainable investments in Indonesia. As an organiser, we have been focused in providing optimal opportunities for our exhibitors to seek profitable corporate ventures for them to grow further and contribute deeper into the Indonesian market and thus are happy that many have secured numerous partnership deals, sold machines and expanded their client pool at the exhibition.”

300+ exhibitors join Eco Expo Asia

News this week: Green-technology trade show, Eco Expo Asia, recently concluded its 2014 edition attracting 308 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions. The four-day show is jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Environment Bureau of Hong Kong, and ran from 29^th October to 1^st November at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE).

Exhibitors showcased a wide range of green products and solutions which included green building solutions, waste management and air purification technologies. According to HKTDC, more than 10,800 visitors from 89 countries and regions participated this year. Group pavilions hosted in this edition included Canada, Japan, Russia and Switzerland. Representing mainland China were regional pavilions from Foshan, Guangdong, Guangzhou, Macau and Shenzhen, while first time participation from Sweden, the Netherlands and Korea were also present.

Mr Wong Kam-sing, Hong Kong’s Secretary for the Environment, commented at the opening ceremony, “Eco Expo Asia has unfaltering support from the industry, government associations and eco-conscious individuals. The show continues to prove itself as a first-choice platform for green solutions, backed by engaging forums and seminars led by the experts. It is an honour for the Environment Bureau to be a co-organiser of the fair again.”

UBM’s Singapore jewellery expo visitors up 10%

News this week: UBM Asia recently released the results of the second edition of their Singapore Jewellery & Gem Fair. The four-day event was held in late October at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. The exhibition attracted 161 exhibitors from 21 countries and over 9,600 trade visitors. Visitor numbers were up 10% compared with the 2013 figures. The exhibition featured pavilions from Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the U.S.

UBM Asia has positioned the Singapore exhibition as a “professional trading platform for international jewellers to build their brand recognition and introduce their products in Southeast Asia.” The event also featured a Singapore Jewellery Design Awards which was presented to five young jewellery designers.

The Singapore Jewellery & Gem Fair 2015 will be held from 22^nd to 25^th October 2015 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

TCEB promotes exhibitions in Laos

News this week: The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) recently launched a scheme to promote Thai exhibitions to potential Laotian exhibitors and visitors. TCEB organised a seminar to raise awareness of opportunities at Thai exhibitions. The seminar was held at the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) last month.

TCEB has been working with the LNCCI since 2011 when the two organisations signed an MOU designed to promote participation between the two countries. This initiative is part of TCEB’s increased focus on the ASEAN region – following slowing economic growth in Europe and the growing importance of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

TCEB’s aim is to continue to build Thailand’s position as a centre of exhibitions and trade in the ASEAN region. Greater numbers of ASEAN exhibitors allows international visitors to access products and services from around the region. Approximately, 280,000 international visitors attend Thai exhibitions each year.

Asia Business Media