Mice Affairs Magazine June 2021

Pages 52 | 1150/-

June 2021 | Vol 4 Issue 1

Meeting Incentive Conference Exhibition Industry Magazine

MICE AFFAIRS Sonia Prashar

Special Column Guest Editor

First Woman President

Paul Colston, Managing Editor Conference & Meetings World and Exhibition World, Mash Media Group, UK

Indian Exhibition Industry Association

Exclusive

Conversation

Global Exhibitions Day

In conversation with Phil Chung

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2nd June 2021 Global Coverage

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email us : Pr@miceaffairs.com

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CONTENTS

June 2021| Vol 4 Issue 1

14.

26.

33.

Editorial

Sachin Manocha Publisher & Editor

Associate Editorial Ms.Anjali Publisher & Editor

6. Brave New World Paul Colston

28. Fira de Barcelona Receives The UFI Operations & Services Award 2021

8. How to balance business success With environmental responsibility

24. The Announcement of the findings of “Online Survey on Post-Pandemic Travel”

12. ITB India Virtual Concluded with Impressive Results of 9,500 Business Appointments Recorded

33.The German National Tourist Board inspires travel to Germany this summer

13. Meat Pro Asia rescheduled to January 2022 Due to travel restrictions 14. GTM Germany Travel Mart™ 2021 focuses on recovery of German inbound tourism 16. IN CONVERSATION with PHIL CHUNG 20. A New Tourism Hub Opened in Seoul 22. Exhibitions generate €493 ($551) billion in business sales each year 26. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed opens Arabian Travel Market 2021

37.UFI Middle East and Africa Conference 2021 41.THAI CABINET ANNOUNCES 26 APRIL ‘NATIONAL MICE DAY’ 44.Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA) elects Sonia Prashar as its new President 46.Exclusive Interview In Conversation With - New IEIA Woman President- Sonia Prashar 49.Safe Resumption of Exhibitions & Events In Conversation with Srikanth T.G, Business Head – HITEX Hyderabad

RNI Title Code UPENG/2018/75911

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Marketing Team Mr.Raj Kumar

Web Support Mr.B Pandey

Published and Owned By: Avighna Business Promotion Experts, LGF 51 Wave Silver Tower Sec 18, Noida INDIA, www.miceaffairs.com ; Periodicity Quarterly

Mice Affairs is printed and published by Sachin Manocha on behalf of Avighna Business Promotion Experts and printed at D 86 sector 10 Noida 201301 and published at Lgf 51 wave silver tower sec 18 Noida. Editor Sachin Manocha

Disclaimer The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions,beliefs and viewpoints of Mice Affairs Team Members.

The publisher does not accept any responsibility for any errors of translation. Publisher disclaims liability for incidental or consequential damages and assumes no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of use of the information provided in the magazine. The publisher reserves the rights to accept or decline any editorial/ advertising material. Acceptance of any material whether editorial or advertising does not imply any endorsements from our side. We welcome letters to editor. All rights reserved .

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EDITOR'S LETTER Testing times for all of us as last few days have forced us to be indoors again, putting a closed sign on the MICE business which was struggling to revive back post first wave. For India April 2021 was the month of prayers with Second wave hitting hard on the lives. A big thanks to all friendly nations who came forward and extended the support to all Indians in these tough times. May month has brought a bit of relief with daily cases coming down to half of the highest peak this year.

Vaccination seems to be the key for the reopening and that’s what is visible from the case study of USA and some other countries, allowing mask free living with 40% population already vaccinated. A big road to travel for India considering population but we are sure we shall achieve it sooner. With the approval of 3rd vaccine i.e. Sputnik and few more in the discussion stage, things seem to be moving in the right direction very soon.

On a global scale, Dubai seems to be a safer bet for events and expos. ATM Dubai and UFI’s MEA Conference are true witness to this fact. Although positive news from other parts of the world is quite encouraging too like Europe restarting travel, Malta has got herd immunity and even Thailand planning to reopen few provinces without quarantine. So the future looks promising with whole world on full vaccination spree and henceforth on the verge of reopening.

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We could see lots of dear friends, colleagues and mentors leaving us during the second disruption.

Mr. Balasubramanian is one of those friends, who left us midway. He was associated with IEIA as President, also the ED & CEO of IMTMA & BIEC. A great leader and mentor. A big loss to the Exhibition Industry.

Global Exhibition Day , an initiative by UFI was celebrated on 2nd June, with the theme of the safe return of exhibitions. Industry Leaders participated in GED via sharing their messages on GED via social media. Good luck to all of us and hope for the restart of businesses very soon.

Current issue carries news and stories, Initiatives and case studies from various parts of globe. We had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Phil Chung to catch his views on MICE business. Do check out this exclusive conversation.

And last but not the least, always mask up for now to experience mask free world soon !!

Happy Reading, Stay Safe and Healthy. If you loved the content or if you have any suggestions, do write to me on sachin@miceaffairs.com

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Guest Editor Section

Brave New World

PAUL COLSTON MANAGING EDITOR CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD AND EXHIBITION WORLD, MASH MEDIA GROUP, UK.

I

write these lines on Global Exhibitions Day (GED2021) and on the first day in my home country, England, without a single death from Covid being recorded since the pandemic began.

GED2021 brought numerous messages of support for the industry and restated the truth those event professionals already now, that our events are the platforms that will drive the recovery of world economies.

My company, Mash Media Group, is not just the leading MICE publisher in the UK but also organiser of many exhibitions, including the country’s leading MICE show, International Confex, which is set to run on the first day major events will be allowed again after the

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stage 3 reopening of the country on 21 June.

We already ran a couple of smaller shows, including A-Livex at the end of May, where we used the novel method of turning 50 hotel rooms at the Royal Lancaster London, into exhibition booths for the day; and the Event Production Show outdoors at Farnborough International, home of the international airshow.

We were able to experience the thrill of friends and colleagues meeting face to face for the first time in 14 months and I realised that there is huge pent up demand for our economic model.

The UK government also ran a successful controlled pilot event at the Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) Liverpool in May

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– complete with rigorous testing before and afterwards of all delegates - and the follow up test found that zero cases of Covid-19 were reported as a result of that event.

So, we cautiously look ahead with some optimism at last although there are, of course, still pockets in the UK where the latest variant of Covid is still prevalent.

However the high vaccination rates in the UK (over 75% of the adult population as of 2 June) mean that the hospitalisations are dropping along with the death rate.

Our industry in the UK of course has paid a heavy price, with the country caught off guard and border controls totally inept to control the first wave of the pandemic last year, so there will be guarded optimism rather than a gung-ho approach to the reopening.

What cheers me is the way the wider MICE industry has come together to thrash out common standards of health and hygiene, and our three leading industry associations, in particular, UFI, ICCA and AIPC have put their heads and experience together to lead on that to produce their Good Practice Guide for venues and organisers to consider how best to make their events safe and secure.

In the UK, although many small businesses in particular have fallen through the government’s protective net, not qualifying for grants or salary subsidies and furlough payments, a majority have had 80% of their salaries paid during the pandemic and that means valuable skillsets can be preserved for when the bounce back occurs. Loss of event professionals and also many hospitality workers will mean there will be lots of staffing holes to fill in future.

As the UK opens out further to world trade, opening (2 June) accession talks with the 11- member Trans-Pacific www.miceaffairs.com

Partnership trade bloc and introducing a new point-based work visa system, there are new opportunities emerging. I know our government in the UK is also discussing new exciting trading opportunities with India and this, too, can lead to more sectoral events, conferences and business tourism between our countries.

When I was on the judging panel of one of our national event awards recently I noticed just how many new event tech companies had emerged and also how many of the old style event contractors and supplier companies had pivoted to bring in new products and skillsets into their businesses to meet the new hybrid demands.

If our event companies don’t adapt quickly to offer new data services, event tech products and services, then large technology companies such as Cisco (which acquired Socio recently) will be coming to eat our event lunch. And the large event organisers that abandon niches due to problems of scale and profitability, will create opportunity for smaller start-ups and they will come with new and dynamic products and events.

The scenario in the UK and elsewhere post-pandemic will not so much resemble a Mad Max world of devastation, but a Brave New World where you will need the shiny new tools and products to be a player in the much-changed market.

All event companies will need to be data companies and much more. Not only will it be survival of the fittest, but of the smartest too.

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Research section

how to balance business success with environmental responsibility Adam Schrader Director of Operations Riskline

How can businesses balance the bottom line with environmental responsibility when planning their post pandemic business travel?

Ahead of Earth Day on 22 April, Adam Schrader, Director of Operations at Riskline, shares his thoughts.

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ust over a year ago, business travel more or less ground to a halt with spending on business travel redcued by half in 2020. With the world now gradually beginning to open up, many businesses will be taking a fresh look at their business travel. The pandemic has brought with it many valid concerns around budget and resources, not to mention the rise of digital meetings. Alongside these concerns sits the elephant in the room: climate change.

Carbon footprint & naturaldisasters Consider this - just one long round-trip flight can produce more carbon per passenger than the average person produces in a year. In 2019, humans produced more than 43 billion tonnes of CO2, and the global aviation industry was responsible for around 2% of those emissions.

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Research section Business travel managers may also have concerns about natural disasters – on the rise as a result of environmental damage – and their potential impact on business travel.

The severity of natural disasters, such as tropical and winter storms, wildfires and monsoon rainfall will only increase and emergency services, stretched thin due to the pandemic, may struggle to tackle them. Emergency management agencies are grappling with shortages in manpower, equipment and other resources due to efforts directed towards tackling COVID-19. This in turn limits the effectiveness of emergency response and hampers post-disaster recovery, delivering a knock on impact on travel.

Our global team of analysts at Riskline predicts the countries particularly at risk from natural disasters in the year ahead include India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, China and Pakistan during the forthcoming cyclone and monsoon seasons (May-November).

The fundamental need for face to face

This bleak outlook may lead business travel managers to entirely rethink their business travel strategy. Over the past year we’ve seen how digital alternatives – video conferencing, online and hybrid events - can replace face to face meetings to a certain extent. Businesses are now more likely to want to fully establish the need for business travel to determine the reasons and objectives for meeting face to face.

However, let’s not forget the fundamental reason behind business travel - to help companies conduct business successfully. Business travel is a major contributor to building relationships across the globe and, for this reason alone, is not likely to be fully replaced by the virtual world anytime soon.

Travel smarter The solution for business travel managers looking to balance the needs of their business with reducing carbon footprint is to travel smarter. This means choosing more environmentally friendly options when planning travel. www.miceaffairs.com

The business travel sector is responding accordingly.

Airlines are working on ways to make their flights carbon neutral. In late 2019 and early 2020, we saw major airlines leading the corporate climate action movement, with Qantas, British Airways, Air New Zealand, Etihad and Delta launching commitments including 100% carbon offset flights, incentivising carbon offset flights via loyalty programs, and billion dollar carbon strategies.

As large consumers of energy (through lighting, heating and cooling, catering and washing facilities) and producers of waste, hotel groups have made large strides in working on green accommodation solutions. These include the use of renewable energy and responsible consumption policies: energy- efficient lighting, working with local suppliers, offering water-wise FB options and using recycled and recyclable materials.

Putting the weight of the sector behind sustainable solutions

As an industry, we have to work with our partners and suppliers to request sustainable solutions and help accelerate the pace of change.

Our sector’s buying power may have reduced - global spending on business travel is expected to show a 52% decrease for 2020 to $694 billion USD, down from $1.4 trillion USD in 2019 – but we can still use our influence to harness good. This will add up to a growing commitment across the travel supply chain to define and deliver on sustainability goals for the benefit of the environment and our post-pandemic world.

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Research

CEIR Predict 2021

Forecasts Where Events Are Going

Save the Date for this Year’s Conference The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) announced it will hold its PREDICT Annual Exhibition Industry Outlook Conference on 13-14 September 2021 at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. For the past 10 years Predict has served to provide insights into the future performance of the exhibitions industry, along with a forecast for the upcoming three years.

“For a decade now, Predict has been a consistent resource for upper level executives interested in knowing what the future of the exhibition industry holds and strategizing around that knowledge,” said CEIR CEO Cathy Breden, CMP, CAE, CEM. “This year’s program will be unlike any other as our industry recovers from last year’s devastating turn of events and looks to how we can get where we need to be as quickly as possible.”

Each year, Predict attendees leave with insights gleaned from experts in macro-economic, socio-economic and geopolitical backgrounds. The 2021 conference will once again serve as the only industry conference to present future forward information needed for executives to make strategic business decisions. Registration will open in early June and the program will be announced in the coming weeks. www.miceaffairs.com

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Event News

ITB India Virtual Concluded with Impressive Results of 9,500 Business Appointments Recorded Over 60-session conference led by 80+ top speakers from leading brands worldwide Conference recordings now available for registered delegates on ITB Community in Asia With more than 400 buyers from MICE, Corporate and Leisure sectors, 150 international sponsors and exhibitors, the inaugural ITB India closes with a resounding success. ITB India Virtual 2021 took place as an entirely virtual event, hosted on ITB Community in Asia (ITB Community).

With its virtual show floor, video streaming of keynotes and speeches and intelligent matchmaking tools, the platform offered the best opportunities for successful trade show results.

Katrina Leung, Managing Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore): “We are very pleased that the first ever ITB India has been so well received by the travel industry. Even though we can’t meet in person in these challenging times, it is even more important to build the bridge to the Indian and South Asian travel markets

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and provide a virtual meeting place where the global community can come together and exchange ideas in order to rebuild travel.”

Over 60-session conference led by 80+ top speakers “Rebuilding travel” was the theme of ITB India’s conference. The programme was specially curated to help reboot the Indian and South Asian travel industry through effective strategies for business sustainability.

Industry heavyweights from India and international markets such as Airbnb, Amadeus, Booking.com, CWT, FCM Travel, Hilton, KAYAK, OYO, SAP Concur, SITE – Society of Incentive Travel Excellence, SOTC Travel, Thomas Cook India, Twitter and Yatra. com shed light on ways to build a more resilient travel industry moving

forward through innovative solutions. The conference included over 60 sessions with more than 80 speakers and topics ranging from MICE, corporate, leisure and travel technology.

150 international sponsors and exhibitors at ITB India Virtual Next to ITB India’s conference, exhibitors like Belarus National Tourism Agency, German National Tourist Office, Israel Ministry of Tourism, Korea Tourism Organization, Visit Portugal, Zagreb Tourist Board and many more destinations showcased an array of current tourism offerings and destination highlights.

This year, special focus was on Saudi, ITB India’s Official Partner Country. The Saudi Tourism Authority is building a global community dedicated to driving awareness of Saudi as a unique tourism destination

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offering authentic Arabian experiences to cultural explorers from around the world.

ITB India’s platform not only offered exhibitors digital exhibition booths but also various opportunities for matchmaking and virtual business meetings.

In three days, 9,500 online business appointments have been recorded.

ITB India 2022 to take place as a live event The next ITB India will take place as a live event in Mumbai from 4 to 6 April 2022. ITB India 2022 is set to bring back the much-desired human connection and to facilitate face-toface business meetings and networking.

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Expo News

T

Meat Pro Asia rescheduled to January 2022 due to travel restrictions

o mitigate the impact of domestic and international travel restrictions, Meat Pro Asia, originally scheduled for September 2021, has been rearranged to the new timeslot of 12 – 14 January 2022. The move will see the dedicated event for food processing machinery and packaging technology better accommodate the planning and logistical needs of its participants. VIV Asia, the concurrent event covering the entire supply chain from feed to food, has also been rescheduled to January 2022, with both events set to be held alongside each other at IMPACT, Bangkok. To encourage business during the interim period, a digital networking, deal-making and learning event will be arranged in September 2021.

the country fully open to international visitors by January 2022.

As a leading international event for the animal protein production business in Asia, Meat Pro Asia, together with VIV Asia offer an effective gateway to business opportunities in the region.

The decision to reschedule the two events to 12 – 14 January 2022 is based on an announcement by the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports for a new four-phase plan that would see

The inaugural edition of Meat Pro Asia will be held from 12 – 14 January 2022.

Together with VIV Asia, the two fairs are set to attract over 1,500 exhibitors, including equipment manufacturers and distributors, as well as around 50,000 professional trade visitors, professionals and key buyers from over the world

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DIGITAL EVENT TO BE HELD IN THE LEAD UP TO THE FAIR Prior to the physical trade fair in January, Meat Pro Asia will organise a digital event in September 2021.

Arranged in conjunction with VIV Asia, the online platform will maximise product exposure for exhibitors and provide a convenient sourcing option for buyers. Networking and knowledge-sharing sessions will also be facilitated through the platform, with further details to be announced in due course.

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Stephan Buurma

MS. PANADDA KONGMA DIRECTOR - AGRIBUSINESS & OPERATIONS

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Event News

GTM Germany Travel Mart™ 2021 focuses on recovery of German inbound tourism Recovery Strategies, Market Insights and Business Platform at the Most Important B2B Workshop for Germany's Incoming Tourism - Strong Interest from German Suppliers and International Buyers

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Event News

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urrent trends and strategic approaches to revitalizing incoming tourism post-Corona are the lead motives of this year's GTM Germany Travel Mart™ (GTM) organized by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB). The most important sales event for German incoming tourism will take place from April 27-29 as a digital event under the title vGTM 2021. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is our partner destination for vGTM 2021. Around 240 German suppliers and 460 buyers from international travel companies and online travel companies have so far accredited for the event.

PETRA HEDORFER, CHAIRWOMAN OF THE GNTB'S EXECUTIVE BOARD: "Despite the restrictions currently still in place for international travel, we are sending a clear signal for the recovery of German incoming tourism with vGTM 2021.

The willingness to travel internationally is high, and at the same time customer needs have evolved. Sustainability is more in the focus of guests www.miceaffairs.com

than ever before. German service providers have prepared themselves well for this.

Together with our partners, we provide information about current offers and programs in Germany as a travel destination with a focus on creating trust and conveying security in view of the ongoing Corona pandemic. The lively interest of the international participants shows that the brand awareness for Destination Germany is unbroken and that the brand enjoys high sympathy ratings.

At the same time, it confirms the need to maintain contact between our partners in German tourism and international buyers and multipliers even during the Corona crisis. With our digital platform, we present the diversity of offers and the appeal of the Destination Germany brand in international competition during and after the pandemic."

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Romit Theophilus, Director Sales and Marketing, The German National Tourist Office, India said “Total of 27 Tour Operators Pan India have

registered for the vGTM 2021.

The Indian participants from the travel trade are not only updated on various attractions of destination Germany but also are given an opportunity to be part of one-on-one interactions with the German suppliers, along with varied panel discussion and webinars conducted to showcase and deliver regular updates on the current situation and new insights on the campaigns launched to ensure continuous brand awareness and travel inspiration for Destination Germany. The vGTM has met with an exceptionally positive response.”

As vGTM 2021, the event offers not only a business platform for direct customer discussions but also an extensive information program with webinars and panel discussions with experts from the GNTB and the German travel industry. How to rebuild customer trust and which security concepts can be implemented to achieve this is as much a topic of discussion as the distribution of sustainable products and product presentations by strategic partners.

Webinars provide information on the current market-specific development of demand in selected source markets.

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Exclusive Interview

IN CONVERSATION with PHIL CHUNG - CEO of IICC Operating Company(KINEXIN), General Director of KINTEX MA: MICE business is on standstill since the start of 2020. How would you like to sum up 2020 for MICE business, what the industry has accomplished and what went missing PC :MICE business, what the industry has accomplished and what went missing I think there have been tremendous opportunities to create, experiment and develop digital and hybrid MICE solutions for so many events all over the world. Venus in the world have developed their own unique hybrid meeting places, video tele-conferencing rooms based upon the real needs.

International organizers’ developed numerous digital conferences, live- commerce events on line, and hybrid tradeshows during the Covid19 period.

fully prepared for the pandemic even though the industry’s been surviving over centuries going through numerous historic pandemics such as the Russian flu in 1889, the Spanish flu in 1918, the Asian flu from HK in 1957, the SARS in 2003 and more. Even after 2000, our mankind’s suffered more than 3 pandemics on a global scale; however, there hasn’t been viable industry pandemic-survival guidelines or relevant international SOPs, insurance packages or other emergency measures for the protection of organizers, venue owners, service providers and buyers in times of such pandemics.

Now our industry organizations have created lots of Covid19 related guidelines, good practice guidances or SOPs(like the ones developed by Indian government on the support from its industry), we’re still in need of more supportive measures to be taken for the better protection of industry participants.

The industry needs to develop more of its own anti-pandemic, anti-terrorism measures and conduct emergency-scenario based rehearsal like military drills sometimes even after the Covid19 period.

South Koreans, as an example, are conducting regular public anti- war/terrorism drills a few times a year, and they’re quite accustomed to such crisis management, which was a bit meticulously applied to the ongoing Covid19 situations. I guess our industry occasionally needs some sort of pandemic

Definitely, most of the venues and organizers in the world are suffering the huge loss of profit as our industry’s mainly rooted in the physical event territory and people responded to not a few international surveys in a large part commented that they are more attracted to physical exhibitions than digital ones even though the digital skill-sets they’ve developed are considered something necessary for further development of the businesses. And I think we’ve found that all the digital evolution’s become something of a great potential to make a wonderful supplementary measures that shall add much more values to the existing physical tradeshows, events, conventions and exhibitions.

One regrettable part was that our industry wasn’t Leading Global MICE Industry Magazine 16 | MICE AFFAIRS

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Exclusive Interview PHIL CHUNG - CEO of IICC Operating Company(KINEXIN) or anti-war simulations like the military practices in order to be fully prepared for such crisis situations. Another missing part is that none of us has been really successful in creating a lucrative digital tradeshow-model that actually benefits the organizer like our traditional shows.

I think we’ve just spent handsomely on the development of many supplementary digital measures.

To many of us, it is also a good news as we’ve again found much more level of importance of the physical events than its imaginary counterpart in the less-crowded cyber world.

However, I guess many industry professionals have been motivated and encouraged to think about all possible Pre Post Show marketing models which can be enhanced by the digital solutions of continuous communication between the organizers and users. The digital part clearly shows the way to the deeper customer engagement, it may take some more time and energy though, but it will be worthwhile creating relevant ones as our industry in general is about building the professional community leaderships.

With relevant digital post-show community management solutions, organizers may be able to announce on site on the last day of their show that their exhibit promotion shall continue in earnest even after the day, and things will be successful only if they could seize participants’ continuous attentions even after the show period.

And I have no doubt that such extra engagement will add more financial value to the existing shows.

MA : As experts focus on “Go for short term plans rather than long term projects considering Covid.” How practical is this statement with MICE business?

PC : According to my own industry thesis I conducted back in 2014, through qualitative interviews with numerous international tradeshow and event organizers, a part of the results, it was identified that the smaller an exhibition organizing company in size gets, the more dependent the employees become toward the top decision–makers(like owners). I mean in a small show organizing company, all meaningful decisions of businesses are naturally and mostly affected by the top decision-maker’s decision. In the current times of crisis like in www.miceaffairs.com

India, even going for the short term plans will be significant as the SME businesses have to survive till we see the reassuringly lowered pandemic curve suppose there are some other possible measures to help collect financial resources.

And I personally think the most of the world’s tradeshow companies still fall on SME category, even many venues in the world are not as large as global conglomerates in revenue size, some of them are quite big though; however, there are more SMEs than a few publicly traded companies in our industry. Thus, top decision makers mind-sets shall immensely and directly affect the company operation, whether it be a short- term or long-term. So, for SMEs, the CEO or owner may wish to devise the short term strategies for the immediate survival, or wish to develop a future investment strategy, I think it depends on the individual situation of the company. If a SME owner could take an audacious strategies to develop more long term plans even during this pandemic crisis, he or she would be a respectable SME business leader.

However, even in these challenging times of crisis, on the other side of the world including the US and Europe, a few global conglomerates have recently acquired a few promising tradeshows for a much lower costs. As many people already know, a well-known European show organizer’s recently conducted the capital increase for further investment and collaboration

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Exclusive Interview PHIL CHUNG - CEO of IICC Operating Company(KINEXIN) purposes. These may be the successful cases of our industry which escaped from the myopic views of investment strategies even in times of crisis. To some of them, the Covid19 crisis has become a good opportunity for MA. Globally, even stock performances have been outstanding, India SENSEX, US Nasdaq, Dow index, Korea KOSPI, KOSDAQ and others have been resulting in great outcomes during the pandemic crisis; I guess there will be so-called ‘revenge-buying’ periods post Covid19 even in our industry, and a recent US tradeshow journal’s published its recent interview results showing that over 80% of tradeshow industry experts in the US have responded very positively about their resumption of their tradeshow participation from the 4 th quarter of this year.

Furthermore, there have been lots of MICE industry-related RD initiatives on utilizing meta-verse platforms, live commerce platforms, digital transformation of venues and others to enliven the suffering industry in countries like Korea and US during Covid19.

The investment for the future as well as a better preparation for the next show can be an option if I have to take one as an organizer, and we are working on these also as a venue operator as well as a venue organizer. In a rush to return to normal, we’d better use this time to prepare ourselves to achieve greater goals.

MA: Social distancing in physical events is a challenge. What are your views on the same.

How can that effectively be managed?

PC : In case of South Korea, there has been zero-case of further infection on site(at the exhibition or convention centers including KINTEX, COEX venues in the Metropolitan area) ever since we resumed the show business from May 1 st , last year; the main point has been the thorough collaboration with the local and central disease control authorities. All organizers are keen to abide by all available central and local

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governments’ guidelines on hygiene preparation and social distancing. For an example, the inspection teams from the local pandemic-prevention authority conducts a site-inspection on a daily basis during the show periods, and Korean organizers with venue managers immediately endeavor to reflect all advices into their on-site show management while at the venue. Those combined teams also conduct Pre-Show meetings for the preparation of the upcoming exhibition. There has been a few postponements of the shows due to the governments’ recommendations though, but they were rather voluntary postponements of organizers as some organizers felt it is hard to attract relevant number of visitors, and venues are not willing to charge for such postponements when there comes any government recommendation during the pandemic period.

Amongst all, if I have to pin-point one thing, thorough mask-wearing (under the constant observation and supervision on site) and social distancing measures according to authorities are the keys. Organizers and venues can find out lots of Dos and Don’ts regarding hygiene or social-distancing measures implemented in successful ways anywhere now, even within UFI website, WHO, central and local government websites of each country, and more. So, the most important thing may be our stubborn willingness to carry out the thorough implementation of it all. We all know it’s just the matter of time to re-start the show business but it is quite clear that the MICE industry’s suffering hard, and we must find ways to survive.

Re-Start of Exhibition campaign should also be going on together with the accelerated public vaccination of the country.

Now, public vaccination’s been started from January in earnest in India, the 2 nd spike of Covid19 in India looks quite serious though, but things, I hope, will be under control in no time with the vaccination efforts. But till things are fully under control, I think we should not take off our masks under all circumstances.

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Message Board

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othing is more sobering than the learning gained from the peaks and troughs we experienced in 2021. The evolving situation required all governments to engage in serious conversations about coordinating travel bubbles, sharing of best practices and resources to contain the unexpected rise in Covid-19 cases with neighbouring countries.

and redefined business models are just hopeful fuels that lead our journey to achieve greater confidence levels. That new confidence levels have also turned 2021 into a year of taking actions. We have evolved through the Covid challenges to create new futures because our industry people are built to resolve challenges.

Since early last year, the Thai business events industry has come together with our global communities to help support those in need. We rode through the emotions, accepted new realities, and forged forward by upskilling and diversifying.

we agreed to embrace stricter measures to stop the spread. Like any of our international neighbours who experienced tightening safety measures, it is not an easy experience. It may seem like we are continuing to live in uncertainly. One thing we know for sure, and that is, being resilient is our only certainty of getting to the post-covid future.

Physical restrictions could not stop our mental faculties from convening in other ways. The shift in adaptability is evident in the many different event formats our industry curated over the past 12 months so that people could continue to connect authentically.

The engagement creativity, strategic partnerships

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THAILAND EXPERIENCED THE THIRD WAVE OF COVID INFECTIONS JUST BEFORE THE THAI NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS. ONCE AGAIN,

In the spirit of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, we are investing your thoughts and support for us into working on achieving a higher level of resilience.

We will certainly see you in person soon.

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Global News

A NEW TOURISM HUB OPENED IN SEOUL T

he Seoul Tourism Plaza had a grand opening at the heart of the nation’s capital. It is to serve as a new hub for the tourism sector, which expects to recover effectively from the challenging time prepare for the coming years after the pandemic.

This one-stop plaza plans to provide four strongpoints- communication, governance, incubating and innovation in establishing a

20 | MICE AFFAIRS

robust ecosystem for the local tourism industry. A tourism information center welcomes the public on the first floor with a souvenir shop. Meeting rooms and lounges throughout the plaza are to be open for classes and workshops to exchange information and knowledge. Relevant associations and various companies from the private sector are on the plaza’s tenant list.

The Seoul Tourism Organization, affiliating with the city government, also occupied to

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Global News

cooperate in shaping the governance of the industry together. Two floors of the plaza are for startups and professionals incubating future energy of the industry.

The plaza not only has broadcasting studios and a medical tourism promotional center for everyone, but there is also a Seoul Tourism and MICE Center to offer professional consulting and counselling services for MICE industry exclusively. As stakeholders in the tourism sector longed to have a meeting point for the industry in Seoul, the plaza is expected to play an essential role in revitalizing tourism and bouncing back strong in a combined strength.

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Exhibitions generate €493 ($551) billion in business sales each year, DRIVING INDUSTRIES EAGER TO RECOVER AND RECONNECT BACK TO THE SHOW FLOOR

A

s industries and economies across the

globe look for recovery platforms on the heels of vaccine progress, exhibitions fill a void left by economic crisis and isolation Exhibitions, commonly referred to as trade shows or fairs, have a simple purpose – bringing industries together to build community and create supply chain opportunities.

But the industry itself is not a simple one at all: with over €493 ($551) billion in 22 | MICE AFFAIRS

business sales for attendees, exhibitions have an incredible impact on our global economy.

In addition, expenses of visitors and exhibitors generate a total impact of €299 ($334) billion for both the value chain of the exhibition industry (organisers, venues and service providers) and the tourism related activities (accommodation, food and travel).

In the wake of a pandemic that has left commercial sectors and regional economies on the brink of collapse, trade platforms offer an opportunity to rebuild supply chains that have remained relatively

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stagnant throughout the pandemic, bringing buyers and sellers together to network, do business, learn and innovate at a time when they need it most.

Trade shows have developed into far more than booths displaying product—they have become marketplaces amplified by educational opportunities, innovation launches, and data-driven qualified lead retrieval opportunities, supported by social networking activities that unite valuable digital progress with the now-yearned-for magic of interpersonal connection.

Last year, many of the 33,000 exhibitions held worldwide transitioned to digital solutions which leveraged best-in-class technology to create those critical supply chain connections.

But while digital solutions have proven invaluable during pandemic times, as economies re-open in response to progress against COVID-19, data shows that both sides of the supply chain are eager to return to in-person platforms.

Informa Markets, one of the world’s largest organisers, has since seen a strong recovery in China where trade shows have been running since June of last year. At CBME, a leading platform for the baby and maternity industry, www.miceaffairs.com

which attracted over 90,000 visitors, Julian

van Gemeren, Vice President of M-cro Trade (Shanghai), said it turned out to be a very productive event. He confirmed: “We expanded our distribution channels and met many clients, acquiring 70 new distributors on the first day alone.”

B2B event organiser, Tarsus Group, has also witnessed a strong return to live events in the region with attendance numbers at recent Chinese shows surpassing pre-COVID levels.

The organiser has also resumed events in other territories such as the U.S. and Mexico where participants at Expo Manufactura heralded the return of in-person events.

Emilio Cuervo of Bricos commented: “it is very important to be at this exhibition because it allows us to be in direct contact with our current and potential clients. The impact of the lack of this event last year was very clear for us as several of our clients and leads are generated by Expo Manufactura.”

Emerald, one of the largest event producer in North America, successfully traded the first US-based in-person event of the year, Surf Expo Winter, which took place at the Orange County Convention Center in Florida. The sentiment amongst customers reinforced the relevance

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MICE AFFAIRS | 23

and power of face-to-face trade events. Jeremy Serwitz, PULL Watersports, noted: “We are a ‘touch it, feel it’ retailer – nothing replaces that or the face-to -face relationships with our suppliers.”

At Informa Markets’ Palm Beach International Boat Show in March, which took place outdoors, customers in attendance echoed the sentiment that an isolating 2020 has led to a boomerang effect, bolstering the success of in-person trade platforms. “This was my

22nd year either attending or exhibiting at this show and this year in particular was without a doubt the most successful boat show I have ever experienced as far as ‘at the show sales. Now, nearly a week since the show ended, we have more than doubled our projected units sold,” said Todd Albrecht, President of Solace Boats.

Notably, 80% of exhibitions customers are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hit hardest by the pandemic, equating to nearly 4.25 million small businesses who regularly turn to in-person trade platforms to meet qualified product buyers.

Donna Steakley of Fossil Rim, explained how Clarion’s Las Vegas Souvenir & Resort Gift Show is always the first show of the year 24 | MICE AFFAIRS

and how important it is to attend in order to place Spring orders for the coming year. “We need the ability to meet with our vendors to see the actual product and work on the artwork that is specific to our location. We are seeing a huge increase in customers and sales and know how important the face-to-face environment is to be able to write a large amount of orders.”

Produced by global events organiser Reed Exhibitions, Reed Gift Fairs, is Australia’s premier trading platform for buyers and sellers in the gift and homewares industry. For the first time since February 2020, Reed Gift Fairs Sydney was the first major NSW retail event to take place, meeting in Darling Harbour from 17 to 22 April. With over 8,400 attendees, the return of the event was greeted enthusiastically from small and medium size business owners alike. Said Lee Drury founder of Glass on the Grass: “I love having buyers and sellers in the same space at the same time, it is electric. As

a small business owner who develops their own products, being able to meet with customers face to face is critical. And the Reed Gift Fair is the best place to do that. It’s also great when you’re developing new products to get feedback from customers. Thanks largely to Reed Gift Fair, we sell all our products all over Australia. 2020 was a tough year for everyone, but we finished strong and we’re looking forward to making 2021 a great year.”

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Joe Clawson, Owner – Global Floral Resource, Inc., used International Floriculture Expo, organised by Diversified Communications, to expand his supply chain. “Going from one booth to another is quite different from the time you spend getting to and from a supplier’s facility… and if you do not like what you see, you move on,” he said.

Ensuring health and safety remains a top priority, the trade show industry has taken a deliberate and collaborative approach to consistency and rigor in their return to in-person experiences. Together the world’s leading companies have developed an

industry-wide and medically-vetted approach to safety known as the All Secure Standard, which has been effectively put into practice at shows across the globe this year, further instilling confidence in a successful and safe return to in-person B2B commercial opportunities as economies re-open.

Europe is the third major exhibitions market after North America and mainland China, and the only market where trade shows have not been able to return at scale since the pandemic began.

Nevertheless, some events were able to present new practices such as the One to One Retail E-Commerce, an event organised by Comexposium.

“This year is revealing itself on the edge, between crisis and recovery. Our industry has proven itself capable of adapting to the new situation and must now bounce back, with both ambition and responsibility. The leadership and excellence shown by the One to One events are the best allies of the market to move forward.” explained Bris Rocher, Director of the Yves Rocher Group.

UFI, the global association of the exhibitions industry, notes “the business events industry is a ‘meta-industry’: It empowers literally each and every industry globally through the market places

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and meeting places that it operates around the world – from machine tools in Australia to consumer goods in Europe, from construction materials in Asia to consumer electronics in North America.”

In addition to creating marketplaces resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars in business sales for thousands of global industries and millions of small businesses each year, exhibitions also deliver substantial economic value to regional economies, bringing 303 million visitors to host cities annually.

The result is a meaningful infusion of revenue for the local economy, including small businesses such as restaurants, transportation services, boutique lodging,

and more. Las Vegas alone attributes $11.4 billion in economic impact to the conventions industry.

As the world begins to rebound from the devastating effects of a pandemic that has lasting impacts on both the economy and humanity, exhibitions offer a light at the end of the tunnel for both – platforms that provide economic recovery and celebrate the spirit of reconnection, at a time when economies, and communities, need them most.

The sixth annual Global Exhibitions Day, celebrated annually, will take place this year on 2 June 2021 and recognises the important role that trade exhibitions play in driving economies throughout the world. To learn more about Global Exhibitions Day, List of #GED2021 partner associations under the UFI umbrella: AAXO, AEFI, AEO, AFE, AFECA, AFIDA, AMPROFEC, AOCA, AUMA, CAEM, CEFA, CENTREX, CFI, EEAA, EEIA, EFU, EMECA, EXSA, FAIRLINK, FAMAB, HKECIA, ECA, IDFA, IECA, IEIA, IELA, IFES, LECA, MACEOS, MFTA, PCEI, RUEF, SACEOS/SECB, SCEIA, SISO, TEA, TECA, TFOA, UBRAFE and UNIMEV.

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MICE AFFAIRS | 25

Global News

HH SHEIKH AHMED BIN SAEED

opens Arabian Travel Market 2021

W

orld’s first in-person international travel trade event in 18 months opens in Dubai HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, CEO and Founder of the Emirates Group and chairman of Dubai World, officially inaugurated Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021 today, marking the start of the 28 th edition of the Middle East’s largest travel and tourism exhibition.

HH Sheikh Ahmed was accompanied by HE Helal Saeed Al Marri, CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Director-General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Claude Blanc, WTM & IBTM Portfolio Director; Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, ATM and other VIPs who embarked on a tour of the show floor as the four-day event got underway at DWTC. Taking place from 16 to 19 May, this year’s event has 1,300 exhibitors from 62 countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the US, underscoring the strength of our reach.

ATM 2021’s show theme is appropriately ‘A New

26 | MICE AFFAIRS

Dawn for Travel & Tourism’ and spread across nine halls. Consistent with the existing density restrictions and social distancing guidelines and regulations, there will be 11,000 people in the halls at any given time.

The event will once again play an integral role in Arabian Travel Week, a 10-day long festival of travel and tourism events taking place in Dubai and online.

In addition to the in-person Arabian Travel Market event, the travel events that are part of Arabian Travel Week are: travel technology exhibition Travel Forward, ARIVAL Dubai for the tours and attractions sector, GBTA’s half day virtual business travel conference, ITIC’s Middle East Tourism Investment Summit and regionally focused buyer groups including China, and of course ATM Virtual, the online edition of the ATM exhibition.

This year, for the first time in ATM history, a new hybrid format will mean a virtual ATM running a week later, from 24-26 May, to complement and reach a wider audience than ever before.

ATM Virtual, which made its debut last year, proved to be a resounding success attracting 12,000 online attendees from 140 countries.

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MEETING

INCENTIVE

CONFERENCE

EXHIBITION

FOCUSED GLOBAL MICE INDUSTRY MAGAZINE WW WW WW . M. M I CIEEAAFFFFAAI IRRSS. C. CO OMM www.miceaffairs.com

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MICE AFFAIRS | 27

Fira de Barcelona

Receives THE UFI OPERATIONS & Services Award 2021

F

ira de Barcelona has been awarded the Operations & Services Award 2021 by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), the association that brings together the world’s leading trade fair operators.

The award recognises the institution’s versatility in dealing with the crisis caused by COVID-19, the return to activity with new digital and hybrid models and the implementation of innovative security measures, as well as the strengthening of links with society and the territory.

With this award, the UFI recognises the initiatives implemented by Fira de Barcelona, in collaboration with different local entities, to be proactive in the pandemic context and recover activity with a double objective: to promote the holding of events in the short term and to find solutions to future challenges by providing value in a post-Covid environment.

In this regard, the UFI’s evaluation committee has particularly highlighted the health crisis response mechanisms implemented in recent months with the installation of a large vaccination centre at the Montjuic venue and a temporary hospital at the Gran Via venue, as well as the development of an anti-Covid security protocol at the fairgrounds, carried out in collaboration with the consultancy firm Aon and with the advice of the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, among other initiatives.

In relation to measures to guarantee the return of the activity, the following initiatives have been valued: the application of technology to reinforce health security during the holding of events through artificial intelligence solutions for capacity control and social distancing, 100% digital accreditation and access processes, temperature controls, or the reinforcement of ventilation and air renewal in trade fairs held in 2020 such as Biz Barcelona and Saló de l’Ocupació or the Food Hospitality and Gastronomy

28 | MICE AFFAIRS

Forum; as well as the promotion of events in digital or hybrid format, such as Valmont Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week or Smart City Live.

The Operations & Services Award 2021 also highlighted Fira de Barcelona’s capacity to strengthen relations with the community and various organisations through the loan of Hall 7 of Montjuïc for the reception of people in vulnerable situations and the collaboration with Nutrición Sin Fronteras for the distribution of food. It also highlights its cooperation with associations and suppliers through the exchange of knowledge and good practices in national and international forums.

The General Manager of Fira de Barcelona, Constantí Serrallonga, stressed that “This award is a recognition of Fira de Barcelona’s capacity for adaptability, as it has been able to reorient itself and provide agile responses to the current needs of both companies and society, in line with our social commitment, in a context as adverse as the one we are experiencing”.

The Chair UFI Operations and Services Working Group, Stefan Eckert highlighted that “Fira Barcelona presented a complex but realistic scenario how to run a show under Covid-19 restrictions. It is a conceptual blueprint which can help other venues and show organizers to restart our business”.

The Operations & Services Award, which Fira has received for the fourth time (2010, 2012, 2014), joins other awards that the UFI has given the institution in recent years, such as the Sustainable Development Award (2017), for its promotion of sustainable initiatives, and the Education Award (2016) for its international talent development programme, among others.

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A new addition in Mice Affairs Magazine, Mice Club Corner

MICE CLUB CORNER

The column showcases Reactions, Comments , Ideas and Views of Mice community called Mice Club ( MCL)

#Feelings

Dear Associates, We think that second wave of COVID19 infection have just not hit our business but one own selves. Even in Japan, travel business that restarted with domestic has come to a halt with rise in infection. As it is said HOPE is the strongest word and with it one can move mountains. We at NTH are hopeful that these difficult times too shall pass, making us more stronger to deal with such situation. On work front, team is busy in creating engaging products for your clients. Hope to see you soon in Japan.

Arigato!

Sonia

Vicky Soin After the Dusk, The Dawn.

The clock will tick with positivity and hope,that's what I believe for our spirited Travel Industry.

Travel is an investment & a healthiest addiction.

I shall continue to be a fervent HODOPHILE!!

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Second wave of covid has completely wiped out the travel business opportunities & suffering seem to be not ending soon but we are standing strong despite no support from the govt for our sector & hope the sun will rise again & Where you are now is not where you will always be…

HOPE Kunal Sood

2020 – 2021 and what next no one knows, we all predicted 2021 mid would be the starting of our travel business but now it looks 2022 mid but that too depends on lots of factors.

Companies who have deep pockets will survive 24months but people with limited resource should not speculate with time and should look for some alternate source of revenues, think hard the idea must be there with you. Rajesh Raghavan

Shiv charan

Travel is not just a business to us but it’s a sentiment.

It’s been more than 15 month since we have done any significant business.

But we know for sure that travel will bounce back as it’s human need to see the unseen. Apart from fundamental needs of food, shelter and cloths, travel too is a necessity for us, hence once we will be over with this Covid-19 the good old days will be back. Till then take care & stay safe.

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MICE AFFAIRS | 29

Survey

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FINDINGS OF “ONLINE SURVEY ON POST-PANDEMIC TRAVEL”

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ill and how will the pandemic affect Hong Kong citizens’ outbound travel preferences and behaviors? How strong is the pent-up travel demand and how soon will people start travelling again? Will more people prefer travelling in groups to travelling individually after the pandemic? How acceptable are the COVID-19 testing and quarantine requirements to travellers and will they cut back on their travel budgets?

“We welcome the professional input from the TIC, particularly on the survey questions,” said Mr K S Tong, Managing Director of TKS, “and agree that it is now time to work together to speed up the recovery!

ITE Hong Kong 2021, which has been rescheduled to 29 July to 1 August 2021 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), will be one of the boosters.”

30 | MICE AFFAIRS

To find out the answers, the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC) and TKS Exhibition Services Ltd (TKS), the organiser of the Hong Kong’s International Travel Expo (ITE) combining Leisure & MICE travels, have jointly conducted an online public survey from 30 April to 7 May 2021.

The majority of the invitees to the survey are visitors to the public days of ITEs held in the past years. The response is most encouraging: 1,394 replies were received and almost half of them have arrived in the first two days!

Overall, the survey findings are positive. While those concerning “pent-up travel demand” (*1) are close to expectation, findings related to “travel budget” (*2) are happy surprises! (*1) How soon after lifting of travel restrictions will you travel abroad?

(*2) Will the pandemic affect your travel budget in the coming year?

• • • •

• WILL NOT (36%)

WITHIN 1 MONTH (18%) 2 TO 3 MONTHS (26%) 4 TO 6 MONTHS (22%) 7 TO 12 MONTHS (34%)

• WILL INCREASE (16.8%) • NOT SURE (26.9%) • WILL DECREASE (19.4%)

The survey confirms that safety is a prime concern! Over three quarters of the respondents are willing to pay more for a safer journey (*3). Around 50% of the respondents consider quarantine both at destination and upon returning to Hong Kong unacceptable (*4a & 4b), which constitute a major deterrent to travel!

Travellers are nevertheless more receptive to taking COVID-19 tests (*5) as over 70% of the respondents accept taking them at least once a week. (*3) HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOU PAY FOR A SAFER JOURNEY?

(*4A) WHAT IS YOUR ACCEPTABLE QUARANTINE PERIOD AT DESTINATION?

• UP TO 10% MORE (34.4%) • 20% MORE (31.7%) • OVER 30% MORE (9.9%) • NO (24%)

• • • •

14 DAYS (3.1%) 7 DAYS (11.3%) 3 DAYS (33.2%) NOT ACCEPTABLE AT ALL (52.4%)

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Survey (*5) HOW FREQUENT ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE COVID-19 TESTS DURING THE JOURNEY? • EVERY DAY (9.1%) • ONCE EVERY 3 DAYS (22.3%) • ONCE A WEEK (41.5%) • NOT WILLING (27.1%)

(*4B) WHAT IS YOUR ACCEPTABLE QUARANTINE PERIOD AFTER RETURNING TO HONG KONG? • 14 DAYS (4.7%) • 7 DAYS (14.3%) • 3 DAYS (33.1%) • NOT ACCEPTABLE AT ALL (47.8%)

It is important to note that travellers are much more concerned about travel restrictions and quarantine period and hygiene measures than price concession or flexible cancellation/ refund policies when selecting their destinations (*6)! (*6) WHICH FACTOR BELOW IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR CHOOSING A DESTINATION? • TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AND QUARANTINE PERIOD (33.8%) • HYGIENE MEASURES (31.6%) • FLEXIBLE CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICIES (18.7%) • PRICE CONCESSION (16.0%) Over 40% of the respondents consider that when restrictions are only partially lifted, it may be safer travelling in a group (*7). The majority of the respondents prefer travelling in smaller groups, with 40% opting for groups of 10 or less and 50% opting for groups of 11 to 20. (*8). (*7) WHEN RESTRICTIONS ARE PARTIALLY LIFTED, WILL IT BE SAFER TO TRAVEL IN GROUP THAN INDIVIDUALLY?

(*8) AFTER THE PANDEMIC, WHAT IS THE IDEAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN A GROUP?

•

• NOT MORE THAN 10 (39.6%)

YES (17.6%)

• POSSIBLY (25.5%)

• 11 – 20 (49.9%)

• NOT SURE (23.7%)

• 21 – 30 (8.8%)

• WILL NOT (33.2%)

• OVER 30 (1.8%)

The survey result shows that travellers from Hong Kong prefer destinations that are safer and closer to home (*9). The most popular destinations are Mainland China, Macau, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. It is likely that travellers, out of safety concerns, try to avoid visiting destinations which were comparatively more seriously affected by the pandemic and longer haul flights at the early stage of recovery. (*9) WHEN TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ARE COMPLETELY LIFTED, WHICH DESTINATIONS WILL YOU VISIT FIRST? • MAINLAND CHINA, MACAU AND TAIWAN (34.8%) • SE ASIA (34.4%) • NE ASIA (14.9%) • N AMERICA & EUROPE (8.2%) • AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTH PACIFIC (6.5%) • S AMERICA, AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST (1.2%) www.miceaffairs.com

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MICE AFFAIRS | 31

Survey As to the type of holiday preferred, over half of the respondents chose “Cuisine, Health, Shopping & Recreation”, followed by “In-depth travel” and “Family Fun / Visit”. (*10) WHEN TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ARE COMPLETELY LIFTED, WHICH TRAVEL SEGMENT WILL YOU PREFER? • CUISINE, HEALTH, SHOPPING & RECREATION (50.9%) • IN-DEPTH TRIP (20.6%) • FAMILY FUN / VISIT (9.3%) • CRUISE (4.1%) • BUSINESS & MICE TRAVEL (2.8%) It is noted that respondents who have participated in the survey represented mainly a mature, educated and middle-income group, with the majority of them being females (*11*14).

(*11) RESPONDENTS BY GENDER

(*12) RESPONDENTS BY AGE

• FEMALE (65.1%)

• OVER 60 YEARS OLD (14.6%)

• MALE (34.9%)

• 40 – 59 YEARS OLD (48.6%) • 25 TO 39 YEARS OLD (33.7%) • § 18 TO 24 YEARS OLD (2.8%)

(*13) RESPONDENTS BY MONTHLY INCOME (HK$)

(*14) RESPONDENTS BY EDUCATION

• $50,000 OR ABOVE (11.8%)

• UNIVERSITY OR ABOVE (45.9%)

• $35,000 - $50,000 (11.5%)

• POST-SECONDARY (22.7%)

• $25,000 - $35,000 (20.1%)

• SECONDARY OR BELOW (31.4%)

• $15,000 - $25,000 (30.8%) • BELOW $15,000 (25.9%)

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Global News

THE GERMAN NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD INSPIRES TRAVEL TO GERMANY THIS SUMMER YOU THINK YOU KNOW A LOT

ABOUT GERMANY?

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ith the gradual opening of tourist and cultural businesses in the German states and the relaxation of entry regulations, will inspire potential travelers for their next stay in Germany. Despite massive losses, city breaks remained by far the leading segment in Germany arrivals from Europe in the Corona year 2020, with 5.2 million trips. At the same time, nature and recreation gained importance, outdoor activities are in greater demand, and interest in health and wellness topics and sustainable vacations is on the rise. In a study conducted by the European Travel Commission (ETC) in February 2021, recreation was the most important travel motivation for 66 percent of Europeans. Of these, 14.8 percent were mainly interested in nature and outdoor activities, 13 percent in culture and heritage, 10.2

WE PRESENT YOU WITH FACTS THAT ARE GUARANTEED TO SURPRISE YOU percent in wellness and relaxation, and 3.9 percent in culinary delights.

Whilst you are at it: WHY NOT DREAM OF A SUNNY SUMMER HOLIDAY IN GERMANY? .

The “DiscoverGermanyFromHome” website serves as a central inspiration and information hub and allows you to travel virtually to some of Germany’s most impressive and unique natural sights and destinations along with a culinary voyage of discovery through Germany's beautiful regions and districts. You will be amazed at the variety of delicious specialities and taste sensations. Are you ready to discover natural highlights you might want to add to your bucket list for your next trip (so you are all prepared for when we can travel again)? Then have a look at our suggestions below!

GOOD OLD EUROPE! Now it's even claiming an American institution as its own invention. At the very least this claim involves a nice little story set in the Bavarian city of Regensburg. Located along the banks of the Danube River, this little gem is home to Medieval architecture so stunning that its perfectly preserved Old Town has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Stone Bridge is believed to be the oldest bridge still standing in Germany. Just a stone's throw away from the bridge stands a culinary relic of sorts that has been in Germany described as "the oldest fast food joint in the world".

A café, now known as the "Sausage Kitchen", is said international tourists. to have opened on that very spot in 1146, just as the bridge was completed. Now. it's certainly a big hit with

INVENTION OF FAST FOOD

34 | MICE AFFAIRS

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Global News BRATWURST SAUSAGES HAVE COME TO BE SYMBOLIC OF GERMANY. According to statistics from

BRATWURST SAUSAGE,

the German Butchers' Association, the Germans consume the equivalent of around three kilos of them per person every year. And yet they did not actually originate in Germany.

But whilst the Ancient Greeks may have grilled sausages over glowing charcoal, it was the Germans that adopted the sausage as an edible part of their cultural heritage. "The Bratwurst sausage is Thuringian, Nuremberg and Coburg‘s top speciality and is known for it in whole world" – that's something they're confident about over at the first German Bratwurst Museum in Mühlhausen, Thuringia.

an edible German Icon

THE GERMAN DIVIDE IS STILL ILLUMINATED AT NIGHT THE GERMAN DIVIDE IS STILL illuminated at night

BERLIN HAS COME TO BE AN INCREASINGLY UNITED CITY SINCE THE FALL OF THE WALL IN 1989. Tourists can cross the

former border without giving it a second thought and cyclists casually cruise along the Berlin Wall Trail. And yet if you look down at Berlin from space on a clear night, you'll see that it is still divided in one sense.

Satellite images reveal that the west of the city glows in a blue-white light, whilst the east has a warmer yellow shine to it.

ABOUT A THIRD OF GERMANY IS COVERED WITH FORESTS, WHICH IS A HIGH PROPORTION GIVEN THAT IT IS SUCH A DENSELY POPULATED INDUSTRIALISED COUNTRY. WOULD YOU REALLY EXPECT TO FIND A PRIMEVAL FOREST HERE? Probably

not! And yet there is one in the Bavarian Forest National Park. A large area of forest just a two-hour drive to the north-east of Munich has been left to grow naturally without any human interference for decades.

Similarly, Sababurg Primeval Forest, part of the Reinhardswald Nature Park in Hesse right at the heart of Germany, hasn't been interfered with for more than 100 years now. www.miceaffairs.com

THE PRIMEVAL forest reborn

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MICE AFFAIRS | 35

Global News BERLIN HAS COME TO BE AN INCREASINGLY UNITED CITY SINCE THE FALL OF THE WALL IN 1989. Tourists can cross the

former border without giving it a second thought and cyclists casually cruise along the Berlin Wall Trail. And yet if you look down at Berlin from space on a clear night, you'll see that it is still divided in one sense.

Satellite images reveal that the west of the city glows in a blue-white light, whilst the east has a warmer yellow shine to it.

THE GERMAN DIVIDE IS STILL illuminated at night

GERMANY IS HOME to 25,000 castles

IF YOU LOVE VISITING A GOOD CASTLE, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED BY THE HUGE SELECTION JUST WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED IN GERMANY. The Thuringian Forest is an excellent place

to start if you're looking for something a little different. The most famous castle in the whole of Germany, Wartburg Castle in Eisenach. The federal state of Saxony is another castle hotspot, whilst stunning fortresses line the spectacular landscape of the Swabian Alb in south-west Germany. But if it's moated castles you're looking for, a visit to the Münsterland or Lower Rhine regions will be a dream come true. there are 40 well-preserved castles in a row within the space of just 60 kilometres between Bingen and Koblenz. The Upper Middle Rhine Valley has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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2 JUNE 2021

GLOBAL EXHIBITIONS DAY 2021 Celebrations IN PICTURES

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UFI MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA CONFERENCE 2021 HERALDS RETURN TO IN-PERSON INDUSTRY EVENTS IN THE REGION AND SHOWCASES OPTIMISM FOR THE FUTURE Around 150 participants from Dubai, the Middle East/Africa region and beyond join the first postpandemic events industry conference in the region More than 30 speakers attend on site, at UFI’s first in-person event after 15 months of digital events

U

FI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has successfully held the first events industry conference in the Middle East and Africa since pandemic lockdowns. Hosted by the Dubai World Trade Centre, on 26 May, the “UFI MEA Conference” brought together leading players from the region and beyond to network, exchange ideas and forge new partnerships, with participants travelling from as far as the United States.

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His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Tourism and Dubai World Trade Centre Authority, and Kai Hattendorf, Managing Director and CEO of UFI, delivered welcome addresses. Leaders from the regional and international exhibition sector gathered in Dubai – thanks to the city’s well-established measures to safeguard the well-being of all visitors – to have the opportunity to see how it has led the way globally in restarting business events in the wake of the pandemic. With a

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discovered future opportunities in the Middle East and beyond. UFI is ready to support the industry across the region in this recovery.”

TRIXIE LOHMIRMAND, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AT THE DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE, SAYS:

mix of speakers from inside and outside the industry, participants enjoyed a world-class programme of content, including economic outlooks, case studies, lessons learnt from the pandemic and plans for the future. There were also multiple networking opportunities to catch up with friends and colleagues, meet new people and enjoy the company of colleagues.

ISSAM ABDUL RAHIM KAZIM, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, says: “Driven by the city’s strong, decisive leadership and prudent handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dubai has led the way internationally in safely restarting exhibitions, trade shows and other business events, which play a vital role in economic and knowledge development locally. Just as we’ve worked with local and international stakeholders to ensure the city has been well-placed to resume events, we are committed to working with the wider industry to share knowledge and learning. Hosting the UFI Middle East and Africa Conference has enabled us to engage with key leaders from the global business events community and provide a platform for its continued rebound.”

KAI HATTENDORF, UFI CEO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, ADDS: “We are very happy to offer our members and the industry the opportunity to re-connect in person, on site, face to face, this week. You could literally sense the excitement in the conference hall, as colleagues from across the region met each other again, took stock of where we are as markets re-open and www.miceaffairs.com

“The Dubai World Trade Centre is delighted to finally welcome so many UFI delegates to connect again face to face, celebrate the industry's achievements and jointly accelerate the global momentum of events reopening. On this wonderful occasion, I’m also proud to share the launch of the Sum+ Of Us Women in Events Network, which has received a pledge of support from UFI, whose own Special Interest Group for Female Leadership strives to raise the profile and visibility of female leaders and talents in the exhibition industry. The network will be the region’s first women leadership development initiative, and has been established to support talented, dedicated women to evolve, grow and create greater impact in the exhibitions and wider events industry. As founding sponsor of Sum+ Of Us, the Dubai World Trade Centre is delighted to receive the full endorsement of HE Helal Almarri and the support of UFI, which is at the forefront of driving positive change in the diversity agenda.”

NAJI EL HADDAD, UFI Regional Director for the Middle East and Africa, says: “This conference is a clear manifestation of the industry’s resilience and determination to thrive, despite the current circumstances. The success of the event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our host, Dubai World Trade Centre, and our destination partner, Dubai Tourism. I’d like to offer a special thanks to all of our sponsors, speakers and delegates for their contribution and participation.”

The event is the latest in a series of important shows and conferences taking place in Dubai over recent months, following on from Gitex Technology Week, Gulfood and Arabian Travel Market. In the coming months, Dubai will continue to host major events, including Arab Health and The Hotel Show, as momentum builds towards Expo 2020 Dubai.

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THIS YEAR’S CONFERENCE WAS SUPPORTED BY UFI’S DIAMOND SPONSORS:

the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Qatar National Tourism Council (Qatar), Shenzhen World and Freeman. A wide range of sponsors also backed the event.

TCEB JOIN FORCES WITH MOI TO ELEVATE THAILAND LOG-IN EVENTS MR. CHARTCHAI DEBPANG, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE AFFAIR DEPARTMENT, AND MS. KANOKPORN DAMRONGKUL, Director of Exhibition Department lead Exhibitions

team, to have virtual meeting with Mr. Passakorn Chairat, Deputy Director - General, Department of Industrial Promotion Ministry of Industry, and MoI teams to discuss future collaboration for becoming an official partner of Thailand LOG-IN Next 2021 with "1 Ministry 1 Expo" initiative, which will help boost trade and investment within Thailand through international trade exhibitions.

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Global News

THAI CABINET ANNOUNCES 26 APRIL ‘NATIONAL MICE DAY’

T

o emphasize the importance of the MICE industry, the Thai government announced 26 April as National MICE Day, probably the first in Asia.

The selected date reflects the long history of Thailand’s MICE development since the country’s first national trade exhibition was organized on 26 April 1882 during the reign of King Rama V as part of Bangkok Centennial Celebration.

Mr. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB, stated that, during the cabinet meeting on June 1, 2021, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister, proposed that National MICE Day be established based on the research the bureau jointly conducted with Convention Promotion Fund.

“The first-ever exhibition in Thailand was held on 26 April 1882.

Guided by the royal resolution of King Rama V, the event aimed at promoting Thai products from all over the Kingdom. What is noteworthy is that it was held at Sanam Luang in front of the Grand Palace as part of Bangkok’s Centennial Celebration. Although 140 years have passed, today’s exhibitions share such same mission.”

The establishment of such important day for MICE industry will help enhance the awareness on the long-lasting value and importance of the industry for national development. Even today, MICE is serving as one of the government’s economic stimulus mechanisms.

Since the past up to the present day, MICE activities have been employed to drive key national policies, which can be divided into 3 periods. During the reign of King Rama I and Rama III or in the earl Rattanakosin period, meetings became a platform for the renaissance of arts and sciences as it was a period of the kingdom restoration. Then, the reign of King Rama IV until King Rama VIII was a period of opening Siam to the global arena, when meetings and trade fairs were utilised to represent the nation’s pride and a means toward the amendment of the unfair treaties Siam signed with other countries. The third period (King Rama IX until present) is a period of the solidification of MICE industry or a new era of MICE industry, when related associations of the private sector have a role in the national development.

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Mr. Chiruit added that MICE has now extended its role to create and develop the economy, as well as become a part to boost economic growth and bridge economic gap. It is in line with TCEB policy that accentuates the distribution of the development and business opportunities to entrepreneurs and communities in 10 MICE Cities.

Thailand continued for 3 consecutive years (2016-2018) to be the top destination of conference in the ASEAN region and is placed fourth as a destination holding the highest number of conferences, following Japan, China and South Korea.

According to MICE statistics gathered through 16 years of TCEB establishment, the number of domestic and international MICE travellers

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to Thailand totalled 191,747,994, generating 1,756,739 million baht of revenue. Prior the COVID-19 pandemic, Thai MICE industry generated both direct and indirect income of around 728,540 million baht for the economy and created 426,616 jobs.

“Even though the COVID-19 has substantially affected businesses in all segments, including MICE, the operations of TCEB, focusing consistently on the development of the industry’s infrastructure, workforce and technology, can ensure that Thailand stands ready for competition once the pandemic subsides.”

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Sonia Prashar

as new President Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA)

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India News

INDIAN EXHIBITION INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (IEIA) ELECTS

SONIA PRASHAR as its new President

The Executive Committee of Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA) is pleased to announce Sonia Prashar as the new President of the association. Sonia was unanimously elected for this position at the 80 th Executive Committee meeting held on May 29, 2021.

Assuming charge as the first woman President of IEIA, Sonia comes with more than 25 years of senior management experience, including a decade of strategic development.

Currently, she holds the position of Deputy Director General at the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (the largest bi-national Chamber in the world) and is also the Chairperson & Managing Director at Nürnberg Messe India Pvt. Ltd. (100% subsidiary of NürnbergMesse GmbH). Ms. Prashar is also the Chairperson, Advisory Committee, Women’s Leadership Forum, formed by IEIA in association with IAEE.

“I

am humbled to be taking on this role.

IEIA has been progressively working for the betterment of the Indian Exhibition industry through its various initiatives since the last 15 years. As the industry evolves through restructuring and technology upgradation, I believe IEIA with its strong EC is in a position to assist the Indian exhibition industry and guide through this tumultuous period. I am hoping to carry forward the legacy established by my dear friend, colleague and predecessor

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Mr. S. Balasubramanian and realise his vision. His commitment and efforts to advocate the interests of our sector will always be remembered. I also like to thank the EC Members for electing me as President and look forward to serving the interests of IEIA membership with the best of my abilities.”-

said Sonia Prashar.

Sharing her vision and plans for serving the industry, she further stated that, “Indian

Exhibition Industry is a huge contributor to the overall economic growth of the country.

Exhibitions industry in India is sized at INR 23,800 crore and supports INR 3 lac crores worth of business transactions across various sectors.

Trade fairs have been recognised as economic growth engines by various leading economies of the world. This highly catalytic sector is going through the most turbulent times since the last more than one year and needs prioritised attention and support from the policy makers of the country. The inherent potential of the exhibition sector can help realise Govt.’s vision and mission of a strong Indian economy. We will pursue this goal through advocacy dialogues and engagement with the Govt. counterparts. I also like to urge the membership to stay resilient and be prepared for a strong comeback and request your support in all our endeavours for the progress of our sector.”

Sonia has a rich professional background with an extensive network and trade fair experience which will be instrumental to further strengthen partnerships, develop strategic alliances and expand IEIA’s global horizons. She

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has been a strong contributor to the promotion of exhibition industry in India and internationally.

IEIA is also very honoured to have Rakesh Kumar, Director General, EPCH and Chairman IEML on the Executive Committee in the capacity of Ex-officio Past President. Rakesh Kumar has served as IEIA President for 2 consecutive terms and currently is also the Chairperson of the Advocacy Committee of the association.

“We are sure that with Sonia’s more than two decades of experience and a very strong sense of commitment towards the development of Industry, the association would continue to grow and flourish.”

IEIA also announces and welcomes Ubaid Ahmad, Senior Director, IMTMA to the Executive committee as the new representative from IMTMA. Ubaid has been associated with IMTMA since 2008 and is renowned in the Indian and international exhibition industry circles.

Speaking on the occasion,

Rakesh Kumar stated, “IEIA has always been close to me since the time of its inception. I am glad to have the opportunity to be part of the EC once again and look forward working together for the progress of our sector in these most challenging times.”

On his induction into the EC, Ubaid

said, “I am pleased to have the opportunity to serve our industry as Executive Committee Member of IEIA, the national apex body of exhibitions sector in India. I shall endeavour to contribute to the causes of the industry to the best of my abilities.”

Expressing his views on Sonia’s appointment as President, he stated,

CURRENT EC MEMBERS FOR THE TERM 2019-21

SONIA PRASHA PRESIDENT

RAKESH KUMAR SUDEEP SARCAR EX-OFFICIO PAST PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT

YOGESH MUDRAS RAVINDER SETHI SOORAJ DHAWAN EC MEMBER EC MEMBER & EC MEMBER INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR www.miceaffairs.com

BHUPINDER SINGH, HONORARY SECRETARY

UBAID AHMED EC MEMBER

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GAURAV JUNEJA TREASURER

DHARAMPAL EC MEMBER

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW In Conversation With - New IEIA Woman President- Sonia Prashar Q : Challenging times and this additional responsibility, how do you weigh this new charge?

I am humbled to accept this responsibility and position.

It will be my endeavour to carry forward the legacy of my predecessors, while making my own contributions to further strengthen this association and Industry.

This role gives me an opportunity to connect to all stakeholders even more strongly and create forums where we can collectively work to develop the exhibition Industry.

Yes, the times are indeed challenging but not without hope and a positive outlook for the coming years. The last eighteen months have given us an opportunity to enhance our digital infrastructure, build agile teams and explore innovative solutions.

The gap has in fact, forced the Industry to carefully monitor and enhance the scope of their offerings to cater to the new age customer. Data analytics, automation of processes, improved interfaces are just some of the elements which have been worked upon.

And in the midst of all of this, it is the continued support from each stakeholder, which has been extremely encouraging.

The power of face-to-face networking is here to stay, this was strongly established, based on the response generated by the few events which took place in the interim.

and levels, which will be an ongoing exercise also for the future. From a safety perspective we will work with Industry colleagues to promote health initiatives and vaccination drives to ensure that the whole sector gets covered, especially those with limited access and availability.

Q : How it feels like to be the first woman president ever at IEIA? Any special plans for female force in the industry?

I think it is about time we rise above gender and gender-based narratives. Positions and roles should be skill, calibre and experience based.

With regards to the role, I wish to thank everyone who has guided me over the last 25 years and for the immense support of the IEIA executive council, for their faith in me.

We have worked wonderfully as a unit, have tremendous respect and regard for each other, which has enabled the association to grow and expand. We will continue taking steps for the benefit of this sector.

Q : IEIA President’s key message for the industry?

“Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.”(Gever Tulley)

Q : What would be IEIA president’s main focus Yes, the times have been difficult, but we have for 2021? managed to endure. So, let’s focus on the positives, Our main focus would be to present the cause of the Exhibition Industry to the relevant authorities and communicate the value we bring to the economic structure of the country.

Additionally, we would also like to highlight the enhanced and modernised exhibition and conference venue capacities available in India today, which continue to underline the importance of exhibitions and the scope of growing Industries here. In my view, it is also very important to provide skilling to the on-ground workforce to improve the overall degree of professionalism and services. We will create forums and programs around this.

Besides this, we have regularly been conducting several sessions for Industry professionals across different topics 46 | MICE AFFAIRS

manifest the next phase of growth by ideating and innovating and most importantly, motivating each other along the way.

The situation is already improving in many parts of the world and the pandemic will be phased out gradually as vaccination drives gain momentum.

We have to play our part by adhering to required norms and regulations and apply a human centred approach for creating relevant forums, where every Stakeholder in the entire ecosystem feels safe and secure. We look forward to seeing you at the exhibitions.

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G LO BA L N E W S ATM DUBAI REUNITING THE TRAVEL TRADE

GLOBAL NEWS

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GLOBAL NEWS

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Mourns

The Loss of Dr Ankur Bhatia Oh MY GOD ! I just can’t understand what is happening...

Ankur Bhatia. Was Such a wonderful person... he was always smiling , soft Spoken young entrepreneur , and one of the finest person I have met .... in our Industry ... it is so shocking and sad that I am still under shock ! I pray to God to give his family and loved ones strength to bear this irreparable loss.

Our heartfelt Condolences

Subhash Goyal CHAIRMAN STIC TRAVEL GROUP

Jyoti Mayal, President TAAI

Very sad and heart broken to see him go. I don’t have words for such a tragic loss to Bhatia family and to the rest of travel & hospitality trade. Ankur was a humble, down to earth human being and a great leader. We all will miss him a lot. May he Rest In Peace and be one with God . My condolences & prayers are with the family and team of Bird group.

Kanwer Deep Singh, Founder and President, TravelBullz.com

Very very sorry to hear about Mr . ankur bhatia. He was a doyen of indian travel industry who showed the youth the way to be a professional service provider in the world of travel.

As an employer, role model and a guide, he has left behind a vaccum which is impossible to fill in.

Today is kind of sad day for me I started my stint with airline job where my first training was on Amadeus in 1993, Ankur’s sudden demise is really heartbreaking he has done lot for this industry, may his soul rest in peace and god gives his family a strength to bear such loss.

A big loss for the travel industry and India.

Shirin , Travel Entrepreneur

Rajesh Raghavan, Chief Experience Officer, Itiha Homes

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It is indeed a shock to learn about Ankur Bhatia . Ankur was a dear friend & family. Truly a stalwart of the Travel & Hospitality industry. Ankur was truly a dynamic loving caring energetic person . He was a vibrant & pleasing personality. All words fall short of describing him & expressing our grief & the loss to the entire industry. My heart goes out to Radha Vijay Smriti Arnav & Saina & Gaurav who are a part of the family. God Bless his soul & strength & peace to family.

The industry has lost a true visionary and an energetic young leader. Ankur's style of working below the radar to deliver an exceptional business is something very few people in our industry are able to pull off. Ankur you will be missed. Rest in peace.

Vasudha Sondhi Managing Director OMPL Group

On the sad demise of Ankur Bhatia the travel industry has lost a gem whose contribution cannot be forgotten. I have personally known him very closely.In a young age he offered such important products and working tools to the travel industry that will make Ankur Bhatia immortal.It is our bad luck that death has cut short a glorious life that would have have contributed much more in the years to come.Hence it is not only his family but the travel industry has lost a genius.

I pray to the Almighty God to provide strength to his family to bear this loss.

May his soul rest in peace.

Om Prakash, Ex Chairman TAAI WR, Director, In orbit Tours P. Ltd.

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Exclusive Conversation

SAFE RESUMPTION OF EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS IN CONVERSATION WITH

SRIKANTH T.G, Business Head – HITEX Hyderabad

A

s whole world is still grappling with Covid 19 and nations with lesser cases have started resumption of activities including physical events. Mice Affairs Media Group has started initiative of getting views of various Event and Exhibition venues in the country to find out their next step on the safe resumption of events. In the same series of conversation, HITEX Business Head, Mr. Srikanth shares the key developments and initiatives at HITEX At Hitex, we are strictly following and implementing all safety and hygiene measures which fall under the purview of a venue’s obligation and responsibility towards safe events.

- At HITEX all possible touch points are now touchless. Starting from entry points to washrooms to registration, its all touch free.

- Sanitization facility is in place at every feasible location including elevators - Regular sanitization of exhibition area is another practice being followed - We have got isolation rooms within the campus along with medical and ambulance facility, in case the need arises

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SRIKANTH T.G

Business Head – HITEX Hyderabad

Venues can follow and provide these facilities to exhibition visitors and exhibitors during the event. A lot depend on how we adopt these practices and follow the Covid Appropriate Behaviour. First wave , second wave and now Third wave is being discussed, so its of paramount importance that we all learn new rules and adopt them in our daily lives including business events, which can lead to safer restart.

Coming on to vaccination, HITEX is offerring all possible help and joining forces with various organizations in vaccine drive. We have organized vaccine camps along with Hyderabad police to vaccinate Cab drivers within the city. Moreover we are organizing Mass Vaccination Drive on 6th June 2021, where the target of inoculation is kept at 50,000 in one single day and HITEX has offered space for the safe mass vaccination in exhibition halls.

In my views “It’s a combined responsibility of

everyone to help in Safe Restart. Together We Can Achieve More”

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"

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IT&CMA and CTW Asia Pacific Returns 28 to 30 September 2021 Virtual Back With Greater Business Focus, Wider Reach and Even Bigger Value

New Highlights New 3D mode exhibition visuals

Event friendly timings

Up to 24 + 12 Bonus Scheduled Meets (SM) + Unlimited WalkIn Meets (WM) over 3 business-

Curated mini roadshows and exclusive live sessions hosted by our

on the proven and improved OnAIR virtual event platform

focused days: New optional bonus SM slots at timings that enhance meeting opportunities with delegates outside the Asia-Pacific region

even for those based outside the Asia-Pacific region

sponsors, with interactive games and prizes to be won!

24/7 on-demand access to the best of IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific content:

Knowledge sessions helmed by industry partners Brand Showcase Presentations by MICE destinations and suppliers Buyer Procurement Showcases by invited buyers with insights on ready business Make-it-your-own, anytime networking conversations with delegates

Register Now www.itcma.com | www.corporatetravelworld.com/apac

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Save The Dates For Our Physical Event In 2022: 20 to 22 September

RNI Title Code UPENG/2018/75911

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