Feb 2021

Rs. 125

Feb 2021 Vol 8 Issue 07 Voice of Asia’s Exhibition & Convention Industry

Exhibitions Are Back

Editor’s desk Dear Readers, The need for healthy living has gained a significant momentum owing to the ongoing pandemic, with mental well-being taking the center stage. People globally have moved from a 'nice to have' to 'need to have' mindset for a preventive approach to wellness.

Wellbeing and mindfulness in the working environment are undoubtedly important aspects that need attention in our events industry.

&

PSU BUZZ

Statistics show that an alarming 1 in 5 event professionals experience problems with their mental health including anxiety, low mood and stress. The importance of addressing this vital issue is demonstrated by the statistic that businesses who are making employee wellness a priority are outperforming their competitors by 10%. Depression is also a big concern and more so since the outbreak of this pandemic, which has completely disrupted our events industry. Exhibition Showcase is pleased to support a global initiative this month on the eve of the Event Well-Being Day, and we will be hosting a special discussion with industry leaders, where-in we shall speak to them heart to heart on this issue. Subscribe to our official YouTube channel and never miss an update.

In this issue, we cover important updates from the world of exhibitions and conventions. Exhibitions have started to resume in many parts of the world and we feature some of them in this issue.

All eyes are set on the upcoming AAHAR 2021 & SATTE next month. Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen India shares about the success of their maiden online event and Ashley Roberts, General Manager, Omanexpo tells us the significance of employee engagement in events industry.

Do share your comments and feedback with me at

raghav@exhibitionshowcase.com

Best Regards

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WHAT’S INSIDE Pg. 10-11

World Map - News From The World Of Exhibitions

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Industry In Pictures From The World Of Social Media

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Every Stall Presents A New And Different Concept Creating New Opportunities For Business

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ITPO Gears Up In Its Preparations For AAHAR 2021

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Mumbai Editions Of Gartex Texprocess India And Screen Print India Pushed Ahead Due To Venue Inaccessibility In March

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After Turbulent Year, Auto Expo A Refreshing Change For Ludhiana's Industry

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AAKAR Exhibitions Announces Fresh Show Dates

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Informa Markets In India Launches 'Jewellery Connect’

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Interviews

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Exhibition Showcase Talk To Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen India

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Insights

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Global News

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Further Details For Scotland’s Event Industry Support Fund Announced

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Exhibition Showcase Joins 24hr Global Vodcast Marathon For #eventprofs

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Enthusiasm For The First Dubai Muscle Classic Organized By IEG’s HBG Events

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Italy

Chicago The city of Chicago is getting ready to lure back meetings and convention business in 2021 with a little help from digital technology.

Launched Jan. 21 by Choose Chicago in collaboration with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, Healthy Meetings Chicago is an interactive digital platform designed to showcase the health and safety advantages of hosting events at the McCormick Place Campus. Currently available in Phase 1 for desktop or laptop viewing, the new platform illustrates the extensive new protocols and processes put in place by the city’s convention center and hospitality industry to ensure the safety of its guests, according to CVB officials.

As Italy continues to grapple with the second wave of COVID19 cases and trade shows are banned until at least March 5, a number of the country’s leading fashion fairs have jointly revealed they will forgo their upcoming physical editions and host digital shows instead. Committed to physical gatherings, other prominent Italian trade shows have all pushed ahead their dates. Mido is scheduled for June 5 to 7, while international furniture and interior design trade show Salone del Mobile is slated to take place Sept. 5 to 10.

Scotland

South Africa

The 2021 edition of Host City will be a global, hybrid event to be held in Glasgow on December 7-8. The global, hybrid Host City 2021 will be preceded by two regional, digital events: Host City Asia and Host City Americas, set for April 14 and June 30 respectively. It will feature online sessions timed for Asian and American participation.

The South African government has said that it will maximise the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into operation on 1 January 2021, following the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration by the African Union (AU). The AFCTA is set to create a massive market and demand for locally-produced machinery, clothes and food; provides a platform for South African businesses to expand into markets across the continent, and for South Africa to position itself as a gateway to the continent.

China ITB China, the largest B2B-exclusive travel trade show in China, and China’s leading digital trade media in the MICE and Corporate Travel sector, China BT MICE, announced that the Business Travel MICE Procurement Convention (BTMPC) will take place at this year’s ITB China Special Edition - a newly designed event format that combines core trade show with convention elements, held in Beijing from May 7-8, 2021.

Dubai The five-day Dubai International Boat Show has been rescheduled for the third time to March 8-12, 2022. The postponement is made taking into account evolving regulations and logistics around international yacht movement, and the ongoing commitment to provide the maximum diversity and choice of global brands to regional clients.

Germany

Japan

inter airport Europe 2021, the 23rd International Exhibition for Airport Equipment, Technology, Design & Services will be held at the Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany from 9 – 12 November 2021. The exhibition in 2021 takes place against the backdrop of Covid-19. inter airport Europe will be launching its first digital event from April 20-21, 2021: inter airport CONNECT which will provide a much-anticipated trade and networking event for the global airport community.

The Japan National Tourism Organization has announced the recipients of the 2020 Achievement Award. Among the awardees is the Chiba-hosted conference, the International Monorail Association Annual Conference –Monorailex 2019, for the International Conference c a t e g o r y.

T h e J N T O ’s Achievement Awards is a yearly recognition of the outstanding achievements of national and international business events staged in Japan.

Industry In Pictures From The World Of Social Media

Hiromi Murayama, Manager Sales & Marke ng Division, PACIFICO Yokohama on organising the 2nd ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter Summit as a hybrid event.

Online speakers were on stage alongside on-site speakers. They received excellent feedback from a endees, both online & on-site.

#JobLosses 54% of companies had to reduce their workforce, with half of these by more than 25%.

These are the results of the recently published #GlobalBarometer report by #UFI. For more informa on on the #UFIbarometer report

We are proud to announce the forma on of the Exhibi ons and Conferences Alliance (ECA), an advocacy group that will champion the common interests of U.S. exhibi ons and conferences with legislators. @IAEE

“We’re back in ACTION” Here’s a snap of our F&E UAE Team handling a fighter aircra during the first day of build-up of IDEX 2021 at Abu Dhabi Na onal Exhibi on Center. #Agility #Fairs&Events

EEAA President and Managing Director for Informa Australia, Spiro Anemogiannis reports that face-toface events are back! Last week, Informa successfully delivered their first face-to-face event for 2021.

The Connect@Singapore ini a ve was launched.

Under this ini a ve, a limited number of travellers from all countries will be able to enter Singapore for up to 14 days and they will be housed in a “bubble” within appointed facili es.

Organising an event at @firenze_fiera in complete safety. Firenze Fiera offer to all clients a sort of “passport” to access a COVID-free congress and exhibi on centre

Yes, we are open. MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS in SNIEC is happening against all odds. Thanks to all who helped to make it possible especially Shanghai and Pudong government and the related departments

Germany can roll out damage compensa on schemes for fairs and congresses in the country, reported to include a total of approx. EURO 642 milllion, a er the European Commission has cleared a federal umbrella scheme for such measures in general.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

Every Stall Presents A New And Different Concept Creating New Opportunities For Business platform for continuing business in the Post COVID-19 scenario. Shri Siddh Nath Singh, Chairman, CEPC mentioned that India Carpet Expo is showing India’s unique capability in adapting to any type of design, color, quality & size as per the need and requirement of the end consumers.

he 3 rd Virtual Edition of 41 st India Carpet Expo an exclusive trade fair for Handmade carpets and other floor-coverings, Organized by Carpet Export Promotion Council which was inaugurated on 27th January, 2021 by Shri Shantmanu, IAS, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) has received overwhelming response from around 158 overseas buyers from 50 countries and 50 Buying Representatives/ Buying Houses from across the world on the first two days of the Expo. 150+ prominent Member-Exporters from major carpet belt of Bhadohi, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur, Panipat, Jammu & Kashmir are participating.

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Top 5 Visitor Countries were USA, Australia, U.K., Canada, Italy. Small Member Exporters are very happy because they are getting very good exposure on virtual platform which they were earlier not getting during the physical fairs and they reported that they are doing very good business.

India Carpet Expo “Showcasing new collection, as per the buyers’

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requirements in terms of size, design, colour and quality which is grabbing

the interest of the buyers. The 5 day Expo will remain open for business till 31st January, 2021.

Dignitaries and VIPs also visited the Virtual Exhibition congratulated Shri Siddh Nath Singh, Chairman, CEPC, Shri Umer Hameed, 2nd Vice Chairman and whole Committee of Administration, CEPC alongwith Shri Sanjay Kumar, Executive Director and the whole team of CEPC officials & Staff for arranging such a great

Industry uses diverse raw materials from various ports of India i.e., wool, silk, manmade fiber, jute, cotton and various blends of different yarns.

Industry is environment friendly and does not use scarce & perishable energy resources. The makes the Expo an extremely popular destination worldwide on Handmade Carpets. Shri Siddh Nath Singh is very happy to receive the positive response from the participants and expressed hope that Members will transact handsome business and will open new avenues for all the stake holders.

Shri Siddh Nath Singh informed that Council instituted “Carpet Design Awards” in the Virtual Exhibition to boost the moral of the participating Members and 7 Members Selection Committee/ Juries of eminent Designers and Professors and eminent personalities in the field of Fashion and designing will select the Awardees.

The last date for receiving the nomination was 24th January, 2021 and Council received 65 nominations.

Council will announce the Awards in Award Ceremony on 30th January, 2021 through Virtual Meeting.

Organizers are extremely happy with the results and hope that more buyer will come and make this Expo a very successful one.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2021 Will Not Take Place bauma CONEXPO INDIA, the International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, and Construction Vehicles will not take place this year due to the organizers’ concerns around exhibitors’ ROI, uncertain international participants’ turnout, and safety protocols he decision to not hold North India’s leading trade fair bauma CONEXPO INDIA comes after deliberations with stakeholders and a comprehensive study of the market in solidarity with the industry’s concern. It was ascertained that the organizers’ goal to offer all participants optimal conditions for a successful trade fair would be difficult to implement under

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return on investment pushed us to take this tough call.” The decision was supported by Mr. Arvind K. Garg, Chairman, bauma CONEXPO INDIA—Task Force and Executive Vice President and Head, Construction and Mining Machinery Business at Larsen & Toubro Ltd: “It would not have been a wise decision to carry on the show despite recognising the

Association (iCEMA) and Managing Director, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Private Limited supports bC Expo India Pvt. Ltd.’s decision and states: “While it is unfortunate that the show will not be held, we at iCEMA are still in complete

the current circumstances. Therefore, the decision to call off the show seemed the need of the hour to protect exhibitors, visitors and partners from such an uncertain situation.

challenges at hand.

support of this well-thought decision.

We will continue to lend our unreserved support to bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2022. These times demand our ultimate understanding, and we will assist the construction industry through thick and thin.”

Mr. Bhupinder Singh, the CEO of bC Expo India Pvt Ltd. said: “We have taken this decision after considering all the facts as we know them today and the responsibility we hold towards our stakeholders and the global business community. Both the uncertainty regarding the safety of our stakeholders and exhibitors and the

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As responsible members of the industry, this crucial decision will help to safeguard the stakeholders from the uncertainty of the situation and will help the industry to become more resilient in the face of adversity. We are unable to promise our industry, the exhibitors and our customers the high standards, that they expect from us at bauma CONEXPO INDIA. We promise all stakeholders a great show next year and count on their support, as always.”

Mr. Sandeep Singh, President of Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers

Mr. Bhupinder Singh adds: “We have tried to arrive at the best decision after in-depth consultations with our partners and stakeholders across the industry.

We thank all of them for their constant support and we are certain that the next edition will happen in 2022 with much more zest and vigour.”

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

ITPO Gears Up In Its Preparations For AAHAR 2021 B2B EVENT WITH HEALTH SAFETY MEASURES AT NEW IECC HALLS, PRAGATI MAIDAN

five day – flagship event of the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), AAHAR2021 – the International Food & Hospitality Fair ( April 6-10,2021) is being hosted with discounted rate of 45 percent on participation charges to support the Indian industry. The 36th edition of the fair features emergence of India in F&B as well as hospitality services including food processing, culinary tech, retail and news innovations at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. All exhibitors as well as business visitors are required to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 related guidelines / SOPs issued by the relevant government authorities.

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The fair assumes tremendous significance especially when there is a focus of the Union Government to promote agri-community as well as MICE sector which complements the hospitality segment. This year too, AAHAR offers an ideal opportunity

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for brand expansion and business networking especially when the industry has been facing tremendous challenges due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Significantly, AAHAR2021 is being organized in the halls of iconic International Exhibition-cumConvention Centre (IECC) at Pragati Maidan, the display profile is segregated into four categories namely, ‘Food Products, Ingredients & Additives’, ‘F&B Equipment’, ‘House Keeping & Engineering Equipment’ and ‘Confectionary’. A large number of trade visitors are expected to visit Aahar 2021. These include top echelons of the Hotel and Hospitality industry including CEOs, General Managers, Executive Chefs, Executive House Keepers, Purchase Managers, F&B Managers etc.

Besides, senior representatives from catering industry and academic institutions, hotel management professionals will also visit the fair. The fair features a wide

range of food products, machinery, F&B equipment, hospitality and Décor Solutions and Confectionary items. This is one of the most awaited B2B events which is supported by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development Authority (APEDA) and apex industry associations, Apex supports trade bodies include : Association of Resource Companies for Hospitality Industry of India (ARCHII), Hotel and Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers Association of India (HOTREMAI), All India Food Processors Association(AIFPA), Food & Hospitality Support Association of India (FHSAI), Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI), Federation of Indian Food & Hospitality Industry(FIFHI) and Indore Confectionary Manufacturers Association (ICMA) etc.

AAHAR (April 06-10, 2021) will be opened for the business visitors from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm daily.

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February 2021

Personal Care Ingredients & Lab India To Be Held In Mumbai From October 28th – 30th, 2021 development of the beauty industry, suggesting new solutions to face future challenges and trends.”

Speaking at the announcement of the 1st edition of PCIL, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, said, “The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak has had a clear and a lasting change in the minds of the consumers, their awareness and their buying patterns in regards to personal and healthcare products. Social isolation and distancing and ample ‘metime’ has brought more awareness in the self-care regimes of the consumers which has given a boost to this industry.

Moreover, with market needs being driven by innovations, it is exhibiting a demand for natural ingredients as customers are becoming increasingly careful about the contents of products they buy, therefore driving the needs of product manufacturers especially in the skin and hair care industry. he first edition of Personal Care Ingredients & Lab (PCIL), an exhibition dedicated to the Raw Materials, Ingredients and Lab for the beauty industry, will be held from October 28th – 30th, 2021, in Mumbai at the Bombay Convention and Exhibition Center. The exhibition will be co-located with the much celebrated Cosmoprof India show.

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Organized by Informa Markets in India and the BolognaFiere Group, PCIL will provide an industry platform to buyers and sellers of this sector to meet, network, understand the needs of the consumers and grow their business, and aid in the economic evolution of the personal care ingredients industry. The exhibiting sectors primarily include Cosmetic Ingredients, Raw Material and Contract Manufacturing, Packaging and

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Machinery, Ayurveda, Essential Oils, Fragrance Ingredients, Lab Equipments, and Testing and Regulatory Solutions.

“PCIL – Personal Care Ingredients & Lab represents a new business opportunity for our stakeholders interested in expanding their presence in

India,” – said Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere. – “Beauty manufacturers and suppliers will discover what’s new in laboratory technologies, the most innovative chemicals, and the results of the latest research on new ingredients. PCIL will offer a unique, global perspective of the

Complementing the much awaited Cosmoprof India in October 2021, Personal Care Ingredients & Lab India (PCIL) show in its first edition aims to cater to the industry needs of the buyers and sellers with novelty and trends in the personal care ingredients, machinery and packaging accompanied by knowledge sessions by industry experts.

October will also allow enough time for normality and confidence to return to the marketplace especially with the recent news on the arrival of vaccines in India, ease travel restrictions, and provide better and safe conditions for exhibitors and visitors to participate. We look forward to the industry participation with a much-anticipated bounce back this year.”

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

Mumbai Editions Of Gartex Texprocess India And Screen Print India Pushed Ahead Due To Venue Inaccessibility In March their digital presence. We are glad to have the support from the industry and our exhibitors who’s interests are at the center of this decision; and our efforts are now focused on finalising the dates and meeting the safety imperatives.”

ith the rapid roll-out of vaccines in India’s fight against Covid19, business sentiment in 2021 is upbeat together with enhanced resumption of economic activities. However, in preparation for the upcoming vaccination drives, mega facilities such as NESCO (Bombay Exhibition Centre, in Goregaon) is expected to be restructured as a staterun vaccination centre. This makes the venue inaccessible for large-scale trade shows in the month of March. In view of the recent developments, the organisers – Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd and MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, have had to act swiftly to reschedule the launch of its upcoming fair Gartex Texprocess India which was scheduled to open its doors in Mumbai, this March.

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Messe Frankfurt India additionally shared that the Mumbai edition of Screen Print India will also be rescheduled. As companies gear up for business revival, the organisers shared that a final decision will be taken in consultation with venue operators to host the show in the first half of the year, as soon as the venue is made safely accessible.

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Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director & Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd: “With positivity returning in the trade community amidst the positive news of the vaccine roll out, our goal ahead is clear – to create a safe and conducive environment for business exchange. We’re working in close cooperation with venue authorities and service providers on next steps to implement a comprehensive safety concept, under the ‘MFISafeConnect’ standards.”

Mr Gaurav Juneja, Director, MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd added: “With the start of local vaccination drives and gradual scaling back of lockdown, we see confidence returning in the market. Gartex Texprocess India will be a catalyst in the recovery of trade momentum for this sector and its new hybrid format will go a step ahead to ensure onsite exhibitors can increase their product and brand exposure and match with potential clients through

Exhibitions: A shot in the arm for business revival While 2020 has undoubtedly been a challenging year bringing economic activity to a near standstill, there is a clear indication of optimism among India companies with news of vaccination drives starting locally. Restarting the business year under the new normal, the 2021 edition of the fairs will undoubtedly be marked in trade calendars as three days of face-to-face business networking – for meeting buyers and suppliers in-person, closing deals and sourcing solutions for the ‘new normal’ demand.

“As the Indian economy gears up for the ‘big business reset’, the exhibition industry is ready to provide a shot in the arm to businesses by bringing buyers and sellers back together to revive trade discussions.” added Mr Manek.

Through Gartex Texprocess India’s new hybrid format and its co-location with the premier fair for screen, textile, sublimation and digital printing technologies – Screen Print India, the platform aims to bring the entire textile value chain together and will be of key business significance for the textile and printing sectors.

Delhi editions on schedule Slated to take place in the second half of the year, the Delhi edition of the two fairs continue to be on schedule from 6 – 8 August 2021 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

Mumbai Edition Of Media Expo Moves To May 2021

RBI Close To Digital Currency Decision As Paypal Exits Indian Payments Market s the Indian government prepares to introduce the cryptocurrency bill that seeks to both ban cryptocurrencies and create a regulatory framework for the digital rupee to be issued by the RBI, the central bank has made an announcement of its own. RBI Deputy Governor B. P. Kanungo said: “An internal committee is taking a close look to decide on the model of the central bank digital currency and you will hear from the Reserve Bank very soon in the matter.”

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he positive development of the roll-out of vaccines across different parts of the world has noticeably improved business sentiment in 2021. Coupled with enhanced resumption of economic activities, rise of programmatic DOOH, touchless and digital display formats and disruptive omni-channel marketing trends prompted by the new normal, the corporate and advertising world has its eyes set on Media Expo – to discover tools and innovations that will lure customers and make their marketing channels more effective. However, in preparation for the upcoming vaccination drives, mega facilities such as NESCO (Bombay Exhibition Centre, in Goregaon) is expected to be restructured as a state-run vaccination centre. This makes the venue inaccessible in the month of March, for largescale trade shows such as Media Expo. After intensive discussions, the organisers have had to take the decision to move the Mumbai edition from March to May this year.

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Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director & Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd: “Moving the show ahead is a necessary step that will in-turn create favourable conditions for business-exchange”. In coherence with government guidelines and the ‘MFISafeConnect’ standards, Media Expo is set to open its doors to the industry from 20 – 22 May 2021, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai.

Commenting on the changing trends in 2021, Mr Manek added: “Change is the only constant – and who better than brand marketers and advertisers to recognise this as they constantly evolve and re-innovate strategies to attract customers. The changes brought about by the pandemic will cause a major shift in consumer touchpoints and it is highly crucial for the printing, signage and advertising industries to come together and understand the new-age requirements and trends of their buyers. As organisers, we aim to create a safe and conducive environment to support this transition.

We are working in close co-operation with venue authorities and service providers on next steps and look forward to welcoming the industry ‘in-person’ once again.”

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RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das also spoke about digital currency Friday. “With regard to digital currency, I think we have already released our document. Our digital payment document spells out that digital currency is work in progress in RBI.” The RBI governor likely referred to the “Booklet on Payment Systems” that the central bank published recently. In the document, the RBI recognized that cryptocurrencies have gained popularity in recent years and clarified that it “is exploring the possibility as to whether there is a need for a digital version of fiat currency and in case there is, then how to operationalise it.”

Paypal Exiting Indian Domestic Payments Market Another change in the Indian payments market is the exit of global payments giant Paypal, which has announced that it is shutting down domestic services within India. Paypal's decision came at a time when digital transactions are hitting new records every month.

A Paypal spokesperson said, “From 1 April 2021, we will focus all our attention on enabling more international sales for Indian businesses, and shift focus away from our domestic products in India,” adding: This means we will no longer offer domestic payment services within India from 1 April. The San Jose, California-based company launched its domestic operations in India in 2017 and its trouble with the RBI began in 2011 when the central bank asked the company to comply with Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999, the publication conveyed.

Paypal was gearing up to roll out its UPI platform when the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) imposed a new set of rules in November last year. The rule states that “third-party applications providing payments services via UPI can process a maximum of 30% of the transaction volumes starting Jan. 1, 2021,” the news outlet explained, speculating that “This seems to have been the nail in Paypal's plans for India.”

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

CEIR Releases Landmark Report Series On Global Virtual Event Trends Anatomy of Virtual Events and Financial Outcomes affirms that most B2B exhibition organizer activity is due to COVID-19. However, results suggest many executives are interested in remaining active into the future.

he Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) released the first report in a three-part series that will provide hotly sought-after details on virtual events. CEIR’s Global Virtual Event Trends Series examines insights among organizations that traditionally run or manage in-person business-tobusiness (B2B) exhibitions.

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“CEIR is grateful for the generous support from over a dozen organizations that have made this research and benchmarks for the global B2B exhibition industry possible,” said CEIR CEO Cathy Breden, CMP, CAE, CEM. “We thank them for enabling us to fulfill our mission of providing the industry with insights based on objective, unbiased research that will help our stakeholders understand and successfully respond to these trends in the midst of the historic pandemic.

Through the generous financial support from Swapcard, these reports are available for download from CEIR’s website to the industry at no cost.”

Report One – Anatomy of Virtual

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Events and Financial Outcomes details extensive baseline data on elements that are typically included in a virtual event, as well as performance outcomes regarding participation and financially.

“COVID-19 has blindsided the B2B exhibition industry worldwide,” noted CEIR Vice President of Research Nancy Drapeau, PRC. “While in-person events remain paused in many geographic regions, B2B exhibition organizers have jumped into the virtual event space. Many are doing so for the first time.

CEIR’s Research Council saw the need to provide insights to these executives to help them understand how to plan for such events and see how their events compare to fast-evolving industry norms. And so, this study was launched.

This report provides the baseline data of what organizers are doing today.”

Organizers say education drives attendance, and this report provides details on what education content is most popularly offered.

Brand marketers primarily aim to achieve two common business objectives. This report details virtual event offerings that are offered to respond to their interests.

Swapcard CEO Baptiste Boulard added, “Swapcard is honored to have sponsored this global study that helps B2B exhibition organizers understand the benefits virtual events offer today and into the future.” Report One –

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February 2021

Financially, on average, virtual events are small (49% generate gross revenues of less than $250,000 USD) and are a fraction of the gross revenues of inperson physical events, where there is an affiliation. However, a surprise result is that net profit is achieved by many virtual event organizers who have reported their gross revenues and outof-pocket costs.

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Use of AI to drive engagement

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Metrics to evaluate outcomes for participants

:Extent of virtual event activity today Ÿ

2. Whether charged to attend and how fees compare to affiliated in-person event fees

2. Gross revenues, out-of-pocket costs and net profit margins

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Motivation for attending and participating as a brand marketer/exhibitor Average virtual booth price compared to standard physical event booth price

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Staffing resources

Methodology The survey fielded in October 2020. It was multilingual, giving respondents the choice of completing the survey in English, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic.

The sample was generated via the generous participation of multiple organizations globally, which invited qualified members and contacts to participate in this initiative. CEIR is grateful for their generous support that made this research and reports for the global B2B exhibitions industry possible. These organizations include: Ÿ

American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)

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Association of African Exhibition Organizers (AAXO)

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Canadian Association of Exposition Management (CAEM)

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1st Arabia for Tradeshows and Conferences

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Federación de Entidades Organizadoras de Congresos y Afines de América Latina (COCAL)

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Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association (HCEA)

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International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)

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Philippine Association of Convention/Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers Inc. (PACEOS)

3. Event length by number of days 4. General and education session length by number of hours

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Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO)

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Trade Fair Times, India

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Informa Mexico

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União Brasileira dos Promotores Feiras (UBRAFE)

Outcomes: 1.Volume of attendance, exhibitors

Taxonomy for events taking place on the Internet

Ÿ Core components of a virtual event 1. Most popular content – education, networking and special activities, exhibitor/brand marketer promotions

Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS)

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Report One – Anatomy of Virtual Events and Financial Outcomes consists of 42 pages that provide results on the following topics

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A total of 463 executives responded to the invitation to participate in the study, of which 346 were qualified to participate and completed the survey.

The response rate is seven percent.

Total percentage results provide statistically reliable results of plus or minus five percent or better, at the 95% interval.

The complete three-part series will be published over the course of the next several months and will include: Ÿ

Report One – Anatomy of Virtual Events and Financial Outcomes

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Report Two – Lessons Learned Todate and Technologies Used

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Report Three – Case Study Examples

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

After Turbulent Year, Mach Auto Expo A Refreshing Change For Ludhiana's Industry The four-day expo that began at GLADA Ground, Chandigarh Road, is being organised by the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings fter an extremely turbulent year, the micro, small and medium industry swung into action with the commencement of the 10th edition of Mach Auto Expo 2021, an exhibition of machine tools and automation technology. The exhibition had 300 participants & saw an immense visitor rush.

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The four-day expo that began at GLADA Ground, Chandigarh Road, is being organised by the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), in association with the Association of Ludhiana Machine Tool Industries (ALMTI) and supported by Auto Parts Manufacturers Association (APMA). Around 850 live machines and over 10,000 products and machines are on display at the expo that was inaugurated by Ricardo A Berna, deputy chief of mission, the embassy of Panama, in the presence of Juliana Somba Banda, first secretary, high commissioner of Malawi, Oscar Sikanda, commercial counsellor, the

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embassy of Namibia, Souleymane Bouremia. While interacting with the media, Ricardo A Berna stressed that the countries, which will strengthen their supply chain and manage to operate safe air travel, will excel in the postpandemic era of commerce and trade.

When asked about the reason behind the industrial focus on the southern pacific and African nations, Pankaj Sharma, general secretary, CICU, said that they were becoming the emerging markets due to their simple trade regulations.

Punjab medium industries chairman Amarjit Singh Tikka, youth development board chairman Sukhwinder Singh Bindra, industrialist

Kamaljit Singh Karwal, CICU president Upkar Singh Ahuja, and Youth Akali Dal district president Gurdeep Singh Gosha, among others, graced the occasion. Tikka said that such exhibitions were beneficial for the industry and assured that the government will build exhibition centers to promote such events. He added that owing to business-friendly government policies, the state had turned into an investment destination of the county.

Upkar Singh Ahuja said that the ‘Mach Auto Expo’ has set new standards, and that it will soon be a destination for industrialists, who are looking for lowcost automation with high-end quality and various solutions related to automation machinery.

He said that the expo has set the ball rolling. “We are showing that trade is possible by adhering to the Covid guidelines of social distancing,” said Ahuja.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

NBT-India As The Knowledge Partner For ASSOCHAM's National Educational Summit 2021 in turn will curate a knowledge based citizenry, a global citizen. The Guest of Honour at this session was Dr Arun Kumar Sahoo, Odisha Cabinet Minister, Higher Education.

he 14th National Education Summit 2021 was organized by ASSOCHAM from 18 to 20 February 2021 (virtually as well as physically) with National Book Trust, India as the Knowledge Partner. The 3day Summit discussed the impact of the National Education Policy 2020 on transforming the educational landscape of the nation and carving a road map for its implementation. Inaugurating the Summit virtually on 18th February 2021, Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Hon'ble Minister of Education began with a few lines from his poem with the hope and objective that the new National Education Policy will prove to be the dawn of a new India as a knowledge superpower.

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In his inaugural address, Dr Nishank said that the new education policy which has been brought after much deliberation, is being praised not only by the country but all over the world and praised ASSOCHAM's contribution in the process of its formation. He said that the policy has been implemented considering our specialty of 'unity in diversity' as the basis and it will prove to be a milestone in the path of reestablishing the country as Golden

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India. In the next session of the program, Prof. Govind Prasad Sharma Chairman, National Book Trust, India shared his views on the "Researching Quality Assurance in Higher Education - Accreditation and Ranking of Universities" in the National Education Policy 2020. He said that quality education assurance has an important role to play in the development of any country. He praised the option of multiple entry and exit points afforded to the student by NEP-2020.

Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director National Book Trust, India in the afternoon session of the Summit on "Road Map for Universalization of Education with 100% GER in School Education by 2020" spoke about the five deliverables of the NEP 2020 that will help turn it from a vision document to ground reality Affordability, accountability, equity, accessibility and quality of education for one and all will help build a strong foundation which

In the physical session on 20th February 2021 on "Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities - An Approach to Attain the Highest Global Standards in Quality Education", the Guest of Honour Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sport and President ICCR shared his thoughts with the audience. Speaking at the session, Shri Yuvraj Malik Director, NBT said “Our Education Sector is an institution for Nation Building that influences the collective consciousness of the nation”.

Talking about the NEP 2020, he said that it is a Vision Document for our future generation, a draft for their future and each one of us has to come together as a stakeholder, be it teachers, schools, educationists, principals, owners, private institute honors, everyone has to contribute only then can we build a nation which we can call Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, and the developed India as a Viksit Bharat, a Shikshit Bharat.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

First Meeting Of Newly Formed IEIA’s Exhibition Organisers Sub-Committee Concluded ogesh Mudras, MD, Informa Markets India, has been appointed as Chairperson and Sandeep Gurwara, MD, Services International, as Vice Chairperson of the recently formed Exhibition Organisers Sub-Committee (EOSC) of IEIA (Indian Exhibition Industry Association).

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The Exhibition Organisers SubCommittee (EOSC) will discuss and address concerns/ challenges facing Exhibition Organisers segment. EOSC members represent different geographical regions and categories of Exhibition Organisers including Domestic Tier 1, Tier 2 city organisers,

MNCs, Government Body and Sectoral Associations bringing together a rich experience and understanding of the wide spectrum of aspects related to Exhibition organising sphere. The first EOSC meeting was successfully held recently with positive discussions and suggestions from all members.

EOSC shall be working towards key action points identified during the meeting including but not limited to restart of Exhibition Industry across all regions. Members also shared their suggestions on framing the future roadmap for progress of the sector.

Some of the leading names from the industry have been inducted as

members of EOSC, including Dayaker Reddy, IPAMA President; Devender Pal, HOD, Business Development, ITPO; Raj Manek, MD, Messe Frankfurt India; Sonia Prashar, CMD, NuernbergMesse India; Seema Srivastava, ED, India ITME Society; T. G. Srikanth, Business Head, HITEX; Thomas Schlitt – Managing Director – Messe Duesseldorf India; Jagdish Patankar,Exe.Chairman, MM Activ SciTech Comm.,Raj Kumar Agarwal, MD, Indore Infoline; Prakash Shah, Chairman, GS Marketing Associates; Niranjan Deshpande, MD, Kisan Forum.

Sport India 2021 Show Scheduled For 27-29 August 2021 At Pragati Maidan inistry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, State Governments, Sports Federations and Associations are currently involved in the the development of sports in India. There is a huge demand of sporting goods, equipment and services in India. As such Indian Exhibition Services will be organizing Sport India 2021, 10th India International Sporting Goods Show International Exhibition. The show will be held on 27-29 August 2021 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

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The show will feature Sports Goods, Sportswear & Accessories, Fitness, Gym & Rehabilitation Equipments ,Sports Flooring and Technology, Golf, Adventure & Amusement, Motor Sports, Toys, Sports Wellness & Beauty

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,Raw Materials & Sports Goods Manufacturing Machineries Sport Medicine & Allied Industries is being Sport India 2021 is co located with ten more highly focused concurrent pavilions like Fitness , Rehab, Sports Technologies, Sports Infra, Adventure, Toys, Trophy, Golf, Amusement, Raw Materials & Machineries which will cover the entire gamut of Sports and allied industries. The event will present a wide range of products and services pertaining to indoor and outdoor sports.

Sports is highly developing sector in India and there is a good business opportunities for national and international sporting goods manufacturers and service providers.

India 2021 – International Expo on Fitness & Gym Equipments, Nutrition & Supplements, Physiotherapy Equipments ,Yoga, Spa, Sauna, Wellness & Healthcare Products; Rehab India 2021 – Expo for the for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities focus on Sports Injury Products and Rehabilitation Equipments; Sport India Conference 2021 with the Theme: “India – The Emerging Sporting Super Power”; Sports India Principles and Coaches Meet – Inviting School and college principles and Coaches from all over India to discus about the development of Sports at school level; Sport India Awards 2021 – Presented to emerging Sports Players in all over India.

Other concurrent events are: Fitness

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

Buhariwala Logistics Service Wins ‘Gold’ In EEMA’s Spotlight Awards Competition achievements are due to their commitment, resilience and drive for results. Even when the industry was totally grounded, we have not retrenched even a single staff who are on our payroll and have taken care of them to the best of our ability and resources.”

he Event & Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) has honoured Mumbai based Buhariwala Logistics with GOLD in their Spotlight Awards competition in the category of “Outstanding Support in Hospitality and Logistics Management for Events” in West Zone. The category of award is for the partner who is excellent in managing hospitality and logistics support services for any event seamlessly and are the most dependable ones.

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The Award was presented to the company for their comprehensive handling of the U2 Event in India. The U2 Event concert marked the last ever live performance of the Joshua Tree Tour across the globe. The event was attended by 40,000 fans marking it the largest ever crowd attendance for a noncricketing event held at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.

“We thank the Indian promoter for their confidence in our organisation to handle this prestigious event and to our overseas partners for always supporting

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us in the live events market segment in India,” said Armayesh Buhariwala, Partner at Buhariwala Logistics, adding, “Shipments for this event comprised of 21x40ft containers plus 3 back-to-back

747-400F freighters. We were responsible from arranging the customs clearance, transportation and providing onsite support for erecting the stage.

As our organisation specialises and understand the importance of time bound handling, we have been the preferred logistic service provider for most of the prestigious events held in India.” Speaking on the impact of Covid-19 and way forward, Armayesh Buhariwala says: “We believe that our staff are our biggest strength and our

As for future course of action, he says: “I hope with SOPs in place for exhibitions & the events industry will start gradually recuperation however major events would take place only by end 2021. As a key player of the industry, we are fully prepared and geared up for the exhibitions & events to start in full swing.”

Buhariwala Logistics is a family owned bis with an asset-based firm, providing dedicated, innovative and customised logistic solutions in the Clearing, Forwarding, Packing, Warehousing, FTWZ, Exhibition & Events market segments in India.

“Envisioned by my late grandfather Mr Bejonji C Buhariwala in 1925, expanded by his sons and now lead by us cousins we are 3rd generation entrepreneurs and I have been in this industry for the last 20 plus years” says Armayesh Buhariwala.

EEMA’s Spotlight Awards recognizes outstanding achievements, top quality services, or fascinating creativity in producing cutting-edge event experiences. It is a one-of-a-kind showcase of best practices, original ideas, and top innovations across India.

Each entry at Spotlight Awards was assessed by a jury that has chosen for the purpose.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

AAKAR Exhibitions Announces Fresh Show Dates Elevator Escalator Expo ndia's first elevator was installed at Kolkata's Raj Bhavan in 1892. This significant elevator is still running in its original birdcage form. We have come a long way from getting our first elevator to being the 2nd largest market in the world where the greatest number of elevator and escalator are installed in a year around 75000 per annum.

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Aakar Exhibition Pvt Ltd started Elevator Escalator Expo in year 2017 in Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar, Gujarat,

where most of the elevator manufacturers are in proximity.

Every professional attached with Elevator industry has to come down to Gujarat atleast once in two years, then why not have a networking platform where all these professionals can meet each other, formulate, work on equations and set the path for next 2 years to meet again. The target of the exhibition is the Domestic elevator and escalator installers from across India who procure their requirements from

Gujarat based manufacturers. It is termed as a regional exhibition but on ground it is an exhibition looked forward by elevator industry professionals from across India.

The 3rd edition of the exhibition is being held on 5-6-7 August 2021 at Helipad Grounds, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. We have planned 170 exhibitors and visitors as per the government norms will be allowed keeping in view the situation of COVID-19 at the time of exhibition.

Photo Video Asia ankind has learnt a lot from

impressions, stone M theimprints of animals or

microbes, which is nature's way of taking photographs. We got addicted to photography for its sheer power to make us immortal, with video it became more vivid. Photography as an activity involved many equipment to capture the thoughts, on the medium. with an intention to update Indian photographers with latest

technology in Image capturing, Image printing, Video editing etc. Aakar exhibition started Photo Video Asia in year 2017 in Delhi, which is considered largest wholesale market for Photo Video Industry in India. The USP of the exhibition is, it is admired by more than 4 lac professional photographers present in north and north east India.

The exhibition has gained the trust of

the international participants as well, 2019 edition saw 55 Chinese manufacturers participating in the exhibition. The 2021 edition of Photo Video Asia is scheduled on 18-19-20 August 2021 at Pragati Maidan, Hall 12-12a. It is supported by as many as 20 associations having 4 lac+ photographers. We will abide by government guidelines during the exhibition strictly, as the crowd during the exhibition is very high.

Tent Decor Asia rom the times immemorial, events have brought changes in the world. The thoughtful events have made positive and mindless ones have led to catastrophes like war, deaths and recent pandemics.

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In India, the event infrastructure industry is going through a sea change, a predominantly unorganised market is doing business of 2 billion USD a year.

The service providers and products are changed every year, in order to keep the freshness and novelty alive.

Aakar Exhibition Pvt Ltd identified this segment and started organising B2B

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exhibition under the name of Tent Decor Asia & Catering Asia in 2016, which was also organised in West Bengal & Mumbai. We brought the entire industry under one roof and helped strengthen the association working for the welfare of the members.

Exhibition grew in stature and status, from 3000 square meter stall space in 2016, Tent Decor Asia & Catering Asia went to 14000 square meter in 2021, with a launch of one more exhibition in the food industry segment named as Food Trade Asia 2021. It is due to Covid that the exhibition got restricted

otherwise it would have been 25000 in 2021. The 7th edition of the exhibition is being organised on 11-12-13 August 2021 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The exhibition will be held concurrently with Catering Asia, Hotelware Asia & Food Trade Asia 2021. We have planned 800 exhibitors expecting visitors as per the government guidance during the exhibition and guidelines will be followed.

AAKAR is expecting huge turnout during this exhibition also.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

Messe Frankfurt India Announces New Dates For Paperworld India, Corporate Gifts Show And Interior Lifestyle India Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd shared: “Trade in the consumer goods segments is highly reliant on the “touch-and-feel” aspect.

With our continued goal to bring together quality product displays at the show, personal experience with faceto-face interactions becomes a must for sector players. The decision will allow the industry to put their best foot forward and create a quality event so that both visitors and exhibitors are able to optimally serve their business objectives.

he beginning of 2021 has witnessed new developments in India’s fight against COVID-19.

As the country will soon enter its third phase of vaccination drives, jumbo care facilities like the Bombay Exhibition Centre (NESCO) may double up as a vaccination centre resulting in inaccessibility of halls. In line with the recent announcement and discussion with venue authorities, the organisers have decided to reschedule Paperworld India, Corporate Gifts Show and Interior Lifestyle India presented by Ambiente India to 3 – 5 March 2022 (originally slated from 11 – 13 March 2021).

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With corporates allotting new budgets after every fiscal year coupled with schools starting a new academic year and festivals beginning post March, Q1 is poised to be a crucial buying season for the consumer goods market.

Covering key sectors like stationery,

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office and school supplies, corporate gifting, merchandises, home

Mr Rakesh Desai, Project Director, Gifts & Accessories, the Exhibition Division of Netlink Solutions (India) Ltd added: “It is important that we host these shows in the first half of the year as companies launch new collections which set annual trends. The colocated fairs will also attract a wider range of audience which will allow exhibitors and visitors to cross-connect with related industries leading to new business prospects.”

Continuing their aim to provide a safe and conducive environment for trade, Messe Frankfurt India will organise exhibitions under the “MFISafeConnect” standards that are strictly aligned with government’s health and safety guidelines.

furnishing, living dining and giving, the new dates will provide a lucrative business platform for buyers to sign deals and keep stalks ready for the rest of the year.

The strategic combination of consumer goods shows in India, bringing together Paperworld India, Corporate Gifts Show and Interior Lifestyle India presented by Ambiente India will open a gamut of business opportunities with its promising range of product displays from trusted companies – all under one roof.

Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director &

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2021

Informa Markets In India Launches 'Jewellery Connect' India's first B2B Multicity Buyer Seller Meet for the Gems and Jewellery Industry 4 zones of India. It will also act as a precursor to our much-awaited shows HJF and DJGF that are scheduled for May and September, respectively.”

nforma Markets in India (formerly UBM India), India's leading B2B exhibitions organizer and organiser of jewellery exhibitions such as Delhi Jewellery & Gem Fair ( DJGF ) and Hyderabad Jewellery Pearl & Gem Fair ( HJF ) announces its new initiative 'Jewellery Connect', India's first multicity meet for the Buyer and Seller Community in the Gems and Jewellery industry.

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The multicity Jewellery Connect will span over a period of 4 weekends starting on 6th March 2021 to 11th April 2021. It will encompass four key markets such as Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Indore and Madurai wherein 20 topmost exhibitors from pan India will display their range of products and innovation and will get to engage with over 150 VIP buyers in each city. The meets will be held in prominent star hotels in order to provide the best infrastructure, food & beverage choices and International safety protocols and hygiene regulations to the buyer-seller community.

Speaking on the announcement of Jewellery Connect, Mr. Yogesh Mudras,

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Managing Director, Informa Markets In India said, “The Government's recent announcement at the Union Budget 202122 on a cut in the import duty on gold and silver has been a welcome move for the industry. This will bring down prices of precious metals in the domestic market and boost exports of gems and jewellery. With the Industry and businesses slowly bouncing back, our aim is to help the buyer and seller communities of the Gems and Jewellery industry amplify their reach pan-India, in a professional face-to-face manner.

The connect will help buyers acquaint themselves with the latest trends in the gem & jewellery sector, from different cities in India such as Jaipur, Bangalore, Surat, Chennai, Thrissur, to name a few . This tour will strengthen the business purpose of niche, upcoming and established buyers from emerging markets across the

The entry to the well curated two-day Connect in all 4 cities will be 'by Invite only' offering an option of seamless prefixed meetings for optimal experience.

Prior to the event, the Buyers as well as Sellers will be given access to a meeting scheduling dashboard to set up an appointment with each other at their convenience and availability. The Jewellery Connect will be a doorway to the Indian jewellery market, with a special focus on a range of designer jewellery such as Italian Jewellery, Antique Jewellery, CZ Jewellery, Lightweight jewellery, Temple Jewellery, Dimond Jewellery, Polki Jewellery, Bridal Sets, Studded Jewellery, Rose gold Jewellery, 925 Silver Jewellery, Sterling Silver Jewellery, Platinum Jewellery, Plain Gold Jewellery amongst others.

The Jewellery Connect is well supported by industry associations such as Gem & Jewellery Trade Council of India, Gems & Jewellery Association Rajkot, Vyapari Prakoshth Indore, Chandigarh Sarafa Association, Chandigarh Jewellers Association, Jewellers Association Mohali and Manimajra Jewellers Association.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

February 2021

“Online has to nd its way just like Cola with burgers, people buy Cola not because of a smart combo package alone, but because customers like the

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taste of it.

Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen India

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

February 2021

ES. Please tell us how did you come up with an event that brought together many of your shows on one platform - The Festival of Business? What was the idea behind it?

Bhupinder. Mindful of the changing dynamics of the exhibition industry and the need of our exhibitors and visitors to connect with one another, we decided to organise our digital show-The Festival of Business. The prime motive of the show was to bring together all interconnected industries on one platform to form beneficial partnerships and rewarding synergies. The digital medium not only helped us connect our exhibitors and visitors from the safety of their homes but further manifested our vision into reality as multiple shows took place simultaneously all at one virtual platform.

ES. Please share with us some of the insights and key take away from the show. What were the feedback received from the exhibitors and visitors?

Bhupinder. As India’s largest gathering of industry professionals, the online platform made a strong impression on the market by hosting 6 different industry clusters and wide range of industry segments such as electronics, laser, pharma, research, packaging, renewable energy, environment solutions, beverage related services under one platform.

We were glad to receive a good number of participations with more than 334 exhibitors who took stage to display over 2,100+ solutions and created 27,726 business connections over three days of the online trade fair. To top it all, there were a total of 8,715 visitors from 96 countries who explored a variety of products and solutions on display and attended 26 conferences and 108 technical presentations.

The visitors were content to surf through a vast array of interrelated events that helped them to meet their needs. They found the digital event seamless, organised, and complimented the ease of navigation. Correspondingly, the exhibitors were satisfied to receive a decent response from buyers and enjoyed the user-friendly interface. The online event served its purpose

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by bringing together potential buyers and sellers on one platform which led to fruitful business opportunities and networking.

ES. You took some time to go virtual as you were earlier sceptical about the influence and engagement from a virtual show, can you share with us how your thought process has evolved after the success of your 1st virtual show? How engaged were the participants actually and did the show influence some business activity for the participants?

Bhupinder. Looking at the disenchantment of the industry with the concept of virtual shows, we conducted a comprehensive research of this space wherein we participated and evaluated over two dozen platforms. This led us to the conclusion that we need to develop our own platform which is visitor centric with data safety and is open to customer customisation. The platform provided instant access to the buyers to interact with sellers. There were 5843 business enquiries and 645 buyer seller meetings with over 1.5 million page views. This is our first tiny footprint in the online world of business which was only possible with the participants' guidance and support. We hope that the success of our first online event will propel collaborations among industry professionals in the future.

ES. Why did MMI develop its inhouse platform to conduct the virtual show and not opt for existing 3rd party platforms in the market? Can you share the reasons for the same as essentially MMI is not into technology so how difficult was it from that perspective?

Bhupinder. Some key issues that we encountered were inadequate data privacy and protection, no safe custody to hold valuable assets, artifacts, and conversations, substance-style mismatch, and so on. That is when we unanimously opted to build our own inhouse platform as we wished to offer a key value platform for our local clients with a borderless global expedition.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

February 2021

Secondly, after the decision of internally building the platform was taken, we started scouting the right tech partner to support the developmental activity. We also recur tied and built an internal digital competency team with a senior tech consultant from the internet business and a senior product head from the tech industry. MMI collaborated with 3 start-up tech companies to support them in the areas of design, code development and DevOps to make sure that the whole product development was deployed efficiently.

ES. Going forward, what kind of synergies do you feel will exist between virtual and physical?

Bhupinder. Virtual events might not be the best substitute for face-to-face networking, but it is necessary to keep them in place while also conducting the regular on-site events. I feel virtual events would work best as value additions to the main on-site events. Online has to find its way just like the Cola with burgers, people bought Cola not because of a smart combo package alone, but because customers liked the taste of it.

Covid has brought in some disruptions which we will have to live with in future. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that hybrid

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events are here to stay with us as it offers a certain value to participants and exhibitors in this new “normal”.

ES. What are your plans for 2021 and what action can we see from the MMI team?

Bhupinder. We are hopeful that major shows should start taking place starting 3rd quarter of this calendar year. The aim is to ensure that our exhibitions are safe to attend, adequate health precautions are in place and the standard operating process prescribed by the government for holding business to business trade exhibitions is stringently followed.

ES. 2020 was an unprecedented year for our industry. Can you share some major learnings that transpired during this difficult period?

Bhupinder. Perhaps the most troublesome time is behind us as the COVID-19 vaccination drive is gaining momentum in the country. This makes us hopeful of a sound and speedy recovery. I am also optimistic that in no time the exhibition industry will also be back on its feet while keeping one eye on sustenance and another on progress. However, the challenges posed by the pandemic made us more resilient as we found innovative solutions to unforeseen adversities.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

February 2021

An Exclusive Interaction With MMI's Tech Specialist

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Our motive was to keep the user’s engaged, make the platform user-friendly and provide ease of access.

Ganesh kumar Murugan, Head - Digital Business, Messe Muenchen India

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the platform user-friendly and provide ease of access. We were aware that our users were already familiar with the online format as many exhibitions were shifted to the online mode. However, we had to discern the challenges and backdrops they faced on these platforms to make the experience even more convenient and engageable. Hence, we rolled out a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) which helped us study the visitor’s behaviour and evaluate the challenges and drawbacks of the in-house virtual format.

ES. What were the challenges which you encountered while developing the tech platform from scratch?

Ganesh. The core challenge that we encountered while developing this in-house online platform was to evaluate a user’s expectations from the online platform. There were already multiple online platforms available in the market, but our goal was to develop an exclusive online medium which met the user’s demands as well as comfort. Another task was to bring this platform to reality in a short span of time, especially on a much larger magnitude.

Since it was our first online show, it was difficult to anticipate the level of participations, user’s behaviour, and engagement which is not a problem in offline events. We also had to make certain that users were trained properly prior to the event as many of them onboarded with us only a week prior to the event. The capacity to stream 108 technical sessions and conferences that were live streamlined, the internal team was also new to handle all these technicalities during the event was a task that required immense precision. Bringing the speakers together, planning and scheduling the conferences were a major technical challenge as well.

ES. As a developer, what were the key criterion for you while deciding on the features of the platform?

Ganesh. The motive was to keep the user’s engaged, make 31 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

ES. According to you what makes a virtual event successful?

Ganesh. There is no set metric that decides the success or failure of a virtual event, as every platform has a different objective for functioning. We worked on the axiom of “connect, interact and transact” with a multi-dimensional standpoint. While the visitor’s requirement is to find the right products and attend expert sessions, the criteria for the exhibitors are to interact with the right buyers and understand the online behaviour of buyers.

ES. Can you share some key analytics obtained from your debut show from a developer's point of view?

Ganesh. There are several analytics that we obtained from this show which will not only help us to analyse our platform’s performance but will also help us decide the path for our digital footprint through hybrid shows. There were 1.5 million page views with more than 39000+ users who accessed the show during show days, 8715 visitors who attended the online expo as well as supporting programs, 334 exhibitors who showcased their products and solutions on the online expo and 2100+ solutions on display. These numbers point towards a good success rate of the online event and make us hopeful about the future of digital shows in the exhibition industry. At the same time, we also had huge learnings towards possible improvement and we will be working on them.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Insight

February 2021

Why Employee Engagement Is So Important For The Event Industry In 2021

mployee engagement should be an area that all businesses have a clearly defined approach to, not just in times of turmoil.

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For events businesses, employee engagement should be featuring high on their current list of priorities.

Events professionals are operating in an industry that is, and will for the shortterm, continue to face a degree of uncertainty, given that many countries around the world are yet to set a roadmap that maps out the safe return of events.

This continued uncertainty not only adds untold pressure to events businesses, but it also impacts the lives of events professionals.

Employee engagement is important because it affects every aspect of a

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business. Engaged employees take pride in their work and see company success as their personal success. Disengaged employees often feel disconnected or apathetic about company success and make minimal contributions.

So how and why should we engage with our employees?

Quality of Work Engaged employees simply put more into their work. This in turns improves productivity and end-results as engaged employees will be aligned with the goals of a business.

Employees who are delivering a high quality of work fosters best practice which in-turn creates inspiration for others to achieve a higher quality of work.

Personal Recognition and Appreciation

Appreciation and recognition can have huge impact to a business and its employees if done properly. Equally, if done unfairly or inconsistently it can very quickly become counterproductive.

Forums such as company town halls can be an ideal platform to recognise employees and to highlight appreciation. Another initiative that is very easily implemented, and that supports healthy competition, as well as personal recognition and appreciation, is an employee of the month programme.

If voted for by the employees, the programme requires minimal management as it will likely be fully embraced by employees.

Get to Know Your Team Understanding employees will provide an insight into what motivates and drives them, as well as what matters to them.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Insight

February 2021 Identifying Opportunities Engaged employees will be highly motivated, they will strive to better not only their selves but also their team and the business. Employees will often be the ‘eyes and ears’ of a busines, and who can help identify threats and opportunities.

You will be able to provide meaningful recognition and feedback, and employees will feel the authenticity.

Increase Collaboration and Enable Productivity Teamwork is essential in any events business. Fostering collaboration among team members helps employees see how their individual efforts impact team success and business outcomes.

Employees who work closely with the people counting on them to meet a deadline or to come up with a standout idea are more likely to go the extra mile, putting more discretionary effort into their work to make the team proud.

Team Building Bringing employees together for inperson or virtual team building helps solidify the connections and group camaraderie people need to feel engaged. These activities and events have the power to forge new connections and even sprout new friendships.

These events are investments in your team dynamic. When hosting diligently thought through team building activities, you are facilitating higher levels of engagement straight to employees and turning friendly teams into engaged teams.

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During these events, everyone learns how their co-workers communicate, and eventually, they will grow more comfortable with, and enthusiastic about, working together.

Making New Recruits Feel Part of The Team Effective onboarding provides a prime window for setting up new employees for long-term engagement. Focusing on this engagement driver will help you retain the top talent you have just spent time and money recruiting. If you do this well at the start, it will help avoid problems in the future as satisfied employees will stay longer and you will not have to invest time and effort in contending with problems and replacement hiring.

Virtual Employee Engagement With many employees now working remotely there is the need to be engaged with employees more frequently. The technology to facilitate personable interaction with employees, individually, and as a collective, is something that we not only already possess, but that we are using on a daily basis.

Distance should not be a barrier for employee engagement.

Measuring Employee Engagement There are two distinct ways in which employee engagement can be measured to assess if it is having a positive impact on the business. Actively seeking feedback from employees will not only show the impact of employee engagement but it can also highlight both opportunities and threats. Online surveys are a robust means for obtaining such feedback, as well as in-person forums such as company town halls.

Measuring the tangible impact of employee engagement on the business by using metrics such as financial results, employee retention, sick leave, tenure of service, among others, can highlight the impact of employee engagement by comparing results before and after an employee engagement programme was deployed.

Event Businesses Are All About Teams Successful events businesses have high performing teams, and in every successful team are engaged and highly motivated individuals. By successfully engaging with employees, it increases morale, productivity, and results.

Written By

Ashley Roberts General Manager at Omanexpo

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

February 2021

Further Details For Scotland’s Event Industry Support Fund Announced isit Scotland has announced further details of the Event Industry Support Fund 2, its second round of funding support for the events industry.

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£8m of funding will be administered by VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish government, and comes out of the £104.3m fund announced last week.

The process for delivering the funds has been put together with feedback from the Event Industry Advisory Group, and those who were unsuccessful in the first round of funding in 2020.

The funding will be delivered in two parts – top-up payments to those who received funding in the first round, and then new applicants. Top-up payments do not require an application process, and those eligible for it will be contacted automatically. The Events Industry Support Fund 2 is for new

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applicants who were ineligible to apply to the Events Industry Support Fund.

The new fund will broaden out the eligibility criteria of the original Events Industry Support Fund to capture many of those event businesses it did not reach the first-time round.

Details on the new application process, including criteria and guidance, will be announced the week commencing 8

February 2021, with applications set to open the week commencing 15 February 2021. Joss Croft, the CEO of travel trade association UKinbound hailed the fund as a lifeline. “We applaud the Scottish Government for recognising how important these businesses are to Scotland's economic recovery and taking positive steps to ensure they remain viable for the future,” he said.

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February 2021

Koelnmesse Creates Planning Security: Interzum 2021 Purely Digital, Next Edition Of THE TIRE COLOGNE Coming In 2022 ollowing intensive consultations, and in coordination with the sectors of industry involved, Koelnmesse has decided not to organise the Extra Edition of THE TIRE COLOGNE 2021, together with its digital supplement TTC@home (which was originally planned for 18 to 20 May 2021). interzum will relocate to the Internet, where, as interzum@home, it will take

Operating Officer Oliver Frese pointed out. “That is why we have decided against postponing this event to another time. Instead, we are already working full throttle to plan sales activities for the upcoming regular event in 2022.”

Months ago, interzum 2021 was conceived to make it possible for the event, which was originally hybrid in scope, to be held in purely digital form as well. With this in mind, in early May

In the current situation, digital events are excellent solutions, but Koelnmesse continues to focus on relaunching trade fairs as soon as possible. All of the preparations in this direction have already been made. “We will continue to be there for our customers and partners: whether this involves the upcoming physical trade fairs, extensive advice at a purely digital event, or general interaction around conducting

place from 4 to 7 May 2021, offering a digital trade fair platform for innovations in the supplier industry.

there will be a digital platform at interzum@home, presenting innovations to suppliers in the furniture industry and the interior furnishings sector and addressing current topics with top industry representatives.

trade fairs during pandemics”, as trade fair head Böse confirmed.

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“The pandemic situation is still tense”, according to Koelnmesse President and Chief Executive Officer Gerald Böse.

“Because we must continue offering our customers maximum planning security, we have taken these decisions early on in light of the current situation.” The next edition of THE TIRE COLOGNE will be held on the regularly scheduled date, in May 2022. “The original earlysummer date scheduled for evennumbered calendar years has been a fixture in the international tyre and wheel industry for decades”, Chief

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“Even though there is no substitute for a physical trade fair with real attendance and real contacts, we offer a diverse platform that certainly must be considered as state-of-the-art and will achieve maximum reach”, Frese explained. Hettich, Blum, Häfele and Vauth-Sagel are already the first market leaders to announce that they will be presenting their innovations in the virtual space, at interzum@home.

The relaunch could be rung in with the world’s largest garden-lifestyle trade fair, spoga+gafa, from 30 May to 1 June 2021: From the end of February, Koelnmesse will consult with the participating exhibitor and visitor associations about the opportunity to successfully hold a trade fair in three months’ time. In the interest of gaining a complete view of opinions internationally, spoga+gafa will conduct a survey of its visitors and exhibitors in the next few weeks, so that we can act in the interests of the industry in early March.

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February 2021

The Meetings Show 2021 Unveils New Dates And Venue he Meetings Show, the UK’s leading platform for the world’s meetings and events community, will take place on 30 September and 1 October 2021 at ExCeL London.

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Following the success of its virtual format in 2020, The Meetings Show 2021 will be delivered as a hybrid event to allow event planners who are unable to attend the event inperson to interact with the show’s exhibitors, comprehensive education programme and unrivalled networking opportunities. Both the live and virtual elements of the show will focus on keeping business meetings and events professionals informed and connected, providing vision and support to the community while it focuses on recovery after a challenging 18 months.

Relocating the show to east London venue ExCeL London puts it in the heart of an area which is undergoing

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exciting regeneration and growth. The new destination is widely accessible to UK and international event professionals, located close to London City Airport, the Jubilee Line and the DLR. It also offers plenty of parking for those preferring to make their way by road ExCeL London’s expansive show floor will allow for plenty of space for social distancing.

The Meetings Show event director Jack Marczewski, said: “With ongoing uncertainty surrounding the reopening of large-scale exhibitions and business

events by the summer, we have decided to amend our usual show dates to later this year to ensure we can provide the greatest confidence to our exhibitors and show attendees. “The Meetings Show will play a key role in supporting the recovery of the global business meetings and events industry, and we believe pushing back to the autumn enables us to ensure we can offer an exceptional event to the highquality standard that our stakeholders have quite rightly come to know and continue to expect from us. We are currently working on some exciting innovative plans to facilitate exhibitors and buyers to make quality connections while being inspired by our comprehensive education programme.”

The Meetings Show 2021 will be held at the same venue and time as Northstar sister event The Business Travel Show 2021, but will run separately.

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February 2021

Tarsus Names New Hire To Lead Accelerated Growth In China arsus, the global B2B media group, has announced that it has appointed Joe Zhou to the role of CEO, Tarsus China. He will assume his new role on 1 March 2021 and replaces John Liu, who is leaving Tarsus after 3 years.

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Joe Zhou joins Tarsus from Reed Sinopharm where he was CFO and Deputy MD; in his time there he successfully launched new events and doubled the number of shows run by the business across China. He will spearhead Tarsus Group’s growth ambitions in China, working closely with Nino Gruettke, CEO of Tarsus Asia. Commenting on the

announcement, Gruettke said: “I am delighted to have Joe join Tarsus and warmly welcome him to the Asia team.

His blend of professional experience combined with a personal approach is exactly what is needed in the most exciting region in the events industry.

I’d also like to wish John the very best in his future endeavours – he has been instrumental in our growth in China and led the business through the challenges of 2020, successfully re-opening our shows in the wake of the pandemic.”

Tarsus Group CEO, Douglas Emslie, further elaborated: “Joe brings vast commercial and operational exhibition knowledge to the table. I know our

partners in China will also appreciate his experience of working with international exhibition joint ventures.

China is one of our most important operating territories and his experience and ambition will be invaluable in helping us manage our strong growth plans and deliver our strategic goals there going forward.”

IAAPA Expo Asia 2021 Moves To Shanghai August 10-13

AAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, announced IAAPA Expo Asia 2021 will take place in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) August 10-13, 2021.

Originally planned to occur in Macao, China in June, the relocation and date change are in response to the continued impact the global COVID-19 pandemic, and growing optimism for increased recovery as the year progresses.

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“IAAPA’s role has always been to help members meet, do business, and learn from each other. It is more important

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than ever we provide such opportunities in a safe manner, at the right time, in the right location. After careful review and with significant input from our team, members, exhibitors, and the IAAPA Board of Directors, the decision has been made to relocate IAAPA Expo Asia 2021 to Shanghai, China,” shared Hal McEvoy, President and CEO, IAAPA. “Given the continued uncertainties impacting travel – international and domestic – we believe the relocation and event date change will provide more opportunity for exhibitors and attendees to participate.”

Plans are underway to ensure a smooth transition to the SNIEC. This year’s Expo will begin with a full conference day on Tuesday, Aug. 10, followed by three days of programming featuring a dynamic tradeshow floor, additional education programs, exclusive special

events and more August 11-13.

“The health and safety of our members and our team remains our top priority,” McEvoy continued. “While it is still hard to believe we are still working through global effects of the global pandemic, we are encouraged by the news that the initial vaccines are being administered in locations around the world. We know it’s going to take time and the phases of recovery will vary by region, but we are optimistic about the outlook for our industry.

During IAAPA Expo Asia we will follow safety guidelines and operational procedures recommended by global health authorities, the SNIEC, and event industry experts. We look forward to returning to Shanghai for IAAPA Expo Asia, and once again bringing the global attractions industry together.”

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February 2021

Singapore’s Tourism Sector Emerges From 2020 With Greater Resilience And Reinvention Industries adapted to the domestic audience and operating models, while doing their part in the national effort against COVID-19 espite enduring its toughest year on record, Singapore's tourism sector has taken strides to reimagine its offerings and experiences, while supporting nationwide efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourism-related companies have benefited from various government support measures to transform their products and offerings, while building new capabilities to position themselves for future growth opportunities.

and residents safe and well. STB remains confident in Singapore's position as one of the world's safest and most attractive leisure and business destination, and the long-term prospects of Singapore's tourism sector. While mass international travel is unlikely to resume in a major way in 2021, STB will continue standing together with our industry partners to prepare for recovery and to start building a better and more sustainable future for tourism.”

Mr Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said: “Singapore's tourism sector has had to fight for survival in 2020. Our tourism businesses have displayed immense resilience and adaptability throughout this difficult period, reinventing their business models and leveraging technology to find solutions in a COVID-19 world. I am also grateful for their commitment to keep Singaporeans

To ensure that Singapore remains top of mind even while travel is curtailed, STB's regional offices launched new initiatives to engage its fans and strengthen Singapore's brand image around the world. STB partnered with technology, media and tourism industry players in key source markets to jointly promote Singapore as an attractive destination for future travellers. India is an important visitor source market for

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Singapore. and The Singapore Tourism Board and its tourism partners have been leveraging technology and the digital medium for consumer outreach in the India market since the beginning of the lockdown as they have realised that it is important to continue engaging with and entertaining the audience in such extraordinary times and keep Singapore close to their hearts and minds. Interesting virtual consumer activations with brands such as Zomato, BookMyShow, NH7 Weekender, Windmill Festival, St+art India Foundation, Tripoto have been executed where Indian artistes and influencers have collaborated with Singaporean artistes where they were also to showcase their passions and talents and connect with the Indian audiences virtually.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, STB India has

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February 2021

undertaken the #UnitedWeStand trade engagement theme to ramp up trade engagement efforts.

Video messages showcasing solidarity and unity with the travel fraternity, launch of a whatsapp business channel, update sessions and webinars on Destination Singapore to upskill their partners' leisure and MICE product knowledge, etc. were some of the initiatives undertaken by STB in the market. Recently, STB concluded its first virtual travel trade engagement roadshows for 2021 in India. Based on this year's theme, “Charting Our Pathways to Tourism Recovery”, the roadshows aimed at strengthening partnerships and planning on how to grow the tourism business and prepare for travel restart once the situation normalises. During the roadshow, the STB shared updates on the COVID-19 situation in Singapore and how the country is preparing for tourism re-start and recovery in 2021 and beyond. The roadshows included close to 48 key stakeholders from Singapore representing hotels, airlines, integrated resorts, attractions, Destination Management Companies (DMC) and cruise operators and were attended by over 3000 buyers from India.

Mr GB Srithar, Regional Director (India, Middle East and South Asia), Singapore Tourism Board while talking about outlook for the India market adds: “Singapore has made progress in its gradual and calibrated return to some normalcy. We had entered the third phase of a three-phased 'A Safe Singapore' transition since 28 December 2020 and are adopting a deliberate and cautious re-opening of our borders for international travel, with necessary safeguards in place. We are prepared for recovery to be a slow and deliberate process but we are confident that we can overcome this pandemic.

STB is confident that along with our valued partner-friends and tourism

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partners, we will come together to share and exchange ideas and jointly configure the pathways to recovery for travel and tourism.”

Contributing to COVID-19 efforts amid adversity Due to unprecedented global travel restrictions and border closures, Singapore saw a decline in both visitor arrivals and tourism receipts in 2020.

Visitor arrivals (VA) fell by 85.7 per cent in 2020 to reach 2.7 million visitors (nearly all from the first two months of 2020), while tourism receipts (TR) declined by 78.4 per cent to S$4.4 billion in the first three quarters of 2020.

Even during this difficult year, tourism businesses played a key role in Singapore's battle against COVID-19.

Hotels offered their properties for various accommodation purposes, including Government Quarantine Facilities, Swab Isolation Facilities and Stay-Home Notice Dedicated Facilities (SDFs). Many tourist guides stepped up as Safe Distancing Ambassadors (SDAs), capitalizing on their people and language skills to urge compliance to safe management measures (SMMs).

Resuming Operations Safely As Singapore’s economy gradually reopened in the second half of 2020, the tourism sector faced a new challenge: working out how to resume operations safely while providing meaningful customer experiences. STB engaged industry stakeholders to develop their re-opening proposals and implement the necessary SMMs. As of 25 January 2021, 45 attractions, 270 hotels, and 1,686 tour itineraries have received approval to resume operations. From November 2020, Singapore also piloted cruises with enhanced safety protocols and no ports of call for two of Singapore’s homeported cruise lines – Genting Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International.

To rebuild consumer confidence and

demand for cruise, STB established the world’s first CruiseSafe Certification – a mandatory audit and certification programme for cruise lines before they commence sailing. Many tourism establishments have also been certified SG Clean, a national mark of excellence that indicates our businesses adhere to high standards of environmental public hygiene on their premises. As of 25 January 2021, STB has issued more than 1,390 SG Clean Quality Mark certificates to tourism-related premises.

Resuming MICE and leisure events From 1 October 2020, STB began accepting applications for organisers to pilot MICE events of up to 250 attendees. As of 31 December 2020, Singapore has held 29 MICE event pilots, with the first being the Singapore International Energy Week in end October 2020. Singapore also developed testing protocols for foreign delegates and other visitors arriving for events such as TravelRevive and the ONE Championship events, to safeguard public health.

Supporting Transformation of Singapore’s travel industry Since the start of the outbreak, STB has worked closely with industry partners to chart a new path for the tourism sector. In February 2020, the Tourism Recovery Action Task Force (TRAC), comprising tourism leaders from both the private and public sectors, was set up to develop and implement joint recovery strategies. Looking ahead Even with the development of vaccines, it will take time for mass leisure travel and travellers’ confidence to return.

Therefore, STB expects tourism arrivals and tourism receipts to remain weak in 2021. In 2021, STB will continue to support quality tourism businesses to sustain key capabilities and build new ones, and to innovate in order to meet evolving consumer needs and emerging travel trends once cross-border travel resumes in a significant way.

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Global News

February 2021

Marie-Laure Bellon To Join UFI As New Chief Operating Officer Hattendorf, UFI CEO and Managing Director comments: “I am very pleased to welcome Marie-Laure Bellon to the UFI team and look forward to working together with her. Her experience in the exhibition industry will be an asset in leading UFI activities, managing the Paris Office and administration.”

FI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has appointed Marie-Laure Bellon as its next Chief Operating Officer.

Currently the CEO and General Manager at French exhibition organiser Eurovet, she will join UFI on 1 March, and work out of the organisation’s headquarters in Paris. Marie-Laure Bellon was selected from a wide range of international candidates, following a global call for applicants. Kai

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Marie-Laure Bellon says: “I am delighted to take on this role at UFI and to add my skills and experience to the impressive work that the team has done over the years. UFI holds a pivotal position in driving industry advocacy efforts and in keeping the industry connected and updated during these tough times. I look forward to this opportunity to serve the industry and to face the challenges that await me.”

Marie-Laure Bellon joins UFI from Eurovet, the world-leading trade show organiser for lingerie and swimwear, and a subsidiary of Comexposium and the French Knitting and Lingerie Federation. At Eurovet, she has held

various senior executive positions over the years. These roles involved the strategic positioning and restructuring of the business, launching new activities in Asia and the United States, and leading the overall international development of the organisation. Her career also includes leadership positions in management as well as business development for Reed Expositions France. Marie-Laure Bellon holds an executive MBA from the Toulouse Business School.

She will take over the role of UFI COO from Sonia Thomas, who will leave the association in late March after many successful years to set up her own business. “On behalf of the whole UFI team and membership, I would like to thank Sonia for the unique part she has played in developing UFI as the global association for our industry in the various roles she had as her career evolved within UFI,” says Kai Hattendorf.

Reed Exhibitions UK Announces Peter Kumposcht As Sales And Marketing Director – Also Named Managing Director Of India eed Exhibitions UK announced that Peter Kumposcht has been appointed as Sales and Marketing Director for Reed Exhibitions UK. In addition to this role, he will oversee the Reed Exhibitions India business, supporting COO Anuj Mathur and CFO Arun Bhalla. He reports to Anna Dycheva-Smirnova, CEO of Reed Exhibitions UK, Russia, Middle East and Turkey, and joins her UK Exhibitions Leadership Team.

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Commenting on the appointment, Anna Dycheva-Smirnova said: “I’m excited

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that Peter has joined the team at such a time of transformation. His experience in digital and data as well as his knowledge of marketing and sales within the B2B world will be a fantastic asset to our team in the UK. In addition, his leadership qualities will enable us greatly during this time of significant transformation for the Reed Exhibitions’ brand.”

Kumposcht commented: “I am eager to get stuck in with the team as we reshape the business to get us back to growth in the coming years. I love to work with

great teams finding new solutions for customers and this role will enable me to utilise my previous experience at RELX to empower our teams to fulfil this next exciting step for Reed Exhibitions.”

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February 2021

Temasek’s SingEx Holdings And SPH’s Sphere Exhibits To Merge emasek and Singapore Press Holdings Limited (“SPH”) have entered into an agreement to merge their respective meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) subsidiaries, SingEx Holdings Pte. Ltd (“SingEx”) and Sphere Exhibits Pte Ltd (“Sphere Exhibits”), to form SingEx-Sphere Holdings Pte Ltd (“SingEx-Sphere”). Temasek will own 60% in SingEx-Sphere, with SPH owning 40%. SingEx-Sphere aims to be a regional MICE market leader for hybrid events driving best-in-class solutions from a combined portfolio of events management, venue and consultancy businesses.

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Notwithstanding the short term challenges posed by COVID-19, the parties see tremendous potential in the MICE space. Singapore, for instance, remains a dynamic business hub with a spanning ecosystem that connects businesses globally. The region was the largest MICE market in 2019.

Becoming Asia-Pacific’s MICE industry champion The merger brings together

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two leading MICE players with an ambition to become a MICE industry champion of growth for the Asia-Pacific region. Driven by an intrepid team of cross-disciplinary specialists, an established track record in holistic venue and events businesses hybrid or otherwise, and multiple awards and accolades in designing impactful experiences, SingEx-Sphere will be in a unique position to provide end-to-end solutions within the MICE industry, fostering the development of new value creation and communities as industries intersect in a post-COVID world order.

Mr Robin Hu, Chairman of SingEx, said, “Events and Exhibitions remain the most robust marketing channels for businesses around the world. Both SingEx and Sphere Exhibits, with over five decades of combined experience in organising and hosting trade and consumer shows across a variety of sectors, have built a strong foundation for the MICE scene in Singapore and our region. The ambition of the merged entity is to continue building on its firm

foundation by adding to it additional intellectual properties in the form of new events and exhibitions via both organic curation and inorganic investments. We believe COVID, while having a dampening impact in the short term, had given rise to new opportunities in the form of hybrid activities hitherto unimagined. Our industry is fast becoming a digitally enabled intellectual property business.

Those who are adaptable, nimble and unafraid to reinvent will succeed.”

Mr Ng Yat Chung, CEO of SPH, added, “We look forward to working with Temasek to achieve SingEx-Sphere’s vision and push the MICE industry in Asia-Pacific to greater heights for the benefit of both consumers and businesses. This merger will allow us to tap on each other’s expertise, resources and networks to seize new opportunities to enhance the portfolio and chieve growth regionally.” Mr Robin Hu will be appointed Chairman of SingExSphere. The completion of the transaction is subject to

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February 2021

customary closing conditions.

Incorporated in 2008, Sphere Exhibits – a wholly owned subsidiary of SPH – is a leading MICE operator today with over 35 consumer and trade events and exhibitions in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

It has expanded its footprints in the region through geo-cloning, acquisitions and strategic partnerships over the years. Attracting more than 1,000 exhibitors and 1.5 million visitors annually, these events range from dining and lifestyle experiences like Asian Masters and Beerfest Asia, building and construction trade show BuildTech Asia, to Health Fiesta – the largest annual

health and wellness fair in Singapore.

Supported by SPH’s multimedia platforms and a loyal following among consumers over the years, Sphere Exhibits is established as a market leader in consumer tech exhibitions with COMEX and IT Show, while its Singapore Food Shows are the largest and longest-running Food & Beverage consumer events locally. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in Sphere Exhibits shifting events to the virtual space in the past year, as it continues to deliver unique experiences to audiences and create business opportunities for its partners.

SingEx, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek, has a 40-year track record in curating innovative event and venue experiences, expanding global business networks and enabling cross-industry collaboration through a comprehensive range of customer insights-driven solutions. Enriching this engagement is SingEx’s management of Singapore’s largest purpose-built MICE venue, Singapore EXPO and MAX Atria since 1999 and 2012, respectively; and the

ownership and management of a series of trade exhibitions and conferences in Singapore, China, India and Indonesia across global themes such as Industrial Transformation; Innovation and Technology; and Sustainability.

Singapore EXPO welcomes over 6 million visitors and more than 600 events annually, pre-COVID. Over the past year it has also built and enhanced core offerings with broadcast and digital studio capabilities, customdesigned digital platforms, data management, content production and community engagement. Having managed the operations of the Community Care Facility at Singapore EXPO from April to December 2020, SingEx has also put in place a robust set of safe management measures including stringent sanitation and hygiene standards for venue management and dining experiences.

These were implemented during two recent hybrid events at MAX Atria, namely the Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC in October 2020 and the Singapore FinTech Festival x Singapore Week of Innovation and TeCHnology (SFF x SWITCH) in December 2020.

Interpack Sets Date For 2023 Show he next Interpack will take place from 4 to 10 May 2023 at the Düsseldorf Trade Fair Centre, Messe Düsseldorf has announced. The date was set in agreement with its partners and committees.

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The trade show organiser has invited companies from the packaging sector and the associated processing industry.

Exhibitors who were approved for Interpack 2021, which was cancelled due to the pandemic, have already been

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able to reserve their stand positions for 2023 and will now be able to rebook when they register.

Meanwhile, Components, which was cancelled along with Interpack, will take place in parallel with Interpack. It is oriented towards the supplier sector for the packaging and processing industry.

The organiser has said that both websites of the shows will be regularly providing information on industry trends and innovations up until the next

edition of both trade fairs. The online presence of the upcoming Interpack and Components 2023 is also being built up and expanded.

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February 2021

Gulfood 2021 Opens In Dubai With Covid Protocols In Place ver 2,500 companies from 85 countries attending the first live industry gathering in 12 months amid Covid-19 outbreak. Gulfood 2021, the first in-person global food & beverage (F&B) event in almost a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, started on Sunday at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Over 2,500 international brands from 85 countries are participating in the exhibition.

Demonstrating its importance to the complete sector spectrum, 110 of the biggest names in F&B and business have come together under one roof.

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C-suite executives from supply chain behemoths DHL and Emirates SkyCargo; chief marketing officers (CMOs) of global heavyweights Microsoft, Pizza Hut and PepsiCo; chief executive officers (CEOs) of regional star brands Majid Al Futtaim and Lulu International Group; world-renowned Michelin Star chefs and the UAE’s top

culinary masters will deliver valuable insights and ‘new normal’ perspectives amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

“After the challenges of the past 12 months, manufacturers, buyers and suppliers are relishing the chance to reconnect. From producers ready to unveil the latest sector solutions, to industry leaders providing new perspectives, and world-renowned chefs dishing up invaluable insights, Gulfood is the only trade enabling platform to rejuvenate industry fortunes in 2021 and beyond,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President, Events Management, DWTC.

Technology Week -- the only live inperson tech event last year -- held in December, where 96 per cent of tens of thousands of local and international attendees recorded a ‘safe’ or ‘very safe’ experience.

With Gulfood 2021 being held under stringent safety and hygiene protocols, DWTC has proved its capability to curate the safest face-to-face business environment and deliver world-class events with the highest safety protocols, as evidenced by last December’s Gitex

Japan To Provide Up To ¥25 Million Financial Support To Cover Event Cancellation Costs he government will provide up to ¥25 million to businesses that either cancel or postpone events due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry announced. The money is expected to be used to cover cancellation costs and ticket refund fees. The financial support will be provided to the 11 prefectures under a state of emergency, as well as areas that have implemented measures in accordance with the emergency declaration.

will begin accepting applications as early as February. The government is calling for the operators of events in areas under the state of emergency to limit attendance to 5,000, or 50% of venue capacity.

However, there is a risk that some businesses will ignore the request because lower attendance would make their businesses unprofitable.

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Organizers of such events as music and theater performances and operators of

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amusement parks are eligible to apply.

If multiple venues are used for an event, each venue will be eligible for support of up to ¥25 million. The government

The government is seeking cooperation in infection control measures by providing support to subsidize the costs involved in cancelations. The financial support will also be used to cover the rehearsal and promotion costs of canceled events.

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February 2021

UFI Releases Figures Stating The Impact Of COVID-19 On The Global Exhibition Economy In 2020 – The global exhibi on industry has contracted by 68%, compared to 2019 – €200 billion (USD 224 billion) of total exhibi on-related output not generated, with 2.4 million jobs affected – €330 billion (USD 370 billion) of business agreements between exhibi on par cipants not generated FI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, is releasing an updated COVID-19 damage assessment for the global exhibition and trade show industry, covering the full year of 2020.

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Figures show that global industry revenues for 2020 dropped by 68%, compared to 2019. This result is based on regional data provided in the UFI Global Exhibition Barometer released last week, which indicates that 2020 revenues represented only 23% of those from 2019 in Central and South America, rising to 24% in the Middle East and Africa, 27% in the Asia-Pacific region, 32% in Europe and 36% in North America.

Exhibitions have a direct impact on numerous sectors in the regions where

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they take place – not just the exhibition industry (venues, organisers and service providers), but all related sectors, such as accommodation, restaurants and transport. Taking all of these sectors into account, it is estimated that a minimum of €200 billion (USD 224 billion) of total exhibition-related output was not generated in 2020, including €80 billion (USD 90 billion) in North America, €65 billion (USD 73 billion) in Europe and €46 billion (USD 52 billion) in the Asia-Pacific region.

This equates to 2.4 million full-time jobs affected globally.

Exhibiting companies use face-to-face events to generate contacts that lead to business, either at or soon after the event, and the non-tenure of most exhibitions in 2020 has led to an

estimated €330 billion (USD 370 billion) of business volume affected.

While a small fraction of that loss may have been compensated for specific sectors, with the development of purely digital solutions, the net impact remains very high.

“COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the exhibition industry, as well as those sectors who benefit from face-to-face events. The impact has not just been felt by exhibitors, who showcase their products and develop their sales, but also by those involved in ‘tourism-related’ activities. We all look forward to the lifting of current restrictions and the rebound of our economies, where exhibitions will play an important role,” says Kai Hattendorf, UFI Managing Director and CEO.

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February 2021

CONFEX Selects Media Hut As Official Merchandise Supplier

edia Hut, the leading supplier of sustainable promotional merchandise to the exhibition industry, has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the organisers of CONFEX to become the show’s official merchandise provider.

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The agreement will allow CONFEX exhibitors to easily and efficiently order sustainable merchandise and promotional items while also significantly reducing their carbon footprint and in turn the exhibition’s overall impact on the environment when it takes place at London’s Excel in June. The partnership

will also allow exhibitors to be assured that their sustainable promotional merchandise will be ready and waiting on their stand ahead of the exhibition’s opening day as the Media Hut team will be on hand to manage the delivery process. Media Hut, which is ESSA accredited, has built an impeccable reputation over the past 25 years for providing sustainable promotional merchandise to exhibitors at a wide range of events in the UK and beyond, and covering industries from generic B2B exhibitions to gaming, pharmaceutical, finance and more.

Karl Dukes, Sales and Marketing Director at Media Hut, said: “This is a great partnership that will increase the usage of sustainable promotional merchandise, allowing exhibitors to reduce their environmental footprint and to also significantly reduce the overall impact of the exhibition. “Media Hut has been providing merchandise to

exhibitors for more than two decades now and over that time we have become known for the quality of our products but also the reliability of our delivery services – in short, we make sure your products are on your stand when you need them.”

“This is a win win for exhibitors; they can access the highest quality promotional merchandise while also making a meaningful contribution to wider efforts to reduce the negative impact we are having on the environment and climate change.”

Duncan Custerson, Event Director at Confex, said: “Reducing the carbon footprint of our events, and the wider impact they have on the environment, is a key focus for us and that is why we are delighted to have entered into the MOU with Media Hut. We will be replacing as much of our show merchandise with sustainable alternatives sourced by the Media Hut team as possible.

New Date: Aluminium 2021 To Be Held September 28-30 luminium, the world’s leading trade fair for the aluminum industry, scheduled for May 1820, 2021, in Düsseldorf, Germany, has been rescheduled to September 28-30.

Organizer Reed Exhibitions made this decision in light of the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic after discussions with exhibitors and partners. Uncertainties surrounding travel restrictions were also a deciding factor due to the international nature of ALUMINIUM.

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The focus of the September show will be a congress, organized in partnership with the German aluminum association, Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie e.V. (GDA), and will address the future

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of the aluminum industry. “We are confident that the new dates will provide us with the ability to ensure a safer event and provide our exhibitors and visitors more time to plan their attendance,” said Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein, CEO of Reed Exhibitions Deutschland GmbH. “The still unclear developments of the pandemic and general uncertainty have prompted us to reassess the situation. For us, the priority is to minimize the health and economic risks to all participants and to avoid unnecessary costs,” Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein continued.

The focus of the trade fair and the congress programme will include the future prospects of the aluminum

industry, the digitalization of the value chain, sustainable mobility and the Green Deal.

“The entire aluminum industry is facing a future-facing transformation. In September, we will provide the industry with the platform to address these important challenges and position aluminum as a key material of the future.

In doing so, we will also examine how we can ideally combine physical and digital components. With the September 2021 event, we will also provide an outlook on the future direction and topics of the subsequent ALUMINIUM 2022,” concluded Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein.

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Trade Show Industry Advocates Under Newly Formed Exhibitions And Conferences Alliance he business events industry will be represented under a unified voice with the formation of the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA), an advocacy group that will champion the common interests of U.S. exhibitions and conferences with legislators.

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This new coalition of eight industry associations will promote the impact of the sector, drive general industry awareness, initiate legislation on behalf of business events and work with partners globally as needed to maintain a favorable operating environment within the United States.

Existing advocacy initiatives, Go LIVE Together and Exhibitions Mean Business, will continue under ECA and carry out their respective mission - Go LIVE Together in advocating for federal COVID-19 recovery funding and Exhibitions Mean Business in promoting the value of face-to-face and the economic impact of exhibitions at the local, state and national levels.

Sue Sung, senior vice president of corporate strategy at Freeman will continue to serve as executive director of Go LIVE Together. ECA’s organizational structure also will allow for the development of new advocacy

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campaigns as specific needs arise in the future.

“Through lessons learned with Go LIVE Together, Exhibitions Mean Business and other efforts, we know that advocacy is an ongoing process, and not one that can be easily impacted by jumping in only when there is a crisis,” said David Audrain, executive director of the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and co-president of ECA. He added, “ECA will enable us to develop and maintain a long-term strategy to raise our industry’s profile among policymakers, ultimately helping to move us forward.”

The initial ECA board is comprised of: Ÿ

Cathy Breden, CEO, Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR)

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Melissa Cherry, COO, Destinations International

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Jim Wurm, Executive Director, Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association (EACA)

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Chris Griffin, CEO of Crew XP, representing Experiential Designers + Producers Association (EDPA)

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Bob Priest-Heck, CEO of Freeman, representing Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA)

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Megan Tanel, SVP of Association of Equipment Manufacturers, representing International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)

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Clifford “Rip” Rippitoe, CEO of San Diego Convention Center, representing International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM)

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Douglas Emslie, CEO of Tarsus Group; Hervé Sedky, CEO of EmeraldX; Nancy Walsh, President, Americas of Informa Markets; and Yancy Weinrich CGO, Americas of Reed Exhibitions, representing Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO).

“We are grateful for the generous support of ECA’s alliance partners and their board representatives,” said David DuBois, president and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) and co-president of ECA. He added, “We’re confident that combining our resources will strengthen our advocacy influence for exhibitions and conferences, effectively ensuring that our voices are heard, to generate positive outcomes for our industry on Capitol Hill as well as at the state and local level.”

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IDEX 2021: First COVID-Era Defense Show Kicks Off On opening day, the UAE armed forces signed 19 defense contracts, with the larger part going to domestic companies.

“Worth $1.37 billion, 22% of the deals were signed with seven international firms while 78% went to 12 local companies,” Staff Brig. Gen. Mohammed Al Hassani, official spokesman for IDEX and NAVDEX, said in a press briefing.

Amid strict safety measures, Abu Dhabi kicked off its defense shows, promising they would be no less striking than previous editions unburdened by quarantine, COVID-testing, global travel restrictions and all the other challenges of the COVID era. The bi-annual fiveday events, International Defense Exhibition and Naval Defense Exhibition (IDEX and NAVDEX 2021), feature more than 900 exhibitors from 59 nations with 35 national pavilions.

Among the new countries participating are North Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg and Portugal; Israel backed out a week ago due to COVID19 travel restrictions.

were signed with seven international firms while 78% went to 12 local companies,” Staff Brig. Gen. Mohammed Al Hassani, official spokesman for IDEX and NAVDEX, said in a press briefing.

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“84% of companies exhibiting will be internationally based, while 16% will be UAE based entities which demonstrates the vast international interest in IDEX and NAVDEX,” said Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, managing director and group

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CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), the shows’ organizers. As part of the naval exhibition, 17 maritime units from 10 countries are stationed at the pier of ADNEC Marina and dedicated areas in Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s port area.

Units include the American guidedmissile destroyer USS John Paul Jones, and the UAE’s Shouty coast guard boat, among others.

On opening day, the UAE armed forces signed 19 defense contracts with local and international firms, with the larger part going to domestic companies.

“Worth $1.37 billion, 22% of the deals

Among the deals: 12 B-250 light attack aircraft by UAE-based Calidus to the armed forces; armored vehicles by UAE-based Nimr to the land forces; seeker 400 unmanned aerial systems by South-African Denel SoC lTD to the command of presidential Guard; and the production of the GATRT-T air communication system by French Thales to the UAE Air Force and Air Defense Command. The show hopes to support the growth of UAE’s defense industry and forge new relationships with major international companies.

“These conferences will contribute to our continued development and complement the UAE’s wider story of

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success over the next 50 years, helping build a competitive national economy based on knowledge and innovation,” Maj. Gen. Staff Pilot Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee for IDEX and NAVDEX, said. Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and ManaginDirector of UAE-based EDGE Group, told Breaking Defense his company is adapting its research and capabilities toward a more agile, bold and disruptive advanced technology centric defense sector.

“We are forging more meaningful partnerships with international defense contractors, and welcome the opportunities that IDEX and NAVDEX create for us to engage in trade as we mark our first-year anniversary,” he told me. The company is launching more than 10 new products and exhibiting some 50 core capabilities from missiles to cyber defense to electronic warfare and intelligence and mission support.

NIMR, part of EDGE’s platforms and systems division, unveiled the secondgeneration of its AJBAN 4×4 and HAFEET 6×6 platforms. Other divisions, Al Jasoor and Earth, joined forces with Raytheon Emirates to integrate high-energy laser systems onto RABDAN 8×8 armored fighting vehicles.

Saudi firms are also taking part under the slogan “Invest in Saudi Arabia”, underlining their commitment to spending of 50 percent of the kingdom’s

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military and security spending within its borders. Under the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), 12 major defense companies are introducing developments in military technologies, including Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and its affiliate Advanced Electronics Company (AEC).

SAMI is highlighting its military products and comprehensive defense systems across its land systems, aeronautics, defense electronics, missiles, and emerging technologies divisions. AEC will cover the fields of electronic warfare, C4ISR and cyber security. Boeing on the other hand is looking to underscore its commitment to the region, expecting projects growth for aerospace defense industry.

“We are happy to safely regain inperson customer engagement and continue discussions with our partners in the Middle East,” Jeff Shockey, vice president of Boeing’s global sales and marketing for defense, space & security and government services said at a preIDEX press briefing I attended.

“The discussions will focus on a wide range of key services in the region including the T-7A Red Hawk pilot training system, KC-46A tanker, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, and laser weapon systems, among others,” he added. For Torbjorn “Turbo” Sjogren, vice president of international government and defense at Boeing, “the Middle East countries are very much top of mind as a growth market”, he said at the briefing.

make major announcements at IDEX, the company will mainly highlight its continuous “world-class sustainment and support services to the installed base of platforms in the region as well as our local partnerships with Mideast companies,” Shockey told Breaking D. Boeing expects the government support and services market for 2020 to 2029 to be worth $1.4 trillion. Of that, the Middle East represents $195 billion of the services market, with more than 50 per cent of that dedicated to defense and security services.

For its part, Raytheon Technologies will be exhibiting in its new identity for the first time since last year’s merger. “We are looking forward to demonstrate how we’re in a position to immediately address the priorities of our commercial and defense customers in the UAE and the region faster and more efficiently than ever before with our added scale,” Alan Davis, chief executive of Abu Dhabi-based Raytheon Emirates, told me. The French defense industry is focusing on innovation.

“At IDEX 2021, we aim to highlight Naval Group’s capacity to provide customer-centric innovation and differentiating technological responses to the most critical naval capability needs, such as information superiority, combat superiority and ability to last at sea,” Eric Papin, the company’s executive vice president and chief technical and innovation officer, told me.

Thales is expecting new partnerships.

“We have all seen that connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and quantum technology are vital to the development of our societies. The speed at which these are evolving means that countries must continuously implement the latest solutions to protect their nations.” he added.

Although Boeing does not expect to

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Exhibition Showcase Joins 24hr Global Vodcast Marathon For #eventprofs ednesday 3rd March will see the very first Global Vodcast marathon, organised & hosted throughout by events & exhibitions professional, Dan Assor Starting at midnight GMT, Dan will host 24 hours of live programmes across social media, with the aim of raising funds for EventWell, the Event industries charitable social enterprise, dedicated to cultivating better mental health, and wellbeing in events.

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EventWell Pledge programme offers vital and immediate support to any event professional experiencing personal and

financial hardship, in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Event Well currently have chapters in the United Kingdom, America, and Canada. https://eventwell.org/eventwell21/ https://eventwell.org/eventwell-pledge/ Each hour, show organisers, suppliers, media and industry associations from UK, USA, India, Mexico, Asia, Canada & Oman, will be joining Dan as they produce their own fun, and engaging session, include comedy, music, health sessions, and panel discussions.

Organiser & host Dan Assor

commented, “I am delighted that the global event community is coming together during this difficult to raise much needed funds for those in our industry enduring hardship during the pandemic, as well as raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing”.

Ujjwal Gupta Of BIG Logistics India Wins WS21 Best Student Award and Sudhhir Dhavan Led Team-1 Wins Best Team At The 2021 IELA Online Winter Seminar ELA no longer only rewards intellectual performance but also place value on specific management skills like innovation, coordination and engagement. So, on February 10th, the International Exhibition Logistics Association (IELA) concluded the 10th Edition of the IELA Winter Seminar rewarding Performance, Innovation, and Teamwork, adding the “Best Team Award” to the traditional“Best Student Award”.

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Ujjwal Gupta of the BIG Logistics India won the WS21 Best Student Award, while Sudhhir Dhavan led Team-1 won the Best Team Award. The students were divided into 6 teams.

Each group was accompanied by a coach who is a senior expert of the Exhibition Logistics industry. Teams met in special teamwork sessions and presentations on “Lessons Learned –

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Our Industry Post-Covid” The Best Team winning TEAM 1 was led (coach) by Sudhir Dhavan, R. E. Rogers India & IELA Education & Training Working Group Chair. And Students are: Neha Bharadwaj from P. S. Bedi & Co. Pvt. Ltd. / PS Bedi Group; Ujjwal Gupta from BIG Logistics India Pvt. Ltd.; Neethu KB, from Schenker India Pvt. Ltd, India; Nicole Lau Li Ting, Agility Fairs & Events Singapore, Singapore; Steven Ma from Sinotrans Beijing Co., P.R. China. I am overwhelmed with the announcement of the students’ performance results.

The value of education and training events is what will make the return to exhibitions and events smoother and faster, with professionals well-trained and ready, as always, to adapt to any situation,” said Sudhir Dhavan. During the Certificate Hand-out and Awards

Ceremony, the Masters of Ceremony, Alexandra Erdmann from Swiss Expo Logistics Ltd. Switzerland & IELA Board Member and Ute Wiezorrek, congratulated all the students for their commitment throughout the programme. The Best Student was closely followed by Jeffrey Ochsner, Swiss Expo Logistics Ltd., Switzerland in second place & Nicole Lau Li Ting, Agility Fairs & Events Singapore, Singapore in third place.

The team performance was evaluated by all coaches (except by their own coach) and they agreed that the overall quality level was high. Emmanuel Pitchelu, coach of Team 6, highlighted: “It was really difficult to choose between the groups! Every group has shown a tremendous effort in delivering top notch analysis, proposals and innovations.”

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First Exhibition in HKCEC in 2021 Reinforces Value Of Face To Face Events

he Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (“HKCEC”) welcomed the Hong Kong International Dental Expo and Symposium (“HKIDEAS”) during 2224 January, the first exhibition in 2021.

With average daily attendance of over 3,000 dental professionals, the three-day event is the first trade exhibition in Hong Kong since the fourth wave of COVID-19 hit the city in late November 2020. Stringent preventive measures were implemented by the organiser and the venue. The success of the event reinforces the irreplaceable value of physical events.

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HKIDEAS is an annual recurrent event at the HKCEC and the August 2020 version was postponed due to the pandemic. Exhibitors, visitors and delegates were thrilled to get together physically after the long wait. Ms Kanas Ng, Associate Sales Director of iTero, Hong Kong & Taiwan, one of the exhibitors, was excited, “We are eager to participate in HKIDEAS and promote our products at one of the biggest events

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in the dental industry. With all the comprehensive preventive measures implemented by the event organiser and venue, we feel safe and sound.”

Dr Century Tsang, President of Hong Kong Dental Association cum Honorary Chairman of Organising Committee of HKIDEAS, was happy with the outcome and attendance, “Thanks to the support from Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (“HML”), we are excited to host the physical expo and symposium successfully at the HKCEC to allow face-to-face interactions and exchange of ideas among our members.”

Ms Monica Lee-Müller, Managing Director of HML, confident with the long term positive growth of the industry, pledges to stride 'Onwards and Upwards' in the New Year, “The wellattended exhibition is a great kick-start of 2021. It clearly demonstrated strong demand for physical events and assured us that physical events cannot and will

never be replaced. We are committed to work closely with organisers to implement stringent preventive and social distancing measures to enable events to be held safely. We will also continue our investment in facility renovation and the construction of 5G network. We are fully geared up to welcome events and visitors back to the HKCEC once they are ready.

HKIDEAS featured 23 parallel sessions and four workshops, which incorporated live video conferencing. It was well attended by industry professionals from Hong Kong, China, UK, USA, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Lebanon, sharing latest clinical insights and international intelligence.

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Prime Minister Sets Out Roadmap To Cautiously Ease Lockdown Restrictions PM Boris Johnson has announced the government’s roadmap to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions in England Government publishes four-step roadmap to ease restrictions across England and provide a route back to a more normal way of life Ÿ Each step to be assessed against four tests before restrictions ease, starting with the return of schools on 8 March Ÿ PM is clear that the decision on each stage will be based on data not dates, and government will move cautiously to keep infection rates under control Ÿ

he Prime Minister has announced the government’s roadmap to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions in England.

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In a statement to parliament this afternoon he paid tribute to the extraordinary success of the UK’s vaccination programme and the resolve of the British public in following the lockdown restrictions, which has helped to cut infection rates and reduce the spread of the virus. He also set out the latest vaccine efficacy data, with Public Health England finding that one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces hospitalisations and deaths by at least 75%. Analysis of the AstraZeneca vaccine efficacy continues, with promising early results.

Supported by the increased protection offered by these vaccines, the government is able to slowly and cautiously begin to ease restrictions in all areas across England at the same time, guided at all stages by data, not dates. The roadmap, which has now been published on gov.uk, outlines four steps for easing restrictions. Before proceeding to the next step, the Government will examine the data to

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assess the impact of previous steps.

This assessment will be based on four tests: The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully. Ÿ Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated. Ÿ Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS. Ÿ Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern.

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There will be a minimum of five weeks between each step: four weeks for the data to reflect changes in restrictions; followed by seven days’ notice of the restrictions to be eased.

The Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser have made clear that this will give adequate time to assess the impact of each step and reduce the risk of having to re-impose restrictions at a later date.

As the Prime Minister said, getting

children back into school has been the top priority, and so from 8 March all children and students will return to face to face education in schools and college.

By this point, everyone in the top four vaccine priority cohorts – as determined by the independent JCVI – will have received the first dose of their vaccine and developed the necessary protection from it.

Also from this date: Wraparound childcare and other supervised children’s activities can resume where they enable parents to work, seek work, attend education, seek medical care or attend a support group Ÿ Care home residents will be allowed one regular visitor provided they are tested and wear PPE Ÿ The Stay at Home requirement will remain, but people can leave home for recreation outdoors such as a coffee or picnic with their household or support bubble, or with one person outside their household Ÿ Some university students on practical courses will be able to return to face to face learning

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As part of step one, there will be further limited changes from 29 March, the week in which most schools will break up for Easter. Outdoor gatherings of either 6 people or 2 households will be allowed, providing greater flexibility for families to see each other. This includes in private gardens.

Outdoor sports facilities, such as tennis and basketball courts, will be allowed to reopen, and people can take part in formally organised outdoor sports. At this point, the Stay at Home order will end, although many lockdown restrictions will remain. For example, you should continue to work from home where possible, and overseas travel remains banned, aside for a small number of reasons.

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households. Drive-in cinemas and drive-in performances will also be permitted.

Indoor leisure facilities, such as gyms and swimming pools, will also reopen - but only for use by people on their own or with their household.

Hospitality venues can serve people outdoors only. There will be no need for customers to order a substantial meal with alcohol, and no curfew although customers must order, eat and drink while seated.

Self-contained accommodation, such as holiday lets, where indoor facilities are not shared with other households, can also reopen.

Funerals can continue with up to 30 people, and the numbers able to attend weddings, receptions and commemorative events such as wakes will rise to 15 (from 6).

The subsequent steps are set out as follows:

Step 3, no earlier than 17 May:

Step 2, no earlier than 12 April:

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Non-essential retail, personal care premises, such as hairdressers and nail salons, and public buildings, such as libraries and community centres, will reopen. Ÿ Most outdoor attractions and settings, including zoos, and theme parks, will also reopen although wider social contact rules will apply in these settings to prevent indoor mixing between different Ÿ

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Outdoors, most social contact rules will be lifted - although gatherings of over 30 people will remain illegal. Ÿ Outdoor performances such as outdoor cinemas, outdoor theatres and outdoor cinemas can reopen..

Indoors, the rule of 6 or 2 households will apply - although we will keep under review whether it is safe to increase this. Ÿ Indoor hospitality, entertainment venues such as cinemas and soft play areas, the rest of the accommodation

sector, and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes will also reopen. Ÿ Larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues with a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full (whichever is lower) will also be allowed, as will those in outdoor venues with a capacity of 4000 people or half-full (whichever is lower). Ÿ In the largest outdoor seated venues where crowds can spread out, up to 10,000 people will be able to attend (or a quarter-full, whichever is lower). Ÿ Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions and wakes, as well as funerals. Other life events that will be permitted include bar mitzvahs and christenings.

Step 4, no earlier than 21 June: It is hoped all legal limits on social contact can be removed. Ÿ We hope to reopen nightclubs, and lift restrictions on large events and performances that apply in Step 3. Ÿ This will also guide decisions on whether all limits can be removed on weddings and other life events. Ÿ

In the meantime, the vaccination programme continues at pace, with the announcement of a new target to offer a first dose of the vaccine to every adult by the end of July. The government hopes that the increased protection offered by vaccines will gradually replace the restrictions, with the roadmap published today providing the principles of the transition.

MPs will have an opportunity to vote on the regulations that will enable this roadmap in Parliament in the coming weeks.

We continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations as we have throughout the pandemic. They are setting out approaches for easing for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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Deutsche Messe Poised For Relaunch As an organizer of international exhibitions and events, Deutsche Messe has seen its business dry up over the past year. The company has taken advantage of the lull to gear up for the post-coronavirus era, simultaneously extending the mandate of Deutsche Messe Managing Board Chairman Jochen Köckler for an additional five years.

he year 2021 will be a year of transition and preparation for our relaunch. We are putting our company in the best possible position to successfully host trade fairs as soon as the overall situation allows it.

To this end, we are expanding our trade fairs via year-round digital offerings, as well as making our exhibition center 5G-ready and planning entirely new events for 2022," reported Deutsche Messe Managing Board Chairman Dr. Jochen Köckler, during his presentation of the company's 2020 business results at the recent Deutsche Messe Supervisory Board meeting. As a result of the Corona crisis, the company generated sales of 100 million euros, accompanied by a loss of 83 million euros.

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"2020 was the most difficult year in our company's history. But from this day on, we are exclusively focusing on the future and the challenges that lie ahead," Köckler continued. "We are making rapid progress with the implementation of our concept for the future. Our digital and hybrid offerings are in high demand

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in the marketplace." Deutsche Messe is expecting between 500 and 1,000 industrial enterprises, including numerous market leaders, to participate in the digital edition of HANNOVER MESSE. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will open the trade fair online.

Leading representatives from business, politics and science have confirmed their participation. "We will be transferring the experience gained from our digital trade fairs to our on-site trade fairs in order to be able to offer our exhibitors and visitors even more targeted, year-round offerings in the future," said Köckler.

Together with Deutsche Telekom and Siemens, a comprehensive 5G campus network will be installed on the exhibition grounds. According to Köckler: "As early as September 2021, we will function as Europe's first 5G exhibition center. This will give rise to new business models, which in turn will secure new revenue potential for our business." The company is also making great strides in developing new fairs, with a number of different trade fair

premieres planned for 2022, to be announced over the coming weeks.

“We view Deutsche Messe as being on a rocky, but straight and narrow road to emerge stronger from the crisis based on its fundamental realignment and fresh market approach," remarked Belit Onay, Lord Mayor of the City of Hanover and Chairman of the Deutsche Messe Supervisory Board. "I thank the Managing Board and the company's entire workforce for their commitment to the enterprise. Together with Dr. Köckler at the helm of Deutsche Messe, we want to continue to develop Hannover as a top international trade fair location over the next five-years."

Simultaneously, in view of the current situation and for the foreseeable future, the corporate shareholders decided to narrow the size of the Managing Board down to just one member. "Dr. Gruchow has graciously agreed to step down from his position on the best of terms. The shareholders and the Supervisory Board want to express their sincerest thanks to Dr. Gruchow for all of his hard work – especially during the current crisis – and wish him the very best for his future endeavors," continued Onay.

At the same meeting, BDI President Siegfried Russwurm was elected Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

"We are delighted that Mr. Russwurm, an absolute expert on German and global industry, will be supporting our company in this key capacity in the future – a commitment that serves to underscore the role of Deutsche Messe and the trade fair industry as a whole when it comes to driving technological innovation, progress and prosperity," Köckler concluded.

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GSMA Heralds A New Era Of Connected Impact As MWC Shanghai Returns As A Physical Event China continues its rapid uptake of 5G with 200m additional connections in the last year like the 5G Innovation Zone and the Digital Leaders Programme are highly anticipated. China continues to be one of the world's leading markets for 5G technology, according to 'The Mobile Economy China 2021 Report' from GSMA Intelligence, which is being launched at the event. Key findings include the scale of 5G uptake in China: during 2020 there were more than 200 million new connections. By 2025 it is estimated that there will be more than 800 million 5G connections across the country, driving a range of products and services for both individual consumers and the wider economy.

SMA is celebrating a return to in-person events with the launch of MWC Shanghai 2021, which opens on 23rd February 2021. This first-of-its-kind experience combines unique inperson and virtual elements, heralding a new era of connectivity and collaboration for the mobile industry.

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Around 20,000 visitors are expected to gain first-hand insights into the mobile industry through unique content and debates hosted at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. They will be joined by thousands more who will log onto My MWCS Online from over a hundred countries. There will be plenty of opportunities to gain new industry information and make important business contacts.

"Today marks an important milestone for Asia's mobile industry and the wider region's economy. MWC Shanghai 2021 is the first hybrid event of its kind bringing innovations and ideas to attendees in-person and online," said John Hoffman, CEO GSMA Ltd. "Sadly, I cannot be there in person but will connect as a virtual attendee to join the debate and witness technology innovations that are already shaping our future. I'm looking forward to engaging with you during the proceedings and hearing your thoughts after its close."

Exciting thought leadership and worldclass exhibits MWC Shanghai 2021 was inaugurated by a keynote address from Mats

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Supporting the post-pandemic recovery

Granryd, Director General GSMA. Presentations from organisations like China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Huawei, Lenovo, Nokia, Verizon and ZTE, combined with a host of other thought leaders and exhibits from over 200 companies, such as Nokia Shanghai Bell, Qualcomm, and Samsung make this a not-to-be-missed experience, in-person or online.

The theme of MWC Shanghai 2021 is 'Connected Impact', and the agenda showcases how the digital ecosystem supports global recovery and transforms lives. Sessions on 5G Connectivity, Connected Industry, AI and Start-up Innovation with other exciting features

Investment in 5G is also helping the global economy overcome the effects of Covid-19 and transition to a postpandemic economic recovery. By 2030, upgrades to 5G will add more than $600 billion annually to the global economy, according to GSMA research. That's approximately 2.1% of the income growth expected in the coming decade, across all industries and sectors.

“It's been a tough 12 months but a path to a post-pandemic world is starting to emerge. Importantly, 5G and mobile communications sit at the heart of that recovery," said Mats Granryd. "We're already planning for the return of MWC Barcelona this summer. The momentum created in Shanghai will be carried on to the Barcelona event, which will mark the next step forward for our industry."

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Enthusiasm For The First Dubai Muscle Classic Organized

By IEG’s HBG Events 47,000 spectators (via live streaming on YouTube) and contestants from 43 nations at the largest bodybuilding competition ever organized in the UAE Eager expectation for the Dubai Muscle Show, the leading international fitness and wellness expo in the Middle East, which will debut in October, again with the organization of Italian Exhibition Group’s subsidiary company

ver 47,000 spectators following live streaming on YouTube, 309 contestants competing from 43 nations. These are the successful figures of the Dubai Muscle Classic, held this month (February), the largest bodybuilding competition ever organized in the Arab Emirates, organized for the first time by HBG Events, company of Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), in partnership with the Dubai Sports Council and Emirates Bodybuilding Federation (EBBF).

between 2018 and 2022. The growth of the fitness sector in all the GCC, as well as IEG’s expertise in the industry, has led the expansion of the Group in the Arab Emirates with last year’s acquisition of the Emirati company HBG Events.

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For Corrado Peraboni, CEO of IEG, “This was an excellent debut, based on the expertise of our company, which is a leader in the organization of expo events in the Wellness, Sport & Leisure sector.

In sync with our strategy of geo-cloning our events, the success of Rimini Wellness will contribute even more to boosting the Dubai Muscle Show, from 28th to 30th October 2021, being held

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simultaneously with the world Expo.

The recent acquisition of the most important fitness and wellness expo event in the Middle East will make the Rimini edition even more international through time.”

It is estimated that in the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) the health & fitness sector is worth approximately 1.4 billion dollars and in the United Arab Emirates alone the market will reach a compound annual growth rate of 9%

The two days of Dubai Muscle Classic, promoted by ProSupps and ProTan, featured male and female contestant competing in the various specialities, concluding with the “Men’s Classic Physique”, “Muscular Physique” and “Bodybuilding” categories and the award of the title of Dubai Muscle Classic champion. The huge event was staged in complete safety, in total compliance with all the health protocols regarding the health and hygiene precautions and measures foreseen onsite to fight Covid-19, such as negative swab tests in order to take part in the competition.

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