Feb 2022

Media Partner From India Federation of Exhibition & Convention Associations

Feb 2022 Vol 10 Issue 07 Voice of Asia’s Exhibition & Convention Industry

2022 Is Going To Be A Very Promising Year - Although Not Without Its Challenges Heiko M Stutzinger, COO, Royal Jaarbeurs | VNU Group

INSIGHTS India Associations & Corporate Leadership Summit To Bring Together Various National Associations

Our Current Focus Is On The Ease Of Doing Business Tapan K Patra Director, Association of Competitive Telecom Operators (ACTO)

UFI Global Barometer Provides Updates On Covid-19 Impact And 2022 Perspectives For The Exhibition Industry

SOARING NEW SKIES Chloe Richardson VP Senior Corporate Relations at Explori

Dear Readers, As we march towards recovery in 2022, I invite you to participate in our very special initiatives for the industry. We have created the MICE Sustainability & Technology Network initiative to bring together like minded MICE professionals from across the globe, who would like to learn more and share best practices on how to implement solutions towards sustainability and use of technology in our industry. You can join this initiative and there are no commercials to it. I also invite you to participate in our upcoming India Associations & Corporate Leadership Summit that will bring together various national associations under one roof for networking and knowledge exchange. It is a matter of fact that associations play a key role in the MICE ecosystem so this event will be a crucial platform for building new connections with decision makers.

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PSU BUZZ

Recently, I was truly humbled to be invited for a special dinner ceremony hosted by Sh. Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE. It was a great forum to meet some really renowned men & women from all walks of life. My special thanks to Teamwork Arts & Mr. Sanjoy Roy also for inviting me as a hosted speaker in their powerful session on #CreativeEconomy during their agship event #FestivalofIdeas at the India Pavilion, at Dubai Expo 2020 on February 20-21, 2022. Festival of Ideas has been curated as a series of insightful discussions to envisage a future of innovation and foresight across genres and nd cohesive solutions for our present.

In this issue: 14

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32

Exhibition Showcase Talks To Tapan K Patra Director, Association of Competitive Telecom Operators (ACTO)

Pg. 33

Message From IESA President

Pg. 34-35 IESA Shining Stars 21-23

28-31

Pg. 36

Message From UFI Managing Director

Pg. 37

Acquisition

Pg. 38-39 Tech News Pg. 08-09

World Map

Pg. 10-11

Industry In Pictures From The World Of Social Media

Pg. 13

Quick Bytes

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Australia To Reopen Its Borders To International Tourists On Feb 21

Pg. 40

Partnership

Pg. 41

People

Pg. 42-54 Global News Pg. 14-20

News Buzz

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ITPO’s Flagship Event ‘AAHAR 2022’ To Commence From April 26

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India at Expo 2020 Promotes Medical Value Travel

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MAG World Expo To Showcase The Latest Mobile Accessories And Gadgets

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In-store Asia Moves To A New Venue

Pg. 24-32

Interviews

24-27

In Conversation With Chloe Richardson, VP Senior Corporate Relations at Explori

28-31

In Conversation With Heiko M. Stutzinger COO, Royal Jaarbeurs | VNU Group

42

The Meetings Industry Fund Elects New Officers

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Messe München Acquires Asia Climate Forum And Confirms In-person Event For 2022

47-49

UFI Global Barometer Provides Updates On COVID-19 Impact And 2022 Perspectives For The Exhibition Industry

51

Mack-brooks Exhibition Trio For The Converting, Corrugated And Industrial Print Industry To Go Ahead In Spring

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G3 Partners–AIPC, ICCA And UFI–Release New Position Paper: Business Events Are The Fast Track To Recovery

Paris A new exhibition showcases the successes of the Graphene Flagship at the ‘Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie’ in Paris, Europe’s biggest science museum. The exhibition, dedicated to the challenges of research and innovation, will continue until late June 2022.

New York

Liverpool

California

A new exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York will highlight post-partition architecture from South Asia, showcasing the work of the region’s architecture giants as t h ey n a v i g a t e d n e w f o u n d statehood. ‘The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947-1985 exhibition will be open until July 2nd, 2022.

The massive contribution to British Rock and Pop made by Scottish artists will be the focus of the Don’t You Forget About Me exhibition which launches on March 4 at the British Music Experience, Liverpool. The BME has worked in collaboration with Scottish pop expert, Ronnie Gurr, to curate the collection which features iconic pieces from bands and artists who have helped shape the global music landscape over more than 60 years.

A f t e r a t wo - ye a r c o ro n a v i r u s pandemic-induced hiatus, the National Gay Pilots association (NGPA) Industry Expo returned to sunny Palm Springs, California, February 10 and 11. The event features keynote speakers, hundreds of ATP-qualied active airline pilots seeking employment, aviation products and services, and educational seminars for both commercial, business/corporate, and general aviation pilots.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Cape Town The Leeuwenhof Slave Quarters Remembrance Gallery has ofcially opened in Cape Town. It reects on the cruelty of slavery and includes an exhibition on “enslaved lives” – the story of Leeuwenhof’s slave quarters and the lived reality of those who were enslaved not just in Leeuwenhof but also in the Cape. It also includes an art exhibition and rotating exhibition.

Bahrain

Hong Kong

Bahrain-based RAK Art Foundation and Dar Alfann Gallery have entered into a joint venture to create NFT MENA Exhibit 2022, a state-ofthe-art exhibition that will take place at the Ritz-Carlton Manama from March 16 to 18.

The Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE), and the HKDI Gallery, as part of their ‘Essence of Design’ programme, present “Zaha Hadid Architects: Vertical Urbanism”, an online exhibition open until April 3rd, 2022, that showcases ZHA's innovations in architecture through a display of technical drawings, computer-generated visualizations, architectural models, video projections, and VR experiences.

Seoul

Taipei

The exhibition "Fashion and Seoul," at the Seoul Urban Life Museum brings to the fore the fashion trends of Seoulites from 1945 to 2020, while weaving in the history of war, poverty, urbanization and industrialization.The "Fashion and Seoul" exhibition runs until March 27.

The 2022 Taipei International Comics & Animation Festival featured a special exhibit showcasing Taiwan's gratitude towards Japan for the latter's COVID-19 vaccine donations last year. The event's special gallery, called the Taiwan-Japan Friendship Autographed Illustration Exhibition, featured 100 autographed illustrations drawn by 100 local manga and comic artists.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Industry In Pictures From

MACEOS and Malaysia Conven on & Exhibi on Bureau (MyCEB) in #Citrawarna #KeluargaMalaysia programme, themed the ‘Fes val of Cultural Diversity’, event in Kuching, Sarawak from 24 to 27 February 2022 at Kuching Waterfront Sarawak.

To celebrate the Na onal Sustainable Living Fes val we hosted OzHarvest's #ZeroWaste Cooking demonstra on Our very own Sustainability Manager, Sam Ferrier, spoke among a panel of sustainability experts to provide further educa on to our visitors #MCEC

21 start-ups made electrifying pitches, at the twel h edi on of #Elevate - the pitching session.

Bengaluru, get set for a whole new welcome and bright-hearted hospitality at Embassy Manyata Business Park. Stay Tuned! #SeeYouAtTheHilton #hilton

I really appreciate all the effort put together by Indian Ambassador Consul General Dr TV Nagendra Prasad and Deputy CG Rajesh Naik to come and inaugurate India Pavilion at Sourcing show at MAGIC in Las Vegas. Great energies being put in to improve US -India #apparel and #tex le trade. Look forward in pu ng up a great show in August. .#azadikaamritmahotsav

The 9th Investec Cape Town Art Fair presents over 75 local and interna onal exhibitors from 20 different countries, including 17 par cipa ng for the first me.

The #BahrainGrandPrix has signed a new deal to remain on the #FormulaOne calendar un l 2036. The Kingdom of #Bahrain was the first country in the Middle East to host an F1 race in 2004 and the new contract will take the event beyond its 30th anniversary on the calendar.

Big news! We’re excited to announce that Dallas city council has approved plans for a new 2.5million-square-foot conven on center located adjacent to the current Kay Bailey Hutchison Conven on Center Dallas. #visitdallas #dallastexas

India-US Goods trade sets a new record!

Goods trade witnessed a 45% jump in 2021 from 2020 to reach a historic high of $113 billion. #Piyush Goyal

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

The World Of Social Media

MyCEB’s top management, Dato’ Sri Abdul Khani Daud, Chief Execu ve Officer and Mr.Noor Ahmad Hamid, Chief Opera ng Officer paid a courtesy visit to our newly appointed Board of Directors, YBhg. Da n Rashidah Mohd Sies, Deputy Secretary-General of Treasury (Management), Chief Informa on Officer (CIO), Ministry of Finance.

Africa's leading solar and energy storage event, Solar Power Africa Expo, is in full swing in our exhibi on halls at CTICC 2. This 3-day event is open to both conference delegates & the public. #CTICC #WeDoEvents

BUILDUP STARTS AT DEFEXPO 2022 !! Looking forward in welcoming our colleagues , partners, and customers to Gandhinagar (Gujarat) India “ in the coming days #Defexpo 2022 #india # R E Rogers India #event #freight

The World Congress of Nephrology is taking at Kuala Lumpur Conven on Centre,marking its first interna onal event for 2022. We will con nue to adhere to the COVID-19 SOP and staying safe.

Parliamentary Delega on led by Hon. Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla visited the #IndiaPavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. H.E. Shri Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE, received the delega on.

The latest UFI Global Barometer is out now tracking the recovery of the exhibi on industry around the world as COVID based restric ons are being rolled back. One of the key messages for me: This year already, our industry expects to grow back to around 70% of our record year in 2019.

Travellers can arrive in Thailand by air, land, and water with the required prepaid accommoda on reduced to 1 night and the COVID-19 tests revised to 1 RT-PCR and 1 self-ATK. #Tourism Authority of Thailand #tourism

Noida Apparel Export Cluster (NAEC) and Buying Agent Associa on (BAA)/Sourcing Consultants Associa on together with SOWTEX has organized a networking event A ended by 100+ fashion buyers and co-supported by 15+ fabric, trims & tech companies.#Garmentmanufacturers , #ExportHouses

The latest areas to get the sparkling faceli are the Manimajra underpass and ISBT Sector 17-22 subway, spanning 14000 sq feet. The walls were inaugurated today by Amit Gossain, Managing Director, KONE Elevators India, Smt. Sarbjit Kaur, Mayor, Chandigarh, Anindita Mitra, IAS, Commissioner, Municipal Corpora on Chandigarh

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

India's Iconic Awards Initiative

EXHIBITION EXCELLENCE

AWARDS 2022 & EVENT SERVICES EXPO

HONORING UNSUNG HEROES

RESiLiENCE

LEADERSHiP

ADVOCACY

coming up this august

Quick Bytes

February 2022 APLF To Return In A Special Edition In Dubai

SurfaceTechnology Germany Returns To The Stuttgart Exhibition Centre After a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020, SurfaceTechnology GERMANY returns to the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre from 21 to 23 June 2022. SurfaceTechnology GERMANY is the main event for the surface technology industry as well as its users. “Despite the ongoing pandemic, we are looking forward to the event this summer and to seeing all the participating exhibitors, partners and attendees at SurfaceTechnology GERMANY in Stuttgart. Our exhibitors are in good spirits and the joy of being able to show solutions, products and services and network together, live, in June is overwhelming. For those companies and visitors who, for a variety of reasons, cannot actually attend the event in Stuttgart, we will make extended digital offerings available so that they, too, can be part of it. However, the focus of SurfaceTechnology GERMANY 2022 is clearly on a physical, on-site event,” says Hendrik Engelking, global director at Deutsche Messe. He took charge of SurfaceTechnology GERMANY, parts2clean, INTERSCHUTZ and LIGNA on 1 December.

After a gap of three years since its last edition in Hong Kong in 2019, the world’s leading international trade fair for the leather industry, APLF, is set to return as a Special Edition in Dubai, UAE, to be held at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) from 30 March – 1 April 2022. All three APLF fairs – Leather, Materials+ and Fashion Access – will take place concurrently covering the global supply chain of the leather, tanning and manufacturing industry. The Organisers estimate approximately 500 exhibiting companies occupying some 20,000 square meters of exhibition space with 15 national pavilions from Brazil, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Spain, Taiwan region, Turkey, UK and USA. With the support from WorldFootwear.com, topics will include how digital technology will impact design, manufacturing, logistics and sales of footwear. Co-organised with International Leather Maker, topics will also include tanning with bio-based chemicals, deforestation, biodegradability of leather, image of leather and the consumer, animal welfare and reducing the carbon footprint of leather.

Labelexpo Asia 2022 Show Dates Announced Tarsus Group, organizer of the Labelexpo Global Series, has announced that Labelexpo Asia 2022 will take place between June 28 and July 1, 2022 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Hongqiao, Shanghai.

Labelexpo Asia event director Kevin Liu said, "We look forward once again to welcoming exhibitors and visitors to the Asia-Pacific region’s leading label and package printing exhibition. For many converters this will be their first chance since the global pandemic began to actually see the latest machinery and software systems operating at the show." Running alongside Labelexpo Asia 2022 will be master classes on Self-adhesive Label Materials, and Inks, Coatings and Varnishes. A special pre-press training course will also take place. The China International Label & Package Printing Forum takes place on June 27, one day before Labelexpo Asia 2022 opens, organized by PPC (Package Printing Committee), one of Labelexpo Asia’s supporting industry associations.

Australia To Reopen Its Borders To International Tourists On Feb 21 Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday announced that the country will throw its borders open to fully vaccinated tourists from February 21. The reopening of Australian borders for international tourists will end after a hiatus of almost two years due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, one of the world’s longest-running pandemic travel restrictions. “It’s almost two years since we took the decision to close the borders to Australia,” Morrison told reporters. “Australia will reopen our borders to all remaining visa holders on the 21st of February of this year.” “The condition is you must be double vaccinated to come to Australia. That’s the rule. Everyone is expected to abide by it,” he added. The states, however, will continue to be able to set their own quarantine rules. Australia will be looking to boost its tourism industry with end of border restrictions for fully vaccinated foreign tourists. The hospitality sector Down Under has been hard-hit due to Covid-induced border restrictions and lockdowns, which was extended repeatedly in view of the emergence of new variants of concern. As hospitalizations and intensive care admissions continue to decline in most parts of the country, the authorities are gradually easing the restrictions.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2022

ITPO’s Flagship Event ‘AAHAR 2022’ To Commence From April 26 ne of the most awaited B2B event of India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), AAHAR 2022 – the International Food & Hospitality Fair will commence from April 26, 2022 at the newly build Halls (2,3,4,5 Ground & First floor) of the New Exhibition Complex in International Exhibition-cumConvention Centre (IECC) and existing Hall (7 to 12 & 12A) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

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AAHAR has the distinction of being the largest expo of the food and hospitality industry in the South- Asia region and has completed 35 glorious years. The show has grown by leaps & bounds in recent years and has become the ultimate -destination for global vendors and sourcing professionals to visit.

This fair is supported by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development Authority (APEDA) and apex industry associations, Apex support 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.

The broad display categories will include food and beverages, hospitality services, F&B equipment and allied sectors.

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AAHAR is the ideal platform for the food and hospitality industries to acquire new orders from the large numbers of buyers and sourcing executives visiting the expo.

This year, AAHAR is also committed to providing a platform to the Indian food industry (organic, processed, frozen segments, farm produce, beverages & spirits, hospitality, décor, food & technology, marine products, nutraceuticals, dairy, and aquaculture). It seeks to support ventures to explore new markets and provides linkages with buyers. AAHAR has huge visitor base that includes senior sourcing professionals from the diverse sectors of F&B industries for whom the expo serves as the annual sourcing destination.

Aahar provides ideal opportunities for brand and business expansion of participants and business visitors. Apart from the display of quality products, technologies & services to national and international buyers, the event offers avenues for networking with the industry

and establishing business contacts, launching new products, appointing agents & distributors, promoting company products, brand building, market research and gauge market trends. Aahar 2020, held in March 2020, despite the early signs of COVID-19 Pandemic attracted 700+ exhibitors including foreign participants from the USA, China, Italy, Poland, Turkey, Spain, Oman, South Korea, Thailand, UAE, Peru, Norway, Indonesia, Canada, Tunisia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. More than 40,000 visitors visited the fair, which speaks volumes about the potential of the fair for the buyers.

This year too, a large number of trade visitors are expected to visit the fair.

These include top echelons of the hotel and hospitality industry including CEOs, General Managers, Executive chefs, Executive House Keepers, Purchase Managers, F&B Manager etc. Besides, senior representatives from Centre and State Government, catering industry and academic institutions, hotel management professionals will also visit the fair.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2022

Growth-Oriented Budget Poised To Improve Ease Of Doing Business In India: Raj Manek, Messe Frankfurt India The focus on technology inclusion across multiple sectors was clearly visible in the 2022 budget and signifies a consistent, growth-oriented vision to improve ease of doing business. Additionally, the thrust on national transportation infrastructure development through modernising railways, highway expansions and battery swapping policy for EV sector can in the long run strengthen India’s position as a more investment-friendly destination, and boost the Indian auto industry and the

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EV ecosystem.

Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. The

Indian subsidiary, with a portfolio of 20 trade fair brands and over 30 conferences is actively involved in highgrowth sectors such as automotive, manufacturing, building technologies, textiles, consumer goods, and healthcare – while also addressing Auto and EV industry developments through its leading trade fair and conference brands such as the renowned ACMA Autonechanika New Delhi, Automotive Engineering Show, NGV India, and the recently launched E-Mobility India Forum.

IMTEX New Dates Announced fter taking cognizance of the prevailing situation of the global pandemic in India, the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA) has rescheduled its flagship event ‘IMTEX FORMING & Tooltech’. IMTEX FORMING 2022 & Tooltech 2022 along with Digital Manufacturing 2022 will be held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) from 16 - 21 June 2022.

Meanwhile, IMTEX with focus on metal cutting will be held in January 2023. IMTEX 2023 & Tooltech 2023 along with Digital Manufacturing will be held at BIEC from 19 - 25 January 2023.

with manufacturing industries resuming operations in full swing. The country is on path of realizing its growth targets.

IMTEX FORMING & Tooltech 2022 will be a strong enabler in ushering machine tool and manufacturing growth.

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Commenting on the decision to constantly reschedule its flagship exhibition, V. Anbu, Director General & CEO, IMTMA and BIEC said, “The decision was not easy for us. However, keeping in view the sentiments of the manufacturing industry stakeholders, we had to take this challenging step. On a

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brighter note, the decision would enable us to specifically focus on metal forming technologies in June 2022 while spotlight will be on metal cutting technologies in January 2023. The measure would also enable us to move back to our original calendar of holding metal cutting and metal forming shows in odd and even years respectively.”

Anbu added, “The time gap will give every stakeholder optimism, energy and new ideas to give IMTEX FORMING (in physical format) a successful restart after a prolonged gap. IMTMA foresees that the flagship exhibition will be a great booster to the growth of the manufacturing industry.” India’s economy is all set to accelerate further

About IMTMA Founded in 1946, IMTMA is one of the very few industry associations in India to complete 75 years. As the apex body of the machine tool industry in India, IMTMA has created indispensable national assets that are vital for the country’s economic and manufacturing growth. IMTMA by organizing IMTEX & Tooltech provides a platform to industries to build synergy and enhance business prospects. The Association also endeavours to reach out to the various geographical regions of India and enhance manufacturing capacities of industries by organizing regional machine tool expos in cities such as Delhi, Pune and Chennai.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2022

India at Expo 2020 Promotes Medical Value Travel s part of the ongoing Health Week, the India Pavilion at EXPO2020 hosted two sessions on Medical Value Travel (MVT) on January 28, wherein sectoral experts elaborated their views on the opportunities that the MVT sector holds and the rising role of telemedicine & Indian traditional medicine.

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The first session “Medical Value Travel Post Pandemic: Challenges & Opportunities” witnessed discussion on the opportunities and growth of the MVT industry in a post-pandemic environment. The speakers shared their thoughts on how the MVT industry in partnership with other emerging technology providers and the government can accelerate Tele-Health in India and at the global level.

Sharing his views, Mr Sunil H Talati, Chairman, Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) said, “Every year billions of people take advantage of medical tourism and medical travel for better treatment and appropriate medical attention. While pandemic has hit the sector badly, we expect India to gain around USD 13 billion business by treating international patients this year.

Both SEPC and the Government of India are extremely positive regarding the growth of MVT in the coming years.”

Addressing the audiences, Mr David Boucher, Group CSE, Aster DM Healthcare said, “The last two years have been really difficult for international medical travel because of the travel restrictions and ongoing pandemic. I believe that there is a huge pent-up demand, and we are very bullish on the market and the sector.”

The second session “Rising Role of

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Telemedicine & Indian Traditional Medicine in Medical Value Travel” emphasised on developing a strategy to integrate Telemedicine and Indian traditional medicine in India’s MVT services, defining its role, importance, and scope in accelerating MVT. The discussion underlined the importance of Telehealth in increasing patient access, improving outcomes, and delivering efficient healthcare to partner MVT countries.

Vaidya Sumeet Goel, OSD to Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, GoI said, “The Ministry of Ayush is working on various aspects to cater to the Medical Value Travel. We have recently started providing Ayurveda medical treatment in India under the medical visa category. Ayush Export Promotion Council has also been set up. The Ministry has started incentivising the entrepreneurs and foreign investors, who wanted to establish Ayush wellness centre or tertiary care centre under the Champion Services Sector Scheme.”

“We are also working with the Bureau of Indian Standards to develop standards for Medical Value Travel in AYUSH systems, which will be at the level of ISO so that we can have global level standardization,” added Vaidya Goel. Ms Upasana Arora, Healthcare

Panel Head, SEPC & Director, Yashoda Hospitals participated in the session virtually and said, “India has proven itself during COVID-19 and has done a tremendous job in vaccination front despite huge population. From manufacturing vaccines to providing medical consultation through telemedicine, we have proved that India is the best place for healthcare facilities.

I urge everyone to consider India as the best medical destination for all kinds of treatments not only in modern medicine but through traditional medicine as well.”

The discussions also saw participation from eminent sector experts like Major Tom Louis, CEO (Projects), VPS Health & Response Plus Medicals, Mr Sandeep Vohra, Chief Executive, Roseview Investment & Advisors, UAE & Representative for HTI, UAE, Ms Lydia Oile – CEO, Le memorial, Uganda, Ms Leila Kresic Juric – HTI – Belgium, Mr Vinay Aggarwal – Founder & MD, Shinon Global, Ms Inna Dashchenkomy, Co-Founder, Medtour Club – Ukraine, Mr Lutz Lungwitz -President, German Medical & Wellness Association, Mr Shaaz Mahmood, Founder, Medijourn, VPS Delegate – Dubai & Mr Danish Khan, Founder, CureStay.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2022

Gartex Texprocess India Set To Mark Its Mumbai Debut In May 2022 fter a spectacular return in December 2021, the much-awaited Mumbai launch of Gartex Texprocess India and Denim Show will take place from 12 – 14 May 2022 at the Jio World Convention Centre in BKC, Mumbai.

Taking centre stage this year will be the show’s ‘Fabrics and Trims’ segment along with the co-located Screen Print India exhibition.

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As one of the most trusted textile and garment machinery exhibitions in the country, Gartex Texprocess India offers the industry a platform to bring forth industry innovations, hold creative and collaborative discussions with potential buyers and leverage the textile industry’s strong professional network. Innovative products and technologies, defining latest trends in the industry, will be showcased to the visitors through focused concurrent platforms such as Denim Show, Fabrics & Trims Show and Screen Print India during the three days.

While the focus segments under Gartex Texprocess India will draw attention to innovations in garmenting and apparel machinery, Screen Print

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India will track technological advances in digital textile and screen-printing technologies expanding the machinery showcase. Owing to rapid technological changes, leading brands will conduct live demos of their latest technological offerings in screen printing, digital sublimation, heat transfer and textile printing, garment decoration to potential business visitors and traders.

Fabrics are the pivot around which the entire garment manufacturing industry gyrates and trims add to the aesthetics meant for functional and commercial requirements. As fashion evolves, the need for variety in every aspect of garmenting increases, and the ‘Fabrics & Trims Show’ is a much-needed platform for bringing different fabrics, trimmings,

embellishments and accessories on one plate.

The denim industry in India has evolved significantly with ever-changing fashion trends making its way into other utility-driven products. With strong support from the Denim Manufacturers Association, the platform will celebrate the coming together of India’s biggest brands and denim mills. Innovative, fashionable, sustainable will define the Denim Show as the industry will get together to showcase their prowess at the Mumbai launch.

Jointly organised by Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd and Mex Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, the platform will also host a series of insightful sessions on the latest developments in textile, garment machinery and screen printing with the objective to encourage investments, new market development and enable India to be a globally competitive textile manufacturing destination.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2022

Convergence India Expo And Co-Located Shows Scheduled For March 23-25, 2022 he 29th edition of Convergence India Expo along with co-located expos: 7th Smart Cities India Expo, Internet of Things India Expo, EmbeddedTech India Expo, Mobile India Expo, Fintech India Expo, and Digital Gaming India Expo are scheduled to be held from March 23-25, 2022, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. While Exhibitions India Group and India Trade Promotion Organisation are the organizers, Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council is the coorganizer and CCPIT Electronics & Information Industry Sub-Council is the official partner.

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The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), the nodal agency of the Government of Kerala for promoting entrepreneurship

in Kerala is the start-up partner. KSUM is also the implementing body for the Kerala Technology Startup Policy that supports the state’s startup ecosystem through the various schemes and support programs. UN-Habitat which works in over 90 countries to promote transformative change in cities and human settlements through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action is a supporting partner.

The co-located shows will provide a valuable opportunity for industry leaders to deliberate on latest trends and disruptions impacting various industry verticals. Redefining the digital landscape of India, the Convergence India 2022 expo, has grown to become one of the most influential expos in India by successfully hosting cuttingedge exhibitions and concurrent conferences.

Launched in 1992, the Convergence India series of expos is widely credited as a leading exhibition in India, in the realms of technology. The expo aims to bring together, under one roof, the latest technology innovations and trends from the Telecom and Mobile industry, Broadcast and Digital Media, and Embedded System as well as emerging technologies & enterprise solutions.

MAG World Expo To Showcase The Latest Mobile Accessories And Gadgets resented by Virgo Communications & Exhibitions, MAG World Expo was conceptualized to provide a great platform for the global industry players to showcase their brands and the latest products and technologies to the entire distributor and retailer community in an apt business environment. The event is scheduled to be held from 10th to 12th March 2022 at the KTPO exhibition Centre, Whitefield, Bengaluru, India.

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An annual event conceptualised to be held in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India, MAG World Expo 2022 will

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display different type of mobile devices and a number of dependent products like mobile accessories, IOT gadgets, smart wearables, camera and related accessories, bluetooth devices, CCTV & surveillance systems, android connectors, gaming modules, VR technology and much more. It is predicted that by 2022 India will have over 830 million smartphone users, making it one of the largest smartphone markets in the world.

The Indian subcontinent is one of the biggest & fastest growing markets for the mobile phone & accessories industry with a growth rate of 17% YoY. This industry has witnessed a surge of 26 %

amounting to the shipments of 38.8 million units of smartphones in Q1 2021.The rapidly increasing use of smartphones and mobile-enabled devices is a major factor in boosting the demand for mobile accessories and gadgets in India. This trend is expected to continue for several years to come as India continues to witness digitisation that is not only changing the lives of the urban population but creating a massive change in the lives of the rural population as well.

The market for mobile accessories in India is expected to reach INR 35,000 crores ( USD 3.54 Bn) by the end of 2024 growing at a CAGR of 10.5% .

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2022

Hon’ble Justice Shri Arun Kumar Mishra Releases NBT’s Book Environmental Renaissance on’ble Justice Shri Arun Kumar Mishra, Chairperson NHRC, released National Book Trust, India’s latest book ‘Environmental Renaissance’ in the presence of Shri Mahesh Chandra Pant, Chancellor National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, Prof. Govind Prasad Sharma, Chairman NBT, Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director NBT in NBT Headquarters, New Delhi on 15 February, 2022.

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Releasing the book, Chief Guest Hon’ble Justice, Shri Arun Kumar Mishra, Chairperson NHRC said that it is the moral responsibility of every individual to conserve the environment as unbridled development at the cost of the environment will only result in the extinction of the human race. He said that books on such crucial topics should also be translated in Hindi as well as other regional languages and as the nation’s biggest publisher, this responsibility falls on NBT’s shoulders.

Guest of Honour Shri Mahesh Chandra Pant, Chancellor National

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Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, and former Chairman, NIOS, in his address commended the author for bringing a new perspective on this pressing topic. He said that the environment is a hot topic of discussion around the world yet no concrete steps are taken to put these thoughts into action. He said that sensitization is required at the grassroot level and that it can be achieved by teaching students about our dependence on nature by practical means.

Prof. Govind Prasad Sharma, Chairman, NBT, in his welcome address emphasized how NBT has been a forerunner in presenting a platform to young authors of India to publish books on topics of global importance. He said that the book Environmental Renaissance not just brings forth issues of concern but also

provides practical solutions that the reader can follow at individual level.

Author of the book, Shri Niranjan Dev Bhardwaj said that the authoritarian approach of humans in respect to the environment needs to make way for a more eco-centric approach so that we can leave a cleaner, healthier and more prosperous planet for our future generations.

Shri Yuvraj Malik, Director, NBT, while expressing his gratitude to all the esteemed guests, complimented the author on presenting his observations on the environmental crisis in an uncomplicated manner. He also assured that NBT will look into translating this title in other Indian languages. Published by National Book Trust, India, the book ‘Environmental Renaissance’ aims to re-establish this connection by asking the reader to take a step back from greed, carelessness, unethical approaches towards Earth.

This book serves as a great stepping stone for environment conservation and readers will be encouraged to look into the environment with compassion and figure out that their moral duty and responsibility to protect the environment.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

February 2022

The Confederation Of Indian Industry Announces The 11th Edition Of EXCON 1th edition of EXCON, South Asia's largest construction equipment and construction technology trade fair, will take place at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru from May 17 – 21, 2022.

EXCON 2021 will feature a 5-day international exhibition spread across a display area of 3,00,000 sq. mtrs. Excon 2021 will be attracting over 1000+ exhibitors including 400 companies with country participation from China, Finland, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Turkey, UK & USA.

Shetty, chairman, Excon 2021 & MD, JCB India.

1

The key elements which will have enhanced focus in EXCON 2021 this year will be on the alignment of its theme – “Building India for a New World – Competitiveness, Growth, Sustainability, Technology”.

Some of the highlights of EXCON

includes exclusive focus on alternate fuels, women in infrastructure, AI pavilion, finance plaza besides sustainability, MSMEs, digital transformation, among others.

“EXCON is happening at a time when our economy is on the path of transition towards a 'New India' and there is renewed confidence among industry players on the revival of economy against the backdrop of robust policy measures and major thrust on infrastructure development by the government of India”, said Deepak

With major announcements in the Union Budget this year including the construction of 25,000 km additional national highways, EXCON will play an important role in the adoption of world class technologies for speedy implementation of infrastructure projects in the country, he added.

Dimitrov Krishnan, co-chairman, EXCON 2021 & president, ICEMA said that the Indian CE industry, being the 3rd largest market in the world, currently holds a prominent position in the global CE landscape. Government of India's ambitious Rs 111 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline would augur well for the Indian construction equipment industry to become the 2nd largest CE market in the world, with a size of $25 billion by 2030.

In-store Asia Moves To A New Venue he 13th in-store asia will take place from 29 June to 01 July 2022 in Mumbai.

It is the largest trade fair for retail design and instore marketing on the Indian subcontinent and since 2018 has been a member of the international family of trade fairs of EuroShop, World's No. 1 Retail Trade Fair, in Düsseldorf. After pandemic postponements, in-store asia will now take place for the first time this summer at the new Jio World Centre, located in Mumbai's central business district, Bandra Kurla Complex.

relevant to the Indian market, the presentation of the prestigious VM&RD Awards, honoring talent in retail design and visual merchandising, and the VM Challenge, a live storefront competition among top visual merchandisers that is unique in India.

T

The in-store asia not only brings

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together all the leading providers of solutions specifically for the retail industry from India, but also international companies looking to gain a foothold in India's ever-growing retail market.

In addition, there will be a retail congress discussing topics specifically

The last in-store asia 2019 saw the participation of 120 exhibitors showcasing their products and solutions in POS Displays, Shopper Marketing, Retail Technology, Signage & Digital Printing, Retail Design, Visual Merchandising, Lighting and Material & Equipment, attracting 7,000 trade visitors.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

ASSOCIATION

CORPORATE BUZZ

IACLS

India Associations & Corporate Leadership Summit

ASSOCIATI

LEADERS

LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Recognizing the leading associa ons for the outstanding contribu ons in serving their industry

CONFERENCE

Power-packed sessions and panel discussions by renowned speakers on wide ranging topics

NETWORKING

Build your business network by engaging with key stakeholders from leading associa ons and corporate

H AWARDS

PROFESSIONAL/TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

N

IP

BRINGING TOGETHER LEADING

O

20 April 2022 II Expo Centre Noida, Delhi/NCR

AND CORPORATE ON ONE PLATFORM TO DISCUSS, FELICITATE , COLLABORATE AND NETWORK FOR A BETTER FUTURE Consul ng Partner

Supported By

IACL Summit Esteemed Advisory Board Members

#IACLS

Bringing Together Industry Associations To Learn, Network & Engage

SUNIL SETHI

P. UDAYAKUMAR

DR. ASIF IQBAL

SANDIP DAS

JYOTI MAYAL

Director - P&M, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC)

President, Indian Economic Trade Organisation

Dy. Director General, Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI)

President, Travel Agents Association Of India (TAAI)

Chairperson, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI)

AMARESH TIWARI

BARUN GUPTA

RENU SHARMA

RONJON LAHIRI

TARANG KHOSLA

Vice Chair, India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB)

President, SITE India

VP, People of Indian Origin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PIOCCI)

Ex. ADG, Ministry of Tourism

Special Editor, Exhibition Showcase Magazine

DR. MANOHAR SAJNANI

JANAKIRAM SHANKAR

J SHEKHAR

J GUNA SEKARAN

Dean, Amity University

Director General, Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Government Relation and Policy at Federation of Indian Export Organisations

Consultant, Ministry of Commerce & Industries

Esteemed Speakers at IACL Summit 2022

RISHABH C. KOTHARI President - Fragrances & Flavours Association of India

SONIA PRASHAR Deputy Director General, Indo German Chamber of Commerce

ISHWAR GILADA President, AIDS Society of India

DAYAKER REDDY Immediate Past President, IPAMA

INDRAJIT GHOSH Global Chairman, MSME Chamber of Commerce And Industry of India

MAHAVIR PRATAP SHARMA Chair, TiE India Angels

#IACLS

Why India Associations & Corporate Leadership Summit?

4

+

Acclaimed Supporting Bodies

25

+

Visionary Speakers

24

+

Distinct Award Categories

Industry associa ons - both trade & professional as well as various trade bodies play a cri cal role in promo ng the cause of their respec ve industry by genera ng business opportuni es for their thousands of corporate members.

There are over 1000 ac ve associa ons in India across various domains and such associa ons are one of the most significant harbingers of MICE business for both na onal as well as interna onal markets.

Similarly, Corporate organiza ons & MSMEs are the most important stakeholders in business travel & MICE business.

It is therefore significant to bring various industry associa ons, trade bodies and corporate stakeholders together on one pla orm to understand their concerns & thought process on various issues.

Over 300 associa on heads, EPC’s, trade bodies, corporate MSME's, and professional MICE stakeholders including event organisers & PCOs will a end the IACL summit scheduled on 20 April 2022 at the Expo Centre Noida.

300

+

Association & Corporate Stakeholders

A unique event on na onal associa ons

Meet key associa on heads

Make long las ng business connec ons

For more informa on and par cipa on op ons at IACL Summit, please visit www.associa onbuzz.in/iacl-summit

Cover Story

February 2022

I would generally define successful events as customer centric, purposeful, measured, impactful and value-giving

2022: Year Of Comeback In Conversa on With Chloe Richardson, VP Senior Corporate Rela ons at Explori ES. Let's kick off this interview with some words about Explori. How does Explori distinguish itself from other companies?

Chloe Richardson. Explori is just exceptional at what it does and has a fantastic reputation. I was completely blown away by its customer experience-centric philosophy, which is what really made the thought of joining the team so exciting.

Everyone in our industry knows the buzz of events; how it makes you feel as you walk across the show floor; learning, sharing stories, networking and engaging with your peers and target audience. But actually, capturing and tangibly demonstrating the impact of those behaviours and perceptions has been an ongoing challenge. And once you do figure out how to track everything, how do you turn that into

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something actionable, insightful and impactful? Explori has cracked measuring event value through deliberately defined metrics. As a world-leading event research, analytics and measurement tool, we are able to marry human sentiment and data to create something really meaningful… which I think is what the industry is all about, and why I fell in love with Explori in the first place.

ES. How did you get here, and what are your most remarkable professional achievements?

Chloe Richardson. “How did I get here?” is a question I often ask myself! My first foray in the events world was at 19, as I was president of the largest university halls in Europe and given a huge budget to put on two weeks of events for the thousands of students I represented. After a manic fortnight

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Cover Story

February 2022 success of the industry, especially in light of COVID-19?

of no sleep, operational fire-fighting and last-minute venue problems, I caught the bug and would never look back. Fast forward to graduation and I was onsite at the Toy Fair at Olympia, interpreting for French-speaking exhibitors. Then followed years of event management, commercial development, strategy creation for exhibition organisers, founding businesses and presenting thought-leading content both virtually and in-person. It has certainly been quite the journey. It's hard to define the most remarkable professional achievement (most days I think we are all remarkable for making it through the last 24 months somehow!), but one of my proudest moments was probably back in 2017, when I ran my own small exhibition from start to finish, managing everything from the marketing to the onsite operations, just so that I could make sure I had experienced every single challenge that my partners and then-clients may have to face.

I only gave myself around 7 weeks to pull it off, but it was a profitable success(!) and I had such great feedback from exhibitors, sponsors and attendees. Not sure I would do it again (another occasion of huge sleep deprivation!) but it taught me so much that I continue to use every day.

ES. Having more than a decade of experience in the events industry, how do you feel that your past experience will drive Explori's success in the corporate space?

Chloe Richardson. I've seen Explori do so much to support the industry over the last couple of years, from education and sharing industry findings, to more in-depth work on specific events, portfolios and projects with organizers. Watching Explori deliver insights at so many industry events was a huge benefit to me personally, and many of my event peers. We've all no doubt witnessed the fantastic Sophie Holt, Explori MD, presenting thought-provoking stuff virtually or in-person over the last 24 months, and this gave such phenomenal value against the turbulent backdrop of everything else that was going on in the world. Explori also launched not-forprofit VSef, an agreed-upon data format for virtual event platforms and organizers, which is run for the benefit of the industry. Developed collaboratively, VSef helps data move more freely between platforms, BI tools, CRM tools and marketing systems. It sets out detailed standards for a range of event metrics and engagement KPIS, and how those data points should be formatted for easy transfer between systems.

All in the name of eliminating siloed data that creates barriers to learning, progress and a better event experience!

If anyone wants to know more about that, check out www.vsef.io.

ES. Could you share some of the recent findings of Explori, which you believe is an important document reflecting industry trends since COVID-19?

Chloe Richardson. Some of the most interesting Explori findings over the last few months have been around pre/postpandemic event trends, and there are three that I think are worth highlighting today. First of all, our research team spent time in 2021 looking at the relationship between getting strong attendee feedback scores and the future growth of a show or event in terms of attendee numbers. Interestingly, but not a huge surprise to us, there is definitely a relationship

Chloe Richardson. Great question! I hope to support Explori's phenomenal growth by bringing a unique relationship-building and content-driven commercial approach to the corporate arm of the business. I've been working with corporates throughout my entire event career, either as partners, exhibitors or clients, and have a deep understanding of their challenges - and also some of the possible opportunities - in this space.

ES. The future of events is something that is of paramount importance today. How has Explori been instrumental to the

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Cover Story

February 2022

on a macro level between Explori KPI event data, and the average YoY changes in event participation. Put simply, those events that were above Explori benchmarks in terms of success metrics, see, on average, higher attendance the following year; in comparison, those events that fall short of our benchmarks see attendee numbers that are typically flat, or even slightly lower, in the next edition The second trend, and one we have recently communicated to the market, is what we have seen with the customer experience scores from events that have returned in-person since the pandemic. We are starting to see that scores are higher than they were pre-pandemic, as despite the number of attendees falling, the ratings for the quality of attendees have increased. In short, there is a general trend that whilst noting that attendances are lower, events are attracting a more focused, relevant group of visitors.

Finally, in 2022 we expect to see more feedback collection of all stages of a customer journey from event organizers. As the landscape changes, and stakeholder expectations develop, event leaders are wanting to understand the pain points in the journey, and where they are susceptible to losing attendees and exhibitors along the way. This trend is also reflective of brands increasingly rolling out aa 365 relationship with their customers – and as such, a single point-in-time feedback measure, at the end of an event, becoming insufficient.

ES. Corporate market-facing events offer organizations an

unbeatable opportunity to retain their best customers. In your definition, what are the characteristics of a successful event?

Chloe Richardson. Personally, I would generally define successful events as customer-centric, purposeful, measured, impactful and value-giving... but, those are pretty vague success metrics.

It's really important to emphasise that successful events, by definition, depend on having pre-defined objectives.

Whether it be ROI, ROE (return on engagement), a certain number of follow-ups booked or an NPS target, an event can never be successful if you haven't pre-defined what success looks like. For example, an organization might be running an internal training session for their marketing department, of which the target success metrics would look very different to those of a large, annual customer-facing flagship event.

Going back to the things I love about Explori, one is its ability to help event organizers contextualize their success against industry benchmarks based on common success metrics, which have evolved from how external stakeholders (customers, attendees, etc) define success. This is where customer-centric success really comes in; it's one thing to say, “we scheduled so many meetings, so this was a successful event”, but it's quite another to be able to say, “our attendees really value their interactions, and our event is in a robust position for withstanding an increasingly competitive

The message I would like to share with young women in our industry is simple: HAVE CONFIDENCE

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Cover Story

February 2022 ES. What according to you are learnings from this pandemic? How are you preparing to function in the new normal?

Chloe Richardson. There are probably too many learnings for us to cover in this interview today, so I'll pick one that's less obvious and more personal, to avoid repeating what most of us in the industry already know! I've learnt that being too proud, and having pride, are two completely different things.

You should always have pride in your achievements and determination, but you should never be too proud to change direction. That change in direction is often where the most exciting journeys take you and being too proud can hold you back from really achieving your full potential.

ES. What message would you like to share with the industry?

market”. That is what corporate market-facing events should be all about.

Chloe Richardson. I am really excited about the future of our industry and 2022 is going to be the year that we can utilize all our pandemic learnings effectively; making sure we leverage the right tools, processes and resources to put the customer experience back at the heart of everything we do. If we remember all we've learnt about the ever-changing landscape of expectation, as we define objectives, measure engagement, understand our audience behaviours and perceptions, and do this in a sustainable way, I can't wait to see our business influence grow within our respective organizations, and society as a whole.

ES. You were in the news for in the exhibition industry's 30Under30 list in 2020, as well as featuring on Glisser's Most Influential Women in the Events Industry and Most Influential People in Virtual Events lists in 2021, among many other accolades. In an effort to inspire young women who want to succeed in the industry, please let us know what message you would like to convey to them?

Chloe Richardson. This is actually something we talked about in depth last week during a roundtable on women in events at the PCMA Convening Leaders event in Las Vegas.

There are so many things that we need to do as an industry to further support the empowerment of women, particularly those with ambitions to climb the organizational ladder and become the next CEO or Global Head of Events.

The message I would like to share with young women in our industry is simple: Have confidence. We shouldn't still be experiencing it, but you are going to come across others that might deem your passion and efficiency to be aggression or emotion. Try not to let it deter you. Ask for that raise.

Discuss that promotion. Articulate that idea. Back yourself, because you're incredibly capable, and they'll get it eventually.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

February 2022

In Conversation With Heiko M. Stutzinger

COO, Royal Jaarbeurs | VNU Group

There's a reason why the Jaarbeurs | VNU Group has excelled in this industry for so long – it's because we continue to innovate and look for new solutions to the everchanging market place ES. You have assumed charge as the new COO, Jaarbeurs | VNU Group from 1st December 2021. How have you managed your onboarding process so far and what are your goals and vision for the company?

Heiko M. Stutzinger. Yes, I recently moved from being MD of VNU Asia Pacific to Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs | VNU Group, which also involved relocating from Thailand to Utrecht/the Netherlands. My onboarding started back in November - I was given a warm welcome by my predecessor and team and inducted into the organization very smoothly. Even though I’ve been with the company for three years, it’s a very different role, so I’ve been acquainting myself with the new organizational structure, processes, systems, operations and challenges afoot, and most importantly – meeting my new team as well as first key stakeholder meetings outside the company. For me, onboarding is about learning as much as I can, while at the same time immediately adding value to the teams.

In terms of goals and vision - my current focus is to oversee and drive the implementation of our ambitious post-pandemic growth strategy, which underpins the company’s commitment to sustainability, digital and technological innovation, employee wellbeing and overall business growth.

Expect to see exciting things from the group in the months ahead.

ES. Tell us about your first introduction to the exhibition industry. Please share with us your past experiences and achievements that shaped your journey as a successful leader in this industry?

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Heiko M. Stutzinger. After roles in top management consultancies, I joined Messe Düsseldorf in 2008 as an Account Manager. A role combining sales and business development. It's here where I first realized that the trade show business was my true calling and - at the same time where I could build a solid base for my future career.

Milestones at Messe Düsseldorf were the establishment of a glass show in India, as well as launching an international event series in the energy storage business in Germany, China, USA, Japan and India. In 2015 I was asked to help restructure the operations of Messe Düsseldorf in China. As Deputy GM, I managed 70 people over three offices covering 16 domestic Chinese exhibitions as well as 30 shows in overseas markets.

After successfully restructuring the company through an amazing team effort, most of our shows broke records in year four of the intensive turnaround project. That's when I got the call from Jaarbeurs | VNU for the regional MD role in Bangkok, which started in February 2019. Shortly after that, I additionally took leadership of the VIV worldwide event portfolio as well as the VNU Exhibitions Europe operations as fully owned legal entity of Jaarbeurs B.V. flying back and forth between Bangkok and Utrecht to manage both teams. As with anything in life, I think the key to success is being passionate about what you do and give it your absolute everything. I am very driven and committed, my goal is to add value in every interaction. My personal mission in one word is 'growth'. Helping projects and teams,

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companies and businesses to grow, and ultimately, to encourage every individual team member to be their best. I feel very privileged to work in an industry that I genuinely love and have such committed and passionate teams around me.

ES. What do you think makes a successful show? Could you please share with us the success story of your recently held shows?

Heiko M. Stutzinger. My ethos is “Less conversation, more action” and it's a philosophy I subscribe to. There is a time for thinking and analytics, and there is a time for action. A time for making things happen and be able to learn and adjust along the way - be flexible and agile. At the same time, trade shows are about creating superior experiences for exhibitors, visitors and stakeholders. So, we must show a commitment to service, showcase quality and infuse that spirit in those around us.

Last but not least, what are our shows about? They're about learning, networking and deal-making. We provide platforms to make this possible. And our platforms need to stay up to date and keep evolving and innovating. There's a reason why the Jaarbeurs | VNU Group has excelled in this industry for so long – it's because we continue to innovate and look for new solutions to the ever-changing market place. So, in summary, for me a successful show is a combination of learning, networking and deal-making and attracting the relevant community and content of the industries at our

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

February 2022 that we continue to use. It’s a true credit to the PCO team who has been doing this in challenging circumstances and with a small team, whilst still taking responsibility for all our other conference driven topics.

ES. How many other projects do you expect to launch in the coming years? Do you have any other expansion plans?

Heiko M. Stutzinger. We’re always looking at new and innovative ways to grow the business, always with our ear to the ground. Right now, as we are still in the wake of a global pandemic and the disruption it has caused (and continues to cause), our immediate focus is on the various topics we have launched in the last years and bring these to growth.

events. All of that delivered by a passionate and driven team who goes the extra mile and delivers high service and experience quality in a safe environment. And do that show by show, year by year and keep learning, adjusting, growing!

ES. Influence has long been the key to successful leadership.

What artistic influences have stayed with you the longest?

Heiko M. Stutzinger. I've been extremely privileged to work with some of the great leaders of our industry, including Hans Werner Reinhard at Messe Düsseldorf and Albert Arp, our former Group CEO at Jaarbeurs | VNU. Both are crucial leaders who helped fast-track my learning, trusting me to do the job and providing great mentorship. Critical thinking is an essential skill any leader is well versed in, but to become a problem solver, you need to be given the opportunity to tackle challenges head on. If anything has stayed with me, it's the importance of empowering teams to stay agile, be brave and make their own decisions without too much red tape in the way.

ES. How was VNU Asia Pacific’s PCO-Team (Professional Conference Organizer) instrumental in delivering service by physical conferences as well as online/virtual formats and/or webinars?

ES. Wrapping up the unprecedented 2020-2021, we are looking forward to the upcoming year with great hopes.

What are your expectations for 2022?

Heiko M. Stutzinger. I greatly share this optimistic outlook! I believe 2022 is going to be a very promising year, - although not without its challenges. We’re now coming through the other end of this pandemic and learning to adjust to the new normal. With this comes fresh challenges – or as I like to see it – new opportunities. How can we move forward in a Covid-secure way? What can we do better as an industry?

What have we learnt from the past months? How can we meet the changing needs of our employees and customers and create trust in our platforms? How can we deliver substantial value add for our exhibitors and visitors with our digital offerings? These are just some of the questions I constantly ask myself and my team. After many restrictions in place, and now with a large number of the public vaccinated, there’s a feeling that we must get back to some normality. I wish that Dutch policy makers will follow the example of other European countries and open up further. It’s great to see that Thailand has this month reintroduced the ‘Test & Go’ scheme. In part,

Heiko M. Stutzinger. The whole team at VNU Asia Pacific is super talented and experienced and our PCO team is a real diamond in building conferences; physically, and more recently virtually. Although my focus now is on our global operation, from my time at VNU Asia Pacific, I know just how brilliantly responsive they are. When the industry came to a standstill in early 2020, I saw first-hand how the team pivoted to find new ways to bring people together again. Within weeks they were setting up online webinars and migrating in-person events to digital versions.

And whilst most of this was initially a temporary measure, it turned out to be rather successful in creating a blueprint

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

February 2022

exhibitions and trade events have already returned with a great sense of optimism, we need to get our teams and the entire organization to master the restart; not an easy task to accomplish having staff shortages and our high service standards in mind. However, we will crack this and continue to focus on our sustainability agenda and digital transformation roadmap, as online offerings and 365-dayscommunuty platforms continue to play their important part.

ES. South East Asia is one of the most important growth drivers of the global economy. According to you, what key trends are emerging in the MICE industry?

Heiko M. Stutzinger. Yes, absolutely agree, just looking at the data is fascinating: 655m people are living in SEA with 46% of them in urban areas and large cities, which means there are 140 million more consumers in SEA than in the EU. Also, other indicators such as lower median age, rising middle class, higher average regional GDP growth rates are key drivers that will fuel event platforms in SEA over the next years. I strongly believe, that the MICE industry can return to pre-covid strength over the next 2-3 years. Some of the key trends I think we will continue to see globally involve digital solutions as well as tackling sustainability issues.

ES. Are you re-evaluating any of your current projects based on the current situation? What are your current goals and how they align with your strategy and current business environment?

Heiko M. Stutzinger. It's best practice to constantly review projects – not just to make sure you're delivering, but to also see if there are better, more efficient ways of operating. As part of our Jaarbeurs 'nine-point' business strategy, we have a

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number of benchmarks and objectives to meet, and we're constantly looking at how we can function more productively and efficiently as a business.

As with before, our current goals are to continue leading the way in innovation with sustainability and safety at the fore.

Since our latest business strategy was devised in response to the pandemic, all our objectives align with the current business environment. Also, the new Jaarbeurs venue strategy keeps being pushed forward as a long-term game changer for our operations in the Netherlands.

ES. Each of us strikes balance between our own enrichment and depletion which is critical to our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. On a personal note, we would like to know, how do you manage your professional and personal life?

What keeps you busy when you are away from work?

Heiko M. Stutzinger.

Agreed - wellbeing is very important. I find that in order to be successful at my job, I must strike a balance between my professional and personal life. Of course, that's not always easy when you're working with teams in different time zones, and especially now at the onboarding phase where there's a lot of urgent requests. But I try to set the example that it's important to take time-out too.

I find that daily meditation and sports really helps me to reset. In Bangkok you could find me biking or playing golf and tennis. However, since these are all outdoor sports, I haven't yet gotten into a good rhythm since arriving in the Netherlands! It's definitely on my to do list once onboarding is complete, and spring and sunshine break through the clouds.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

February 2022

Communication Is A Basic Need Of The Human Being And Telecom Industry Provides The Same ES. Please give us an idea about your professional background and your role as Director of Association of Competitive Telecom Operators (ACTO).

Tapan K Patra. I am in telecom sector for last 29 years. Prior to ACTO, I had worked with Government, Indian Companies and Global MNC. As Director at ACTO, I am responsible to work with Government and regulatory bodies for resolving regulatory/licensing/policy related issues on NLD/ILD/ISP/UL-VNO licenses and to facilitate the deployment of new technologies like M2M/IoT and Cloud etc.

Tapan K Patra Director, Association of Competitive Telecom Operators (ACTO)

ES. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the telecoms and infrastructure market?

ES. In such a challenging voice world, do you think there is an increasing need to change the way you serve your customers, with more automation and self-serve tools to improve efficiency?

Tapan K Patra. Automation and use of tools in the work place not only increases the efficiency of the system but also provides robust evidence by keeping the record of every actions and thereby fixing the accountability.

ES. In such a challenging environment, what do you think has been and will continue to be the key to ACTO’s success?

Tapan K Patra. ACTO being a leading industry association has played important role through advocacy with the Government to facilitate WFH by getting relaxation and doing away with the stringent requirements existed prior to COVID-19 pandemic. Last few years, ACTO had successfully worked with DOT/TRAI to have simplified guidelines for Other Service Providers (OSP) those provide the BPO/KPO services in India. ACTO is working with DOT/TRAI for the ease of doing business and for the further reform in the telecom licensing framework.

ES. What about this industry intrigues you?

Tapan K Patra. Since last two years, we are in COVID-19 pandemic. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, maintaining distance – in a way physical isolation is one of the key factors.

Telecom along with the IT infrastructure inherently provides the virtual closeness to meet the various requirements keeping the physical isolation. Thus telecom & IT infrastructure has enormously helped to the business continuity, various requirements of people, Government, Industry, Education and Medical requirements etc. As a result, telecom industry has not only helped but also gained during the pandemic. More emphasis has been put to further enhance the telecom infrastructure across the globe.

ES. Has anything changed from a legal and regulatory perspective?

Tapan K Patra. COVID-19 pandemic has changed from regulatory perspective in India as well in many other countries. Policy/ regulatory requirements have been modified to facilitate Work From Home (WFM). Earlier, there were very stringent requirement from the Government for WFH like Bank guarantee, static IP and prior approval for location etc and those conditions have been done away with or relaxed. Worldwide, WFM is a new norm now.

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Tapan K Patra. Communication is a basic need of the human being and telecom industry provides the same. I am in the telecom industry from the beginning of my professional career and had also interest in it from my student phase of life. I have been in the part of the many developments of this industry like from electro mechanical switch to fully IP based digital system.

ES. What other issues does ACTO plan to address in the industry?

Tapan K Patra. ACTO is working with many issues but recently we are focussing on the ease of doing business and for the further reform in the telecom licensing framework.

ES. Finally, what is your vision for the industry?

Tapan K Patra. Telecom is an important industry. It facilitates many aspects of the people to make ease of living.

In order to make it happen, major reform in the telecom licensing and removal of various regulatory restrictions are essential for the growth of this industry as well as for further investment in this sector. I would like to see this to happen in next few year time.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Message

February 2022

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT SUNIL MORE INDIAN EXIBITIONS, CONFERENCES & EVENTS SERVICES ASSOCIATION

You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.

IT refunds and some procedural changes.

Dear friends, If you recall, I had mentioned in my previous message that we as an industry must not look at the Government for sops and rather look inward to hold on during this difficult period as the Government was more seized with the problem of addressing larger issues like rising fuel prices, unemployment, pandemic crisis etc. I feel, it was difficult for the Government to look at micro levels and instead concentrate on the larger picture.

During the past one year, IEIA, EEMA, IESA and other industry bodies made various representations on behalf of the industry; mainly amongst them were related to starting the business by releasing funds for the Government projects, GST and

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The Union Budget presented by Smt. Nirmala Seetharaman, Hon’ble Union Minister for Finance on 1st February 2022, made no specific mention of the Events Industry neither any concessions given to the industry. In fact, no specific industry concerns were addressed in the Budget speech apart from focus on MSMEs, though separate stimulus package for MSMEs was not given.

I see following announcements related to MSMEs, which may be useful for events industry, mentioned by the Hon’ble FM in her speech: Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) has been extended up to March 2023 from March 2022 to help much-needed additional credit to more than 130 lakh MSMEs. An additional amount of Rs 50,000 crores for the hospitality and related industry.Revamping of the Credit Guarantee Trust for Micro

and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme with the required infusion of funds.Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) programme.

The industry stalwarts though have expressed that these initiatives were unlikely to help the industry as the industry was looking forward to onetime waiver or at least a moratorium of loans or interest like large industries. The tourism industry also welcomed additional amount given for the hospitality and related industry, but said it will not solve the immediate problem of survival, unemployment and bleeding of the industry.

I am not sure how these announcements will help our industry but I am sure, our industry stalwarts can throw some light on the same for the benefit of the industry.I feel our only hope is the revival of business with more events taking place thereby accelerating the otherwise stagnant industry. Till then, tighten your belts and hang on a little longer.

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IESA Shining Stars

February 2022

VivaTrack Prides Itself In Providing Event Technology And Onsite Registration Management ES. In the field of online & on-site event registration management, why do you think your organisation is one of the leading market leaders of the industry?

Rushikesh Bhatt.

Our experience of more than 18 years in the exhibition industry and 10+ years in event Rushikesh Bha technologies has Director at Viva Track, enabled us to continually strive Viva Events Management for success. Our Private Limited organisation believes in work that is thorough and to the point where our clients don’t have to stress too much about their events. For that, we tend to evolve according to need and growth in the industry.

the crowd management system within the norms.

ES. What are some key services offered by Viva Track?

Rushikesh Bhatt. VivaTrack prides itself in providing services like online and onsite registration management.

The DIY dashboard platform is developed that is offered to our clients, that incline to be our USP here. Solutions such as ticketing registration, badge printing and the development of virtual platforms for Virtual events can take place at a one-stop destination.

ES. Considering the epidemiological situation in the near future being favourable, what upcoming projects are you planning for this year?

Rushikesh Bhatt. Currently, we have hands-on experience working in different areas in the country. So for the later part, we are planning to further explore the market and take our operations nationwide as well as keeping an aim and ambition to handle events abroad.

ES. Any advice that you could offer the association considering the current situation of the pandemic? How has IESA helped its members cope with challenges amid crisis?

Event technologies provided by us give benefit to the organizers to move at ease. Our dedicated project heads work vigorously and aim to make your event a success.

The innovation in our technology helps them to ascertain and maintain that trust in us.

Rushikesh Bhatt. Pandemic has led to depressions, whether it be in business or the other way around.

Motivation and positive notions can bring the best out of everything. It would be advised that the association further motivates their members and encourages good work out of them.

ES. Could you please describe in detail some of the projects that your company recently completed following the pandemic? What were some of the challenges you faced in conducting and managing these projects?

The IESA has encouraged a smooth and recurring flow of events that bring together various types of professional capacities that help each other and contribute towards the welfare of society.

Rushikesh Bhatt. We recently worked on big projects like Vibrant Gujarat investment summit as well as Gujarat Gold Jewellery Show. Given the current situation, the major challenge that was faced was maintaining social distancing. Technology never lets loose faith in it, so keeping in mind the health of the citizens, we used contactless medium for registration and maintained with

ES. What message would you like to share with the industry?

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Rushikesh Bhatt. Esprit de corps I would like to say that we must all work together and assist one another to collectively grow and achieve greater feats in the industry whilst being safe and healthy.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

IESA Shining Stars

February 2022

COMMENTS ON INDIAN EXIBITIONS, CONFERENCES & EVENTS SERVICES ASSOCIATION (IESA) IESA has really helped in bringing the service provider fraternity together. People involved in this industry know each other better than before. They have a common platform now, where to address their grievances & we have some able & experienced personalities on board like Mr. More, our President to work on the prevalent challenges at appropriate platforms.

TEAM VIVATRACK’S WORK IN PICTURES

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

February 2022

Message

Message From UFI President

Kai Hattendorf Managing Director / CEO UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry his month, we are releasing two new editions of UFI's regular global research projects: the biannual “Global Exhibition Industry Barometer” and the new “World Map of Venues”.

Research is one of UFI's four major lines of activity, and since 2015 we have significantly extended and expanded the insights we produce for you - our members.

sourced world map yet. In the report, you will see that, globally, one in twenty venues now qualifies as a “mega venue”, offering more than 100,000 sqm of exhibition space. You will see that China now hosts around a quarter of the global exhibition space, followed by the USA with 17% and Germany with 8%. You will see that, despite the pandemic, investments for more and improved exhibition spaces stayed steady.

The “World Map of Venues” is a truly complex endeavour. It tracks venue developments around the world and consolidates them into a single, easyto-understand set of data. We have been able to access more data than ever before to produce the best-

Hundreds of exhibition businesses around the world share their data and insights with us twice a year for.

Launched during the financial crisis of 2008, our barometer has become a much-cited point of reference, tracking the development of the exhibition industry around the world - with

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country profiles for all major markets.

No other research has provided a such in-depth track record of industry development. More information here Reports like these allow us to show highlight underlying and to offer a trusted voice to the strategic conversations taking place throughout the industry.

As always, we remain focused on providing you with meeting platforms, advocacy support, in-depth research and education opportunities! As YOUR global industry association, we are working towards bringing everyone together again, both online and face-toface. We look forward to welcoming you, in person, at our upcoming UFI events: https://www.ufi.org/our-events/

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Acquisi on

February 2022

IMC To Acquire Shoppe Object And Shoppe Online

hoppe Object, a designfocused home and lifestyle tradeshow and its Shoppe Online B2B e-commerce platform, have been acquired by International Market Centers (IMC).

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Shoppe Object co-founder Jesse James will join IMC as Vice President and Show Director, reporting to Executive Vice President, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer Dorothy Belshaw.

Co-founders of Shoppe Object, Deirdre Maloney and Minya Quirk, will remain involved in a consulting capacity.

“Jesse, Deirdre and Minya have built an incredibly strong and compelling market quickly and authentically, and this acquisition is an exciting new partnership for us all,” said Bob Maricich, IMC CEO. “Shoppe Object will have the ability to grow the reach of its impeccably curated and artfully presented physical and digital platform with our investment; and IMC will have a new opportunity for regional expansion in the Northeast as well as a

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pipeline to bring new design-driven and socially-conscious brands, makers and voices to our physical and digital markets.”

The closing will take place after the conclusion of the February 2022 edition of Shoppe Object, according to Maricich. IMC plans to maintain the autonomy of Shoppe Object with the existing team handling sales, marketing, and management under James' direction. Working closely with James, IMC will expand the existing semiannual show in New York City and explore regional extensions in established IMC venues and other major cities by combining creative vision, exhibitor feedback and business needs.

“This partnership makes strategic sense because IMC recognizes the significant value in Shoppe Object's core origins,” said James. “Shoppe Object embodies a community spirit and was born out of a need for change. IMC appreciates Shoppe Object for that and is committed to maintaining our brand

integrity, disciplined curation and forward vision.” Shoppe Object was launched in 2018 by James, founder of the creative consultancy and sales agency Aesthetic Movement, in collaboration with Maloney and Quirk, co-founders of Capsule, an international tradeshow for independent ready-to-wear labels launched in 2007 and sold in 2013.

Following an enthusiastic response from buyers and brands alike, Shoppe Object grew exponentially from the 100 home and lifestyle brands of its inaugural event to its current annual mix of 500+seminal design brands and emerging makers.

The physical market is held in New York City each February and August.

In 2020, Shoppe Object extended into the digital realm with the launch of online marketplace Shoppe Online.

The B2B platform enables buyers to preview, browse and buy from Shoppe Object exhibitors year-round and integrates with at-market buyer profiles to facilitate lead management, order writing and post-show follow up.

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Tech News

February 2022

IOT Solutions World Congress and Integrated Systems Europe Team Up to Reimagine CrossIndustry Digital Transformation

OT Solutions World Congress (IOTSWC), the largest international event devoted to industry transformation through disruptive technologies, and Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the world’s leading professional audiovisual (AV) and systems integration show, have agreed to join forces this year and provide an unparalleled ecosystem for digital transformation to professionals from many industries. IOTSWC and ISE will be held at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue on May 10-12 and 1013 2022, respectively.

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The joint celebration of the two events will provide a unique opportunity to explore the crossroads between two different sets of disruptive technologies.

IOTSWC will bring to the table top experts and companies working on

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Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twins, Internet of Things and Quantum Computing and ISE will deliver leading companies from the professional AV industry as well as international experts in the field of systems integration in numerous industries. The goal of this co-operation is to highlight the two events’ common ground that offers new ideas and means of collaboration for attendees and exhibitors. The agreement will allow visitors of the events to access both exhibition areas at no extra cost, whilst delegates registered to the IOTSWC congress program will benefit from a 50% discount if they wish to register for any ISE conferences – and vice versa.

The director of IOTSWC, Roger Bou, says: “We are very excited about this agreement. At IOTSWC we believe that some of the key technologies we

have been showcasing such as Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things have an incredible transformational potential for the professional AV industry and likewise the AV and systems integration industry can help to develop disruptive new solutions for the digital transformation ecosystem.”

In addition, the director of Integrated Systems Events, Mike Blackman, says that “AV and IT convergence has been the single most important industry trend at ISE over the past decade and the inspiring innovations happening in IOT take this to another level. With our two events now happening at the same time and place this May, it is very exciting to be able to work together and explore even more areas of collaboration. The exciting world of pro AV and the inspiring innovations in IOT make all sorts of possibilities a reality.”

ISE is a joint venture between AVIXA® and CEDIA™ – the two leading industry associations for the global audiovisual industry. This year, ISE returns in May 2022 with a vibrant and inspiring edition, a redesigned show floor and new demonstration areas guaranteed to enable exhibitors to ‘Rise Up. Reimagine. Ignite the Future’.

With over 700 exhibitors, including innovators such as Barco, Crestron, KNX, Kramer, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony to name just a few – the show floor has been redesigned and will also feature a brand-new Discovery Zone, highlighting 40 new companies exhibiting for the first time.

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Tech News

Taking advantage of the large, modern Gran Via venue, ISE will premiere a new approach to the show floor with six Technology Zones, set out over five halls, grouping together exhibitors in the major technology areas, making it simpler for delegates to plan their visit and find and compare the wide variety of solutions they need for their integration projects. The six zones are: Unified Comms & Education Technology, Residential & Smart Building, Multi-Technology, Digital Signage & Digital Out-of-Home, Audio, and Lighting & Staging.

Digital transformation of businesses and companies Organised by Fira de Barcelona in partnership with the Industry IOT

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February 2022

Consortium® (IIC™), IOTSWC will hold its sixth edition under the theme Game-changing technologies for industry transformation.

The event will gather the leading suppliers of industrial solutions and information technology providers to showcase the latest trends that are providing an edge to companies across many industries and promote

collaboration in the tech solutions ecosystem.

With over 200 exhibitors including ABB, Altair, Amazon Web Services, EMnify, Fiware, Hornet Security, Huawei, Kaspersky, RFPD, Relayr and Siemens, that will showcase examples of how the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twins and other technologies can transform entire companies and businesses, IOTSWC will structure its congress program around five themes – Business optimization, Artificial Intelligence, Connectivity, Security and Customer Experience – and feature speakers from companies such as Airbus, Bühler, Dow, Johnson & Johnson, LEGO, Nestlé, PCL Construction and Volkswagen.

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Partnership

February 2022

ExpoPlatform And Crowd Connected Announce Strategic Partnership To Drive Smart Event Agenda xpoPlatform, the leading AI-powered smart event and 365 community platform for exhibitions and trade shows, has entered into a partnership with fellow UK-based technology provider Crowd Connected. By harnessing Crowd Connected’s best-in-class indoor positioning technology, ExpoPlatform’s mobile apps will be location aware, benefitting organisers, exhibitors and visitors as live shows return post pandemic.

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The integration of Crowd Connected’s software into its platform means ExpoPlatform now offers an enhanced suite of data-driven services, making its mobile app ever more valuable through Crowd Connected’s full toolset:

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In app ‘blue dot’ navigation and wayfinding, overlaid on an interactive floorplan Location based personalisation and recommendations Footfall-based exhibitor performance insight for every stand/booth at a show (via Crowd Connected’s Bluebird product) Real time data visualisations such as heatmaps Industry leading visitor behavioural analytics

Tanya Pinchuk, CEO and Co-founder of ExpoPlatform said: “Our mission is to accelerate the digital transformation of the event industry through smart technology. Crowd Connected’s credentials meant they were the natural partner for us when it came to the location technology component of our platform.”

Mark Maydon, Commercial Director at Crowd Connected said: “ExpoPlatform’s focus on helping organisers create more valuable live experiences is completely in tune with our own approach. We’re delighted to be working closely with their team to help organisers deliver smarter, datadriven in-person events.”Their first combined deployments are scheduled for Q2 in 2022.

Italian Exhibition Group And Koelnmesse: Framework Agreement Signed For Sigep: On International Markets With Anuga EG - Italian Exhibition Group and Koelnmesse have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a strategic partnership that will see Sigep, IEG's international Rimini Expo event and flagship Show for Made in Italy products in the gelato, artisan pastry, bakery, chocolate and coffee sectors, launched into worldwide locations where trade shows powered by Anuga are held, as well as new markets that are potentially profitable for Sigep and Anuga alike.

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Under the MoU, IEG and Koelnmesse join forces to strategically explore the joint organisation of new editions of

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Sigep, The Dolce World Expo, in places where Koelnmesse already organises its network of events powered

by Anuga - a global food platform, ranging from cheese to frozen food, from hot drinks to fine food and perishables - and possibly explore new markets, where neither of the two players is yet present.

Corrado Peraboni, CEO Italian Exhibition Group, states: "After Green

Technologies and Wellness, we are therefore projecting the Italian ambassador of dolce foodservice into the world on a global scale with the driving force of a leading food event such as Anuga. This strategy is both a reaction to the changing context of international connections and an anticipation of trends that will influence trade show business in the coming years." "We are very pleased about the new strategic partnership with IEG. Together, we can build on this and ensure further synergies and the opening up of new markets within our worldwide Anuga network," explains Gerald Böse, president and chief executive officer of Koelnmesse.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

February 2022

Dr. Carola Hesse Dr. Carola Hesse took over as Head of the Corporate Marketing and Communications department in the central division Corporate Strategy & Innovation at Messe München GmbH on February 1, 2022. In this role, she is responsible for the Messe München brand image and all internal and external corporate communications activities. Dr. Carola Hesse will report directly to Dr. Holger Feist, Chief Strategy Officer and Company Spokesperson, who is delighted about the new addition to his team: “With her longstanding experience in many communications fields, Dr. Carola Hesse will play a significant role in implementing the Messe München strategy within the brand management of the corporate brand and corporate communications.”

Tommaso Cancellara The trade show and congress group announced the appointment of Cancellara as head of the IEG company responsible for trade show business development in the United States.

Tommaso Cancellara will take up his new duties as of next April and will have the dual task of consolidating, together with founder Fabrizio Bartolozzi, the outfitting sector overseen by FB International and developing the group´s exhibition activities in the North American market.

Helen Sheppard RX announced that Helen Sheppard has been named as the company’s first Global Sustainability Director. In this newly created role, Helen will focus on RX’s commitment to the UFI Net Carbon Zero Event pledge. Sheppard joins from RELX and reports to Chief Operating Officer Brian Brittain, in his role as the RX representative on the Sustainability Board at UFI. Commenting on her appointment, Helen Sheppard said: “I am excited to take on this new and critical role to develop a roadmap on what becoming Net Zero means to us at RX and for all of our show brands. I look forward to identifying and helping to create specific best practice for our own offices, the sectors we serve and our show production.”

Jason Megson Freeman, the global leader in events has appointed Jason Megson as new Managing Director of Freeman EMEA. A trusted industry expert with over 20 years’ experience at leading independent and global agencies, Megson is passionate about helping great teams and clients thrive together.

Megson is also an active sustainability advocate. His expertise and values are well-aligned with Freeman’s commitment to minimise the industry’s carbon footprint by signing the “Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge” at COP26.

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Global News

February 2022

ITB India To Be Held As A Virtual Event On 5 – 7 April 2022 3 full days of virtual business appointments and digital conference programme Ÿ Exhibitors to leverage on virtual appointments with Indian and South Asian travel buyers and international delegates Ÿ All conference sessions are available on-demand until 6 May 2022 Ÿ

TB India 2022 will be an all-virtual event with the physical show postponed to 2023. Scheduled on the same dates, ITB India 2022 Virtual will be held from 5 – 7 April 2022. After close observations of international developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of the Omicron variant, and extensive conversations with local authorities and partners, the show organisers made the difficult decision to move the show completely virtual, which now gives exhibitors and trade visitors maximum planning security.

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Katrina Leung, Messe Berlin

(Singapore), the organiser of ITB India said: “This decision is made after the surge in infection cases of the Omicron variant worldwide and in India, as well as the tightening of international borders and safety measures. In view of the uncertainties of executing a successful physical event for the travel trade, Messe Berlin (Singapore) consulted various stakeholders and international clients before concluding that the 2022 show should be held virtually to provide full transparency and reassurance of the upcoming exhibition and conference”.

builds the bridge to the Indian and South Asian travel markets, offering three full days of virtual business appointments and digital conference programme.

ITB India Virtual brings together key travel industry leaders and international exhibitors from various segments of MICE, Leisure, Corporate and Travel Technology. The B2B virtual event

After the virtual trade show, all conference sessions will remain online until 6 May 2022, and all registered participants have full access to the conference recordings.

The Meetings Industry Fund Elects New Officers t its annual meeting last week, The Meetings Industry Fund elected new officers to 2-year terms. Jack Chiasson, who retired in 2017 after a 30+ year career in non-profit organization management, was elected Chairman. Karin Soyster Fitzgerald, an experienced association executive, was elected Secretary. Both Jack and Karin are former PCMA Capital Chapter Presidents and longtime volunteers.

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Continuing as Director for the

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Meetings Industry Fund, are: David Giger Karen Gonzales, CMP Susan Haning Gay Holden About the Meetings Industry Fund When life takes an unexpected turn, The Meetings Industry Fund is there with an immediate lifeline. The MIF provides confidential financial

assistance in the form of grants to those individuals in crisis who are directly involved in the planning, execution, delivery, and support of meetings. www.themeetingsindustryfund.org

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

February 2022 points and interests. For example, visitors looking to satisfy their wanderlust can take part in an aviation experiential workshop or explore landscapes around the world with a virtual reality flight simulator. Art enthusiasts can interact with art pieces by renowned artists through augmented reality while those seeking a more exclusive experience can take part in back-of-house tours. Some of these experiences have already been incorporated by the providers into itineraries for visitors coming to Singapore via the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs).

Singapore Tourism Board Launches Safe Itinerary Guide And “Experience Singapore!” Compendium For Travel Planners he Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and five tourism industry associations in Singapore have announced the launch of the Safe Itinerary Guide and “Experience Singapore!” Compendium, which provides safe travel guidelines and itineraries for the tourism sector as Singapore prepares to welcome more international travellers.

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These two resources aim to help the industry design and deliver innovative experiences that are in line with new traveller demands, and are the result of private-public partnerships between STB and the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS), Association of Singapore Attractions (ASA), Singapore Association of Conventions & Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS), Singapore

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Hotel Association (SHA) and Society of Tourist Guides Singapore (STGS).

The Safe Itinerary Guide provides strategies to help tourism businesses better understand their consumers, so that they can personalise travel itineraries based on traveller profiles. It also outlines how businesses can design safe and engaging visitor journeys, while highlighting key capabilities such as data analytics and design thinking, which are needed to respond to future challenges.

For example, tourism businesses are encouraged to explore cross-sector partnerships with healthcare providers to give travellers added assurance during their travels, or gamify their offerings to keep travellers engaged.

The “Experience Singapore!”

Compendium consists of tourism and lifestyle offerings for leisure and business travellers across various price

Speaking about this latest development, Mr. GB Srithar, Regional Director, IMESA (India, Middle East & South Asia), Singapore Tourism Board said, “As Singapore moves towards living with COVID-19 and cautiously reopens its borders to more visitors, it is imperative for the tourism industry to adopt practices and measures that establishes Singapore as a safe travel destination.

Moreover, with various health and safety requirements and changes in consumer behavior, the STB together with our tourism partners have a role to play in helping visitors navigate travel and safety requirements. The two resources enable stakeholders to design travel itineraries that add value and reduce friction for their customers.

The “Experience Singapore!”

Compendium will be particularly useful for our travel trade partner-friends in India to better understand the travel offerings available and present these to their clients as they plan their travel to our city.”

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Global News

February 2022

Messe München Acquires Asia Climate Forum And Confirms In-person Event For 2022 InterMET Asia, InterFLOOD Asia and InterAIR Asia to be operated by MMI Asia Pte. Ltd. and fit into Messe München’s wider, leading events for the environmental sector Ÿ 2022 edition set to go-ahead as an in-person event and co-located with CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG) Ÿ Concierge service established to assist attendees traveling to Singapore

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Messe München’s subsidiary for Southeast Asia – MMI Asia Pte. Ltd. – has taken over ownership and operation of the Asia Climate Forum (ACF) from former owners Media Generation Ventures Ltd (MGV), including the 2022 edition taking place alongside the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG) from 18th to 20th April at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.

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Asia Climate Forum is Southeast Asia’s leading platform for weather forecasting, meteorological and hydrometeorological equipment, flood prevention and mitigation, and air quality control and management.

Through three distinct exhibitions, InterMET, InterFLOOD and InterAIR, Asia Climate Forum has provided a focal point for the industry in Asia since the first edition in 2014.

Michael Wilton, General Manager and Director of MMI Asia Pte. Ltd says “We are proud to announce the

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acquisition of the Asia Climate Forum and commit to investing in the show and further the cause of resolving climate issues in the world. We thank the MGV team for the excellent work on the event since its inception, and look forward to working together with them for future editions of ACF.” MMI Asia Group Project Director, Julia Kwan, explains: “MMI Asia is delighted to be working on the Asia Climate Forum. It is addressing some of the most important subjects that the industry, governments and society have to tackle. The event already provides the means for the industry to enhance, develop and deploy world leading solutions, technologies, and best practices in Southeast Asia. We are looking forward to further enhancing ACF and helping to contribute to the advancement of the sector’s capabilities.” Kwan continues; “The recent COP26 meetings highlighted a global effort to address this crisis – international collaboration and partnerships are critical to establish plans, and to take action against the

consequences of climate change. Not least the Singapore government demonstrating the urgency to tackle Singapore’s climate strategy in global warming and rising sea-levels.”

The previous organizers MGV will continue to work on the event as consultants to MMI Asia, to ensure a smooth transition and consistency for the show and its stakeholders.

Tony Stephenson of MGV, and former Event Director of ACF, says: “There is clearly a need for a strong regional meteorology, flood and air quality show in Southeast Asia, and it’s now time for us to pass the baton to a major organiser such as MMI with the resources to continue developing the event. We’re sure that the new ownership will be highly positive for the long-term future of ACF, and we’re grateful to all the loyal supporters, sponsors and exhibitors who have been with us for the past eight years; we look forward to continuing to work with them as well as MMI in future.”

Global News

February 2022

Deutsche Messe AG To Reposition Itself eutsche Messe AG is reacting to the ongoing challenges for the trade fair industry and has used the past few months to reposition itself. As part of this transition, the organizational structure will be divided into four business areas, including Trade Fair & Product Management and Sales. The overall control and strategic orientation of the trade fair portfolio LIGNA, INTERSCHUTZ, parts2clean and SurfaceTechnology GERMANY is now part of the Trade Fair & Product Management department and will be the responsibility of Hendrik Engelking in the future. Christian Pfeiffer, previous head of LIGNA and Woodworking Events worldwide, will be responsible for sales as division manager.

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In this area lies the central responsibility for customer acquisition for the entire trade fair portfolio of

Deutsche Messe AG. As the new project manager for LIGNA, Stephanie Wagner will be responsible for the project and thus also for the content and operational control of the world’s leading trade fair for the wood industry.

She has been with Deutsche Messe AG for more than ten years and most recently worked as a project consultant for LIGNA. Wagner will occupy the position of project manager retrospectively from December 1, 2021.

“We are pleased that with Ms. Wagner, an extremely experienced colleague has filled this strategically important position,” explains Hendrik Engelking.

“She is a well-known face in the woodworking industry and will continue the successful cooperation with our exhibitors, partners and customers.” “After a long period of empty trade fair calendars and purely online formats, we are looking forward more than ever to finally being able to offer face-to-face platforms again with LIGNA 2023 and the LIGNA.Conference this summer.

Personal exchange and networking ahead We all missed the place a lot,” says Stephanie Wagner. The next LIGNA will be held from May 15th to 19th, 2023. Exhibitors can now register in the LIGNA online shop .

Before that, the 1st Rosenheim LIGNA.Conference will take place on June 1st and 2nd, 2022. This is organized by Deutsche Messe together with the Technical University of Rosenheim, the world-famous training center for highly qualified young people in the field of wood technology.

Cosmoprof CBE ASEAN Show To Debut In Thailand osmoprof CBE ASEAN, the new addition to the international network of Cosmoprof events, will be organised by the alliance between BolognaFiere Group, Informa Markets, and China Beauty Expo (CBE), offering new insights and inspirations to the beauty sector in the area, combining the expertise of the world’s leading beauty trade show organisers.

international markets.

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The show is scheduled to take place from September 15 to 17, 2022 at the IMPACT Exhibition & Convention Center in Bangkok. An exhibition space of over 10,000 square meters will host around 500 exhibitors & brands,

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from the supply chain to the branded finished products, to meet with more than 8,000 expected visitors.

“Cosmoprof CBE ASEAN will offer to our community the chance to seize the economic potential of South-East Asia” says Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere. “With this new project, Cosmoprof confirms its role as the most strategic partner for beauty stakeholders interested in new

This event is strategic for our stakeholders that we must provide the best and safest conditions to enjoy business.” “As physical trade shows gradually resume, we are excited to launch Cosmoprof CBE ASEAN to encourage international beauty players to tap into South East Asia market with high potential.

While Thailand is sending positive and welcoming signal, providing financial support, as organisers, we are confident to deliver a high-quality show.” says Mr. David Bondi, Senior Vice President – Asia of Informa Markets.

Global News

February 2022

FRUIT LOGISTICA Publishes European Statistics Handbook 2022 RUIT LOGISTICA has published European Statistics Handbook 2022.

The latest issue provides current figures and grounded analyses of the major European markets, with which industry players can make better business decisions. It is now available for download on the FRUIT LOGISTICA website.

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In preparation of the world’s leading trade fair for the fruit trade, being held from 5 to 7 April 2022, the publication not only offers current figures, but also grounded analyses that help the industry understand production, supplier, and trader data in a wide range of European markets. The European Handbook 2022 now includes Portugal, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania. The latter four EU members in south-eastern Europe hold great production potential that has, up until now, only partially been tapped.

The five most important insights from the European Statistics Handbook 2022

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are: 1. Following a slump in off-trade demand in the first year of the pandemic, the situation in Europe alleviated somewhat in 2021, although the pre-2020 level was not yet reached.

A further increase in the retail sale of fresh fruit and vegetables was thus not expected. In fact, preliminary results from various European countries indicate a stagnation or slight dip in sale quantities, but are still well above the level from 2019. Consumer spending increased slightly.

2. The usual weather-induced issues remained in 2021. Frost in southern Europe decimated the local stone fruit harvest, while heavy rain in Western Europe in mid-July impacted vegetable supplies in particular. These shortages result in price hikes, which were frequently reported on in the press.

3. Yet prices, especially the costs of energy and fertiliser, increased more significantly, coupled with a spike in wages. Producers and traders are thus in

a more secure position than they were one year ago, in spite of price increases.

Higher energy prices were worrying the producers involved in protected cultivation in North-western Europe, resulting in later planting times for the 2022 season.

4. Increased logistics costs and an unprecedented scarcity of containers threaten the external trade of many export-oriented countries. However, the effects will only be quantifiable later on, as there were no noteworthy restrictions in 2021.

5. The effects of Brexit on the flows of goods were less considerable than originally feared, and deliveries from the mainland to the island nation decreased only slightly.

The European Statistics Handbook 2022 was created by the Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI) in conjunction with Fruitnet Media International. It was published by FRUIT LOGISTICA, which will be held in Berlin in early April.

Global News

February 2022

UFI Global Barometer Provides Updates On COVID-19 Impact And 2022 Perspectives For The Exhibition Industry Ÿ

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Industry recovery is accelerating, and global exhibition revenues are expected to reach 71% of 2019 levels, this year Globally, the industry expects twothirds of markets to operate at normal levels in the second quarter, and one-quarter of the global market to operate at reduced activity levels “Internal management” ranks within the top three industry issues One in four companies is already on track to achieve Net Zero Greenhouse Gas emissions before 2050 The complete Barometer includes dedicated profiles for 29 markets and regions

FI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has released the latest edition of its flagship Global Barometer research, which takes the pulse of the industry. The results highlight the quickening pace of the industry’s recovery in 2022, after the continuing impact of COVID-19 throughout 2021. There is a strong belief that the sector, primarily driven by physical exhibitions and business events, will bounce back quickly. In terms of operations, the proportion of companies declaring “normal activity” has increased from less than two in ten, in July 2021, to around four in ten, between October 2021 and February 2022.

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And this looks set to increase to around six in ten companies expecting normal activity levels from March 2022.

Subsequently, the proportion of companies expecting “no activity” dropped from 34% to 16% during the second half of 2021, and only 4-5% of

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companies expect no activity from March 2022. The results vary depending on location, and are primarily driven by confirmed or expected “reopening dates” for exhibitions. When asked what elements would most help towards the “bounceback” of exhibitions, seven in ten companies selected “Lifting of current travel restrictions”, while five in ten selected “Readiness of exhibiting companies and visitors to participate again”, “Mid-term visibility in terms of public policies, including travel restrictions” and “Lifting of current public policies that apply locally to exhibitions”. Overall, 53% of companies received no public financial support, and for the majority of those who did, financial public aid represented less than 10% of their overall costs.

In line with results from the previous edition of the Barometer, released in the summer of 2021, “Impact of the

COVID-19 pandemic on the business” remains the most pressing business issue – although this has dropped to 19% of respondents, from 29%, six months ago. There has also been a shift in the second and third most pressing issues, with “Internal management challenges” (19% of respondents, compared to 9%, six months ago) and “Impact of digitalisation” (16%, compared to 10%, six months ago) forming the top three. “Competition with other media” is now the fourth most pressing issue (14%, compared to 5%, six months ago) while “State of the economy in home market” drops to fifth spot (12%), from being the second most pressing issue just six months ago (19% of respondents).

The three components of “Internal management challenges” are all almost equally represented within the responses: “Human resources” (56% of respondents), “Business model adjustments” (54%) and

Global News “Finance” (48%). In relation to future exhibition formats, the global results indicate that 80% of respondents (up from 78%, six months ago, and 64%, 12 months ago) agree that “COVID-19 confirms the value of face-toface events”, and anticipate the sector to bounce back quickly (with 38% stating “Yes, for sure” and 42% stating “Most probably”). Meanwhile,13% of respondents are unsure.“The sun is finally rising at the end of a long, dark

February 2022 Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, the UK and the US – as well as an additional five aggregated regional zones.

Operations – reopening exhibitions Detailed results indicate that: Ÿ

In North America, the proportion of

Germany, this is not expected until May 2022. Ÿ The situation is also very different across countries in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa, where Japan and UAE appeared to be less severely hit than other countries during the second half of 2021, and only Australia, India and Malaysia are also expecting to return to normal activity levels during the first half of 2022.

Turnover – operating profits – public financial support Globally, and on average, companies saw a 2021 turnover of just 41% of 2019 levels, and project that this will increase to 71%, of the same baseline, in 2022.

Still, many countries are performing well above average, including: For 2021 revenues, France (62% of 2019 levels), Russia (61%), China (60%), Japan (55%), South Korea (54%), UAE (53%) and Spain (50%) Ÿ For projected 2022 revenues, USA (84% of 2019 levels), Brazil and France (79%), Spain (78%), Colombia, China and Japan (77%), and Thailand and UK (76%).

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pandemic,” says Kai Hattendorf, Managing Director and CEO at UFI. “The perspectives for 2022 are brighter and continue to improve quickly. As the industry bounces back, the key issues now facing companies are around internal management issues and the impact of digitisation. As the value of physical events is constantly reinforced, we are well on track to achieve prepandemic levels of activity.”

Size and scope This latest edition of UFI’s bi-annual industry survey was concluded in January 2022 and includes data from 401 companies in 53 countries and regions. The study also includes outlooks and analysis for 24 focus countries and regions – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong

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companies declaring a normal level of activity is growing steadily, from less than one in ten, in July 2021, to at least six in ten, from February 2022 Ÿ In several major markets across Central and South America, most companies saw normal activity levels between September and November 2021, and more than eight in ten expect normal activity levels from February 2022. Ÿ In Europe, most companies saw normal activity levels between October and November 2021, and expect the same from March 2022, onwards. However, the picture changes across different countries, with for example a majority of companies seeing normal activity on a larger period in Russia, Spain and, to some extent, Turkey, while in

In terms of operating profit for 2021, 27% of companies globally reported a loss, and 26% reported a reduction of more than 50%, compared to 2019 levels. All regions include countries with a higher than average proportion of companies declaring a loss in 2021: Ÿ Ÿ

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Mexico (33% of companies) in North America Argentina (50%), Brazil (44%), Chile (38%) and Colombia (42%) in Central and South America Germany (44%) in Europe South Africa (36%) in the Middle East and Africa Australia (30%), India (29%), Malaysia (38%), Singapore (40%) and Thailand (38%) in the AsiaPacific.

Global News

February 2022

In terms of proportion of companies who’ve received no public financial support, the Asia-Pacific matches the global average of 53%. In Europe, this proportion is lower than the global average (33%), but is higher in the Middle East and Africa (78%), North America (73%) and Central and South America (68%).

Key business issues “Internal management challenges” represents the key business issue across Australia, Argentina and Mexico (22% of respondents), Spain (21%), Colombia (20%), Thailand (19%) and South Africa (18%). In Germany, “Impact of digitalisation” is matched with “Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business” as the most pressing issue (20% of respondents). The picture is different depending on the activity type of respondents. For organisers and venues, “Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the business” is the top issue (20% and 19% of respondents respectively), followed closely by “Internal management challenges” (18% for both categories) and “Impact of digitalisation” (17% and 14%). Service providers, however, rank “Internal management challenges” (21% of respondents) ahead of “Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the business”, “Impact of digitalisation” and “Competition with other media” (16% of respondents for each).

and, overall, less participants” (with 6% stating “Yes, for sure” and 38% stating “Most probably”), while 30% are unsure. Ÿ 73% (compared to 76%, six months ago, and 80%, 12 months ago) believe there is “A push towards hybrid events, more digital elements at events” (with 24% stating “Yes, for sure” and 49% stating “Most probably”), while 15% are unsure. Ÿ 10% (compared to 11%, six months ago, and 14%, 12 months ago) agree that “Virtual events are replacing physical events” (with 2% stating “Yes, for sure” and 9% stating “Most probably”), while 18% are unsure and 54% state “Definitely not”.

The results show no significant differences across different regions.

industry”, just weeks after it was launched Ÿ 91% of companies agree that “It is important that the event industry works together to reduce the environmental impact of the components it controls (production of the event)” Ÿ 89% of companies believe that “It is important that the event industry works with its clients (participants) and other stakeholders (destinations, transport and accommodation) to reduce the environmental impact of the other components attributed to events” Regarding the deadline for companies to achieve Net Zero Greenhouse Gas emissions: 23% of respondents are sure “My company will achieve Net Zero Greenhouse Gas emissions before 2050”, while 31% believe this is “Most probably” the case and 33% are unsure. Ÿ 69% of respondents are confident that “My company will achieve Net Zero Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2050” (with 41% stating “Yes, for sure” and 28% stating “Most probably”), while 24% are unsure.

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Future exhibition formats – physical and digital events

Climate change and Net Zero Carbon Events

In addition to the 80% of companies who are confident that “COVID-19 confirms the value of face-toface events”:

In the context of the recently launched “Net Zero Carbon Events initiative”, the Barometer surveyed the perception and engagement of the industry on this issue. Global results indicate that:

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- 44% (compared to 46%, six months ago, and 63%, 12 months ago) believe there will be “Less international ‘physical’ exhibitions,

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Ÿ

66% of respondents are confident that “This initiative is of key relevance to secure the future of the

Global News

February 2022

dmg events To Launch The Saudi Infrastructure Expo In September mg events will launch The Saudi Infrastructure Expo this September. The new event will take place at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center from 6-8 September 2022.

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“We're creating an opportunity for the most important suppliers, contractors and government officials involved in the Kingdom's infrastructure development to connect,” said Matt Denton, President dmg events. “Their networking and the business they conduct will contribute to industry thought leadership and drive projects crucial to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.”

Vision 2030's bold plan to boost and diversify the nation's economic activity is sparking an unprecedented infrastructure drive.

In October last year the government established a $53.4bn infrastructure

investment fund to catalyse private sector involvement in major infrastructure projects.

This follows the announcement in January 2019 of the $425bn National Industrial Development and Logistics Program, aimed at transforming the Kingdom into a leading industrial powerhouse and a global logistics hub.

“These significant sums are just a portion of the government funding being allocated to infrastructure projects across the Kingdom,” said Denton.

“Continued investment will attract more private sector funding, creating even more opportunities for exhibitors at Saudi Infrastructure Expo.” With offices in Riyadh and Jeddah, as well as other centres across the Middle East

and Africa, dmg events is ideally placed to deliver Saudi Infrastructure Expo.

The company has spent a decade successfully staging events in the Kingdom, including The Big 5 Saudi, the country's largest construction event.

The Saudi Infrastructure Expo event features will draw on this pool of experience and include a strategic conference where leading figures from across the industry will share valuable insights into how new projects will progress and where new opportunities will emerge.

HANNOVER MESSE 2022 Rescheduled For Beginning Of June eutsche Messe AG, in close cooperation with the HANNOVER MESSE exhibitor advisory board and partner associations VDMA (Association of German Mechanical and Plant Engineering) and ZVEI (Central Association of German Electrical Engineering and Digital Industry), has rescheduled HANNOVER MESSE 2022 for 30 May–2 June. The show was originally planned for April.

can present their innovations at the world's most important industrial trade show," said Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe AG.

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"Due to the continuing high incidence in Germany and many neighboring

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countries, we decided together with our exhibitors to reschedule HANNOVER MESSE. Last year demonstrated that the summer months are best for major events during this pandemic. Right now we cannot predict if the Covid situation will be better by April, so the new date offers our customers the greatest possible planning security so that they

At the beginning of June 2022, HANNOVER MESSE will be the world's first major industrial event. Its focus on digitalization and sustainability will stimulate innovative and efficient approaches to production and climate protection. This year's show runs four days due to the Hannover Exhibition Center's full event calendar in June. In 2023, HANNOVER MESSE will resume its normal five-day schedule in April.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

February 2022

Mack-brooks Exhibition Trio For The Converting, Corrugated And Industrial Print Industry To Go Ahead In Spring

ith European governments moving fast to ease Covid and travel restrictions, Event Organiser MackBrooks Exhibitions has confirmed that their co-located spring exhibitions for the Converting, Paper and Print Industry will go ahead as planned. All three events – ICE Europe, CCE International and InPrint Munich – will take place side-by-side and face-toface, from 15-17 March 2022 at Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany.

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New this year, ICE Europe, CCE International and InPrint Munich will take place in parallel, creating a tremendous offering for the converting, corrugated and printing community in various manufacturing sectors. With full access to all exhibition stands on a net floor area exceeding 13,500 square meters, attendees will benefit from a breadth of solutions and increased

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synergies between suppliers. In total, more than 460 international companies will present their latest machinery, accessories and services, aimed at optimising the production process or enhancing product features.

A large proportion of ICE Europe, CCE International and InPrint Munich visitors work for the same industry sectors, such as packaging, plastics and paper, consumer electronics, pharma and cosmetics, food and beverage, transport and logistics, engineering, textile and furniture. And they all share the same challenge: To always be ready to react quickly to ever-changing market trends and demands, fuelled by the constant acceleration of retail and e-commerce.

“So a typical ICE Europe or CCE International visitor might initially be searching for a clever converting solution to produce a fully recyclable packaging blank, but they will also be looking at

technical challenges further down the line, trying to keep the overall production process lean and clean, for example by adding an integrated print solution to label or decorate their finished foil, paper, or carton product – which they will find at InPrint Munich on the same show floor!”, explains Patrick Herman , Event Director of the Converting, Paper and Print Events at Mack-Brooks Exhibitions.

To ease the time-consuming task of finding suitable tech suppliers, a new AIpowered matchmaking service will assist buyers in making smarter networking decisions by suggesting relevant people to meet.

Global News

February 2022

The NEC Announces Completion Of A £7 Million Technology Infrastructure Investment Across The Venue MULTI-MILLION POUND INVESTMENT REVOLUTIONISES TECHNOLOGY OFFERING AT THE NEC Ÿ First venue in the UK to adopt WaitTime AI for real-time capacity and crowd management Ÿ Improved Wi-Fi connectivity for organisers, exhibitors and visitors using Cisco technology

he Birmingham-based NEC is the first venue in the UK to adopt WaitTime, an artificial intelligence solution that provides real-time measurement of venue capacity and crowd density. By developing this new relationship with WaitTime, the venue, which attracts 2.3 million visitors annually, has further enhanced its data capabilities. Capacity counting is safe and sharper, compliant venue operations are maintained and the software provides robust crowd data and business intelligence information.

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With a majority of 'Venue Protect' COVID safety measures still in place, WaitTime's patented technology also alerts the NEC to capacity issues across the site. The data can then be used to trigger operational responses and inform the teams on real-time capacity levels.

"It's no surprise that as the UK's largest exhibition venue, the NEC is on the forefront of innovation and adoption of technologies like WaitTime. Using artificial intelligence to manage crowds and capacity levels is going to help them increase operational efficiencies and, ultimately, create better guest and vendor experiences - that's what WaitTime is all about," said Zachary Klima, CEO of WaitTime. Another integral aspect of the investment is the venue's Wi-Fi upgrade, utilising

technology developed by the globally renowned, Cisco. This Wi-Fi upgrade has installed 1800 state-of-the-art Wi-Fi access points eliminating all black spots in all public spaces.

In addition to replacing the Wi-Fi, all wired, corporate and event networks have also been replaced giving greater capacity and bandwidth which supports organisers and exhibitors, increasing connectivity at events and broadening access to more digital content. Ian Taylor, Managing Director for NEC Group Conventions and Exhibitions said: “Our new Wi-Fi solution teamed with WaitTime's crowd and business intelligence is revolutionary. The NEC Group is a data-led business and it is investments like this that help to keep us at the cutting edge of live event innovation.”

Global News

February 2022

Exhibitions Return To ICC Sydney Sparking Trade And Visitation he exhibition market is set for a bumper year at International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) with two successful shows - targeting consumer and trade audiences – already held this month.

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ICC Sydney CEO Geoff Donaghy said exhibitions were an extremely important market segment for Sydney that delivered the potential for the acceleration of new businesses, face to face networking and a platform for millions of dollars in business to be exchanged on the show floor.

"The return of ICC Sydney's exhibitions calendar will reboot business opportunities during events at the venue while delivering significant benefits to Sydney and across New South Wales,”

Mr Donaghy said.“Direct and indirect delegate expenditure is set to boost the state economy and positively impact local businesses while our long, deep supply chain reaches out into regional areas. The success of Event Crowd's Pregnancy, Babies and Children's Expo demonstrates the confidence in the community to get back to attending in person events. The early children's expo kicked off this year's calendar with a consumer show that attracted 8,000 attendees and 120 exhibitors across two days at Australia's largest early parenting event.

Event Crowd Managing Director Cameron said after meticulous planning with the ICC Sydney team, the exhibition led the way for the safe presentation of upcoming consumer exhibitions in his portfolio.

Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia President Nicole Walker said: “The restart of exhibitions at ICC Sydney is an excellent sign that this important industry has commenced its rebound. It was terrific to see the ICC Sydney team delivering at its usual best.

From event management, the logistics of the COVID safety measures and the high quality of the food and beverage services, the venue fulfilled its ambition to support clients and get people networking in person again.

I look forward to seeing the exhibitions industry continue to rebuild in the coming months.” ICC Sydney is currently running a range of in- person events at the venue with over 200 events scheduled in until the end of financial year.

Trade Shows Launch Inaugural Las Vegas Food & Beverage Industry Week eading tradeshow organizers Emerald and Questex will join forces for Las Vegas Food & Beverage Industry Week, an inaugural event featuring four premiere food shows under one roof at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), March 21 – 24, 2022. SIAL America, Bar & Restaurant Expo, Pizza Expo, and World Tea Conference + Expo will occur concurrently, uniting decision makers from all sectors of the $1.5 trillion food and beverage industry as it continues to recover. “We are grateful for our partnership with Emerald and Questex and we are excited to welcome the first-ever Las Vegas Food and Beverage Week to the Las Vegas

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Convention Center,” said Brian Yost, chief operating officer for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), which owns and operates the LVCC. A collaboration between international trade show organizers, Emerald and Comexposium, SIAL America is the first-of-its-kind cross-category generalist food and beverage show supporting the food and beverage market. Attending will be importers, food service companies, distributors, retailers, wholesalers and restaurateurs looking to discover, innovate and learn. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) endorsed the inaugural edition of SIAL America due to SIAL’s long-standing

reputation as a premier event host for the industry. Now in its 38th year, Emerald’s International Pizza Expo is the pizza industry’s leading event focused on all elements of the pizza industry. “We’re less than six weeks away from the first Las Vegas Food & Beverage Industry Week, March 21-24, presenting Bar & Restaurant Expo, World Tea Conference + Expo, Pizza Expo and SIAL America,” said Tim McLucas, vice president, Bar & Restaurant Group, Questex. “We're excited to collaborate with Emerald and the LVCVA to bring key food and beverage buyers together in one central location to deliver a new, high value experience that combines key education, product activations and customer interaction.”

Global News

February 2022

Asia Pacific Maritime Returns As The First Large-scale In-person Maritime Tradeshow In Singapore After Two Years Of Hiatus he biennial Asia Pacific Maritime (APM), Southeast Asia's maritime, workboat and offshore exhibition and conference will hold its 17th edition at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 16 - 18 March this year. Supported by the Maritime Port Authority and Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau, APM returns as the first large-scale maritime trade event serving the industry community in Southeast Asia. It will feature six official pavilions with some 7,000 attendees expected to attend the event in-person.

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The last in person event was held in 2018. “We're excited that the industry is reconnecting again. Meeting face-to-face is exceptionally essential for maritime professionals and the resumption of

APM 2022 provides a perfect platform for the community to pick up conversations again,” said Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director, RX, the organiser of APM. “While digitalisation has evolved at a rapid speed due to the pandemic, it can't replace the human touch, the joy of spontaneous face-toface discussions, or the ability to demo or touch and feel the products on display. Such interactions can facilitate closing of deals and drive industry growth,” she added.

APM 2022 will adopt contactless technologies to provide a safe environment for all attendees. In

addition, all attendees will be required to undergo daily onsite complimentary pre-event testing (PET) which can return results within 15 minutes. Other prevailing safe management measures such as full vaccination will also be implemented to ensure a healthy APM. APM 2022 will set the stage for the first major maritime in-person exhibition to connect international suppliers with buyers from the Southeast Asia region, allowing exhibitors to better engage with their target audience and achieve the engagement which was lacking in the last two years.

G3 Partners–AIPC, ICCA And UFI–Release New Position Paper: Business Events Are The Fast Track To Recovery wo years into the global COVID pandemic, policymakers around the world are faced with the challenge to stimulate and manage societies and economies.

Business events will be a key driver of this recovery, both locally and globally, the G3 Partners associations AIPC, ICCA and UFI state in a new position paper.

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“Bringing communities, markets and industries together face to face has always and will remain the best way to drive innovation and business”, the G3 Partners state, launching the policy white paper: Business Events are the

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Fast Track to Recovery. The report is produced jointly by AIPC, the International Association of Convention Centres, ICCA, the International Congress and Convention Association, and UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, three main global trade bodies representing and serving the business events industry.

The report supports advocacy efforts of the business events industry by highlighting the value and importance of the business events industry and gives examples of what other governments and policymakers around the world are doing to support the return of events.

Senthil Gopinath, ICCA CEO,

comments: “The business events industry is in need of a guiding strategy to showcase the importance and economic impact of our industry and the position paper demonstrates the reality. The G3 effort is intended to serve the worldwide industry with a roadmap to keep the industry moving forward.” Kai Hattendorf, Managing Director and CEO of UFI adds: “We have seen the speed of reopening gathering pace, and this is very encouraging. However even when we are fully open once again, we still have some work to do. We need to ensure that government and policymakers do understand and appreciate the value we bring to their economies.”

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