March 2021

Rs. 125

Mar 2021 Vol 8 Issue 08 Voice of Asia’s Exhibition & Convention Industry

RODOLPHE LAMEYSE CEO, Vinexposium

NEW PARTNERSHIP SETS SAIL Vinexpo to be launched in India RAJAN SHARMA MD, InterAds Exhibitions Pvt Ltd

Editor’s desk The month of March saw the resumption of some major live in-person shows in India. I visited many of these shows namely, Ride Asia, IndusFood, Convergence India and SATTE 2021, and found them to be very successful. I talked to the participants and the visitors and also focused on learning about the safety measures implemented onsite, in order to provide safe and seamless experience to the attendees. I also observed that the role of venues is very crucial in the new normal, and they are an equal partner to the organisers for making an event successful. You can check out our event coverages on Exhibition Showcase's official YouTube channel.

In my interactions with the participants onsite, I learnt that they had been eagerly looking ahead to get back to live in-person events. They expressed their boredom and concerns over the efficiency of virtual events and were quite upbeat about returning to physical exhibitions.

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PSU BUZZ

In a significant development, the Government of India has released the revised SOP for holding exhibitions, much to the relief of the fraternity. In another significant development, the 'Casual Performance License' (required for organising exhibitions in New Delhi, India) which was cancelled by the Licensing Department of Delhi Police (siting rising COVID cases) has now been revoked, meaning that upcoming exhibitions in New Delhi, like AMTEX can now be held. Although, this comes after the ITPO has already announced the postponement of AAHAR 2021 and UNITY Conclave (which will now be held around August-September 2021).

The Indian Exhibition Industry Association organized its first physical meet since the pandemic and the participants were quite pleased to meet in person.

SITE India has elected its new Executive Committee and reimposed its faith in young leadership to forge their mission ahead. And finally, in these times when the industry sentiments are rather low, we learn about the launch of a world class brand – Vinexpo in India. So, we decided to feature this as a cover story for you in this edition.

In this issue we bring to you some very insightful interviews of global industry players and latest news from around the world. Exhibition Showcase has been your committed partner to provide to you up to date information and insights from the world of exhibitions. You can write to me at raghav@exhibitionshowcase.com or connect with me on LinkedIn to help us know how we can serve you better and what content you would like to read going ahead.

Best Regards

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Gadkari Asks Auto Component Manufacturers To Increase Localisation To 100%

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EEMA We Care Gets Industry Together To ‘March for Women’

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SATTE 2021: Industry Calls For The Revival Of Travel And Tourism Industry

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AAHAR 2021 & UNITY Conclave Postponed

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IEIA CEO Connect And SPARK Contest Held Successfully

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Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre In Khajuraho Launched In MICE Roadshow

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Interviews

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Interview With Loy Joon How, General Manager, IMPACT Exhibition And Convention Centre

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Exhibition Showcase Talks To Scott Craighead, Vice President, IAEE

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An Conversation With Rajan Sharma Managing Director, InterAds Exhibitions Pvt Ltd

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In Conversation With Patrick Rejaud President & CEO, World Exhibition Logistics

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Global News

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Geo Connect Asia Comes To Singapore Amid MICE Industry Recovery, Cementing Its Place At The Heart Of The ASEAN Geospatial Community

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The Sixth Annual Global Exhibitions Day Will Take Place On 2 June 2021

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Safe And Progressive Resumption Of Larger MICE Events In Singapore

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March 2021

Gadkari Asks Auto Component Manufacturers To Increase Localisation To 100%

nion Minister Nitin Gadkari asked automobile manufacturers to increase localisation of components to 100 per cent or else the government will consider raising basic customs duty on imports in order to encourage domestic manufacturing of such parts. Speaking at an event organised by the Automotive Components Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the Minister of Road Transport and Highways said the present levels of localisation of parts in the Indian auto sector is around 70 per cent and "at any cost we need to stop imports of auto components".

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"I urge both vehicle and auto component manufacturers to increase localisation of components to the maximum. Not maximum, my expectation is to make it 100 per cent.

We are fully competent in all the things.

Even, I am requesting automobile manufacturing companies to take it very seriously otherwise for imports of components we will think in the direction to increase more customs duty on that," he said. Stating that the Indian

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component manufacturers are fully competent and should be given chance to fully supply the required parts, Gadkari said,"Presently my request to all of you is that at any cost we need to stop imports of auto components...This is the time for the Indian auto industry to support Make in India and Made in India movement." Reiterating that the auto sector is a key driver of the Indian economy and top contributor among the manufacturing sector, the minister asserted that increase in basic customs duty on select auto components will encourage local manufacturing of such items. "The government has always had a clear policy that we want to encourage Make in India and Made in India."

Gadkari said whenever he had a chance to interact with the automobile manufacturing companies, his suggestion to them has always been to not to give encouragement to imports.

The minister said the auto industry needs to make qualitative alternatives for imports by which the demand in Indian market can be fulfilled at a reasonable cost.

"You may be aware that the auto component industry is considered as one of the shining sectors and among the champions to achieve the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India. It is because of strong capability of the component sector that the vehicle industry in India has been able to achieve localisation of around 70 per cent," the minister said.

Asking the manufacturers to focus on reducing cost without compromising quality to supply components of international standards, Gadkari said, the government is working towards making the country a global automobile manufacturing hub in the next five years and it is going to declare the whole policy.

The minister also said with the proposed voluntary vehicles scrappage policy, the availability of raw materials such as steel, plastics, rubber, copper and aluminum among others will also increase, which the manufacturers should take advantage of.

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March 2021

India’s Leading Tech And Infra Show, The 28th Convergence India And The 6th Smart Cities India 2021 Expo Reignites Trade Shows At The Redeveloped Pragati Maidan The first live and in-person B2B expo was inaugurated by Shri Satyendar Jain, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Industries, Home, Public Works Department, Power, Urban Development and Transport, Government of NCT of Delhi, today at Praga Maidan, New Delhi.

500 par cipa ng brands, 250 speakers and 50 conference sessions; the expo demonstrated the power of in-person networking. delivered an event that accelerated technological innovation, opening with key discourses on the growth of India's digital economy and enabling entrepreneurship as a driving force for socio-economic development. The expo was inaugurated by Shri Satyendar Jain, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Industries, Home, Public Works Department, Power, Urban Development and Transport, Government of NCT of Delhi, who stressed the importance of events such as the Convergence India expo and the Smart Cities India expo, in creating a digital and smart India.

Speaking at the opening session on 'Building Cities for People' at the Smart Cities Conclave, he said, “The idea of smart cities should also incorporate the idea of sustainability, for without it, no city can be smart. In building and developing smart cities, not only do we need to think about people but also work towards involving them in the process of planning and development.

Water is going to be one of the biggest problems going forward, and we must think about solutions.

he 28th Convergence India and the 6th Smart cities India expo 2021 was inaugurated on 24th March with a cutting-edge exhibition showcase and engaging conference sessions, along with business meetings and knowledge papers at India's biggest tech and infra expo.

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Hosted by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and Exhibitions India Group (EIG), the expo marked the resurgence of live and physical events.

The expo supports the Government's vision of transforming India into a digitally and sustainably empowered economy. Convergence India is at the forefront of India's digital revolution, while the Smart Cities India expo is a reflection of India's emerging modernization and development

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landscape. The combination of these two leading expos, supporting India's Digital & Smart Cities Missions,

Also, integrating new-age technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) in the making of smart cities is the need of the hour.”

A key highlight of the event was a stellar line-up of senior government representatives, leaders from large

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March 2021

corporates and young tech start-ups, along with a mix of entrepreneurs, accelerators, incubators and academia, who addressed packed rooms and responded to queries from an inquisitive audience. Some distinguished and eminent industry experts included Shri Kunal Kumar, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Shri Shobhit Agrawal, Partner KPMG India; Shri. P D Vaghela, IAS, Chairman, TRAI; Mr. Puneet Narang, Partner, Urban Transformation and Major Projects Advisory, IGH, KPMG in India; Dr. Renu Khosla, Director, CURE; Mr. Satish Jamadagni, ViceChair, TSDI; Dr, S K Gupta, Secretary, TRAI; Shri Amit Kumar Ghosh, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways; Mr. Puneet Anand, AVP-Corporate Affairs Unit, Hyundai Motor, India, and many more, graced the conference sessions to share their vision and ideologies.

Addressing the opening session themed on 'Building Cities for People', Dr. Renu Khosla said, “Smart cities should be about the people who live in them.

People from the informal sector should be at the core of these cities.”Shri Rajeev Talwar, CEO, DLF, expressed his thoughts on the importance of infrastructure at the Smart Cities Conclave, “Around 50 per cent of India's population will be living in cities by the middle of this century, and what we need now is nothing short of an infrastructure and housing revolution in the country.”

Continuing on the session theme, Shri Kunal Kumar said, “Smart cities have taken different perspectives in different countries around the world. In the Indian context, the definition of smart cities is amorphous in nature. The concept of smart cities is a combination of multiple layers. Tech is one of the factors among the bouquet of what is

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need to build smart cities.”

At the same time, Shri PK Gupta, Chairman & MD, NBCC said, “Earlier, the word smart was associated with only a person. Now, we say smart phones, and here today we are ideating and discussing about smart cities. The idea of smart city can be divided into three categories – new cities, re-developed cities and adjusting cities.” Shri Rajesh Agrawal, IAS, Executive Director, India Trade Promotion Organisation, extended the vote of thanks, saying, “Tech is playing a game-changing role in this nation building. And the focus of creating smart cities must have a people-centric approach.”

Today our manufacturing ecosystem is 5G ready, with 5G being just a part of this entire prowess. The idea is to dream and to dream big for those who want to join this ecosystem and create something phenomenal for India.”

The expo highlighted the value of interacting and networking in-person to discover innovative solutions imperative for India's socio-economic growth. The conference tracks, keynotes and sessions focused on themes including new-age technologies, renewable energy, infrastructure, and technologies for a stronger, smarter India.

During a session on the 'Future Roadmap for 5G', Shri Hari Om Rai, Lava International, explained how the mobile device industry has gained momentum, saying, “The electronics industry is a $2 trillion-dollar industry, out of which mobile devices comprise $500 billion; forming the core of electronics. We have manufactured 339 million devices valued at $25 billion in 2019, and from this number we are now in looking to manufacture 1 billion devices, to emerge as the number one manufacturing destination in the world.

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March 2021

EEMA We Care Gets Industry Together To ‘March for Women’ is for Women. And this was M aarchMarch for Women. The event industry’s apex body Events & Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) through its social vertical We Care organized a special event titled ‘March for Women’ at the FICCI Auditorium, New Delhi. This event was put together to collectively educate, empower and celebrate the spirit of womanhood and its immense contribution in sharing the events industry of the country. The event brought in recognized and renowned faces from government dignitaries, decision makers, Industry Stakeholders, legal and media representatives. It began with a Key Note session by Ms. Rekha Sharma, Chairperson for the National Commission for Women who addressed everyone on Equity and Empowerment of women in the society.

This was followed by another power packed talk on “The Glass Half Full” by Ms. Jyotika Kalra, Member, National Human Rights Commission that cited certain exemplary instances where women proved to be more powerful than men. Talking about Women’s safety at their respective workplaces, Ms. Nisha Narayanan, COO & Director, Red FM & Magic FM, highlighted key issues and precautions which are usually considered important for organizations to keep in mind. She explained the extensive need of complying with the workplace ethics.

Another important aspect of the event was the Panel Discussion revolving around a very important and impactful issue, titled, NO means NO and is not a prelude to romance and love.

Speaking on this was our fearless cop, Ms. Monika Bhardwaj, DCP Crime Branch along with Ms. Geeta Luthra, Senior Advocate, Ms. Jaya Goyal,

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SHLC Advocate, SushmaGaikwad, CoFounder, Ice Global and Wizcraft MIME and Mr. Roshan Abbas, President EEMA & Managing Director, VMYLR, who also moderated this entire segment. This segment was concluded with some meaningful and life changing stories from Kubra Sait, Actress and Sona Mohapatra, Songstress, Producer & Changemaker in the storytelling session.

Amidst this, We Care announced the launch of its most awaited ‘We Care Women Mentorship’ Program. This structured program facilitates and encourages professionals to train under some of the best mentors from the event and experiential industry. The program was launched with an stellar line-up of mentors that included, Roshan Abbas, President EEMA, Sabbas Joseph, CoFounder-Director at WizcraftInternational Entertainment Pvt Ltd., Geetika Ganju Dhar – Anchor, Moderator & Inspirational Speaker, Sushma Gaikwad – Co-Founder, Ice Global & Wizcraft MIME, Manika Garg – VP – E-Factor Entertainment Pvt Ltd. and Sanjoy K Roy – Managing Director, Teamwork Arts Pvt Ltd. The mentorship program intends on encouraging women to explore broader opportunities in the industry and groom them for leadership roles. The mentormentee matching initiative will begin from May 2021, with applications which open on the 1stApril, 2021, for mentees. The evening was then concluded with the recognition and felicitation of ‘EEMA Shaktis’, a title acknowledged to the women leaders and employees from the EEMA member agencies. Each nominated woman was celebrated as ‘EEMA Shakti’ and

collectively, they were appreciated with Digital certificates for their tremendous and impactful contribution to the organizations.

Roshan Abbas, President, EEMA, said, “With such a stellar turnout of speakers we were able to turn the spotlight on We Care and the power of women. The Shakti of EEMA was on display thanks to the efforts of the We Care Team led

by Poonam Lal Chairperson, We Care, Aarti Mattoo, Vice President West and Prerana Saxena, Vice President North from the NEC.” Poonam Lal, Chairperson, EEMA We Care, said, “It has been nearly six months since we actively changed the existing, We Care Helpline to a 24*7 Helpline, to extend confidential emotional support during pandemic to people in the experiential industry.

Since then we’ve serviced more than 500 calls.

The industry has been under tremendous stress. Taking the learnings from the months gone by, we came up with the idea of curating an event that educates, enables and empowers women; and acknowledges and celebrates their success! The #MarchForWomen is about an evolved forward looking initiative that creates exciting new opportunities for women to grow to leadership roles in the industry”

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March 2021

11th Edition Of India Chem-2021 Kicks off At Hotel Taj, New Delhi Rs 10 lakh crore investment expected in Indian chemical industry by 2025: Sadananda Gowda India to emerge as front runner in chemical and petrochemical industry in the world

ndia Chem 2021, one of the largest composite events of the chemical and petrochemical sector in the Asia-Pacific Region was inaugurated on 17th March 2021 by Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, D.V. Sadananda Gowda.

Organised by Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India, in association with FICCI, India Chem-2021 with the theme of ‘India: Global Manufacturing Hub for Chemicals and Petrochemicals’ showcased “tremendous” potential and supportive government policy for sustainable growth in the sector and provide a platform for domestic and international investors and other stakeholders to interact and forge alliances.

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Addressing the inaugural session ‘India Chem 2021, Mr Gowda said, “Indian chemicals and petrochemicals industry is growing to new heights, and he made it clear that investments worth Rs 10 lakh crore will happen in the industry by 2025. Mr Gowda added that the growth in the chemical and petrochemicals industry is also contributing to Atmanirbhar Bharat.

During COVID, India has made the medicine available to the whole world.

In particular, India has helped in getting

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the vaccine to the neighboring country.”

Lauding FICCI on organizing India Chem 2021, Mr Gowda said, “India Chem 2021 has become an internationally recognized event, and it has gained widespread acceptance and this conference is a living example. We will surely emerge as the front runner in chemicals and petrochemicals.”

Mr Yogendra Tripathi, Secretary, Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, said that India is emerging as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. “The Indian economy is showing signs of emerging as one of the fastest economies in the world. The vision of India Chem 2021 is to seize the opportunity to establish India as a leading chemical and petrochemical hub,” he added.

Capt Dibya Sankar Mishra, Minister of Industries, MSME, Energy & Home (MoS), Govt of Odisha, emphasized that Orissa is emerging as an investment destination. “If anyone wants to invest in metals and minerals, no one can ignore Odisha. We have made the ecosystem where the investor will be benefitted if they invest in Odisha. To facilitate the companies to setup and do business in the state, Odisha has undertaken several initiatives over the past year in terms of implementation of EoDB Framework.”

Mr Mekapati Goutam Reddy, Minister for Industries, Investment, Infrastructure, Commerce & IT, Govt of Andhra Pradesh said that Andhra

Pradesh is the preferred destination for chemicals and petrochemicals industries. He also lauded the Government of India for taking effective steps to promote the petrochemical industry. “Presence of large petrochemical industries and oil refineries is enabling the country to become self-sufficient. The state has attracted more investments in the recent years.

We have around 5,000 MSMEs working in the state which contributes to 8 percent of the entire business in India,” he added. Mr Deepak C Mehta, Chairman, FICCI National Chemical Committee & CMD, Deepak Nitrite Ltd told that India is emerging as a global leader in the chemical and petrochemical industry. He added that the chemical industry is driving extremely well in India over the past few years, and he expects the same to happen in the future too.

Mr Prabh Das, Chairman, FICCI Petrochemicals Committee, and MD & CEO, HMEL added that investments worth Rs 8 lakh crores are there in the pipeline of the chemicals and petrochemicals industry in India. “The prospects of investment in this industry are immense, be it domestic investors or global,” he added. Mr Bhavesh V Patel, CEO of LyondellBasell Industries said, “We must think about end markets and work backwards. We must continue to innovate and recognize that environmental, social issues are here to stay.”

FICCI-PwC knowledge paper ‘India: A global manufacturing hub for chemicals and petrochemicals’ was released during the event.

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March 2021

Messe Frankfurt India Reunites Industry Players With Back-To-Back Physical Conferences This March Prioritising safety and success in equal measure, Messe Frankfurt India hosted its rst series of live events – in the form of NGV India Summit and Rail India in New Delhi, this March. With its next major conference ‘India Rening Summit’ scheduled from 25 - 26 March 2021, the Indian subsidiary is taking afrmative steps towards resuming B2B physical platforms. presence of industry stalwarts as it brought together 120 professionals faceto-face over two days, sparking a series of insightful conversations on topics for railway modernisation, post-pandemic approach, digital transformation and new investment plans for Indian Railways. During the conference, Mr. Rahul Agarwal, Head of Infrastructure and Financial Investments, Invest India said: “It was a great initiative by Messe Frankfurt India to organise and bring together the railway sector through Rail India conference, especially as we are slowly emerging out of the pandemic.

It will not only help the event industry, but also help businesses get back on track and gain investments.” Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member shared: “The goal was to ensure a safe setting for professional encounters – one that demonstrates how significant in-person business events are and how they can be held in compliance with government's hygiene and safety standards.”

s Messe Frankfurt India's 'first physical event in the new normal', the Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) India Summit (hosted from 4 – 5 March) garnered an enriching response from 125 industry experts and concluded on a high note with key takeaways for Indian fuel and gas industry. Amid soaring petrol and diesel prices concerning the citizens of India, the NGV India Summit was scheduled at an ideal time, highlighting the importance of natural gas and the way forward in terms of challenges, opportunities and overall acceptance of the clean fuel.

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In the subsequent week from 11 – 12 March 2021, the 5th edition of Rail India conference galvanised crucial discussions on the future of Indian Railways facilitating intense networking through this key business event. With a panel comprising of major industry players and dignitaries

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Gearing up next for the 5th edition of India Refining Summit (25 - 26 March 2021), Messe Frankfurt India is now set to bring together the refining and petrochemical segment players to discuss crucial industry-related issues during its two-day proceedings in New Delhi.

from the Indian railway sector, the conference was inaugurated in the

The live conferences organised under the safety parameters of 'MFI SafeConnect' are strictly aligned with government guidelines and continue to facilitate a secure meeting place for professionals.

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Over 700 Global Buyers From 53 Countries Participate In IndusFood 2021

he show, which started from March 20, aimed at showcasing huge potential that exists in the sector for global and domestic players.

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TPCI said the fair attracted maximum buyers from GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region from where more than 150 buyers attended the show. It was followed by over 100 players from CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries, Europe (80) and Africa (80) and over 40 from the US and Latin America.

'The expected business negotiation worth 800 million to 1 billion USD is expected to have been negotiated so far

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during the show,' it said. Vivek Agarwal, Chairman - Food and Beverage Committee, TPCI said the recent rise in trade of value-added food and beverage products has generated unforeseen opportunities for food and beverage companies.

'This has increased the relevance of both global value chain frameworks and production networks in the food processing sector. This edition is being conducted with strict safety protocols and we are happy to have taken this step to set up the fair in physical format despite lingering challenges,' he said.

IndusFood 2021 also witnessed participation from different states,

including Odisha, Haryana and Tamil Nadu, TPCI said. A memorandum of understanding was inked between the Jammu Kashmir Trade promotion Organisation (JKTPO) and the council.

It was signed by JKTPO Managing Director Ankita Kar and TPCI Founder and Chairman Mohit Singla to increase cooperation in the sector.

The show was inaugurated by Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Pratap Chandra Sarangi. India's food and beverage sector exports during April-December this fiscal increased by about 10 per cent.

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SATTE 2021: Industry Calls For The Revival Of Travel And Tourism Industry Expo2020 Dubai are showcasing their product profile and preparedness to woo Indian travelers. Private players such as TravelBoutiqueOnline, ITC Welcome Heritage, My Value Travel, Tripjack, Youngistan Travellers, STS World, Destination India, Nix Tours, Hora Tourism, and Rayna Tours, amongst others, have also participated this year. SATTE 2021 has one-of-akind features such as SATTE Virtual Zone, and the T3 Studio that is enabling exhibitors to communicate their services effectively to the buyers.

nforma Markets in India, India's leading B2B exhibition organizer, commenced the 28th edition of SATTE. The expo is the first physical event by Informa Markets in India in the pandemic status quo. The much awaited event was inaugurated by Chief Guest Mr. Arvind Singh, Secretary - Tourism, G1ovt. of India along with key dignitaries Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Tourism, Maldives; Mr. M P Bezbaruah, Former Secretary – Tourism, Govt. of India and Secretary General, Hotel Association of India; Mr. Maneck E. Davar, Chairman, Service Export Promotion Council, and Ms. Jyoti Mayal, Vice-Chairperson, FAITH, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India and Ms. Pallavi Mehra, Group Director, Informa Markets In India.

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The three day expo, being organized with a comprehensive line of best practices & safety protocols between 24th to 26th March 2021, at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi – NCR, is witnessing participation from

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cross-sections of the industry and has garnered great support from the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, Service Export Promotion Council (SEPC) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Ayush and State/UT Tourism Boards such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, to name a few. Uttar Pradesh is the ‘Host State’ for SATTE 2021.

International participants such as Nepal, Maldives, Malaysia, Utah and

Speaking at the inauguration of SATTE, Mr. Arvind Singh, Secretary - Tourism, Govt. of India, congratulated the organizing team of SATTE for sending out the message of resurgence in the travel and tourism industry. He also mentioned that travel and tourism is the leading service industry of India and as per WTTC, contributed 6.8% of the total economy amounting to INR. 16,681 billion. It generated 39,82,18,000 jobs which translates to 8.0% of the total employment of the Indian economy. Mr. Singh also added, “India is emerging as a nation to look up to for several countries in terms of health infrastructure, we have already vaccinated 32 million people and would be continuing our efficient drive.

Coming to strengthening the foundation of travel and tourism industry, the Ministry has launched ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ campaign which has already organized more than 80 webinars. The website of ‘Incredible India’ has also been updated in multiple languages like Chinese and Arabic to facilitate a smooth flow of communication across multiple countries. Initiatives like SATHI (System of Awareness Training for Hospitality Industry), SWADESH

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and the Incredible India Tourist Facilitator (IITF) Certification Programme have been launched. The programmes aim at enhancing the overall experience of tourists by creating a pool of talented and skilled individuals in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. We are positioning India as a centre of Ayurveda, Yoga, Sidha, Naturopathy which will be boosting the Wellness Tourism, the guidelines have already been drafted by the Ministry. Schemes have also been extended to wellness tourism service providers.”

Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, added, “We are glad to receive such an overwhelming response from our exhibitors, and support from authorities and tourism boards. The industry is still subject to the see-saw effect in terms of the economy. Exhibitions like SATTE will surely drive a positive tone among the associated stakeholders and industry players, while strategically strengthening ‘Atmanirbharta’ as envisaged by the Government. We are upbeat about the future and about the efforts we all need to put together for the revival. Two common themes that have emerged are ensuring safe and sustainable growth and greater use of the latest technology solutions.

These can be leveraged to build further inroads into niche, in-demand segments like Domestic leisure business, and wellness and health tourism that we are also promoting at SATTE.” With the current international air travel restrictions, SATTE reoriented its strategy that is mainly focused on the domestic market along with select International destinations that have opened doors for tourists post the lockdown lift.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, Minister of Tourism, Maldives, said, “SATTE 2021 is a crucial way forward to move past the

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crisis, which will echo across the globe.” He also thanked Indian Govt. for their support, Indian tourists for visiting Maldives and playing an important role in making it the next door travel destination. By the end of this year, more than 3,00,000 Indian tourists are expected to visit Maldives which is a highest recorded number for any country.

Dr. Mausoom added “Indians are hardworking individuals, be it IT professionals, doctors or executive class - they all need a vacation break, and we are working to kickstart our North airport which will cut the travel time by 45 minutes for Indian tourists. Very soon Maldives is all set to become the first country to initiate Vaccine Tourism called as “3V”- “Visit, Vaccinate and Vacation”; it will give travelers the option to get vaccinated against Covid19 in the Maldives and promote it as a safe destination for tourists” Alongside the expo, the SATTE 2021 conference is presenting a host of thought-provoking knowledge sessions.

Day 1 of the conference saw panel discussions on topics such as Domestic tourism: Exploring unexplored, International tourism: Tackling pandemic impact, A destination Showcase by Gujarat and panel discussion on Technology: Adopting SMART tourism. Day 2 will witness panel discussions on Religious Tourism, Wellness Tourism and Women in Travel along with Destination showcases by Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Lakshadweep. Over the years, SATTE has had the support of international and domestic organisations and associations.

This year the reputed list includes the Indian Association of Tour Operators

(IATO), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI), IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI), Hotel Association of India (HAI), Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB), Network of Indian MICE Agents (NIMA), Association of Buddhist Tour Operators(ABTO), Universal Federation of Travel Agents Association (UFTAA), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Skal, Enterprising Travel Agents Association (ETAA) amongst others to name a few have helped bolster the efforts of SATTE this year too.

EQUATIONS is the NGO partner this year.

SATTE 2021 is amply supported by its AllSecure & Travel Safety Guidelines – a safety standard initiative by Informa that will safeguard the Health and Safety of the exhibitors, visitors and its employees to RESTART exhibitions. These are in line with the government’s guidelines to ensure a smooth, secured experience for everyone at the show. In a nutshell, the expo has laid a concrete steppingstone for the travel and tourism industry to proceed towards a balanced recovery.

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To Lift The Industry IPAMA Is Extending Covid Special Discount In 15th Printpack India Along With Other Discounts

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he Governing Council has revised the dates of its flagship event PRINTPACK INDIA as December 20-24, 2021. While doing so, the Council had considered at length the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the global industry. It may be stated that PRINTPACK INDIA is one of the most popular international exhibitions on the Graphic Arts Industry in India and also one to the most preferred exhibitions across the Globe.

After the announcement of the new dates of the Exhibition as mentioned above, the Members of Governing Council of the Association had deliberated at length with a view to extending maximum relief to the industry so that more and more companies could participate in PRINTPACK INDIA 2021 Exhibition.

Accordingly, the 117th Meeting of the Governing Council of the Association was organised physically on 22nd March 2021 to consider extending relief to the Exhibitors in space charges to subdue the impact of COVID-19 and lockdowns imposed by the Central and State Governments from time to time

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which had crippled the Industry.

Keeping in view all the relevant factors, a bold decision was taken by the Governing Council of IPAMA that the Exhibitors should be charged minimum space rentals, only to meet the basic requirements of the Exhibition.

Accordingly, the Governing Council had approved the following discounts on the basic rates for participation in the 15th Edition: (A) Basic Charges for Bare Space : Rs. 8000/- per Sqm. (B) Basic Charges for Shell Scheme: Rs. 9000/- per Sqm. 1. Early Bird Discount to all Exhibitors: Rs. 1,000/- per Sqm, subject to payment by due dates.

2. Membership Discount: 5% to 15%.

3. Motivational Discount for Regular Members: Rs.1000/- per Sqm. 4. Motivational Discount for Associate Members: Rs.500/- per Sqm. 5. COVID-19 Special Discount for Regular Members: Rs.2000/- per Sqm. 6. COVID-19 Special Discount for Associate Members: Rs.500/- per Sqm.

Apart from providing the abovementioned discounts, IPAMA may also favourably consider extending some complimentary services to the Exhibitors and Business Visitors during the currency of the Exhibition. IPAMA gratefully acknowledges Industry's overwhelming response at this crucial period for participation in PRINTPACK INDIA 2021. 70% area has already been booked.

Major players of the Industry have also remitted the requisite amount for 15th PRINTPACK INDIA. The Exhibitor's & Visitor's Registration Portals have also been developed for the convenience of the participants. In 15th PRINTPACK INDIA, all the services will be available online. Exhibitors can book the space after remitting the participation charges. After the remittance, the Exhibitor can select the Hall and Stall. They can download receipts/Invoices and can also place orders for additional services etc.

Visitors can fixup their meetings with exhibitors online. The Portal will be functional on the website in a week time.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

March 2021

AAHAR 2021 & UNITY Conclave Postponed

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News Buzz

March 2021

SITE India Announces New Board For 2021-2023

S

ITE India Chapter has declared the New Board for 2021-2023 and the details are as follows:

The board that shall head Site India Chapter will consists of the following: Mr. Nitin Sachdeva serving as President Ÿ Mr. Naveen Rizvi serving as Vice President Ÿ Mr. Barun Gupta serving as Vice President Secretariat Ÿ Mr. Vikrant Gulani serving as Vice

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Ÿ

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Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

President Finance Mr. Sanjeev Joshi serving as Immediate Past President Mr. Rajeev Kohli serving as Mentor Mr. Anup Nair serving as Past President Mr. Ajay Vinayak serving as Board Member Mr. Amaresh Tiwari serving as Board Member Mr. Ashwani Nayar serving as Board Member Mr. Atulya Joshi serving Site Young Leader

SITE India has put their faith in the New and a Young team backed by the experience and legacy of leaders who have founded and served on the SITE India Chapter since its inception.

SITE India will come out with a power packed year with activities which will help its members and associate partners to not only drive business but provide the necessary tools and education to get ahead in the Incentive Travel Business.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

March 2021

Revised SOPs For Exhibitions In India Released the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India announced the revised guidelines for conducting trade exhibitions in the country.

T

his came as a huge relief for the exhibitions sector in India, as

Welcoming the announcement of revised guidelines, Mr. Balasubramanian S Pillai, President, on behalf of the Executive Committee of IEIA, expressed his thanks to the

Ministry of Commerce & Ministry of Health, Govt. of India for the positive consideration of the IEIA’s submissions for making the exhibitions practically viable while exercising utmost caution for health and safety concerns of the participants.

IEIA CEO Connect And SPARK Contest Held Successfully

fter a long gap of one year, IEIA CEO's CONNECT provided a opportunity to connect the industry players face to face for business discussions, knowledge sharing and networking. IEIA CEO's CONNECT & SPARK Contest was held on 27th March, 2021 at The Leela

A

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Ambience, Gurugram, marking the first physical event organised by IEIA post lockdown, facilitating a meaningful networking opportunity for members to connect with each other.

SPARK contest was held for young professionals in the industry and the

proud winners constituted: Top Winner - IMTMA 1st Runners Up - NuernbergMesse India Ÿ 2nd Runners Up - Informa Markets India and DB Schenker India Ÿ Ÿ

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

March 2021

Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre In Khajuraho Launched In MICE Roadshow

he Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, organised ‘Meet in India’, a MICE roadshow at ‘Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre’, Khajuraho from the 25th to 27th March, 2021. During the event, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Tourism and Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the state-of-the-art Chhatrasal Convention Center in Khajuraho.

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The Convention Centre, named after the legendary Bundelkhand King Maharaja Chhatrasal, has been built at a cost of around Rs 51 crore 43 lakh under Modi govt’s Swadesh-Darshan scheme. The

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center is equipped with unique features to facilitate gathering for MICE and other events. During the event Chouhan said that the govt held discussions with 141 tour and MICE (Meetings, Incentive, Conference Exhibition) operators, and also with event management agency, travel agents and other stake holders from different parts of India. He said that the state govt will develop Khajuraho and Madhya Pradesh as a preferred destination for MICE. Chouhan added that the govt is ensuring that along with business and corporate meetings of national and international level, tourism is also benefitted and

witnesses a boom.

The welcome ceremony of the event was held on 26th March, 2021; during which Amresh Tiwari, Vice Chairman of ‘India Convention Promotion Bureau’ (ICPB) made a presentation on the future of MICE Industry in the country followed by another presentation by Sonia Meena, Addl. Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board.

In his keynote address, Ashwani Lohani, CEO, GMR Group said that Madhya Pradesh is the heartland of India and has immense potential to attract tourists. He also threw light on the

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

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March 2021

changes happening in tourism post Covid. Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, said that the Ministry of Tourism is eager to create hand holdings between different stakeholders and act as a catalyst to develop tourism in the country.

and comments on the Master Plan of Khajuraho. Various aspects to develop and promote Khajuraho as an Iconic Destination covering cultural, natural and heritage offerings of the destinations and surrounding attractions were also discussed.

The second session of the day was held on ‘Making Khajuraho – as Iconic Tourist Destination’ during which a detailed presentation on the master plan of Khajuraho was made

by Shri Jay Kaktikar, Partner, Design Associates. The Minister (Tourism & Culture) saw the presentation and deliberated the same in detail.

Khajuraho’s Chhatrasal Convention Center boasts of the following facilities:

Thereafter, various local stakeholders and local media also presented their views on development aspects of Khajuraho and gave their feedback

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18000 sq. ft. of meeting space Parking space for 350 plus cars Can host around 1500-pax Wi-Fi throughout the premises Fire-fighting systems, restrooms, make-up rooms, admin rooms, service rooms, etc. Ÿ Statue of Vallabhbhai Patel and Maharaja Chhatrasal will be installed Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

MP CM Chouhan informed the gathering that the UNESCO world heritage site Khajuraho is also one of the 19 Iconic Cities in India. He said that tourism in Bundelkhand region will get boost through ‘Home Stay’ and ‘Gram Stay’ schemes. He added that Khajuraho will be established as an ideal center of tourism. Along with this, work will be done to ensure that Khajuraho Dance Festival meets international standards.

The chief minister dedicated the Madhya Pradesh Chapter of the Indian Convention Promotion Bureau by displaying the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Indian Convention Promotion Bureau, Madhya Pradesh Tourism, National Human Resource Development and other organizations.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2021

“RELEARNING, RESKILLING, AND UPSKILLING THE NEW NORM MARKET ” Interview With Loy Joon How, General Manager, IMPACT Exhibition And Convention Centre ES. As General Manager at IMPACT, please share your key responsibilities for hosting a safe and successful event.

Loy. IMPACT is a venue provider that designs our entire business operations around our customers’ needs. Hence, ensuring a safe environment to host successful events at our venue is paramount. As early as in February last year (2020), we have already implemented a range of comprehensive precautionary and preventative COVID-19 measures that are in compliance with our TIS 22300 MICE Security Management System standard and ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Standard.

This is together with other strict controls and guidelines on safety and health practices according to government health policies and advisories. At the same time, we are continuously reviewing and adapting our safety, hygiene and medical protocols to address all levels of concerns, and meet the requirements of the “new norms”.

These include our hygiene and disinfection processes, temperature monitoring, social distancing measures, contact tracing, attendee density monitoring, F&B services, new event formats, to name a few.

ES. IMPACT is one of Asia’s largest and most modern exhibition and convention centers. Tell us other features that sets IMPACT apart from other venues?

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March 2021

and new revenue stream generations. Examples of new revenue stream generations are our digital event and marketing services, off-site F&B catering and food delivery services, etc

Mr Loy looks to partner with events organisers in France and Germany

Loy. We are an integrated venue offering a diversity of events with our versatile facilities (including our two hotels) and services. Our facilities comprise a variety of venue sizes that meet all types of event requirements – big or small. Our focus is on delivering to our customers personalized and total solutions that offer high values and services beyond their expectations. This is achieved through our total or one-stop solutions ranging from floor plan consultations, hotel accommodations, F&B services, event management services, marketing & sales services, logistic and operation services, etc.

ES. How has the virus outbreak affected IMPACT? And, how have you dealt with the jolt and bounced back from it?

Loy. The pandemic has indeed posed serious disruptions to our business and Thailand’s MICE industry has greatly been impacted by COVID-19. In fact, in 2020 the Asian region saw a sharp drop (over 75%) in venue space rental as compared to 2019. Unlike SARS in 2003, the impact and effects this time is far more reaching, damaging and long lasting. Based on previous lessons learned from the outbreaks of both SARS in 2003 and MERS CoV in 2016, IMPACT is able to respond promptly by deploying and putting into immediate effect, our business contingency and continuity plans. This involves organizational restructurings, cost cuttings

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My outlook is that in over the course of the next 12 to 24 months and beyond, it would be a difficult but gradual recovery that is driven by domestic events with some road bumps ahead. In such situation, we are positioning ourselves to be at the forefront of the market to proactively provide and offer new solutions as the market adjust, and accept the reality of the new norm. At the same time, we are embracing new technology capabilities in order to deliver digital solutions that can offer better values for our customers.

ES. How many physical events have you hosted since COVID? How do you overcome the challenges in conducting and initiating the events?

Loy. Prior to COVID, we were hosting over 800 events annually – big and small – comprising a variety events such as exhibitions, conferences, meetings, concerts, sporting events, national examinations, corporate functions, etc. Since COVID, the numbers have obviously reduced by over 70% (for the year 2020). To overcome this challenge, we have hasten our adoption of digitalization by rolling out new digital services such as digital event management solutions in the forms of webinars, business matching programs, hybrid events and other related meeting activities that can be conducted in the digital sphere. We foresee that these digital or hybrid events would eventually become key components in physical events when these physical events eventually resumes.

ES. With the objective of providing major impetus to safety, how have you equipped to ensure safe and secure events?

Loy. Taking lessons learned from SARS and MERS CoV, and in compliance with our TIS 22300 MICE Security Management System Standard and ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Standard, our venue is already equipped with temperature monitoring devices and other hygiene and health

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precautions. As such, we were able to roll out our safety measures as early as in Feb 2020. Since then, we have continued to bolster and equipped ourselves with additional measures to ensure the safety and peace of mind of attendees at our venue. These measures include deployment of UVC disinfection technology and other cleaning technology using radio frequency (RF) remote control. We are also monitoring, reviewing and adapting our hygiene and health safety protocols according to the situation and government guidelines.

All these are testimonial to the fact that our venue was selected to host the international HSBC World Tour Badminton Finals in January 2021. This international sporting event was organized in our venue under a strict and safe COVID 19 framework of “self-contained” and “bubble protocols”. These frameworks with strict controls on safety and health has established the blueprint and criteria for a “new norm” organising format for the staging of international sporting events in Thailand.

ES. What are the areas which will see drastic changes? What would be the tech trends for event venues in 2021?

Loy. Events will become smaller but space requirements will be bigger due to social distancing, health and safety enforcements.

2. Event formats, seating formats, crowd management, F&B services, cleaning and hygiene protocols will need to conform with local health and safety regulations.

3. Event formats will be in the forms of hybrid or virtual 4. Event attendee pre-registration technology and applications will feature prominently as on-site registrations are being discouraged.

5. Wearing of masks, temperature checking, social distancing enhanced sanitary and hygiene measures and practices shall be

the new norm at venues 6. Venues will be equipped with relevant technology and connectivity to support the seamlessly conduct of hybrid and virtual events 7. Digital, virtual reality and artificial intelligence technology will play increasing roles in the future of the event industry 8. Venues will be equipped with relevant technology and systems to enforce crowd management such as social distancing, visitor density tracking, and contact tracing ES. Do you have some hybrid element involved in the physical shows at IMPACT? Loy. Yes, physical events at our venue has already incorporated these digital elements in the forms of virtual booths, webinars, live demo streaming, and virtual business matchings ,especially for international players who are not able to attend these events physically. In 2021, there will be quite a numbers of events taking place at our venue that will be conducted in hybrid formats.

IMPACT, is also an exhibition/event organiser ourselves. All shows organized by us in 2021 are in hybrid formats (physical + on-line).

ES. Is your venue prepared for the Hybrid events? How do you ensure contactless and safe events?

Loy. Yes as mentioned above, our venue is equipped with the necessary IT, broadcasting and information communication infrastructures to facilitate the conduct of hybrid, contactless and safe events.

ES. What according to you will be the role of venues and the preparations they will need to thrive in the new normal?

Loy. As mentioned above, I think the role of venues would to take up a pro-active leadership approach to be at the market forefront to share, suggest, offer and provide new solutions as

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2021

ES. How are you preparing to bounce back in the year 2021?

What major events are in the pipeline?

Loy. Preparations are as mentioned above. Having said that, the outlook for 2021 will largely depend on 1. Whether the pandemic can be effectively managed and controlled, 2. The availability of vaccine and its effective inoculation rollout and 3. Lifting of international travel restrictions

the market adjust and accept the realities of the new normal.

These will include addressing and tackling issues brought about by the new normal, such as digitalization, safety and hygiene restrictions, social distancing regulations, travel restrictions, new hybrid/digital twin event formats, emergence of new players especially technology and digital provers, etc.

In a nutshell, venues will need to take the leadership role in adapting to these new norms, and develop new service offerings to meet these demands and concerns.

events at our venue in the pipeline for 2021 include “ twoMajor of Thailand’s biggest motor exhibitions (Motor Show and

ES. What are your upcoming plans?

Loy. a. We are gearing up our capability so that we can be in a good position to capitalize on an eventual market recovery. We are relearning, reskilling and upskilling ourselves in anticipation of new challenges and demands in the new norm market.

Motor Expo in March and Dec respectively), Thaifex Anuga Asia 2021 – a major international food exhibition in Sep/Oct and from March onwards, there will also be numerous domestic exhibitions ranging from education, home & furnishing, interiors, lifestyle, SMEs, building and construction, Pets, etc.

b. Our ongoing organizational restructuring will enable us to respond better to the demands and requirements of a new norm market, while maintaining our cost effectiveness and productivity.

ES. What would be your message to the industry?

Loy. The COVID-19 has inadvertently hasten adoption of digital platforms or digital transformation in our industry.

Despite the current positive developments and progress in managing the pandemic, recovery will not be quick and easy.

We will need look at a business model that can effectively help us deploy new digital capability and technology not only to help reduce costs, but also offer personalized customer experience that complement traditional formats, and staying highly engaged with our customers through better delivery of contents, exchanging knowledge and receiving customer feedbacks in an acutely changed world and business norm.

c. On the digital fronts, we are developing new tech offerings for our customers to facilitate the conduct of hybrid and virtual events. d. Given the assumption that recovery will be driven by domestic events, we as an organizer are launching several new domestic shows for the year 2021 and beyond – both in physical and on-line format.

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”

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2021

EXHiBiTiON SHOWCASE TALKS TO SCOTT CRAiGHEAD, ViCE PRESiDENT, IAEE Future Ready means we must be willing to evolve our roles to embrace the opportunities that technology will bring to our business.

ES. In the past 16 years, you have played role in various positions producing exhibitions and events in the U.S. and globally. Can you share with us some of the major highlights of your professional journey since the time you started?

Scott. I have been extremely fortunate in my career journey, having experienced event creation, design, and production across many types of events, audiences, and markets. I can pull many great experiences from each phase of my career, whether it be managing events and facilities at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), running semiconductor events and trade shows in Asia, Europe, and the USA, or now, leading shows and events that serve the exhibition and events industry worldwide. Throughout my career, I have always received the personal value of being part of an industry which serves as a critical business and marketing platform in connecting people and ideas.

ES. The International Association of Exhibitions and Events is the leading association for the global exhibition industry.

How's IAEE committed to help make overall travel and business events industry more inclusive?

Scott. Exhibitions and events have long brought diverse groups of people together to advocate, learn and conduct business for their industry. International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) engages industry members who are passionate about influencing change through channels such as the IAEE Diversity, Equity &Inclusion Committee, which is committed to identifying and developing initiatives that elevate underrepresented individuals, supports chapters across the globe and provides a connected and inclusive community globally.

ES. In this time of pandemic and disruption, what all campaigns and initiatives have been taken by IAEE for the revival of event industry?

Scott. From the beginning of the pandemic, IAEE has taken on many projects to assist its members and the industry in recovering from this unprecedented situation. These

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Scott Craighead, Vice President, IAEE

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initiatives have centered around digital events, public advocacy, and health & safety. Last year we successfully launched the IAEE Virtual Exhibitions and Events Marketplace to connect show organizers with platform companies. We also launched IAEE’s first virtual Expo! Expo!, which served as an industry use case for virtual event production. Soon, a CEM (Certified in Exhibition Management) virtual events module will be released. We are also preparing to launch IAEE’s Market Hub, a 365 day digital marketplace to connect industry buyers and sellers. I am most proud of my work with the IAEE Health and Safety Task Force, comprised of several industry groups representing all parts of the industry (venues, show management, labor unions, exhibitors, exhibit builders), and GBAC (Global Bio-risk Advisory Council). With task force support and contribution, IAEE released its publication, Essential Considerations for Safely Reopening Exhibitions and Events last June, with the 3rd version of this publication coming in the next few weeks.

ES. Can you share with us the role and responsibilities as the Vice President, Exhibitions & Events?

Scott. As Vice President of Exhibitions & Events for IAEE, my responsibilities include Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Meeting & Exhibition. Expo! Expo! is the gateway to the decisionmakers for the exhibition and events industry. It attracts the owners, executives, directors and managers from companies and associations, which organize a wide variety of events and exhibitions, including many of the largest exhibitions in North America.. As a member of the IAEE Leadership Team, I am responsible for development and implementation of event and marketplace related initiatives as it relates to the organization's strategic plan. Management responsibilities include budgeting, show strategy, development & design, technology solutions & integrations, personnel, site selection, request for proposals, contracts, and overall operations for all events and exhibitions produced by IAEE. I serve in industry wide leadership roles in technology, environmental sustainability, and health and safety.

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ES. What is your take on being 'Future Ready' must be new normal for Exhibitions? What according to you are the learnings from this pandemic?

Scott. Future Ready means we must be willing to evolve our roles to embrace the opportunities that technology will bring to our business. Event organizers need to look at ways to engage with its market audience on a year round basis and use digital to expand its audience. IAEE is represented in 50 countries.

Now, we are planning to launch more international events, including Expo! Expo! MENA (Middle East North Africa) in the Spring of 2022 in Abu Dhabi. However, this digital revolution for our industry will allow for much stronger benefit and outreach opportunities for all global stakeholders.

ES. What are the top 3 logistic challenges in the industry?

Scott. Certainly, depending on the outcome of this pandemic, health and safety is the number one logistical challenge we face today. As show organizers, we must prioritize health and safety for our attendees and exhibitors. Also, with the pandemic and this digital revolution for our industry, balancing the needs of digital and onsite experiences will remain a challenge to navigate.

ES. According to you, what would be the key upcoming trends of the Exhibition industry in 2021?

Scott. For 2021, the focus will be on the industry’s recovery, bringing events back, and applying what was learned from the 2020 virtual events to 2021 hybrid events.

ES. What would be your message to industry?

Scott. The industry will ultimately recover and thrive. I am proud of how this industry has responded in the face of great adversity. The business will evolve much faster now, yet the biological drivers for meeting in person will remain. In the midst of the disruption generated from a business under immense pressure and change, don’t lose sight of why events are so intrinsically valuable to the human experience.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2021

FACE TO FACE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST PREFERRED WAY TO MEET AND DO BUSINESS In Conversation With David Woodbridge, Managing Director, Newbridge Events ES. You have a long journey in the exhibition and event industry, What drew you to this field? Please share with us your professional journey.

David. I have indeed. I am 50 this July and will have spent 30 of those 50 years in this diverse and exciting industry! Like many people, I entered it by chance, working in admin for a Telecoms Association that ran a small industry event. I was quickly moved into a sales role for the commercial subsidiary and from there, it didn't take me long to realise that this was going to be my career.

After 10 years at TMA, I left as the Event Director of a show that had become the leading show in its industry - with 400 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors. From the age of 30, I explored the larger corporate side of the industry, spending time working

for Reed and DMG, until deciding that I preferred the autonomy that working for a smaller event company allowed. I subsequently joined Revolution Events as the Group Event Director launching and developing international events for them. At 40, I had reached a crossroads in my career and made the decision to set up a new events business with a long-time friend and colleague! It was the most daunting (in the early days) but truly rewarding decision I have ever made. As Cofounders of Newbridge Events, my business partner and I have grown and developed a company that delivers specialist project resource for B2B event organisers.

I have worked with amazing clients all over the world, and after surviving the impact that COVID-19 had on the

David Woodbridge Managing Director Newbridge Events

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industry, I now feel we are in a very strong position to help clients maximise the huge opportunities that exist going forward.

ES. As we know that 2021 is the year of reopening of exhibitions and events, please share your experience of events and exhibitions held recently.

David. It is no secret that most people working in events would rather deliver physical events than virtual events – as face to face has always been the most preferred way to meet and do business. However, the restrictions that were forced upon the industry made it a necessity to turn towards virtual events in an attempt to generate much needed revenues and keep their audiences engaged.

After the initial novelty of the new world of back-to-back webinars and zoom meetings, digital fatigue quickly set in. And whilst most organisers had previously 'dipped their toe' in the digital event pool, many struggled to find a strong and unique way to maintain audience engagement – especially in the absence of any live shows.

The successful virtual events that we have been involved in, have encouraged the careful targeting and personalisation of content and meetings to meet participants individual needs.

In short, reducing the quantity and increasing the quality and relevance of participants. Our last live event was Cityscape Global in Dubai – where we delivered a small but highly targeted & personalised VIP Hosted Buyer Programme for their top-level buyers and sellers. Whilst the number of attendees had understandably reduced due to restrictions on international travel and social distancing guidelines – it was still a very successful event that kept their audiences engaged.

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ES. What are your current clients? What will you do as an event manager to ensure the safety of your participants?

David. Our current clients are large B2B exhibition organisers (such as Informa Markets and Clarion Events) that are adhering to the new All Secure Standard to ensure the safety of participants. On our part, we continue to support, work within and adhere to these frameworks.

ES. How do you overcome the challenge in conducting and initiating the events?

David. This is a significant issue for our clients. So, to help them relaunch and rebuild, we have created a new agreement structure which is scalable and based on staged go/no-go dates.

This reduces their risk of committing to a full project without the assurance of sponsor support and live event confirmation.

ES. What is your take on 'COVID-19 is a catalyst to reinvent the future of work and future of skills?’

David. Whilst some changes have been enforced by COVID19, I do believe that it has also acted as a catalyst to reinvent the future of work not only for those who take the opportunity to make things better than they were, but also for those are required by their employers to work in new ways.

New technologies are going to necessitate new roles, which is one reason to encourage new skills.

I believe we will all benefit from being taught new mindsets, behaviours and values in the new and quickly changing workplace. This includes working in a more agile way – something that has been recognised by more and more people working from home. Whilst I believe that this will also have some impact on people traveling for meetings to do business face-to-face (when they have been able to make-do with Zoom meetings), I do not feel it will replace the overall desire to get back to attending physical events. The next generation of event organisers coming into the industry will be more comfortable with a digital way of working – they are of a generation who are tech savvy and social media confident, and they are citizens of a global digital world. I'm sure they will bring huge insight, ideas and awareness to help drive business forward.

And finally, I really do hope we can achieve a new balance of

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working from home, in the office and onsite – this will benefit our industry massively and deliver a much better work/life balance for us all.

ES. New technologies are going to necessitate new roles, how has Newbridge Events overcome the challenges during and post Covid-19?

David. The pandemic has given all businesses in the events industry time to reflect and refocus on their business models.

For anyone who works in the industry it is well known that “Virtual & Hybrid” is something everyone has wanted to do, and tried to do, but the audience has never really embraced and seen the value. The current situation means that organisers have invested in new technologies (which are evolving rapidly) and are starting to offer their clients and visitors another way to do business. This model will continue to evolve as we progress out of the pandemic and has the potential (if done well) to increase revenues in the future.

For Newbridge this means fully embracing new technologies – however we are not a technology company and so our ethos is very much to use technology to augment and evolve our service offering. By being flexible, making the most of technology and adapting to the climate during COVID-19, we went "virtual" and looked outwards which involved: Virtual Hosted Buyer Programmes – taking our whiteglove, concierge meeting service into a virtual environment. Ÿ Virtual Executive Forums – Sponsored presentations hosted to encourage peer-to-peer engagement. Ÿ Developing a fully-hybrid, 365 solution for year-round engagement between buyers and sellers. Ÿ Changing geographical focus – to work in countries where opportunities existed to run physical events – albeit on a smaller scale.

Ÿ

Going forward: Ÿ We will continue to develop our 365 Hybrid solutions as we feel that digital is now here to stay. Ÿ We will also continue to offer all of our virtual services as options for organisers to meet their Hybrid needs. Ÿ We will utilise track & trace technology to monitor buyer/seller meetings.

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We will enjoy the rebirth of live events and all the enthusiasm and opportunities surrounding them. Ÿ We will continue our global expansion – to reduce reliance on any one country. Ÿ

ES. What is your take on 'how exhibition dynamics evolve in the new normal in respect to event setup, en-site exhibition, value proposition, and use of technology?'

David. I believe that many events will remain Hybrid for the foreseeable future, with digital events running before/during/after each live show throughout 2021. Whilst this might initially have been due to the need to keep the international audience engaged - and as a back-up for live event cancellation - it has since become a recognised and valued service which offers audiences (buyer and seller) real engagement opportunities on a 365/year-round basis.

For our services, app based and contactless solutions will be a significant enabler as it will allow us to elevate the level of service we offer. The value proposition from organisers will be much more focused around providing visitors with a safe, secure and targeted customer experience – at the same time they will want to offer their exhibitors better ROI. ES. Talking about the exhibition sector in UK, how do you view it and what do you think are some of the key challenges surrounding it?

David. We all know that 'face to face' is the best way to do business and organisers have been doing their own research which indicates that 85+% of people will return to attending live events in the near future. In the UK, the greatest revenues are generated from live events and as we saw in 2008, the industry will bounce back from recession. I think the bounce will be quicker this time around and will be bigger than expected.

I see the challenges to come more as opportunities for the whole industry.

1) Earning confidence that events are safe to attend.

2) Delivering quality over quantity - this industry has a footfall obsession – now is the time to refocus on the quality of attendees and the importance of setting up valuable one to one interactions and connections. This is especially important while numbers to live shows are limited.

3) Opening Travel – moving on from travel bans, closed borders, quarantining, vaccination programmes & travel corridors and getting international visitors back to events.

4) Giving buyers and sellers all the information they need to demonstrate that this is the right event for them to achieve their goals.

Even though these are significant challenges, the opportunities they bring are endless.

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Top 5 Trends Of The Exhibitions Industry In 2021 Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

The pandemic will fade – the virus may remain, but live events will find a way to return to some form of normality

by Q4 through a unified community of support.

The industry will bounce back – 2021 will be a platform to install reassurance and re-demonstrate the value in events – ready for larger shows from 2022 onwards.

Going back to basics – putting the 'trade' back into 'trade shows'. It will be about buyers and sellers meeting to do business. People meeting face-to-face to re-connect and recharge their relationships.

The balance of Hybrid – managing the challenge of how virtual and live events work together. Creating year-round marketplaces where visitors and exhibitors can connect however, whenever and wherever they want to – not just when an organiser schedules it.

The People – we lost too many quality event professionals through the absence of live events and it is these people that make events great. The challenge will be to attract the right talent back into the industry and make our industry strong again in a post-COVID world.

ES. What are your upcoming plans in 2021?

David. We have already seen requests for projects (live and digital) increase significantly in the last month – which I think shows the capacity and enthusiasm the industry has to bounce back. The majority of these requests are for our unique approach to VIP Hosted Buyer Programmes – which clients are finding even more important in the current climate.

We continue to see our role very much as working together with clients where we can elevate their offering to their audiences and deliver the most value and benefit.

Our top-line plans are: Ÿ To continue to grow & expand the number of countries that we work in. Ÿ To include the new products & ways of working we evolved during 2020 in our offering for the future. Ÿ To broaden the market sectors we work in. Ÿ To get back onsite and delivering Live events.

ES. What would be your message to the exhibition industry?

David. Hang on in there, we're nearly there – and never take live events for granted again!

Our objective going forward together should be simple: to run great events with enthusiasm and passion - which visitors and exhibitors will want to attend. The rest, including the world post-Covid, will sort itself out. Good luck – and we're here to support you.

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N CONVERSATION WITH RAJAN SHARMA MANAGiNG DiRECTOR, INTERADS EXHiBiTiONS PVT LTD ES. Having been actively involved in the exhibition business for decades, please tell us about your professional journey and major milestones achieved over these glorious years.

Rajan Sharma. I come from an advertising family background. It was natural that I too joined this wonderful business of advertising which nurtures hope and spawns opportunity where it is needed. With time I ventured into exhibition business. Interads has till date been instrumental in successfully organizing 100 trade shows and conferences covering 30 niche as well as core industries. I very humbly owe my gratitude to the international and domestic industries who reposed so much faith in my capabilities.

ES. Interads laid the foundation stone in 1964, and has since organised several International Exhibitions on Power, Water, Oil & Gas, Shipping, Steel, Construction etc. Please share its journey since inception, and how it earned a reputed name in the exhibition industry?

Rajan Sharma. My journey started in exhibitions in the early 90s after spending 17 years in my parental company Interads Advertising. This experience gave me the basic foundation of communication. My late father Dr. Vishwanath, infact was one of the very few who started international exhibitions with Eastern Europe in 60’s. I was fascinated by international shows and wanted to showcase them in India. It was very difficult to convince the established brands to come to India, reasons being the policies, economy and other elements in comparison to the other countries. I remember traveling across the globe pursuing and convincing organisers of established brands. As I always wanted only the top brands which would support and help the requirements and needs of India.

RAJAN SHARMA, MANAGiNG DiRECTOR,

My first big break came in 1995 with powergen which is one of the largest power shows in the power sector jointly with pennwell from USA. The power show, became very successful.

INTERADS EXHiBiTiONS PVT LTD

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The next big break I got in 2000, Supercom, the telecom show of TIA from USA. I would like to share a story at this point. My godfather Mr Michael Liue, from Times Singapore called me and asked me to come to Geneva, if I wanted to bring supercom to India for which I was very keen for, since the telecom industry was just about opening up in India. As he had fixed up a meeting with the president of TIA.During the time, Geneva was hosting the worlds largest show in IT at that point, so there were no rooms or flights available. My friend Mr. Ravinder sethi, of RE Rogers helped and got me a room outside Geneva. We had the meeting with TIA president which lasted only for 10 minutes and the next meeting was scheduled in Washington with the vice president of TIA. We launched supercom in India which was a great success. We had the honour of having Mr Mukesh Ambani who presented RELIANCE infocomm at supercom. Mr Ratan Tata also visited the show as TATA telecom too was presented at the show. Having a successful track record of doing 17 joint ventures till date across the globe from U.S.A, U.K, EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST and SOUTH EAST ASIA. Our experience and track record is already showing results after the pandemic today. As the Indian economy is already being projected as one of the biggest economy of the future, has brought lots of organisers attention towards India.

ES. What were some of the major challenges that you had to overcome in your journey?

Rajan Sharma. My first major challenge was getting the international organizers to India. The other one was that we had limited venues( we still have limited venues but they are

better). Also, our exhibitors at that point did not see exhibitions as a strong marketing tool but today everybody is interested in exhibitions. We have exhibitions world over and is now rocognised as a foolproof marketing tool where a person can touch feel and see the product before they venture into it.

ES. In times when the global exhibition industry outlook is rather gloomy, you have announced the collaboration with Vinexpo, sending waves of positivity in the market. Please share with us the story behind this collaboration and the vision ahead.

Rajan Sharma. It’s a very old saying that when times get tough the tough gets going I think it’s something to feel good about and humbled about the fact that for the past one year the world is completely changed the only thing which is certain is the uncertainty we cannot refer to the past and predict the future anymore. In the past one year, I do not know about the world but I am certain that in India, no one has announced the launch of any international brand in the exhibition industry.

On the other hand it gives me great pleasure and honour to announce the collaboration with Vinexpo, which is a leading wine show globally, to be co located with sial india, in December 2021. Wine and food go hand-in-hand, wine producers across the world are looking at new regions new countries with new opportunities for the product and without any doubt, India’s one of them. Consumption of Wine has changed with the exposure of the West and with a lifestyle change. One can see that wine popularity in India is growing at a rapid pace.

SIAL India 2019

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was a big hit with people and industry how you just as mentioned above . Now if you are asking me about the 2021 edition then to tell you the truth it is going to be even bigger.

Firstly it has Vinexpo co-located, which would make it a stand out event . Vinexpo being one of the largest exhibitions for wine in the world would play a huge role in the F&B sector.

For SIAL 2021 we have 40 country participation confirmed as of today. The show has grown by 30-40% in show size already.

We are confident that this edition will be one of the best and will break its own records.

ES. SIAL 2021 will witness the introduction of Vinexpo India.

What is the overall vibe you are looking to create over the three-day event and what kind of synergy exists between both these shows?

Rajan Sharma. Sial India is a global platform for the entire Food & Beverage Industry. It has been able to provide a professional market place for promotion of Indian and international, Food & Beverage products. Food Processing is the thrust sector for India and its promotion through a platform like Sial is of utmost importance. Unfortunately in 2020 despite good intent and preparedness we could not organise the show due to the pandemic. The feelers are coming from across the world for the participation in 2021 edition of the preferred food show . We are expecting a 30-40% increase over last edition participation.

We will be adding more activities on the floor. Vinexpo India will be one of the main highlights of this edition, being the worlds leading brand we are sure that will attract not only local manufacturers of wine but also international. At SIAL India we host buyer seller meet, tasting events, master chef cooking classes to name a few, with the synergy being the similar for vinexpo we shall be having wine tasting, wine competition, master classes amongst the many sub activities. We are hopeful that in December when the show opens, COVID should have begun to leave from our lives.

ES. The 2nd edition of SIAL India 2019 edition witnessed 300+ exhibitors from 30 countries with approx. 8,000+ trade visitors, making it the ideal networking & business platform for the food & beverage industry stakeholders. What is your expectation from SIAL 2021? How is SIAL evolving?

Rajan Sharma. It is heartening to find the enthusiasm in people for the show. People are supportive, they want to move on and it seems things are moving in the very right direction. We are getting support from various segments. Sial India 2019 edition

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ES. What is your opinion about consolidation and collaboration especially in the world after the pandemic? What would be your key priorities for expansion in 2021-2022?

Rajan Sharma. The thought of establishing a common ground leads to collaboration which is a precursor to consolidation.

They are positive responses. But in a post covid world they have taken on a new meaning. World over a stagnant economy for over a year has left indelible marks on the industry capabilities. The compromised resources call for a coming together of like minded companies. So in the coming days we could witness Collaborations in a large way. We at Inter Ads, are already in talks with various organisers for launching new shows in the country.

ES. How InterAds India will continue with its endeavour in bringing focused international exhibitions and conferences to the Indian market post the pandemic?

Rajan Sharma. Interads is committed to this exhibition business for sure. Having organised more than 100 trade shows and conferences validates this. And since we can not shy away from our nature we will always work towards being the interface between the industry and consumers, between media and industry and so on. We shall be creating new opportunities for trade shows , devising innovative strategies which will go a long way in encouraging investments and technology transfer a prime necessity for our industry’s growth.

Our current portfolio of expos is impressive touching both niche and core industries. We are aiming to maintain leadership through honest and transparent practices by providing state of the art services to our exhibitors and help them develop their businesses worldwide through exhibitions and conferences.

ES. What would be your message to the industry and the key learnings from the worldwide pandemic?

Rajan Sharma. My main point would be that we all need to be

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very positive during times like this. We all need to stand together, all associates, leaders, individual, stakeholders need to come together to get our industry recognized by the government and also for financial subsidies. We at CEIO a newly formed powerful Association of organizers in India, have initiated a signature campaign regarding this where nearly 400 stakeholders have signed and the campaign is still live.

We do see that exhibition industry will bounce back, we cannot take away the energy of an exhibition and I believe that we all exhibition organizers are passionate organizers and we will bounce back once again.

ES. What is your opinion on virtual/technology and its role in the traditional exhibition mix?

Rajan Sharma. Virtual exhibitions are very useful but they cannot replace the traditional face-to-face format. Virtual trade shows are more suitable for only some industries like art and fashion. But when it comes to most of the industries physical format is the only alternative. For example you can not sell a construction heavy machinery merely on screen presence. Or for that matter food- one can not relish the aroma across a virtual platform- it has to be there right before you alive. I believe that Virtual can be used as an add on valuable in hybrid mode during a physical exhibition.

ES. What according to you are the urgent concerns/challenges ahead of the Indian exhibition industry and how can they be addressed?

Rajan Sharma. One of the biggest challenges that the exhibition industry in India, is that it is not recognised by the government as an industry, despite the fact that it is an economic booster to the country. We are the bridge which brings the international investments for matchmaking, joint venture partnership in the country.

The exhibition industry is one of the biggest, job creators as it involves, a lot of stakeholders to create these exhibitions. In the crises that we are going through today, the organiser who is the backbone of the industry needs government subsidies, venue subsidies, financial support to organise shows. The Venues need to come forward and give at least 50% discount on their normal rates for the next 2 years so that successful exhibitions can happen.

ES. You have launched Intermat India, could you give details on that exhibition as well?

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Rajan Sharma. Intermat is world's third largest show for construction industry. The show is held every three years in Paris. Over the years the show has earned a good amount of respect and brand equity.We decided to bring the show to India in view of the tremendous growth registered in the sector. We ventured out on a market survey for the relevance and success of the show in Indian context. The feedback was very encouraging. The survey also squared off Mumbai as being favourite location for such a show. We decided on BEC to be the medium size venue. Initial hesitation about BEC having limited outdoor space for showcasing construction machinery were ironed out.

We envisioned a medium size show with big results rather than the other way round. Now our thinking stands validated as the final preparations for the October 2021 are going on.

We are very excited and enthusiastic for bringing the world’s largest show of construction equipment to India.

Construction sector in India is growing due to increased demand from real estate and infrastructure projects.

The objective is to bring together industry experts from across the globe to exchange knowledge and showcase the latest technology, developments and to deliver high-quality content and comprehensive in-depth practical information that will ultimately shape the Indian Construction sector.

INTERMAT India 2021 will have on display latest innovations in relation with the regional needs that aim to assist Asian countries in its development while presenting a complete range of products that suits the region’s needs: production and use of construction materials, earthmoving, civil engineering, concrete manufacture, buildings and work sites, lifting, handling, drilling, boring, road infrastructure, mining and quarry equipment, vehicles and transportation, components and accessories, demolition, recycling, among others.

INTERMAT India will bring to the Indian market a trendsetting platform that will unite and lead the Asian construction industry towards higher industry standards as well as better success and greater recognition on the world stage.

ES. How many international partners/ J.V have you have you been associated with till now ?

Rajan Sharma. There have been. 17 joint ventures till date across the globe, 5 from U.S.A, 3 from U.K, 1 from South East Asia, 8 from Europe.

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March 2021

N CONVERSATION WITH RODOLPHE LAMEYSE CEO, Vinexposium

ES. Having expertise in the organisation of international professional events, please tell us about your professional journey, major milestones achieved and challenges faced so far in your exciting career.

Rodolphe. I have joined the exhibition business with Reed Midem in 2009. At that time, I was in charge of the Iinformation System of the company and I quickly flet in love with the industry. I really was excited by the thrill of the buildup of the shows, the excitement and solidarity in the team..

And of course, the good witch that comes overnight to ensure the show can open!!

In 2011, I became the marketing and client service director of Reed Midem and left the company to live an adventure in South East Asia for 6 years. I worked for FIAC, Paris Photo, Piscine Asia, Vinexpo (already!), Maison 1 objet, JEC Asia until I joined UBM to lead Food and Hotel Asia. That was a massive international show with 120,000sqm, 2 venues in the city, very international clients and a fantastic line up of competition. I really enjoy my time there.

In 2019 I was approach by head hunter to lead Vinexpo and my heart couldn’t refuse it. The challenge associated with the company, its brand, its industry and the city of Bordeaux where I studied as a young man was compelling to say yes!

In 2020, despite the pandemic, we were able to create Vinexposium, a joint venture of Vinexpo and Comexposium wine assets, with the aime to become the preferred platform of the wine and spirit professional across the world to share, network, learn, promote in a magic environment with a business mindset.

ES. Tell us a bit more about your journey into the world of exhibitions in Asia and your insightful experiences gathered there, which were unique to the Asian market.

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RODOLPHE LAMEYSE CEO, Vinexposium

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Rodolphe. While I was in Asia in Singapore for 6 years.

I had shows in Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Bangkok. Colleagues in South east Asia but also in China. That was a fantastic human experience because, even it seems obvious you still have to live it, we come from different culture, different ways of doing business. I also realize the advantage of Europe with one single currency, custom systems compared to Asia with a multitude of currencies etc.

But in the end, what I was amazed of and still enjoy is the quality of the venues in Asia, the willingness to develop, ensure the success of shows and there, the travel capabilities. I am always amazed by the yes possible attitude in Asia, and the swiftness of decision.

Once everyone is convinced, it’s a go ahead.

ES. Vinexposium merged Vinexpo (the international brand of wine and spirits events) and the wine portfolio of Comexposium (the world’s 3rd largest events organiser) in 2020, thereby becoming the world’s leading wine and spirits events organiser. Please share more details on the story of this merger and the vision ahead.

Rodolphe. The idea is to offer the best possible platform to the wine producers wherever they are and that are interested, curious about India. Together with SIAL, the nbr 1 food show in India, that is synonymous of quality, international producers and buyers, we believe that combining both shows is very powerful for all our stakeholders. We plan to have the first event of a long series in decembre 2021!

ES. What are your hopes and strategies for the Wine business in India in 2021? What is unique about the Indian wine market that made you foray here?

Rodolphe. I believe that the wine product is getting more and more interest in the population and in the younger population too. It is a product which requires curiosity, interest and a continuous appetite to learn and explore. It is a continuous journey and we see many many new wine coming on the market. Including Indian wines. And I think this is what our consumers, clients want : discover every new wines. This is why we are convinced India is the next big thing in the world of wine. That fantastic to be a witness of this.

Rodolphe. Thediscussion to operate this JV happened in 2019. It took a bit of time to make it concret and solid but the willingness to give birth to a world contender in the wine and spirit trade faire was strong.

The vision was to be a leader not in having one mega big fair somewhere but to respond to the following expectation: be a pioneer, deliver strong business capabilities everywhere, be the source of inspiration for Wine and Spirit stakeholders, deliver high value business content and inspirational business athmosphre wherever the brand is. I think that this is what motivate the team here and why we have solid and loyal clients.

We are a follow the sun business catalyst in the wine and spirit.

ES. How many companies would be taking part in the debut of Vinexpo and what will be it's key highlights?

ES. Now that you’ve taken the helm at Vinexpo group, what are your top priorities?

ES. What would your number one piece of advice you'd pass on to the industry people for year 2021?

Rodolphe. The priority are quite clear at the moment : put our business back on track with face to face event happening, ensure that we take measures and initiatvies after the pandemic and maintain our plans of the digital.

Rodolphe. For 2021, be patient!!!! And courageous enough to look through each show you have in your portfolio and see what element of value has changed. Is digital the must have? It size of the show the most important, have the ROI changed? Be clinical in your evaluation of your performance, your show performance and be close than never with your industry!!!

ES. You have announced Vinexpo in India this year in parallel with SIAL, please tell us more about this debut event.

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Rodolphe. We do expect approximately 50 wine producers with a fair mix between Indian and international. Focus will be on the discovery, education, connection and of course, business!

ES. Asia is increasingly being more “pro-wine”. Which countries are leading this demand ?

Rodolphe. China is, as expected the number 1 in consumption. Australia is a great country in wine production and its ability to export worldwide.

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March 2021

The most successful business mergers/acquisitions are those that are strategic but also complementary.

ES. Please share your experience in the exhibitions and events sector that gives you a unique perspective on the industry.

Steve. I was lucky enough to be in a senior position at the Blenheim Group from 1989 through to the sale of the business in 1996. During this period, the company went from being a small UK organiser to the world's largest organiser almost purely by acquisition. My partner at Mayfield Merger Strategies is Anna John who also previously worked in an entrepreneurial exhibition organiser, ITE Group (now Hyve).

This previous experience and the fact that we represent many independent organisers as well as being in constant communication with the major players allows us to have a broad global insight into the sector. We've been running Mayfield for more than 20 years and over that time have helped many entrepreneurs sell their businesses to many of the world's leading organisers.

ES. How do you identify prospects for a merger or acquisition?

Steve. Most independent organisers sell at some stage. We see our job as making sure that they sell at the right time in their cycle. Entrepreneurs want to maximise every bit of growth and keep it for themselves but it's important to leave some growth for the buyer – that way the sale price can be maximised. We look for businesses with strong ties to, and a great relationship with, their community as these are the businesses that will grow – and successful acquisitions are all about historic and future growth.

disrupted exhibition industry?

Steve. The effects are too numerous to cover here. Most exhibition organisers have been able to hold on to exhibitor money and roll it into the postponed edition of their shows as well as being able to create some digital revenue to cover their overheads. On the other hand, the vast network of support companies that provide services to the organisers and exhibitors have seen their income dry up completely so it has been particularly tough for them financially.

On a positive note, many organisers have been pleasantly surprised at the traction they have gained on digital revenue.

This is an area that has always had potential but which a lot of organisers have been dismissive of. Now that they have been forced to concentrate on this, they see the uplift that it could bring to their business as another income stream alongside the physical exhibition. This can be classed as ultimately beneficial disruption ES. How do you see Asia's/India's mergers & acquisitions market?

Steve. When organisers talk about Asia from an M&A perspective they usually think about China first, then South East Asia and then India. China remains fertile ground for acquisitions by western organisers and almost every independent organiser in China has been approached for

ES. Do you think COVID-19 could lead to boom time for M&As in the event industry?

Steve. We've had an M&A boom time for the last few years with record numbers of transactions and many new buyers (such as Private Equity firms) coming into the market. The last year – from March 2020- has seen a sharp decline in the number of transactions and most of those that have taken place have been COVID related. I don't expect a sudden rush of deals happening immediately – buyers need to see more visibility of future earnings and sellers don't want to sell at the bottom of the market. But the M&A market will be back.

ES. What are your thoughts on how this pandemic has

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Interview

March 2021

acquisition. South East Asia is restricted by the lack of independent organisers that have scale – most businesses tend to be small, so the potential isn't great. The exception to this is Indonesia where there is a high proportion of good, long standing, privately owned organisers who don't seem interested in working with international organisers. India has always punched below its weight – the majority of the acquisitions are made by the German Messes who seem less frightened of the market than most. I think India and its opportunities are often misunderstood and it has also suffered in the past from the lack of large modern venues that allow shows to grow to their potential. This will change as new venue developments come on stream.

ES. How M&A transactions will re-start, do you think that the deals will have a different flavour with more emphasis on partnerships and longer earn-out periods for acquisitions to allow the businesses to grow back to 2019 levels?

Steve. Slowly at first! I think that the pandemic has delayed transactions by up to two years as it will take businesses up to 2022 or even 2023 to get back to their 2019 levels of profitability. Buyers are less keen on paying significant amounts of money upfront but more open to longer earnouts to allow the business to get back to its previous levels of profitability. I don't think that there will be more emphasis on partnerships as the deal structures are usually driven by the sellers and, as entrepreneurs, most don't want to join larger organisers on a long term basis.

ES. What is your take on 'Consolidation has been a prominent and recurring theme in the B2B events sector?'

Steve. There are many strands to the sector – publicly owned organisers such as Reed and Informa, Private equity owned (including Clarion and Tarsus), Venue owned organisers, Associations owned shows and independent organisers.

Consolidation where larger organisers acquire independents has been with us for many years and is a normal part of business. There are a steady stream of start-ups which then sell out and the process starts again – rather like a food chain.

Private Equity exits tend to be purely financial transactions with one PE firm selling to another – Clarion has been through this many times. The real consolidation examples are actually quite few – Informa acquiring UBM is obviously the largest and Rimini and Vincenza Fiera merging through IEG is another example.

There has been regular speculation around whether RELX will decide to sell their exhibition division and this has been heightened by the performance of their exhibitions business through the pandemic relative to the rest of the group. If Informa were to buy it this would be the ultimate consolidation – number one and two organisers in the world joining together

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– and with largely complementary portfolios – would fit together very well.

ES. According to you, what are the three successful business merger examples and the factors that contributed to their success in the exhibition industry?

Steve. The most successful business mergers/acquisitions are those that are strategic but also complementary. Mergers of businesses that are competitive only result in the rationalisation of shows and cost savings through overhead/staff reduction.

Neither of these are good for either the exhibitions themselves or the people running them.

UBM's acquisition of All World is a great example of this – strategic for UBM in terms of geography and complementary in terms of product. Informa's acquisition of UBM was also largely complementary especially for their Asia business and brought more firepower but in a way that augmented rather than threatened the business. Going back several years I would say that the acquisition of Labelex by Tarsus is a stand out example of a successful deal. It was the deal that Tarsus was founded on and the Label series is still the bedrock of the company. Since acquiring this more than 20 years ago, Tarsus has been able to give the community of exhibitors want they want by launching in all the countries that exhibitors want to expand their own businesses into.

ES. What would be the emerging trends in M&A activities, in 2021?

Steve. We will continue to see Association owned shows – primarily in the USA where there is a high proportion of these - either being sold to, or partnering with, traditional exhibition organisers. Ÿ There will be several non-core disposals from the larger organisers. Disruption tends to focus attention on marginal parts of the portfolio especially when redundancy programmes have depleted resources. Ÿ The revelation that organisers can earn substantial high margin revenues from digital activities will start to attract data companies into the sector via acquisition. Ÿ “Normal” M&A transactions will slowly re-start but deals will have a different flavour with more emphasis on longer earn-out periods for acquisitions to allow the businesses to grow back to 2019 levels.

ES. What would be your message to the exhibition industry?

Steve. We, as an industry have proved how resilient we are.

Having been through the pandemic and survived. we can go forward armed with what we have learnt to make our businesses even stronger than before. Face to face is not going away – digital and technology are assets to enhance our offering and not a threat.

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Interview

March 2021

IN CONVERSATION WITH PATRICK REJAUD PRESIDENT & CEO, WORLD EXHIBITION LOGISTICS

ES. Tell us a bit about your journey into the world of logistics and how that crossed paths with the exhibition industry?

Patrick. I left school at 16 and started working in the air freight transport business at the age of 19, thanks to a job advertisement. This was the only time in my life that I applied for a job. I had neither the qualifications, nor any work experience when I arrived in Paris. I started at the bottom of the ladder as a customs clerk then an assistant declarer and finally a customs declarer at Orly and Roissy CDG airports.

From then onwards, I received job offers that I refused, as I felt my fate was elsewhere. One day an exhibition forwarder contacted me with a job proposition. He knew me because I had settled several of his customs problems (his returning freight was never the same...). I accepted the position, making it clear that I did not know anything about exhibitions. A month later, I was on my way to Cairo to handle Peugeot's stand containers at The Cairo International Fair. It was a real adventure, the first in a long life in the exhibitions industry.

There were just two of us at the office. I was responsible for developing the defense sector of the company. My responsibilities included taking phone calls and handling sales, operations, travel and invoicing alike. Back then, nothing was standardized and each trip was a unique undertaking because, regardless of international regulations not adapted to trade fairs, we sometimes had to deal with the imposed forwarders who were not always reliable. So, I traveled between shows

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across the US, China where cars were rare and traffic jams were caused by bicycles, Australia where it took me 30 hours to get to by plane, Japan with its endless but very instructive preparation meetings, Greece where it was necessary to show a lot of diplomacy and Turkey, one of the most difficult countries at the time. I even drove through the night in Saudi Arabia from Riyadh to Jeddah - because the driver was tired, and we had another show the following afternoon.

After 5 years, I left to join another company where I both developed and consolidated the international agent network and opened the Russian market held at the time by a single competitor. This involved many trips to Moscow as well as Kiev, Almaty, Tyumen, in complicated and sometimes dangerous climatic conditions. It was just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, so we had to be careful. I was the French freight forwarder responsible for managing the French clients participating in the first Petroleum exhibition in Kazakhstan: KIOGE 1991. I could write a book on this experience alone, which was truly extraordinary.

ES. Please tell us about major milestones achieved and challenges faced so far in your exciting career in the exhibition logistics industry.

Patrick. I built my professional experience over 12 years and specialized in Middle Eastern and Asian markets. In 2003, together with a few colleagues, I set out to found World Exhibition Logistics (WEL) without a penny in my pocket.

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customer relationship.

We had no office yet and typed our ATA Carnet in one of my partners' garage. Our first IDEF 2003 show was challenging.

For instance, we assisted our long-standing client (since 1987) at 6:00 am on the opening day by unloading our truck by hand because the military base of Etimesgut in Turkey was partially closed. Since then, WEL has grown a team of 12 people, handles up to 600 shows in one year (which is quite a number considering our team size!) and established its headquarters and warehouse in the vicinity of CDG airport. It is recognized worldwide among its network of independent agents and through the IELA association.

ES. With more than 70% of your activity beyond France, WEL handles cargo to any country in the world in a wide range of sectors. How has the pandemic affected your organization and how have you evolved to lead in the new normal?

Patrick. A myriad of companies the world over is facing dire situations, especially on the import side of the business, with no help from their governments. So, on the whole, we cannot complain. We have tried to live by Churchill's “never let a good crisis go to waste” and have taken advantage of the situation: we have maintained our storage activity, have developed exports of real goods to our customers (we can also handle dangerous goods) and have coordinated the logistics of private demos in France and abroad with ongoing multiplecountry regional tours in the Middle East and Africa. Also, we have introduced the idea of pop-up showrooms in our warehouse; made an institutional video; developed new sales & marketing tools and kicked off WEL's ISO 20121 certification. Lastly, my son Jonathan recently joined the company as Development Director to give a new direction to the company.

ES. In 2017, WEL was elected 2nd best Export agent at the annual congress of the International Exhibition Logistics Association (IELA). This was an astounding achievement – what did this mean to you and what led to this recognition?

Patrick. It came as a great surprise and was of course a source of pride that we were elected 2nd best export agent by the IELA association in 2017. It was a recognition of the work accomplished in the past 14 years, our efficient team and the mutual respect between WEL and its network of agents. As we received the news on the day of the Paris Airshow dismantling, we took the first flight available to Prague in order to receive the prize. We reiterate our thanks to our partners who voted for us! I believe that human relations are essential in my profession, even though modern communication technologies tend to dematerialize all contact. At WEL, we strive to meet your needs. I think this award also reflected the demanding customer-service priority that we set out ourselves to.

ES. What do you foresee as some biggest post-COVID challenges for the logistics business? What according to you would be the upcoming trends that will influence the exhibition logistics industry?

Patrick. We will stay true to our vision whereby our clients are front and center. We will maintain our quality-of-service

Finally, a major recent achievement was being awarded a significant tender by one of the world's leading Defense companies with air, land and sea operations. WEL services have started and include all logistics around storage and shows, which means that we will be physically present on all major Defense shows worldwide. We hope to keep developing other win-win partnerships with the same level of closeness and

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2021

catering to the specific needs of every client, which sets us apart from our competitors and well-known big groups and adapt our sales and marketing resources accordingly. We think fully virtual events will struggle to work, but we remain open to the new hybrid possibilities that these new technologies will bring to the market. But we think the industry will get back to the basics: face-to-face meetings.

ES. World Exhibition Logistics was also involved in AERO INDIA 2021. Please share your experience at the show.

Patrick. The tender I mentioned before allowed us to be present at AERO INDIA 2021, which marked a turning point after a lengthy hiatus in the exhibition industry. We did not know if the show would be maintained, as the freight capacities with the airlines were reduced and exhibitors could cancel their participation at any moment. But in the end, we were able to respond to our customers' demands thanks to the support from our local partner RE ROGERS INDIA, a longtime partner. Reviving the atmosphere of an in-person show felt great and it demonstrated that it is possible to organize shows during the pandemic, even with such bold measures as cancelling public days for visitors.

ES. IDEX/NAVDEX is also one of the recently handled projects post pandemic. Please share your experience there, volume of work handled and some photographs.

Patrick. We went to IDEX/NAVDEX in Abu Dhabi (21 - 25 Feb) with a huge workload and daily pressure coming from different angles: ongoing shipments canceled due to travel restrictions by the host country, exhibitors no longer coming, on-site restrictions, etc. This however was an excellent show for WEL: from small clients to market leaders - and goodies to armored vehicles – we handled more than 90% of the French exhibitors' freight (52 tons of cargo), had 5 delegates onsite for 3 weeks and managed shipments by air and sea for a total of a 7 month-project. We strengthened our relationships with the customers who trusted us, reconnected with agents and colleagues from all over the world. This show was a success thanks to our long-time partner Agility UAE, whose team provided us with great support during the entire show.

in January, Qatar-UAE air-traffic reopened. We were ready and managed to transfer, despite only having 20 days between the closing of one and the opening of the other. This is a great example demonstrating WEL's responsiveness to client enquiries, our flexibility to the latest geopolitical developments and great relations with airlines & partners, even with sensitive files due to export licenses for sensitive material. We ended up managing 95%+ of French exhibitors' freight with 21 tons of cargo, had one on-site delegate for 12 days for a project that took us about 4 months of work. We even managed a local demonstration for an armored vehicle following the show.

All in all, engaging with our partners as well as with the organizers - COMEXPOSIUM & CCI Seine et Marne - and our local agent Premier Showfreight proved extremely fruitful.

We would like to congratulate and thank them once again for their support and for maintaining the show, despite the COVID-induced restrictions.

ES. What would be your message to the industry and the key learnings from the worldwide pandemic?

Patrick. To conclude, I would like to say that we are ready for the recovery that is unfolding. We have put together a list of “ 16 measures to beat COVID”, which contains some interesting elements gathered from our experience at the latest shows this year. This is a message of encouragement to our colleagues, clients and partners around the world: HANG IN THERE! The worst is behind us and we are looking forward to continuing working with you all.

This was also the first time that Arquus' “SCARABÉE” – a hybrid armored vehicle – was transported abroad for an exhibition (see photos).

ES. Please share your experience/memories, how World Exhibition Logistics (WEL) managed to meet the requirements of Milipol Qatar by COMEXPOSIUM and made sure all the shipments from clients arrived in due course?

Patrick. We started by asking ourselves how to transfer goods from IDEX to Milipol Qatar. In December? Not possible. Then

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

March 2021

Geo Connect Asia Comes To Singapore Amid MICE Industry Recovery, Cementing Its Place At The Heart Of The ASEAN Geospatial Community By adopting a hybrid format that provides both interactivity and a robust level of safety, the resumption of events like Geo Connect Asia 2021 could prove a turning point for the region's MICE industry as it recovers from the impact of the pandemic Solutions; the Key to a Robust & Sustainable Recovery”, the session will be moderated by Ng Siau Yong, Director, Geospatial & Data Division & Chief Data Officer at the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), and features a keynote speech by Hwang Yu-Ning, Chief Planner & Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). he keystone event for the ASEAN geospatial community, Geo Connect Asia (GCA) will be held in Singapore this year in a prototype hybrid format, providing a crucial springboard to recovery and growth for the regional geospatial community and the MICE industry, as the ASEAN economies recover from the impact of the pandemic. Geo Connect Asia 2021 will comprise both a physical event on 24th and 25th March 2021 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, as well as a virtual Geo Connect Asia 2021 for delegates and visitors to meet in person and online. The event is expected to welcome close to 1,000 business visitors, delegates and speakers onsite, and up to 1,200 additional virtual attendees.

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Southeast Asia's highly anticipated flagship geospatial and location intelligence event, Geo Connect Asia 2021 will also be the first large-scale hybrid event of the year in Singapore, following the successful pilot of TravelRevive in November 2020. GCA 2021 is piloting the 'hybrid event'

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prototype developed by the Singapore Together Alliance for Action (AfA) on Enabling Safe and Innovative Visitor Experiences under the Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST).

Geospatial technology and solutions integral to a sustainable recovery The Geo Connect Asia 2021 Conference themed “Mapping the data-driven future economy,” will be led by high-level speakers and thought leaders from across the global geospatial industry. The event will provide a strategic and collaborative platform for industry professionals, government agencies, start-ups and more, through a diverse agenda of keynote addresses, plenary sessions, and roundtables. The first plenary session of the Geo Connect Asia 2021 Conference will examine how geospatial solutions can support ASEAN economies in mounting a sustainable recovery from the pandemic.

Titled, “Geospatial Planning &

Through various strategies such as a 'green recovery', building epidemicresistant smart cities, and improving infrastructure across geographies, geospatial technology and solutions could help Singapore and other countries successfully recover from the pandemic - with Geo Connect Asia playing a crucial role at the heart of the ASEAN geospatial community. A 'green recovery' will reduce emissions, with low-carbon economies to providing more jobs and clean growth, reversing the effects of high-carbon infrastructure.

For instance, transitioning to renewable energy, building electric vehicle charging networks, remodelling cities to make them easier to walk and cycle, planting trees and building flood defences are all necessary for a move to a low-carbon economy, and all are labour-intensive - thus providing jobs and aiding in economic recovery from Covid-19.

During the pandemic, cities focused on digital communication tools and upskilling of workers as working from home became the norm. Moving

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

March 2021

forward, smart cities must look towards cloud and infrastructure optimization, as-a-service deploymentsand data analysis to help drive forward-looking decisions and future-proof a city against the next pandemic. Improving infrastructure will also be crucial to recovery from the pandemic, particularly in the ASEAN region.

This will require the wider adoption of smart and digital solutions, including geospatial and location intelligence.

Indeed, geospatial technologies and solutions may be even more critical to the emerging economies of ASEAN, as supply chains may break down with country- and economy-wide lockdowns.

Other key topics at the GCA 2021 Conference include: Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

On the Move: Smart Transportation for Asia's Dynamic Urban Landscapes Digital Twins: Transforming the Dynamics of Connected Infrastructure Planning Easily Accessible Data for the Future of Geospatial Planning Building resilience and sustainability into ASEAN geospatial planning Harnessing the power of satellite imagery for a sustainable future Smarter Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities Sustainable and Liveable Cities Putting 5G to Work: Intelligent Use Cases for ASEAN

John Whitehead, APAC Director of Sales and Distribution at Trimble, said, “Geo Connect Asia 2021 has adopted innovative technological solutions in order to make this year's event possible, and is an excellent platform to showcase the latest in cutting-edge geospatial tech from Trimble, particularly in this new hybrid format that offers the interactivity of a physical event from the safety of one's home or office. We are proud to present here our latest in 3D laser scanning solutions, developed at Trimble to help quickly capture,

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analyse, model and produce precise deliverables across a diverse range of industries. Another highlight is our expanding stable of high accuracy augmented reality (AR) products, which are increasingly being used by our global clientele to make the most out of collected data, enhance communication, save costs, improve workplace safety, and increase worker productivity.”

Rupert Owen, Montgomery Asia - Geo Connect Asia Co-founder, said, “The 2021 event will be the culmination of two years of exploration and focus in guiding the development of a worldleading hybrid platform for the geospatial and location intelligence markets in Asia. We are very grateful for the unwavering commitment of our sponsors, supporting organisations and the broader geospatial industry community. With more than 40 leading speakers and panellists the conference provides a very exciting mix of thought leadership, industry insights and educational opportunities for membership associations.

The co-operation of the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Land Authority has been critical to the staging of the event and we look forward to creating an annual event with a global impact to reflect the dynamism of the Asian geospatial ecosystem.”

Enhanced safety management measures (SMM) to ensure a safe conference experience Event organiser Montgomery Asia is working closely with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to ensure the health and safety of attendees at Geo Connect Asia 2021 through the implementation of Safe Management Measures (SMM) such as safe distancing, crowd density control and the use of TraceTogether to facilitate contact tracing for international visitors.

GCA 2021 will feature Geo Suites

which are ballrooms converted into “exhibition booths”.

Each Geo Suite will cater to a single exhibitor who can display their products and provide demonstrations on a stage, and hold business meetings in pods located within the Suite. Geo Suites will replace a typical trade show floor as the main mode of interaction, and help to minimise intermingling between cohorts of attendees. Besides meeting pods to enable 1-to-1 meetings between exhibitors and attendees, larger meeting pods that are double in size compared to those used at TravelRevive will also be piloted at GCA to cater to 2-to-2 meetings.

Both virtual and in-person attendees will also be treated to an enhanced digital experience. They can schedule business meetings prior to the event, and continue their engagements after the show. Such a format will enhance attendees' experience with its mix of virtual and physical elements while retaining a degree of interaction that is typical of a regular trade show, but in a much safer setting that minimises the risk of Covid-19 infection.

Andrew Phua, Executive Director of Exhibitions & Conferences at the Singapore Tourism Board, said, “As Singapore's first large-scale hybrid event of the year, Geo Connect Asia 2021 underlines our continued role as a key hub for international trade events. It also pushes new boundaries in innovation and safe events, marking an important next step for Singapore as we continue to test and scale such hybrid formats. We look forward to hosting more of such events in Singapore, and to provide a safe and fulfilling experience for all our visitors.”

GCA is the event that will bring together the geospatial community and markets from across the ASEAN region and the world.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

March 2021

Nevada Announces 50% Capacity Limits To Begin, Streamlined Process To Host Large Gatherings

evada’s Governor eased restrictions on the capacity size of conventions, trade shows, meetings, and other large gatherings starting March 15, which could fuel the recovery of a key business component of the Las Vegas Strip. The modifications had been adopted in Emergency Directive 041, which was signed by Governor Steve Sisolak.

Currently, below the Roadmap To Recovery Plan introduced by the Governor in February, massive gatherings had been solely allowed to happen at up to 20% capacity for venues with over 2,500 seats. Conventions, conferences, and commerce reveals had been going to be capped at 1,000 people.

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Under Directive 041, which will be effective March 15, if an organizer wants to host a large gathering or event, including conferences, conventions, and trade shows, with more than 250 people,

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they may now have up to 50% capacity if they complete and submit a Large Gathering COVID-19 Preparedness & Safety Plan Certification Form (“Large Gathering Certification”) to the Department of Business and Industry (B&I). The baseline standard for gatherings and events will remain at 250 people or 50%, whichever is less, starting on March 15, 2021.

According to the Nevada Health Response, B&I may go in session with State public well being officers and different relevant state companies to evaluation submitted certification varieties. Large gatherings can solely happen upon receiving approval by B&I. This new streamlined course of for submission and approval of enormous gatherings will proceed till native management is formally transitioned to a county – May 1 on the earliest, the Nevada Health Response stated. During this transitional interval, the State could

approve massive gathering certification varieties by June 30 to present occasion organizers certainty within the planning and approval of their future occasions.

Convention and meeting business in Las Vegas declined 74% in 2020 and ended the year with nine straight months of zero convention and meeting delegates.

The pandemic caused the cancellations of two large Las Vegas trade shows in January, the Consumer Electronics Show and the World of Concrete, and December’s move of the National Finals Rodeo to Dallas.

“The meetings and convention business is critical to our economy with tens of thousands of jobs depending on it,” said Nevada Resort Association President Virginia Valentine. “This move provides event and meeting organizers with more predictability for future events while also streamlining the large gathering approval process.”

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

March 2021

The Sixth Annual Global Exhibitions Day Will Take Place On 2 June 2021 GED 2021 celebrates the safe return of exhibitions and their role in accelerating economic recovery Everyone associated with the global exhibition industry is encouraged to recognise the day year they will play a new role – rebuilding and recovering communities.

The 2021 GED campaign will focus on just how instrumental exhibitions are in creating platforms for growth and recovery, while also instilling confidence in others to participate in organised events that prioritise safety and success in equal measure.

lobal Exhibitions Day (GED) recognises the important role that trade exhibitions play in driving economies throughout the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has had significantly detrimental, and potentially lasting, effects on the global economy, across nearly all business sectors and regions. Exhibitions have traditionally played a role in bolstering and growing economic sectors, but this

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While the event is hosted by the global association of the exhibition industry, UFI, all members of the sector are encouraged to join the GED celebrations on 2 June by recognising the impact of exhibitions on local economies – both in building businesses and connecting people all around the world. Anbu Varathan, UFI President says: “Now in its sixth year, GED is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the exhibition industry and raise the sector’s

profile as one of the most vital contributors to economic recovery. Let’s celebrate Global Exhibitions Day together on 2 June 2021!”

From videos to meetings with policy makers, webinars to hybrid events, webcasts to social campaigns, virtual running parties, and more, UFI would like to invite all event industry professionals and enthusiasts to get ready for and get involved in the many different events that will be taking place around the world – and help make GED2021 the best Global Exhibitions Day yet! As in previous years, GED partners have been collaborating on this important day of advocacy for the exhibitions industry, and UFI will soon share the results of this ongoing collaboration on the GED2021 website.

Drinktec Postponed Until September 2022 he drinktec advisory board and Messe München have taken a joint decision to postpone the world's leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry until the fall of 2022. The new dates are September 12 to 16, 2022. This action was prompted by the international nature of the drinktec event. The decision could not be delayed given that industrial goods trade fairs involve extensive planning and complex hightech construction work.

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The global beverage industry meets in Munich only once every four years.

“Companies synchronize their innovative developments in line with this cycle, which is why we had to find

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timely dates in the trade fair calendar.

Canceling altogether and leaving an eight-year gap in between trade fairs would have been unacceptable for the industry,” explains Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Messe München. Volker Kronseder, Chairman of the drinktec advisory board, welcomes the trade fair's proactive approach as many exhibitors, especially those with large-scale exhibits, would have to start preparing for the trade fair now: “We are very glad to see that Messe München is acting on the unanimous wishes of the panel of experts.

The earlier we take this decision, the lower the costs and the greater the

planning security for customers. We expect conditions to be much improved and more stable in 2022.” drinktec's conceptual sponsor, the VDMA (German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association), also supports the decision. Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA's Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, says: “The beverage industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus and needs fresh impetus, which a drinktec weakened by travel restrictions couldn't provide.

The market can expect an impressive drinktec 2022 that will give the entire industry the stimulus it needs.”

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

March 2021

Inter Airport Europe 2021: Runway To Recovery nter airport Europe 2021, the 23rd International Exhibition for Airport Equipment, Technology, Design & Services will be held at the Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany from 9 – 12 November 2021. The exhibition in 2021 takes place against the backdrop of Covid19.

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There have been many challenges for the airport industry recently, mainly evolving around travel restrictions and reduced passenger traffic worldwide due to the pandemic. inter airport Europe, as the world’s leading airport exhibition and the industry’s main marketplace, is set to support the recovery journey and provide new business opportunities to all participating companies. The enhanced exhibition concept for this year offers the chance to network as well as reconnect with professionals from airports worldwide and also covers a digital marketplace in April as an early opportunity for the industry to meet.

To support the recovery journey of the airport industry in light of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, inter airport Europe will be launching its first digital event from 20 – 21 April 2021: inter airport CONNECT. It will be the perfect opportunity where the entire airport industry will get together, a chance for the airport community to reconnect and for exhibitors to provide a preview of their latest innovations ahead of the live show in November.

inter airport Europe launches digital

Inter airport Europe, as the world’s

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event in April as part of the Runway to recovery campaign: inter airport CONNECT

leading airport exhibition will provide new business opportunities and the chance to network with professionals from airports worldwide. Webinars, held by key partners of inter airport Europe, will run alongside the matchmaking options and product presentations by exhibitors. “There have been significant changes in the past year and as a result, the airport industry was reshaped for years to come – and as the leading event internationally we are committed to support the airport industry on its runway to recovery.

Hence, we are launching the digital event as part of this recovery journey, for the airport community to meet and exchange and for visitors to get a first glimpse of what to expect at the show in November. In addition, inter airport CONNECT will form the base of our efforts to hold inter airport Europe in November in a hybrid format, combining the live show with digital elements so we are able to secure the unique international attendance that

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Global News

March 2021

our exhibitors are expecting from the worldwide leading event in the airport industry”, says Olaf Freier, Portfolio Director of inter airport Europe at the organiser Mack-Brooks Exhibitions.

“Digitalisation, sustainability, the smart airport – these are of course important topics in the airport industry at the moment. Many exhibitors and our show partners are telling us that they used the past year to work on innovations and ways to advance their digitalisation efforts in order to improve cost efficiency at airports.

This means that on top of offering the industry the meeting place it needs in April and November this year, participants can expect innovation and a lot of recent content that keeps the industry connected”, concludes Olaf Freier. inter airport CONNECT in April will

provide a much-anticipated trade and networking event for the global airport community, presenting a broad programme for trade professionals including virtual product presentations and plenty of matchmaking options to conduct meetings during the two days of the event. inter airport CONNECT also offers its participants an exciting and varied webinar programme.

Organised together with key partners from the airport industry, the virtual event will provide valuable insights into latest developments: digitalisation, sustainability and the smart airport are just some of the topics which will be covered in the webinar programme.

Further information and the detailed webinar schedule will be made available in the coming weeks. Visitors can participate in inter airport CONNECT for free and register online from midMarch. inter airport Europe, the world’s

leading airport exhibition, is renowned as the one stop shop for the industry, covering the most comprehensive range of products and services for the entire airport: technology and services for ground handling, airport equipment, terminal operations, airport IT solutions and airport design.

The show profile of inter airport Europe comprises three exhibition categories: interTERMINAL (technical terminal installations and services as well as design), interDATA (IT solutions for the modern, interactive airport) and interRAMP (ground support equipment). The exhibition covers all areas of airport-related technology and services. Exhibitors will present solutions and ideas for the equipment of terminal buildings, the design and planning stage, the latest ground support equipment as well as airport IT systems, all in one place.

Arab Health And Medlab Middle East Events Slated For 21-24 June 2021 At The Dubai World Trade Centre rab Health and Medlab Middle East events will take place from 21-24 June 2021 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Arab Health and Medlab Middle East, the largest exhibitions for the healthcare and laboratory industry in the MENA region, generated more than AED 3.7 billion worth of business during the 2020 edition of the show, a year-on-year increase of 3.7%. The exhibitions also contributed over AED 389 million to the Dubai economy through direct and indirect spending from visitors and exhibitors.

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According to recent research by Informa Markets, 85% of healthcare and laboratory key visitors surveyed stated they would like to attend live events again. This underscores the pent-up demand to attend and support the local

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economy when visiting Arab Health and Medlab Middle East on its return to the Dubai World Trade Centre, 21-24 June, which this year will be under the show theme of ‘United by Business’.

Wouter Molman, Executive Vice President for Informa Markets, said: “Our survey results clearly indicate an appetite to return to a physical event format, with face-to-face networking at the forefront of what our key audiences are looking for. The message from our participants has been unequivocal. They want to be present at the event and feel safe doing so, thanks to the UAE’s measures. In the month preceding the live event in Dubai, both Arab Health and Medlab Middle East will host a series of dedicated online focus days to allow participants to find

the correct contacts to meet and do business, with a showcase of the latest products and technological advancements, and a host of focused informative sessions drawing in medical and healthcare trade professionals from the region and beyond. The online event platforms for Arab Health and Medlab Middle East will launch on 23 May 2021 and will remain available to participants until 22 July 2021.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

March 2021

BITEC Stimulates Digital Innovation To Empower Thai Organisers To The Global Stage o push business beyond boundaries, Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), the leading venue in Thailand and Southeast Asia, introduces full range of technology for online conference and meeting, allowing for transition into the new normal digital age, answering the needs

Thailand as a leading MICE destination in the region, BITEC also focuses on promoting and developing venues as well as managing with sustainability to accommodate the changing needs.

These preparations will grant our business partners opportunities to continue their business and expand to international trade. We believe that

full range facilities. With cutting aged technology and consults from BITEC at every planning stage, we have had a smooth run along the process.

Especially, digital transformation of the venue to response the needs of clients and event participants that compatible to our new strategy in engaging virtual exhibition together with traditional

of Thai and foreign event organisers.

COVID-19 outbreak has rapidly driven the world into a digital age, forming a new normal lifestyle where technology plays a big role in daily life. In the business scheme, MICE events are adapting to support the changing behaviour of event organisers and consumers by drawing on innovation and digital technology to enhance the efficiency of the event. BITEC has launched a HYBRID MEETING SOLUTION service for organisers in Thailand and international. The service combines physical event venue with virtual conference, along with strict safety and hygiene standards to ensure the safety of organisers and visitors.

with our capacity to cope in the areas we develop and our ability to adapt quickly to a changing society, we will be able to facilitate an environment for organisers and exhibitors to negotiate business like usually even though physical meetings are restricted.”, said Panittha Buri, Managing Director of BITEC. This year, BITEC is working with a business partner of over 20 years “Informa Markets Company Limited”, a leading international trade show and business events company, in preparing various digital facilities within the centre to support Informa Markets’ digital platforms and trade shows.

event platform, allowing organizer to set up online business matching that serves both local and international participants. Apart from that the strict measures in safety and hygienic at BITEC, convincing our Informa AllSecure concept which is ensuring our business plan in 2021”, Sanchai Noombunnam – Deputy Managing Director, Informa Markets Company Limited said.

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“Apart from a mission to position

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“Throughout the years of working with BITEC, the centre has offered highest standards of safety and cleanliness with

In 2021, Informa Markets schedules trade shows and business matching platform both national and international at BITEC, such as Intermach, SUBCON Thailand, ProPak Asia, Food & Hotel Thailand, ASEAN Sustainable Energy week, Pumps & Valves Asia, and Thai Water Expo.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

March 2021

AIPC, ICCA And UFI Release “Good Practice Guide: Convention And Exhibition Centres As Temporary Vaccination Centres.” capabilities, or undertaking new roles, such as turning themselves into healthcare facilities to share the load of national healthcare systems.

growing number of convention and exhibition sites across the world have started operating as temporary COVID-19 vaccination centres, getting anywhere from 500 to over 6,000 people vaccinated every day at each location.

At the same time, an increasing number of markets around the globe have begun to reopen business events with varying COVID-19 protocols in place.

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“Good Practice Guide: Convention and Exhibition as Temporary Vaccination Centres” is aimed at those venues which have been called upon by health authorities in their regions. The guide was produced jointly by AIPC, the International Association of Convention Centres; ICCA, the International Convention and Congress Association; and UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. The good practice conveyed in this document was collected over February-March 2021 from a range of AIPC, ICCA and UFI member facilities, and enhanced by insights and information made available through the associations’ joint Safety & Security Task Force. As with previous guides, this latest publication was

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created by different parts of the industry collaborating together. It was developed through the direct, practical experiences and expertise of members that are dealing with these impacts on a day-today basis, and the three association Presidents have acknowledged this invaluable and relevant contribution to the content. AIPC President, Aloysius Arlando, says: “Event venues have shown great resilience in the past year through rethinking their business models and future-proofing their workforce for a post-COVID world order.

They have also committed action towards economic recovery in their respective regions, be it enhancing internal operational and technological

“As vaccination strategies roll out worldwide, event venues are once again playing a critical role in economic recovery as they transform themselves into vaccination centres. This collaborative endeavour, which features knowledge and insights from industry experts around the world, serves as an important reference for event venues to safely establish and operate a vaccination centre within their own spaces. It also firmly demonstrates the commitment of the business events industry to support the safe return of face-to-face events.” James Rees, ICCA President, adds: “The economic impact of global events generates the investment that makes possible the building of our industry’s venue infrastructure. It is good to see how venues worldwide have repurposed their facilities to help support government vaccination programmes. This Good Practice Guide will provide assistance to those venues and help with the global effort to emerge from this pandemic and, through the swift reopening of our industry, to drive the economic recovery that will follow.”

“Our industry’s support to the vaccination effort also benefits our whole industry ecosystem: rolling out vaccinations around the world in a fast and effective way will speed up the return of face-to-face events. We help to protect lives – and livelihoods, for society, for our customers, and for everyone in our industry,” confirms Anbu Varathan, UFI President.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News

March 2021

NoVacancy: Australia’s Largest Hotel And Accommodation Industry Expo Returns

With more than three months to go until the show stages in June, NoVacancy has

profitability. Additionally, NoVacancy will be co-located with Hospitality Design Fair, the only event in Australia focused exclusively on interior design and furniture for hotels, bars, restaurants and clubs. Attendees who register to attend NoVacancy will have full access to Hospitality Design Fair to connect and collaborate with design professionals and to discover, experience and source the best and latest design elements for their

operating efficiency and deliver better corporate social responsibility for properties. Thanks to overwhelming demand, the Hotel Leaders’ Summit, Small Hoteliers’ Summit, Hotel Marketing Summit, and Revenue & Distribution Summit will continue to provide valuable insights for their audiences. DesignTalks will also return, again delving into hotel and hospitality design trends and best practice, as part of Hospitality Design Fair.

almost 200 confirmed exhibiting companies anxiously awaiting the opportunity to showcase their latest innovations and solutions.

properties. NoVacancy will host seven function-specific summits whose educational content correlates directly to vital departments within the industry.

Confirmed companies will showcase an extensive range of solutions for all departments of accommodation operations including amenities, guest experience, technology and software, housekeeping, energy efficiency, sustainability and more, all aimed at optimising operations and maximising

New in 2021, the Hotel Technology Summit will share insights on the latest technologies and the opportunities they present including AI, VR, robots, 5G and more, while the Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Summit will highlight how to implement sustainable initiatives that reduce costs, improve

With a reputation for the hottest networking on the industry’s calendar, the organiser has further invested in a ‘matchmaking’ technology platform that allows the attendees and exhibitors to plan ahead and connect with each other, schedule demonstrations and organise catch-ups with current suppliers. After more than a year of disruption to the industry, it’s seen as an important opportunity to facilitate connections that will help properties to recover.

oasting the coveted title of Australia’s largest exhibition and learning event in the hotel and accommodation industry, the freeto-attend event is open for visitor registrations and aims to reunite the industry to leverage opportunities for growth and improvement along the road to recovery.

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Global News

March 2021

World Of Concrete First Large Trade Show To Return To Las Vegas In June nforma Markets’ World of Concrete (WOC) will be the first large show to return to Las Vegas June 8-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). World of Concrete also represents the first largescale trade show to return to the U.S. market since the pandemic brought inperson meetings to a halt. On the heels of Nevada Gov.

hosts, I say… welcome back! The greatest place to do business in the world is even better.”

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Steve Sisolak increasing large gatherings capacity to 50 percent, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and Informa Markets, the destination’s largest trade show organizer, are partnering to bring meetings and conventions back to Las Vegas, igniting the start of a safe economic recovery for the many industries and communities their platforms serve.

Nevada’s new directive requires meetings, trade show and entertainment venues to certify through the state’s Department of Business and Industry that they will follow the state’s health

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In addition to WOC, Informa Markets will also host the following trade shows in Las Vegas, with plans to return other keystone events throughout the rest of the year. and safety requirements and protocols and adhere to the prevention principles that have remained consistent: maintain safe social distancing, wear face coverings and practice good hygiene and cleaning measures.

“Las Vegas has been the top convention and meetings destination for many years. We pride ourselves on providing the best facilities, the best service and now, the safest,” said Gov. Sisolak.

“We’ve been cautious, but very focused on reopening Las Vegas in the safest way possible for you, our treasured customers, our valued employees and our entire community. With great confidence in the efforts made by our resorts, convention centers and meeting

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Vegas Cosmetic Surgery (June 2021) The International Surface Event (June 2021) WasteExpo (June 2021) The Aesthetic Show (July 2021) Inside Self Storage World Expo (July 2021) MAGIC Fall (August 2021) International Roofing Expo (August 2021) Licensing Expo (August 2021) SupplySide West & Food Ingredients North America (October 2021) International Sanitary Supply Association Expo Show North America (November 2021)

Las Vegas relies heavily on the meetings and conventions industry, which represents $11.4 billion in economic

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impact to the destination.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming World of Concrete exhibitors and attendees back to Las Vegas as our first major convention to return to our destination,” said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the LVCVA. “We greatly value our long-standing partnership with Informa Markets and their shared commitment to health and safety protocols to ensure a safe, trusted and “Only Vegas” experience for their attendees.”

“We are deeply appreciative to Governor Sisolak, the State of Nevada’s

Department of Business and Industry, Clark County and the Southern Nevada Health District for their leadership, oversight and hard work needed to allow conventions such as World of Concrete to safely reconvene,” Hill concluded.

“As we return to the in-person experiences our customers crave, it’s critical for us to collaborate with industry partners to ensure that our communities can re-connect in meaningful and secure ways. We have a clear and vetted industry-wide set of health and safety measures known as

the All Secure Guidelines to guide us as we return those experiences to Las Vegas, ensuring the same rigorous approach to health and safety at all our events,” said Kevin Thornton, VP, Operations at Informa Markets. “The LVCC is a state-of-the-art facility that prioritizes safety and success with the same enthusiasm we do.

Through our collective efforts, live events will be able to run safely, signaling a real economic restart for the many communities we serve, as well as the Las Vegas economy.”

Fruit Logistica Special Edition 2021 cancelled

esse Berlin is cancelling its FRUIT LOGISTICA SPECIAL EDITION 2021 on 18-20 May 2021 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Europe and the rest of the world.

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“I’m quite sure today’s cancellation is no surprise to anyone,” says Madlen Miserius, Senior Product Manager. “The coronavirus pandemic is lasting longer than expected. We wanted to make an onsite event happen in May. But the prospects both for international business travel to Berlin and for large face-toface gatherings are too low. And under these circumstances it’s simply impossible for us to meet face-to-face.”

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Messe Berlin had worked hard to prepare a special edition of FRUIT LOGISTICA to take place over three days in May. The FRUIT LOGISTICA SPECIAL EDITION was designed to withstand key uncertainties of the pandemic and to safeguard customers in terms of their health and of their investment in the show. And the concept resonated with business: more than 600 companies from Europe and the rest of the world had registered.

“We developed FRUIT LOGISTICA SPECIAL EDITION as we knew through discussions with the industry that the market’s desire for a physical event was very strong. That’s why we developed a concept to offer our

exhibitors the greatest flexibility at the smallest possible risk,” says Madlen Miserius, Senior Product Manager.

“Unfortunately, the pandemic still has the upper hand, and this is what has lead to today’s cancellation,” says Miserius.

“There is a huge global family of people in the fresh fruit and vegetable business and it comes together every year at FRUIT LOGISTICA. We are already in discussions with international market players and are hard at work to prepare ourselves for FRUIT LOGISTICA 2022. We will do everything to ensure our 30th edition is a vibrant onsite event. So make a date in your diary for FRUIT LOGISTICA in Berlin on 9-11 February 2022.”

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March 2021

2021 Australian Tourism Exchange To Return In June As A Hybrid Event travel sellers. ATE Online will immediately follow, from 10th to 17th June, for all other international buyers who are unable to travel due to border restrictions.

ourism Australia has announced that its Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) event will return in June this year, as a live event in Sydney along with a virtual event component. Set to run from 6th to 9th June at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), the event will be for international buyers who are based in Australia or located in countries permitted to travel to Australia, domestic buyers and frontline

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Having been cancelled last year, both options will see the tourism industry again come together to exchange knowledge, and make business connections amid ongoing uncertainty around international travel and border openings.

The live event will also feature a new trade show layout, with traditional seller booths replaced with networking areas defined by state and territories, with appointments to take place throughout the trade show floor.Tourism Australia

advise “as there will be more sellers than buyers attending the event, buyers will remain stationary while sellers will move between appointments.

“This change will save sellers considerable time in the lead up as well as delivering cost savings on booth design and imagery.” Tourism Australia expects seller demand for ATE21 to be high and, as the event approaches, will evolve and adapt with the current climate while remaining true to the purpose of connecting the Australian tourism industry with domestic and international buyers through one-on-one appointments and networking opportunities. Tourism Australia add “as we are operating in an uncertain climate, Tourism Australia is planning for all possible scenarios.”

VisitScotland Business Events Launches Journey To Change isitScotland Business Events launched its new direction, Journey to Change, which will showcase how business events can drive social and economic transformation.

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Journey to Change is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development goals and demonstrates the impact that business events can have in helping to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges, including climate change, eradicating poverty and access to renewable energy sources in remote areas.

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted many of these issues and within the industry there is now a clear shift in event planner’s key decision-making when selecting a destination. Research

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undertaken by the VisitScotland Business Events team showed that a destination’s reputation for tackling issues like climate change and human rights is increasingly important to organisers, something which the team believes will continue to grow in the future.

VisitScotland Business Events will work with partners and clients to highlight the innovation, skills and developments taking place within Scotland that have the potential to tackle some of the biggest environmental, economic and societal challenges in the country and other global destinations. Rory Archibald, Associations and Sectors, VisitScotland Business Events said: “The team and I are passionate about Scotland and the

business events community being a driver for change. We have some incredible partners and organisations across the country that are researching and creating solutions to some of the biggest challenges we face globally, and we want to shine a light on these projects. We believe business events, by bring people together, to see eye to eye, are a key driver in tackling climate change; they are a voice for human rights; they are a leader in the global journey to change.”

Journey to Change also supports VisitScotland’s Policy Driven Model strategy, which aligns the national pursuit of business events with Scotland’s credentials, achievements and ambitions at a city, regional and national level.

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March 2021

Agreement Between Italian Exhibition Group And Deutsche Messe The German company, through its subsidiary Hannover Fairs Mexico, and the Italian trade show organizer, have signed a strategic understanding for launching new events in Mexico

wo of the most prominent trade show organizers in Europe have today signed an important agreement to activate a series of trade show events in Mexico. The joint venture is between Deutsche Messe AG (through its subsidiary Hannover Fairs Mexico) and Italian Exhibition Group SpA (IEG).

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Both groups boast a vast and longstanding experience in the international trade show sector with a complementary portfolio of events. The solid presence of IEG and Deutsche Messe in various countries worldwide is definitely the best guarantee for the success and appeal of the shows that will be organized on the Mexican market.

The partnership will be inaugurated with Active & Sports Expo, an event scheduled to take place in Leon, Mexico from 25-27 November 2021, where IEG (organizer of RiminiWellness and Dubai Active & Muscle Show in Dubai with its subsidiary HBG Events) will unite its knowledge of the fitness and well-being industry with the experience gained in

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the territory by Hannover Fairs Mexico.

The exhibition will be held at the Poliforum Leon – 18,000 square metres – selected for its favourable and central position in the Mexican state and for the local government’s strong support.

Corrado Peraboni, CEO of Italian Exhibition Group, commented, “We have spent these pandemic months preparing the international development of our flagship products. The agreement with Deutsche Messe is an integral part of this strategy. The collaboration between two top European players seemed the best way to tackle such a highly promising market as Mexico and, after Wellness, we and our German colleagues will assess the possibility of developing further products.”

Bernd Rohde, CEO of Hannover Fairs Mexico, pointed out that “thanks to the joint venture between Deutsche Messe and the Italian Exhibition Group, we form a solid alliance that will bring together years of experience, knowledge, best practices, new products and global leading clients, which, all together, will allow us to launch leading events in Mexico and Latin America.

Our first joint event, Active & Sports Expo, will be the best opportunity to show the great potential of the Mexican and Latin American market for new global business, such as the sport and wellness industry.”

Active & Sports Expo Leon aims to create an event that will promote sport and outdoor activities in Mexican society as well as maximize business potential and product diversification in this important sector. At the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) 2020, the prestigious event where international leaders of the wellness economy gather, it was calculated that the industry is worth 4.5 trillion dollars.

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March 2021

Safe And Progressive Resumption Of Larger MICE Events In Singapore testbed innovative formats and processes, as we progressively scale up capacities for larger B2B events.

arger business-to-business (B2B) events in the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry are set to return to Singapore with up to 750 attendees with effect from 24 Apr 2021.

This is an increase from the current limit of 250 attendees and is in line with the safe and progressive resumption of economic activities in Singapore.

Following the Multi-Ministry Taskforce’s (MTF) announcement on the launch of the pre-event testing (PET) framework at selected events across different settings, businesses can apply to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to organise the following pilot events:

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(i) Larger B2B events of up to 750 attendees, with PET for all attendees (ii) B2B events of up to 250 attendees, without PET All B2B event applications with more than 50 participants must be submitted to STB for approval by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). EOs must demonstrate their ability to implement the rigorous SMMs under STB’s Safe Business Events (SBE) framework.

Details of the application process for larger B2B events for up to 750 pax will be released before 24 April 2021.

These events will allow STB and the industry to adjust safety protocols and

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Progressive resumption of MICE events Since the launch of STB’s Safe Business Events framework in July 2020, close to 60 events hosting over 7,000 attendees have been held in Singapore, with no reported cases of COVID-19 infection.

The pilots started with a cap of 50 attendees per event and was scaled up to 250 attendees per event in October 2020. Successful pilot events include the Asia Pacific MedTech Virtual Forum 2020 in Sep 2020, the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) Conference in Nov 2020, Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) Conference in Oct 2020, and the Milken Institute Summit Asia in Dec 2020. To test different models and workflows across different settings, STB had trialled a larger event format, with PET for all attendees, at the Professional Convention Management Association – Convening Leaders (PCMA CL) 2021 in Jan 2021.

At the same time, a prototype for safe tradeshows and exhibitions was developed by the Alliance for Action on Enabling Safe and Innovative Visitor Experiences convened by the Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST). This prototype deployed digital enablers to facilitate a seamless and safe end-to-end visitor experience, and comprises safe itineraries, offering delegates a selection of leisure activities that comply with safe management guidelines.

TravelRevive in November 2020, the

first major international tradeshow to take place physically in Asia Pacific during COVID-19, was the first to trial this hybrid format, attracting close to 1,000 local and international physical attendees.

To further help MICE businesses emerge stronger, STB and ESG have collaborated with the SACEOS to formulate the Technical Reference on safe event management for the MICE and events industry. Developed by the Working Group on safe event management appointed by the Singapore Standards Council (SSC), the standard outlines best practices for conducting events in a safe and responsible manner, and reinforces Singapore’s commitment to safety, hygiene and welfare.

Mr Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “Over the past year, we have been encouraged that MICE events continue to pick Singapore as a host destination. This shows that our efforts to progressively resume MICE events in a safe, trusted and innovative way are paying off. Our industry has shown the way in piloting new solutions that prioritise safety without compromising the event experience, and I am confident they will continue to do so as we prepare to emerge stronger from COVID-19.”

Mr Aloysius Arlando, President, SACEOS, said: “This announcement comes at an opportune time and is a much-needed boost to the local MICE industry which has remained resilient and agile during these uncertain times.

We will continue to work closely with the industry, STB and ESG to set safe operating standards for the industry and help our businesses chart a new path in a COVID-19-safe environment.”

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE