March 2022

Media Partner From India Federation of Exhibition & Convention Associations

Mar 2022 Vol 10 Issue 08 Voice of Asia’s Exhibition & Convention Industry

ANALYTICS REDEFINED

COMEBACK SET IN MOTION

Real time insights with Zachary Klima, CEO WaitTime

Informa releases 2021 financial results

COLLABORATION

NEW OPPORTUNITY

Freeman partners with Hubilo

JGW taps Singapore as venue for 2022

CONNECTING AND RECONNECTING EFFECTIVELY SAM LIPPMAN PRESIDENT LIPPMAN CONNECTS

Dear Readers, The FDI inows into India have been robust over the past few years.

According to estimates by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, FDI inows in the past seven years (2014-2021) stood at $440.27 billion, which is nearly 58 per cent of the total FDI inows in the past 21 years.

The Russia-Ukraine war has led to greater uncertainty in the world and could possibly increase home bias among developed-country investors. More capital is likely to be invested in the US and Europe rather than in third world countries.

However, of the capital that does get invested abroad — both in terms of FII (foreign institutional investment) and FDI (foreign direct investment) — after the war, India could become a more attractive investment destination due to its democracy, foreign policy, internal stability, steps towards reducing the cost of doing business, and commitment to cutting carbon emissions.

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PSU BUZZ

Once the war is over, among other factors, India can be seen as a more attractive investment destination as it is a democracy. In addition, India is geo-strategically placed to be a counterbalance to China in this region. India is working towards improving the environment for investors, and further reforms will help make it more attractive.

On the other hand, the curtain will come down on the activities of Expo 2020 Dubai - the world’s largest cultural gathering of 182 days, on March 31, with a closing ceremony that will dazzle the world at the central Al Wasl Plaza. On Tuesday, March 22, the organisers announced that 20,819,155 physical visits have been recorded. Expo 2020 has also conquered the virtual world, with over 197 million online visits registered. Expo 2020 Dubai organisers have also revealed the details of the closing ceremony and said that children will lead the way as the curtain comes down on the six-month event.

Check out this edition and ip through the pages to nd loads of interesting content and stories. Do stay tuned with our latest news by following our ofcial handles on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram & Twitter. You can share your feedback with me at raghav@exhibitionshowcase.com.

Happy reading!

In this issue: Pg. 21

Message From IESA President

Pg. 22-23 IESA Shining Star

Pg. 24-33 Interviews 24-26

In Conversation With Sam Lippman, President, Lippman Connects

27-28

Exhibition Showcase Talks To Zachary Klima, CEO at WaitTime

29-32

In Conversation With Dr. Deepak Swaminathan Founder & CEO, Media Point

Pg. 34 Pg. 08-09

World Map

Pg. 10-11

Industry In Pictures From The World Of Social Media

Pg. 12

Quick Bytes

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DefExpo-2022 Postponed Due To Participants Experiencing Logistics Problems: Defence Ministry

Pg. 14-20

News Buzz

14

ACMA Organizes First Edition of India-Bangladesh Auto Components Show 2022

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RE Industry Experts Mark Their Presence At The 4th Edition Of Renewable Energy Growth Forum Sri Lanka

18

IEEMA Announces Launch Of The 15th Edition Of ELECRAMA

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29th Convergence India And 7th Smart Cities India 2022 Expo Concluded On A Spectacular Note With Smart Cities India Awards & Fintech India Innovation Awards

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ACMA Automechanika New Delhi Shifts Exhibition Cycle And Announces Dates For 2024

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Insights Note From UFI Headquarters

Pg. 35

Sustainability

Pg. 36-37

Tech News

Pg. 38

Acquisition

Pg. 39-40

Association News

Pg. 42-43

Post Event Report

Pg. 44-54

Global News

44

ASM Global Appointed To Manage Olympia London

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Sigep China, First Appointment With Koelnmesse In Shenzhen 2023

North Yorkshire Tractor fest is returning to Newby Hall from June 3 to June 5 with a Jubilee and centenarian themes. The event will showcase thousands of vintage tractors and modern marques, stationary engines, commercial vehicles, cars, lorries and motorcycles from around the UK and Europe.

Scotland

Dallas

Cape Town

An exhibition about Michael Clark, who is described as "the David Bowie of dance", has opened at the V&A Dundee, Scotland's museum of design.

Michael Clark: Cosmic Dancer spans the dancer and choreographer's career to date and explores his collaborations across the visual arts, music, fashion and lm. The exhibition runs until Sept 4.

Dallas city council has approved plans for a new 2.5-millionsquare-foot convention centre.

The new centre will feature 800,000 square feet of exhibit space and 400,000 square feet of breakout space, including a 100,000-square-foot ballroom.

T h e C a p e Tow n I n t e r n a t i o n a l Convention Centre (CTICC) reports that it has over 100 conrmed bookings for 2022 as of mid-March.

The venue expects that the number will increase over the next few months as the team engages with domestic and international event organisers to bring their events to Cape Town and the CTICC.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Riyadh

India

The leading trade fair for the complete automotive aftermarket will return to Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center from 13 – 15 June 2022. As the capital of the Kingdom and one of its largest cities, Riyadh is a key market for the local automotive sector.

Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority has initiated the process of preparing a detailed project report for the Pune International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The proposed exhibition centre is to have an open exhibition area, three exhibition halls, a convention centre, star hotels, museum, re station, VIP lounge and metro station.

Seoul

Melbourne

Seoul Fashion Week, South Korea’s biggest fashion event held every March and October, wrapped up its six-day fashion extravaganza. The biannual event kicked off on March 18 at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art in central Seoul, where three fashion labels -Bonbom, C-Zann E and Beyond Closet -- presented their collections with in-person catwalk shows.

In an Australian rst, the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention centre will host a week of events for professionals across the built environment from May 1013. The event also brings together all the major built environment industry groups.

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Industry In Pictures From

The Indian Steel Associa on is glad to be part of the Steel Week at the #IndiaPavillion from 11 March to 17 March 2022 at the #Expo2020Dubai. This expo strengthens the bond between the Steel Industries of both countries a er the signing of the recently concluded India-UAE #CEPA.

TAAI & SLAITOs networking event / roadshow was held on March 23, 2022 at Hotel Park, New Delhi, with an aim to raise awareness about the upcoming conven on of TAAI in Sri Lanka. The 66th Conven on of the Travel Agents Associa on of India (TAAI) will be held in Sri Lanka from April 19 to 22.

World Art Dubai, the largest retail art fair in the Middle East opened its doors to art collectors and enhusiasts. 300 ar sts and galleries from 50+ countries are exhibi ng over 4000 artworks from canvas to photography to sculptures to NFT art. #worldartdubai #dubai #art

The Switzerland Travel Experience (STE) took place in Goa from 14-17 March 2022. Around 20 Swiss partners had the opportunity to interact and network with more than 60 Indian Tour Operators and agents from all over India during the event.

India is one of the most important markets for outbound tourism. #IneedSwitzerland

FIEO organised online awareness program for food exporters in associa on with Na onal Accredita on Board For Tes ng and Calibra on Laboratories (#NABL) on March 15, 2022 to provide member exporters an opportunity to interact with NABL officials and understand the benefits of tes ng in NABL accredited laboratories. #FIEO

Messe Muenchen India Project Team presents their vision and exponen al growth plan at the Mission Week 2022. They highlighted their ambi ous goals and vision for the next 4 years. #MissionWeekFlashback

So great to be back to onsite events with the #A-dpd team Full hybrid mee ngs with over 3,300 a endees #Kenesgroup #CCIB

Overwhelming response for Plastasia 2022 roadshow at Ahmedabad.

Inaugurated an exhibi on on “Instruments of Accession & Merger: The Journey of Integra on” on the occasion of the 132nd Founda on Day of Na onal Archives of India. #AmritMahotsav

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The World Of Social Media

Pleasure and honor to par cipate in the CEO Conclave organized by the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI), in presence of visi ng French Minister of Foreign Trade, Franck Riester, Anne GENETET, Member of French Assembly & Emmanuel Lenain, French Ambassador in India. #India #France

#PHDCCI organised an interac ve session on 'Industry Perspec ves and #Export Promo on Schemes for #MSMEs' on 11th March 2022 at Panipat Anaz Mandi, Haryana during the #HomeTexTechExpo. Mu ple industry dignitaries shared their insights during the session.

IACC Karnataka organised a hybrid session on "Implica ons of the Upcoming Data Protec on Bill - The Compliance Perspec ve" on March 4th, 2022. It was much appreciated by the delegates who a ended in person and the virtual a endees were very interac ve and acknowledged that all their queries were answered by the panelists. #IACC #IACCIndia

Grand opening ceremony of World Union Wound Healing Socie es Congress (WUWHS) 2022 at Abu Dhabi Na onal Exhibi on Centre. We would like to congratulate the Malaysian Society of Wound Care Professionals (MSWCP) represen ng Malaysia’s bid to host the pres gious 7th World Union of Wound Healing Socie es in 2026. #MyCEB #MyMOTAC

In context to the emergent market opportuni es in OEMS/A ermarket, ACMA organised the 6th edi on of iAutoConnect 2022 (Reverse Buyer Seller Meet) from 23-24 March 2022.

Hon'ble Chief Minister of #TamilNadu, Shri M.K. Stalin expressed his gra tude to the Govt. of Dubai, during the inaugura on of Tamil Nadu State Floor, for organising Expo 2020 Dubai where Tamil Nadu could showcase the growth, development and opportuni es of the state at #IndiaPavilion.

IEIA organized a special delega on visit to the Expo 2020 for its members.

Asia Pacific Incen ves and Mee ngs Events (AIME) 2022, ICCA organized the ICCA Explore Exchange and Experience Roundtable as part of the Knowledge Program. ICCA CEO, Senthil Gopinath, welcomed all par cipants during the opening remarks.

The Caravan of PEDICON - The LARGEST PEDIATRIC ASSOCIATION arrived in Noida almost a er 40 years! The 59th edi on of PEDICON was held successfully at the India Expo Mart, Gr. Noida from 19 to 23 March.

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Quick Bytes

March 2022 SACEOS Elects Its 43rd Executive Committee For 2022-2023

The Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) has elected its 43rd Executive Committee (2022-2023) at the 42nd Annual General Meeting held on 4th March 2022. The association also thanked the outgoing 42nd EXCO members for their contribution and dedication to the industry during these challenging times. Richard Ireland, President, SACEOS, said, “After 2 challenging years, the MICE and Events industry finds itself at a critical phase in our journey towards recovery. 2022 needs to see a move towards a more normalised environment and we are hopeful that with the government’s commitment towards living with Covid as an endemic, we are firmly on that pathway. While we all have a long way to go, I believe we can achieve great things if we work together as a MICE community. Together with the 43rd EXCO, we look forward to serving you and helping the industry chart the next phase of recovery.” Over the coming weeks, you will be hearing more from the EXCO on their vision and plans for the new term. We look forward to your support in helping the industry build back stronger, the statement read.

DefExpo-2022 Postponed Due To Participants Experiencing Logistics Problems: Defence Ministry

COEX Appoints Dong-Ki Lee As New President And CEO Coex, Korea’s leading exhibition organizer and venue, has announced the appointment of Dong-ki Lee as its new President and CEO on March 8. Mr. Lee was the former chief of Korea International Trade Association’s Innovation Growth Division.

As Korea turns the corner on the global pandemic, Lee’s well-rounded experience in planning, trade development, international cooperation, exhibitions and conventions is expected to contribute significantly to the revitalization of the MICE industry, and be instrumental in overcoming the many challenges being presented in an increasingly more competitive international market. Lee will also take leadership of the Association of Korean Exhibition Industry (AKEI). The association was established in 2002 under the aim of promoting Korea’s exhibition industry, and works closely with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to support organizers, evaluate and audit, as well as operate key education programs.

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Premier defence exhibition DefExpo-2022 which was proposed to be held in Gandhinagar between March 10 and 14 has been postponed as participants are experiencing problems related to logistics, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. The MoD had said earlier that as many as 973 exhibitors, including 121 foreign exhibitors from 63 countries, had registered for Asia’s largest exhibition on land, naval and homeland security systems. “Due to logistics problems being experienced by participants, the DefExpo-2022 proposed to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from March 10th till March 14th is postponed,” the MoD’s spokesperson stated on Twitter on Friday, 04 March 2022.The new dates will be communicated in due course, the spokesperson added.

Maharastra Tourism Organizes A Travel Agents Knowledge Session In Delhi Maharashtra Tourism organised a Travel agents knowledge session in Delhi on 23rd March and more than 100 travel agents attended the event at Crown plaza Okhla . The focus of the event was to promote all segments of Tourism in Maharashtra including religious tourism.Core Team IATTE was present as the event along with 45 members of IATTE.IATTE President Dr. Naveen Manchanda was invited to felicitate Dr Shrimant Harkar, Deputy director Maharashtra Tourism and Mr Ajit Mohite, Marketing Expert Maharashtra Tourism on behalf of IATTE.Maharashtra Tourism officials appreciated the efforts of team IATTE for connecting them their members to promote tourism in Maharashtra and discussed about the eventual possibility of organising an educational trip to Maharashtra for IATTE members.The Participants from Team IATTE were Dr. Naveen Manchanda - President IATTE Ms. Veena Robinson - General Secretary IATTE Mr. Gaurav Khandelwal National Joint Secretary IATTE Mr. Nischay Manchanda - EC Member IATTEIATTE was born under covid times. The keen desire and the passion to help the travel fraternity has led team IATTE to great achievements.

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News Buzz

March 2022

ACMA Organizes First Edition of India-Bangladesh Auto Components Show 2022 he Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), the apex body of the Indian auto component industry, kicked off the first-ever edition of the India-Bangladesh Auto Components Show 2022 in Dhaka. Auto component manufacturers from India are eager to strengthen their presence in Bangladesh as it is a fast-growing market and provides a conducive environment for trade to flourish.

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India-Bangladesh Auto Components Show 2022 witnessed participation from over twenty ACMA members. The event is supported by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, High Commission of India, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Bangladesh Automobile Assemblers & Manufacturers

Association (BAAMA) and IndiaBangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI).

Expressing satisfaction on the success of the event, Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA said “We are glad to have organised this platform to showcase Indian auto component products and technologies in Bangladesh. We are indeed very encouraged to witness the wider acceptance of Indian auto components in Bangladesh. ACMA members, here, have showcased the latest technologies adapted and ready to be delivered to the fast-growing needs of this region.

The event has paved the way for successful partnerships and tie-up opportunities between the automotive industries of our nations with bright prospects of business.”

Speaking at the occasion, High Commissioner of India, Vikram Doraiswami said, “the road to regional progress and prosperity runs through the success of our (India-Bangladesh) partnership in the automobile industry”.

The High Commissioner of India underscored the excellent bilateral relations shared between India and Bangladesh, one of the key drivers for the future of which he said, is the process of realizing the enormous latent economic potential of the relationship.

Appreciating the new Automobile Industry Development Policy of Bangladesh, High Commissioner conveyed the keen interest of the Indian Auto Component Industry in expanding collaboration with their Bangladesh counterparts through Joint Ventures, Technical alliance and Partnerships. He added that collaboration in the Automobile and Auto Component sector can significantly elevate the bilateral economic partnership, as the auto industry is a driver of personal mobility, personal choice, improved logistics for trade and investment and for the development of precision manufacturing industry.

Previously, two successful editions of the Indo-Bangla Automotive Show were organized in 2017 and 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh by the Auto Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) jointly with the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) in which several vehicle and auto component manufactures had participated.

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News Buzz

March 2022

Reliance Industries Announces Opening Of First-Of-A-kind, Global Destination – The Jio World Centre In The Heart Of Mumbai In BKC eliance Industries Ltd. has announced the opening of the country’s largest and most prestigious multifaceted destination, the Jio World Centre. Envisioned by Mrs. Nita Ambani, Director Reliance Industries and Founder-Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, the Centre covers an expanse of 18.5 acres in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex, and is set to become an iconic business, commerce and culture destination, giving India and its citizens a world-class landmark.

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Launching initially with a dedication of the Dhirubhai Ambani Square and the musical Fountain of Joy to the city of Mumbai and India’s largest and finest Jio World Convention Centre, the Jio World Centre will have a phase-wise opening over the course of the current and the next year. A first-of-its kind destination in India, the Jio World Centre includes a cultural centre, a musical fountain, an upscale retail experience, a curated selection of cafés and fine dining restaurants, serviced apartments and offices, and the state-ofthe-art convention facility.

Sharing her vision for the Centre, Mrs. Nita Ambani said, “Jio World Centre is a tribute to our glorious nation and a reflection of the aspirations of New India. From the largest conventions to cultural experiences to pathbreaking retail and dining facilities, Jio World Centre is envisioned as Mumbai’s new landmark,

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a point where we come together to script the next chapter of India’s growth story.” Dhirubhai Ambani Square Set to be a new landmark in the city of Mumbai, the Dhirubhai Ambani Square is a dedication to the beloved founder of Reliance, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani and the city of Mumbai. A free-entry, open public space, it promises to become a must-see destination for local citizens and tourists from around the world.

The Dhirubhai Ambani Square is centered around the Fountain of Joy, a series of spectacular fountain shows of water, lights & music. The fountain symbolizes India and its many colours, featuring eight fire shooters, 392 water jets, and over 600 LED lights which create an unforgettable display of evolving lotus blossom patterns with petals dancing to the melody of the music. Dedicating the musical fountain, Mrs. Nita Ambani said, “With great joy and pride, we dedicate the Dhirubhai Ambani Square and the world class Fountain of Joy to the people and city of Mumbai. A celebration of the spirit of the city, it will be an iconic new public space where people share joys and soak

in the colours and sounds of Aamchi Mumbai! I am delighted to pay a special tribute to teachers on the opening night.

Having been a teacher myself, I thank our teachers for working tirelessly and keeping the flame of knowledge burning in these challenging times. Our tribute show applauds these real heroes.” Over 250 teachers from BMC schools and other schools across Mumbai were invited to attend the opening show as a mark of respect for their efforts in adapting to the new methods of teaching in last two years to keep the flame of knowledge burning and ensuring India’s march towards achieving its next decade of success. The square will open with evening shows every day. Free entry passes can be booked on the dhirubhaiambanisquare.com.

The Jio World Convention Centre, offers India’s finest, largest convention and exhibition facilities and aims to put India firmly in the fast-growing global convention and exhibitions eco system and it would to be an enduring contribution to India and the city of Mumbai.

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News Buzz

March 2022

RE Industry Experts Mark Their Presence At The 4th Edition Of Renewable Energy Growth Forum Sri Lanka An Influential platform in the RE space by the organisers of the Renewable Energy India Expo nforma Markets in India, India’s leading B2B exhibitions organizer, brought in the 4th edition of the much-awaited Renewable Energy Growth Forum at BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The two-day conference, which was held on 10 th and 11th March 2022, was well supported by the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Construction Industry, Green Building Council of Sri Lanka.

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The forum was inaugurated and represented by stalwarts of the RE industry that included Dr Sulakshana Jayawardena, Director General, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy; Mrs Shirley Jayawardena, President, Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL); Mr Hemantha Samarakoon, Secretary to the State Ministry of Solar, Wind and Hydro Power Generation Projects; Mr Ranjith Sepala, Chairman, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority; Ms Irina Thakur, First Secretary (Commerce & Culture), High Commission of India, Colombo, Sri Lanka; Mr Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India and Mr Rajneesh Khattar, Sr. Group Director, Informa Markets in India.

The Sri Lankan government aims to be an energy self-sufficient nation by 2030.

Its objective is to increase the power generation capacity of the country from the existing 4,043 megawatts (MW) to 6,900 MW by 2025 with a significant increase in renewable energy. The country has already achieved grid

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connectivity of 98 percent, which is relatively high by South Asian standards.

Electricity in Sri Lanka is generated using three primary sources: thermal power which includes coal and fuel oil, hydropower, and other nonconventional renewable energy sources (solar power and wind power).

Speaking at the inauguration of the 4th edition of RE Growth Forum Sri Lanka, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India said, “Sri Lanka is a promising RE country with favourable conditions for generating electricity from renewable sources, especially solar. While the country’s annual total electricity demand is about 14,150 gigawatt-hours (GWh), the annual demand for the same is expected to increase by 4.9 per cent over the next 20 years. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Energy initiated the

implementation of a nationwide program for the expansion of solar energy, as the country aims to equip one million households by 2025 with photovoltaic systems that will feed an additional 1,000 megawatts into the power grid. With the public lacking information about alternative energy sources and conscious use of electricity the RE Sri Lanka Growth Forum aims to create more awareness and initiate discussions on the roadmap for the industry.”

The two-day conference brought together ideators and stalwarts sharing their thoughts and vision towards cleaner, greener earth. The powerpacked sessions deliberated on topics such as Global Solutions in the RE space; Future of Energy Solutions in Technology and Innovations; Scope Scalability and Success in Utility-Scale vs Distributed Generation; Doing Business in Sri Lanka – Commercial Business Guide; Moving Forward – Technology that Matters and more.

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News Buzz

March 2022

India To Participate In London Wine Fair 2022 ndian wineries are slated to participate in the London Wine Fair (LWF) 2022 after a gap of nearly six years. The decision to participate in the fair took place after a recent meeting of the All-India Wine Producers Association (AIWPA) with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Dr M Angamuthu in Nashik.

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The chairman said that APEDA will participate in various global trade platforms like London Wine Fair, Hong Kong Wine Fair to stabilise our products. “The Indian wine industry is growing fast, and the country produces some of the finest labels in the world.

We have to create a niche market with proper backward and forward linkages.

Participating in various trade and business fairs will enhance our brand value and competitiveness of Indian

wines,” he said. At least 10 wineries will showcase products at the London Wine Fair and APEDA will organise a series of promotional programs for the industry, he said.

The London Wine Fair is slated to be held between June 7 to 9. It is widely regarded as one of the world's most important trade events with over 700 exhibitors and 13,000 wines expected to be showcased at the fair. Jagdish Holkar, president, AIWPA said that India had last participated in the London Wine Fair when the India Grape Processing Board (IGPB) was in existence and after the board was dissolved, there were no such international events and the last two years were lost in the pandemic.

Although India is a very small wine player, the objective is to put India on

the global wine map and let the world know that we make good wines as well, he said. There is a huge potential for Indian wines in the United Kingdom and European Union due to the presence of a large Indian diaspora, several Indian restaurants and interest in Indian food, he said. The Indian Embassy is also slated to hold promotional events for our wines, he added. Holkar said that the wineries have proposed to participate in the Hong Kong, Dubai, Tokyo and Mauritius wine fairs as well.

The Second Edition Of ‘The Business Women Expo 2022' Concludes ndia's largest platform for women-led businesses, ‘The Business Women Expo 2022', was held at Hitex Hyderabad.

It was hosted jointly by Hitex Hyderabad and COWE (Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs). The second edition was supported by TiE, Development Commissionerate of the Ministry of MSME, DICCI, HYSEA, FTCCI and others. 150 women lead businesses showcased their products from across India. The exhibitors came from Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Delhi and many other states.

It had a food courts maintained by women food entrepreneurs. MSME

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supported 54 stalls through Procurement and Marketing Support (PMS) Scheme.

D Chandra Sekhar, Additional Development Commissioner, MSME (Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises)-Development Institute during the inaugural address said that they have sponsored 54 women entrepreneurs to participate in Business Women Expo. Out of these 34 women are from Telangana and the rest 20 are from Gujarat and other states. Women business owners can also travel abroad to promote their enterprises. For this, we have identified 700 exhibitions. They can apply for the same before March 15. We will give them Rs 1.5 lakh

towards the flight ticket and Rs 3 lakh toward the participation. 40% of MSME programs are meant for women he added. During the three day expo, the 3rd Edition of the TiE Women Pitch Competition was held. 15 start-ups pitched to 11 investors. TiE Hyderabad also successfully conducted the TiE Investor Connect – Women Special Edition!

TiE Investor Connect is a platform that enables curated start-ups to present their business venture to top Indian PE/VC/Seed/Angel funds across the industry. This was the first session of TiE Hyderabad Investor Connect -2022 with a new approach and vibrancy and focused on Women Entrepreneurs.

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March 2022

IEEMA Announces Launch Of The 15th Edition Of ELECRAMA EEMA has announced that the 15th edition of ELECRAMA is slated to commence from February 18th to 22nd, 2023 at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida.

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IEEMA and its members will work together with the Government of India to achieve a 100-year partnership of electrifying, digitalizing, and greening India. The theme of ELECRAMA 2023 is "ReImagine Energy - For Sustainable Future" and will be heavily based on showcasing innovation and future technologies in many areas including Storage, Green Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, AI, and IoT. This edition will also focus on sustainability through Energy Conservation, Carbon Net Zero, and Smart Consumption.

On the 75th Independence Day, Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a new goal to transform India into an 'energy-independent' nation by 2047.

The Government of India's bold objectives is backed by IEEMA, the largest congregation of the power sector ecosystem with a vision to make India a manufacturing hub. To support this shift, the Indian Electrical and Allied Electronics industry would help deliver the energy transformation envisaged with electricity serving an important role for cross-sectoral growth viz transport, industry, buildings, etc.

Mr. R K Singh, Minister of Power & New and Renewable Energy said, "I congratulate IEEMA on the announcement and launch of ELECRAMA 2023 – the 15th edition of the world-class exhibition of electrical, industrial electronics, and allied industry. In our industry in the past five years, we have bought great transformational changes. We are

committed to a climate-friendly and we are aggressively going ahead with our Hon'ble Prime Minister's belief in ensuring a healthier planet.

I am pleased that the focus of ELECRAMA 2023 is on energy transition and future technology which is in line with the Government of India's Vision for India@2047. We are aspiring to become a 5 trillion-dollar economy and we are one of the fastest-growing economies in the World. Electricity is the most significant contributor to the energy requirement of the country. The rise in energy consumption is mainly attributed to rapid economic growth.

India is, at present, 4th largest in the world in wind power and 5th largest in solar power and 4th largest in overall renewable power. In the last 7 years, over USD 70 Billion investment has been made in renewable energy in India.

We are also stressing on the need to establish large-scale battery storage systems and encourage the IEEMA members for their active participation.India is poised to emerge as a global leader in green hydrogen and the country is proposing to mandate using green hydrogen in fertilizer and refining.”

“The energy transition currently underway is propelling electricity as a dominant form of energy so much so that very shortly energy will be synonymous with electricity. There is a huge business potential riding on the increasing relevance of EVs, Charging Infra, RE and Green Hydrogen, and Energy Storage. The transition of the transportation sector from the fossil fuel-driven sector to the clean energydriven sector would be a key to the energy goals of the country. The upcoming 15th edition of ELECRAMA 2023 will mainly focus on such opportunities and position India as the fulcrum of futuristic technologies and solutions required for achieving sustainable growth.”

Mr Jitendra K Agarwal, Chairman, ELECRAMA stated, “The 15th edition of ELECRAMA will focus mainly on displaying innovation and future technologies in a variety of fields. With the beginning of global energy transitions, we envision a bright future for our industry, as electricity will be the preeminent type of energy.”

Mr Vipul Ray, President, IEEMA, cited,

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March 2022

29th Convergence India And 7th Smart Cities India 2022 Expo Concluded On A Spectacular Note With Smart Cities India Awards & Fintech India Innovation Awards ndia's largest tech & infra expo organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) & Exhibitions India Group came to a spectacular close with Smart Cities India Awards & FinTech India Innovation Awards. The three-day expo hosted approximately 800+ brands and more than 100 start-ups, along with participation from various government departments, public sector undertakings, and private players. The event was organised keeping in mind the COVID-19 protocol, ensuring a safe and seamless experience.

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The three-day event brought together startup founders, startup enthusiasts, public and private players across industries and geographies, under one roof. The expo - curated for innovators, disruptors and industry leaders who shared their projects, knowledge, passion and insights – was a great platform for networking and a meeting point for business opportunities.

The last day saw 8 high-powered conference sessions with over 30 key leaders across industries, government and civil society. Apart from creating a platform that can create synergies between the consumers, creators, businesses and the government across various industries, the expo hosted discussions of paramount importance.

Day 3 of the expo saw a series of keynote sessions and panel discussions with notable dignitaries across sectors.

Speaking on the final day of the event, Jibesh Kumar, Hon’ble Minister, Department of Information Technology, Government of Bihar said, “We have been working continuously in

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the field of digitalization. And it was due to the work done in the field that we were able to reach the last person and help them during the unprecedented crisis of the COVID pandemic. We are working towards creating smart villages and offering them 24hr electricity. We have also worked a lot towards making policies that are both entrepreneur and labour friendly and welcome all of you to come to Bihar and invest.” “We must all come together if we want to grow and soar high, and that’s why Convergence India is so important, and clubbing it with the Smart Cities expo further strengthens it.” - Anju Bhalla, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Science &Technology.

Chandrika Behl, Managing Director, Exhibitions India Group, said "Convergence India, in its 29th year, and Smart Cities India, in its 7th year, continue their legacy of being platforms that foster growth and accelerate nationbuilding. The expo provides a forum to exchange ideas and deliberate with leading voices from government and

industry at the concurrent conference and City Leaders Conclave. For startups, we provide the opportunity to participate in pitching competitions and mentorship sessions at the ‘Startup Pitch’ competition. And, to recognise the important work being done across the country towards ‘Building a Digital and Smart India,’ we conclude this three-day expo with the Smart Cities & FinTech India Innovation Awards.”

Hosted by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and Exhibitions India Group (EIG), 29th Convergence India and the 7th Smart Cities India Expo 2022 support 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 landscape. The combination of these two leading expos, supporting India’s Digital & Smart Cities Missions, 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.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

News Buzz

March 2022

ACMA Automechanika New Delhi Shifts Exhibition Cycle And Announces Dates For 2024 business continuity” shared Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd, explaining the necessary change of timescale for the Indian edition of the renowned platform.

“Despite the challenges, the automotive aftermarket has been resilient throughout the last two years and supporting the sector’s increased focus on deep-localisation will be a key goal of the first post-pandemic edition of ACMA Automechanika New Delhi.” added Mr Manek.

eeping the interests of the industry at the forefront, Messe Frankfurt India together with Auto Component Manufacturers of India (ACMA) have announced a shift in the exhibition cycle for their leading aftermarket exhibition ACMA Automechanika New Delhi. The change signifies the move of the Indian edition from odd years to even years, with its first post-pandemic physical edition scheduled from 1 – 3 February 2024 at Pragati Maidan New Delhi.

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Year after year, automotive component and aftermarket professionals from all over the world converge at Automechanika events worldwide to take advantage of endless business opportunities presented, make connections and build new relationships. Having established a repute as a trusted business and sourcing platform for the Indian aftermarket, ACMA Automechanika New Delhi has become one of the key strategic meeting points for the industry bringing the exhibitors in contact with national and regional buyers in the Indian sub-continent, and consistently

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breaking its past records in terms of exhibitors and innovative displays.

The first post-pandemic edition in New Delhi to be staged in February 2024, will mark a key shift in the development of the event, supporting component advancements for shifting mobility trends as well as mark the start of its new cycle in even-numbered years.

Poised to become the third largest automobile market by 2026, next only to China and the US, the Indian market holds strong potential and is a key growth market for global auto component brands. However, the disruptions and postponements caused by the pandemic has pushed forward the schedule of global automotive events. In alignment with the OICA calendar of global auto shows, the Auto Expo will be held every odd year from 2023 onwards. The Components Show held in tandem with the Motor Show will thus take place at the same time. “The shift to an even year cycle will ensure the industry has a common networking point every year and secures

Mr Vinnie Mehta, Director General – Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) said: “The automotive industry has manoeuvred with great resilience and fortitude the difficult times posed by the COVID pandemic. The Aftermarket through agility, has continued to maintain its vibrancy despite the challenges. With the changes in calendar of global auto shows and readjustment of the exhibition cycle to even years, I am sure that ACMA Automechanika New Delhi will continue to be a successful event and its legacy carried on.”

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Message

March 2022

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

The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a event site , a football field, in an army, or in an office.

Today, i am writing this message on a slightly positive note as i finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I am sure those visited World Expo in Dubai have witnessed some of the superbly designed state of the art pavilions. Pavilion of Saudi Arabia was par excellence and rightly won the best pavilion award. There were many country pavilions worth visiting just to witness the latest technologies used to demonstrate 21 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com

the strength of each country.

Events have finally started happening in India and though we are experiencing rise in the enquiries for events planned during the year 2022-23, there is a new uncertainty looming large over the industry in the form of Ukraine-Russia war.

We have already witnessed postponement of DefExpo and hope that the issue is resolved at an early date so that events

calendar is not upset. The CoVid pandemic showed signs of a slowdown during the past couple of months but it has surfaced again in countries like South Korea, China, Germany etc.

We do hope that the war comes to an end and CoVid pandemic is under control so that the industry gears up organising shows and business travel becomes easier.

Let us keep our fingers crossed and wish for the best to happen.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

IESA Shining Stars

March 2022

“Lead your passion, Your profession will lead you!” event management students, Event Companies and media throughout the globe. We have collaborated with two best companies in India, Bada Business by Mr. Vivek Bindra for entrepreneurial education and DigiPerform for Digital Marketing. Our students receive best education with industry experts and are currently working as interns with our top associated companies in India.

IEM is different from any other event management institutions in India because we believe in providing the best quality education and practical trainings. Our students get to experience on-ground event hustle which sharpens their performing skills and makes them prepared for their upcoming future.

ES. Could you please provide a detailed description of some of the projects your company recently completed following the pandemic?

Shweta Kumar. We have conducted many projects like Online Classes, Free Workshops, Seminars, In-house events etc to develop the knowledge and sharpening the creativity of our students. Covid 19 has had a major impact on the education Industry but we were prepared for this journey with all our team to face the struggles. We tried to provide as much as online classes and trained our students with various interactive sessions with the professional experts of the industry.

ES. What are some key offerings?

SHWETA KUMAR President & CEO, Ins tute of Event Management ES. Could you please tell us about the company's journey?

Shweta Kumar. IEM-Institute of Event Management has had an amazing journey since it's launch. We have received so much of love and support from passionate

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Shweta Kumar. Our Institute is focusing on 4 major courses in Event Management: Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Diploma in Events.

Post Graduate Diploma in Events.

Certificate program in Wedding Planning Certificate Program in Event Planning Post Graduate Diploma in media, advertising and events

ES. Considering the favourable epidemiological situation in the coming years, what upcoming projects are you planning this year?

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

IESA Shining Stars

March 2022

Shweta Kumar. Our main goal is to help the young passionate event students craft their skills and energy with right training and platforms to have a great future ahead.

Our mission is to train maximum number of students and place them successfully in the best Event Management Companies world-wide.

generation to expand the industry as much as possible.

The collaboration of IEM with IESA will help our goal to educate and train maximum students for the event industry. Our students will get great opportunity to explore the world and interact with many professionals of the industry with vast experience in his/her unique field.

We believe that any kid provided with right knowledge and mentorship has the capacity to win the world in the future and that’s what IEM is looking forward to.

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

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

Shweta Kumar. The advice that I would share is that along with great performance of our companies or individual, we must also take action for the students who are willing to enter the field of Event Management. Us as the experts of the industry have to train our young

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Shweta Kumar. The message that I would like to share with the industry is that, we are a part of a vast and creative industry which will not stop working until the human extinction. Our job is to create beautiful memories and events for our clients and we shouldn’t be demotivated.

We must all come together as a part of our community to face the struggles together. Our industry is one of the major industries of the world and we must use our skills to bring an advanced future of event management.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Cover Interview

March 2022

Hiring and retaining staff was a growing challenge even before the pandemic. Now it has reached crisis proportions

IN CONVERSATION WITH SAM LIPPMAN, PRESIDENT, LIPPMAN CONNECTS ES. Please tell us about your professional journey. What milestones did you reach on your way to the top which stand out as the most significant?

Sam Lippman. I started working for a general service contractor over 30 years ago producing shows in major venues. It was my privilege to produce the first ChicagoFest at Navy Pier. This experience gave me a lifelong appreciation for the difficulty of producing large shows, as well as a lasting respect for the skilled contractors all organizers depend on.

Once I became familiar with the role and responsibilities of a show manager, I became fascinated by it and decided that was my calling. I was hired by AFIPS, a federation of computer associations, to work on the largest computer conference of its time: the National Computer Conference (NCC) attracted over 80,000 registrants with 420,000 net square feet of exhibits. Also, I worked on the launch of the Office Automation Conference (OAC). For a period of five

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years, I produced these two shows annually in Anaheim, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Working in seven cities, producing two very different sized events a year taught me three important lessons: over-communicate all the time; confirm every detail; and never over-promise.

Then I went to the Consumer Technology Association as the Director of Operations for the semi-annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and was later appointed Vice President. The 1995 Winter CES held at the Las Vegas Convention Center; the Las Vegas Hilton, the Sahara Hotel, and the Mirage Hotel covered over 1 million net square feet.

To accommodate all exhibitors, we constructed 450,000 gross square feet of temporary structures on the parking lots of the Convention Center. In 1995 I was hired by another association, GASC, to produce PRINT, Graph Expo, Graph Expo East, Midwest Graphics and the Charlotte Show. A highlight of PRINT 2007 was the single largest indoor booth ever constructed in McCormick Place covering 100,000 nsf.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Cover Interview

March 2022

In 2000, I launched Lippman Connects to provide consulting to the exhibition industry. And by 2005 I was producing nine Lippman Connects events each year – the Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF), the Attendee Acquisition Roundtable, Exhibit Sales Roundtable, and Large Show Roundtable. When in-person events were being postponed and canceled in May 2020, I launched the Digital Summit series of virtual discussions. The highlight of creating and facilitating these 153 events has been witnessing in person the strength and courage of event producers during a global pandemic.

ES. How has the industry changed in the past few years?

Sam Lippman. Our industry has changed a lot in some respects but not so much in most respects. Our goal and our satisfaction are still the same: to convene our cohort, inperson, so they can learn, buy, and laugh with each other.

How we accomplish this has changed a lot. The marketing tools and technical skills needed to implement them have become more specialized. At the same time, our customers have become more demanding; if we can’t demonstrate we know them as well as Amazon and Netflix, they won’t respond to us.

ES. As an active member of the International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE), Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), and the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO), how do you view the role associations play in consolidating the Exhibition industry?

Sam Lippman. IAEE, PCMA, and SISO have all played a crucial role in helping the exhibition industry weather the COVID-19 crisis. Their lobbying efforts; outreach to members; and promoting the financial and emotional benefits of gathering in-person have been critically important these last two years. And I would add UFI to that group.

ES. We'd like to know more about Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum 2022. What will be the highlights of ECEF 2022? What are some major events organized/conducted by your company?

Sam Lippman. ECEF 2022 will be held June 1 in Washington D.C., USA. It is the premier networking and information exchange for executives from associations and independent organizers. ECEF is renowned for providing a day of top-to-top networking, a TechDemo with executivelevel access to transformational technologies, fresh data briefings, and strategic C-level presentations. This is the

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preliminary ECEF Program: 5 Key Data Points in 5 Minutes – Sam Lippman, President, Lippman Connects. Ÿ Business of Belonging: Transformative Events in Extraordinary Times – Erin Uritus, CEO, Out & Equal. Ÿ Despite COVID: Surprising Reasons Behind the SHOT Show's Growth – Chris Dolnak, Senior Vice President & Chief Customer Officer, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and Jeff Pressman, President and CEO, ConvExx. Ÿ From the Anchor's Desk: Exhibitor/Sponsor Delivers the News – Jeannie Wert, Director Exhibit Management, Siemens Healthineers & Board President of Healthcare Convention and Exhibitors Association (HCEA). Ÿ The 140-Year-Old Startup – Debbie Holton, President, Metrix Connect, an ASME Company. Ÿ Succession: A New Season with an All-Star Cast – Megan Tanel, President, AEM and Nicolle Hallada, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Marketing, AEM. Ÿ Executive Panel: Navigating the New Normal – Ken Holsinger, Senior Vice President, Data Solutions, Freeman, facilitates a panel of leading organizers. Ÿ

Lippman Connects has completed an Exhibit Sales Roundtable and an Attendee Acquisition Roundtable in February and March respectively. The remaining schedule is as follows: Large Show Roundtable: April 7, Las Vegas; August (TBD), New York City. Ÿ Exhibit Sales Roundtable: June 30, Chicago; September 29, Arlington, VA. Ÿ Attendee Acquisition Roundtable: July 28, Chicago, IL; October 27, Arlington, VA. Ÿ

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Cover Interview

March 2022

ES. What are the top three major challenges surrounding the industry? What in your view are the current opportunities in this sector?

ES. In a world of accelerated change, how have you used the crisis as a catalyst and have accelerated the change to boost your business in the coming years?

Sam Lippman. Hiring and retaining staff was a growing challenge even before the pandemic. Now it has reached crisis proportions. We must continue to improve our compensation and benefit packages to compete with other professions; and do a better job explaining the value exhibitions provide the economy and society. The lack of diversity has barely changed in the decades I’ve been in this industry. We must as an industry expend more energy on DEI initiatives. We can’t ignore the “great resignation” among our existing customers. Creative organizers will find a way communicate the benefits and fun available at in-person exhibitions. Social media platforms can be leveraged to provide a window on what happens at our events.

Sam Lippman. When the COVID-19 crisis decimated inperson event schedules, our customers encouraged Lippman Connects to launch a new series of digital events, Digital Summit. Having never produced a single digital event previously, we produced 31 digital events between May 2020 and July 2021. In addition, we pivoted ECEF, Attendee Acquisition Roundtable, Exhibit Sales Roundtable, and Large Show Roundtable to digital. Our plan is to schedule Digital Summits in response to the topical information needs of our customers.

We must adopt sustainability practices and green initiatives.

It is time to accelerate adoption of best practices to reduce our carbon footprint and divert materials from landfills. We can also do a better job explaining the efficiency of gathering folks all together in one place at one time to conduct multiple meetings, instead of flying all over the world for one meeting at a time.

Sam Lippman. Like so many show organizers, I enjoy bringing people together in person. There’s no feeling quite like that of seeing your customers come together under your auspices. I feel like I am participating in the productivity, joy, and inspiration that only happens when we share the same space at the same time with the same objectives.

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ES. On another note, what do you enjoy the most about your work?

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2022

As founder, CEO and creator of WaitTime, Zachary Klima leads the company’s global implementation strategy, overseeing partnerships with leading national and multinational organizations. From strategy to integration, he ensures the sophistication and seamless design of WaitTime is realized by each and every organization leveraging the technology.

Klima concepted WaitTime in 2013 and was selected out of more than 100 applicants for participation in the rigorous Bizdom startup accelerator founded by Quicken Loan’s renowned executive Dan Gilbert. Previous to WaitTime, Klima was in the eld of architecture, design and sales engineering.” Under his leadership, WaitTime has forged partnerships with some of the most major sports, entertainment & hospitality organizations in the world that are currently using the articial intelligence technology to reduce wait times and create better customer experiences, resulting in increased efciency for the venues.

Klima has a Master of Architecture from the University of Detroit Mercy. As an entrepreneur, Klima have taken an idea, carefully constructed a globally connected top of industry team, and has made it into a market force technology.

Guests need to be safe and the only way to accomplish this is to accurately know where people are Exhibition Showcase Talks To Zachary Klima, CEO at WaitTime ES. Please describe your professional journey with us and tell us how you thought up the idea to start the WaitTime.

Zachary Klima. All sports fans have had at least one moment where they miss a game-changing play. Mine was at a Detroit Red Wings game. It was overtime, and for some reason I left my seat to head to the concession area. It was then, as I stood in line, that my favorite player, Pavel Datsyuk, scored the winning goal. Everyone came rushing out, and all I could think was, “If only I knew how long the line was before I left my seat.”

That was my lightbulb moment. I'm an avid sports fan, and I never want to miss the action, even when I step away from

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the game to get food or use the bathroom. Surely, I wasn't alone. Wouldn't everyone in the world love to have realtime data about how long lines are, especially in a sports venue?

ES. When tens of thousands of people meet at a major event, reliable safety concepts are essential for the organisers. When it comes to creating traffic and safety concepts for events, what kind of support do you offer?

Zachary Klima. WaitTime has developed the most sophisticated artificial intelligence software solution all around crowd management. We mount cameras over areas of high traffic (Concessions, retail shops, conference hall

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2022

entrances, etc.) and our patented algorithms interpret the crowd conditions in real-time, all anonymously. From very accurately counting how many people are in a queue, to how many people are entering rooms, our highly sophisticated algorithms seamlessly integrate into pre-existing infrastructure keeping the cost of net new infrastructure low. WaitTime's system alerts venue operations in real time on crowding conditions.

How many people are in line?

How many people are in a conference hall?

How many have entered and exited?

What is the occupancy density of certain areas?All of these are reported on to operations based on real-time thresholds that the client custom sets.

ES. What other factors play a role when it comes to developing a safety concept? What is your opinion about the importance of event safety following the outbreak of pandemic COVID-19?

Zachary Klima. The importance of event safety is of the utmost importance. Guests need to be safe and the only way to accomplish this is to accurately know where people are.

Operations and guest experience need to undoubtedly work in concert with each other. WaitTime blends those things seamlessly.

ES. Could you highlight your company’s recent innovations in the AI/ML space? What changes have you made to your services to accommodate the new normal?

in the sports, retail, convention/exhibition center space.

ES. Please share with us your experience of the most challenging show you have managed in the past?

Zachary Klima. One of the most challenging shows that we worked on was over the summer at one of the most iconic exhibition centres in the world located in England. The amount of people entering and exiting all the exhibition halls was extreme. Some of the numbers got to be north of 5,000 people in under 30 minutes just in 1 hall. Although the pure occupancy of the entire show was massive, our software still achieved 96-98% accuracy.

ES. What are your thoughts on digitalization and the potential for using technology to accelerate the industry's momentum?

Zachary Klima. It is truly the only way forward. The industry needs to keep getting disrupted. Disrupt, innovate, disrupt, innovate, repeat. The days of "if it aint broke dont fix it" are long over. More progressive, technology forward leaders are emerging into the forefront now which is the change needed to spur and breed momentum.

ES. Is there anything you can forecast when it comes to the trends shaping the event industry?

Zachary Klima. Video analytics. Video analytics is the only way to accurately know what is happening in your environment regarding the flow analysis of traffic. The days of beacons or wifi / device tracking are long gone.

Operations need accurate analytics on what is exactly happening, in real-time. More granular data is the key result of more precision forward technology.

ES. What are the top three major challenges surrounding the industry?

Zachary Klima. Converged networks. It is the future of cost prevention and device connectivity.

- Monetizing technology platforms - Non progressive decision makers ES. What would you say to the industry if you had one message and one piece of advice to give?

Zachary Klima. WaitTime now has 4 patented algorithms that have never existed in the world before. Our queue, stanchion, entry-exit and massing algorithms are now all being used across the world with some of the biggest brands

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Zachary Klima. I would say that everyone needs to listen to client feedback. You may have thoughts or opinions on a technology or a solution, but until you consume the KPI's and operationalize the data, it is just an opinion. Listen to the thought leaders in the space. They are the leaders for a reason. Don't be scared of calculated risk.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2022

IN CONVERSATION WITH Dr. Deepak Swaminathan Founder & CEO, Media Point ES. Please highlight your career journey, major hurdles overcome and milestones achieved so far.

Dr. Deepak Swaminathan. I am a first generation entrepreneur, stepping into the 25th year of Business. An Experienced many time successful entrepreneur, with a demonstrated history of building businesses in the field of Retail, Experiential Solutions, Event Designing and Animation.

Experiential events were unheard of when I started Media Point in 1998. Events were evolving as a formidable choice in the promotion pie. The market became crowded fast and we were pushed to innovate which has been our differentiator since then. We have evolved with this industry seeing it morph from a vanilla stage, sound setup to creating awesome experiences deploying technology concurrent to times.

Being one of the early movers, we had difficulties convincing clients at start to invest in events. But with results showing up Experiential events became a firm choice for clients. Started my entrepreneurial journey in late 90’s with our flagship brand Media Point, that specializes in delivering superior experiential and event solutions, I was quick to sense business opportunities in the fields of Education & Wellness which was an off shoot from Media Point.

While the Event Industry is regaining from its slumber from the pandemic, I rmly believe that the Industry will be more Hybrid driven

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With a strong knowledge on managing finances and marketing, it was a simple puzzle solving to understand successful business models & pursue investing on those. The entrepreneurial ventures have opened up employment opportunities for numerous professionals across our businesses. High on ethics, compassionate & systematic in operation are at the core of our businesses and I firmly believe in the “Win-Win” model approach which has been our mantra from the day one.

After having built & hived off 3 successful ventures, I had unveiled in 2019 India’s Pioneering Digital Platform for Events, Expos and Weddings. With vast experience, we have now put together a core technical team, mentored by me, that has developed Media Point Live, a unique digital platform that would be the next big stop for us. Innovation blended with passion and perseverance has been the driving force form the word start and that keeps me and my organization alive and young as we turn 25 in business.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2022

ES. What encouraged you to become an Author? What is your inspiration behind writing your book 'Ignitions of Inspiration?’

Dr. Deepak Swaminathan. When i commenced my journey as an entrepreneur in 1998 (after a brief stint in the Corporate World), India was at the cusp of change with technology gaining ground. The term Start-up was yet to be in vogue and getting the right opportunities and support was limited. Every opportunity came with a set of challenges & puzzles and solving them opened doors for furthering the business. Every assignment was a University in itself; every meeting was a visiting card to the next big opportunity. Limited space for errors and the need to keep learning concurrent to opportunities was the only way to keep moving. Seldom one could afford Mentors at the growing stage and experience and passion become true mentors. With successful businesses behind, the inner calling took center stage pushing me to document the learning and share the experiences of success for posterity which was at the core of becoming an author. My first book “The Art of Building Experiential Events” was published in 2018 and is today a curriculum in few institutions and is today an event designer’s almanac.

The first book was for the Event business while my latest book “Ignitions of Inspiration” is dedicated to the dynamic spirit of first-generation entrepreneurs, who have braved the toughest of situations and have traversed unknown territories fighting, surviving, and staying in the game! Derived from firsthand experience of having built, operated, managed and transferred over 3 successfully running businesses, this book talks about Temptations, shortcuts, bypasses, impulses, inclinations, wolfishness, insatiability, and a whole world of false promises keep showing up in the journey of a first gen entrepreneur. A true and balanced entrepreneur is built to withstand the weather and storm with a single-point focus on

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playing the game for long! Ignitions of Inspiration, traces the tyrannical situations and the grit that helps tame them!

ES. Could you please share with us some of the highlights of the book?

Dr. Deepak Swaminathan. My latest book "Ignitions of Inspiration" talks about the challenges & solutions for the "First Generation Entrepreneurs" of the educated Indian geography. A first generation entrepreneur is a self made person, a bag of mixed experiences, high aspirations and big dreams. They are loaded with high energy and fused with undying passion to create a space for them. They are not blessed with red carpet they have limited space for errors, they are self starters, and are highly motivated. The time they take to recoup is super fast, their ability to run past failures is commendable and their focus on success is impeccable.

They come around with a positive aura, every meeting is a visiting card for their future, and every assignment is a step closer to their dream of creating success. They seldom can afford mentors, the World is their School, and each experience is their teacher. They are the quickest to adapt, fastest to change & committed to their dream. First generation entrepreneurs are a beast wired differently, ability to gallop, tame trying situations, beat competition with out of the box solutions.

This book is a treasure of Real Life Learning’s of a "First generation MANY time Successful Entrepreneur", & will be reference point for all aspiring Entrepreneurs & Startups to be in the game, to build a space & WIN. The book features100 Business Anecdotes drawn from challenges & Failures of Building Successful Businesses in the SME circuit, Business Stories that helps get NEW PERSPECTIVES when faced with failure, and Business Articles for the Startup Community.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2022

ES. "In Pursuit of Perfection & In Search of Excellence my Journey of connecting with professionals is on over drive."

Where do you see yourself today and what are your upcoming plans?

We have worked tirelessly on all assignments keeping the interest of our clients ahead of everything else, which has won us the position of a dependable partner which is a big recognition that we take pride of.

Dr. Deepak Swaminathan. Every meeting opens up a new direction and every assignment helps feed the hunger to keep growing. The entrepreneurial journey is a mixed bag of adventure and a double edged sword. Playing it with agility, working with sincerity, and delivering to the max, helps build relationships that turn lifelong friendships and associations.

Media Point has been the purpose and reason for us to invest in other businesses and build forging associations and winning friends, who have been our advisors, mentors and well wishers.

We are today working on unveiling a #MadeInIndia immersive platform for MSME’s and Start-ups which we believe will give us a runway to prove ourselves again and enable bring in solutions inspired from the 4000+ Experiential events that we have delivered in the last 2+ decades. Also on the anvil is expansion of our Media Point Academy that currently specializes in training young talents with the right exposure to become #Eventpreneurs by adding special Industry led Programs for Startups.

Our work and deliverance has been the intrinsic reason for our sustenance and the trust we have carefully built greatly helped in remaining above the water through tough times.

ES. How do you ensure your writings are captivating and informative? What would you say is the most difficult part of being an Author?

Media Point was recognized and awarded in a glittering ceremony at the Exhibition Showcase Awards 2019.

A Badge we proudly hold, a collective effort of a wonderful team, and wishes of all our clients.

We commit to exceed the expectations.

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Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Interview

March 2022

Dr. Deepak Swaminathan. While the Event Industry is regaining from its slumber from the pandemic, I firmly believe that the Industry will be more Hybrid driven. The Hybrid Event is a wonderful blend of a small crowd engaging with unlimited virtual guests armed with smart tools and leveraging the most from the virtual networking.

The Hybrid Format is not just for the current times but is here to stay with virtual audiences, smart polls, online awards, walkthrough expos, gaming-based annual parties, and so on.

The ‘Made in India’ Hybrid Solution has arrived and is all set to reign over town halls to annual parties, boutiques to premium weddings, award nights to musical rhapsodies.

The RoI of these Hybrid Events can be assessed from the crowd responses participating in these events. The Indian event industry is about INR 100 Bn and employs 20% of the Unorganized Workforce of India directly and indirectly.

The Indian Event Management teams are well known for frugal innovations and are best at reinventing and reengineering themselves adapting to change.

ES. What are the current trends in the Event Industry?

What are your projections for 2022 and ahead?

Dr. Deepak Swaminathan. The format of Hybrid and Blended events are a here to stay and re-skilling aligned to technology is the only way to remain relevant. Presently Hybrid Events go beyond a live stream to engage both virtual and in-person audiences through chat, streaming, networking, and more. From planning pre-event engagements to special experiences on the D-Day, the Hybrid Experiences have brought a whole new meaning to experiential events.

The Indian Events industry professionals are transforming the landscape of events. In true spirit, they are the torch bearers of change who pre-empt and offer solutions that are globally competitive, wholesome, holistic, simple, economical yet powerful. Quick adoption of technology and blending it into the event space has helped organizations like Media Point stay afloat. The days ahead are with those agencies who have a good grasp of technology that will bridge the gap between Real and Real time, Live and Virtual audiences, On ground with Remote Immersive experiences.Data (Security & Quality) will be the decider to win assignments. The reason to award assignments is likely to be driven by the following Ÿ

Solutions that extend the lifetime of Events and expos

Ÿ

SMART tools that are elastic yet economical

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Ÿ

Data analytics with real time dashboards

Ÿ

Intelligent suggestive engines specific to specialized vertical based requirements

Ÿ

Robust tech team alongside live on ground team to code custom solutions that are niche

The rules of the game will involve deeper participation from stakeholders, who understand, appreciate and deliver solutions that are user friendly, less complex and more dynamic.

ES. With each role, comes different responsibilities, how do you minimize your role conflict and time pressures that lead to daily stress and strain?

Dr. Deepak Swaminathan. The best way to beat stress and strain is to fall in love with your work or work in a space that is fulfilling and energizing. Coming from the celebratory space of building experiential solutions, solitude for me comes from writing and mentoring startups. Every moment is learning and we are here for a purpose.

When away from work, my day revolves around reading history, politics and jotting down ideas for the next work that is to be published. Being a deeply religious person, meditation, prayers are a part of daily life and that keeps the energy balanced and helps in remaining focused and humble.

ES. Would you like to give out any message to your readers?

Dr. Deepak Swaminathan. The pandemic has taught us an invaluable lesson to place relationships over profit and people over problems. With no time to pause, the World was suddenly halted, flooded with emptiness and unending time on hand. Realization and compassion helped tide over any hurdle. It is imperative for us to be more sensitive, responsible and idealistic in treading in the years to come.

Celebrate every moment and thank for the blessings to have held on to ourselves in the last 2 years. Good days are here again, play it well, play safe.

Every effort is challenged, every idea is questioned. Infuse passion power it with grit blend it with belief and Every effort gets recognized and every idea is awarded.

A compulsive many time SUCCESSFUL entrepreneur, Deepak believes in building sustainable business models in the SME space that opens up numerous opportunities for capable talents.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

India's Iconic Awards Initiative

EXHIBITION EXCELLENCE

AWARDS 2022 & EVENT SERVICES EXPO

HONORING UNSUNG HEROES

RESiLiENCE

LEADERSHiP

ADVOCACY

coming up this JULY

March 2022

Insights

Note From UFI Headquarters

Staying in sync in an asynchronous world Kai Hattendorf, MD & CEO, UFI As recently as three years ago, we were enjoying a rare episode in the history of our industry –synchronous economic growth throughout the world. Nearly everywhere, this was a period of growth for our businesses and for our sector.

Fast forward to today, our operating contexts varies significantly around the world. While key markets like China and Hong Kong battle with the pandemic, the US is accelerating its recovery – although suffering from the highest inflation seen in generations.

In Europe, Spain, France, and the UK are enjoying strong show results.

However, Germany, Europe's leading international market, struggles to overcome COVID regulations, which has our colleagues from AUMA appealing to the government to finally

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end this “Ice age” for the German industry. We have already seen the permanent cancellation of some international shows and portfolio adjustments by some of the German messes. In Hong Kong, we are seeing fallout from lack of government clarity about post-pandemic re-openings with organisers moving flagship shows away from that market by hosting “special editions” in Singapore or Dubai.

Across Asia, conversations are still focused on reopening cross-Asian travel to drive the recovery of our sector. Right now, the developments look promising, with the exception of travel in and out of China.

Added to the pandemic context we are also facing geopolitical conflicts – notably Russian troops attacking Ukraine, forcing millions of

Ukrainians to flee their country – and you have an entirely different challenge for our global industry. As we navigate the challenges, it is more important than ever that we rely on the unique values we possess: On our ability to be agile. On our skills to scale. On our culture to care about connecting people.

In this asynchronous world, what remains on the agenda is the urge to collaborate, the need to advocate for our industry, and the necessity to act on the climate challenge. Advocacy will take centre stage again in a few weeks with our 7th Global Exhibitions Day coming up on Wednesday 1 June 2022. Let me ask each and every one of you reading this column - join in on that day! www.globalexhibitionsday.org

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Sustainability

March 2022

Momentum Worldwide Forms Global Partnership With TRACE For Sustainability Goals which is an analytical review of the environmental footprint of the project, providing scope for off-setting as well as identifying areas for improvement and reduction, and setting a benchmark for future events.

Being able to provide quantitative evidence of waste and pollution has the power to transform and influence the event landscape, supporting the global transition to net zero.

Momentum will be tracking its global Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions with the goal of reducing their carbon footprint by 50% by 2030 based on a 2019 baseline measurement. This is an ambitious target and part of a longterm sustainability strategy that will see Momentum transform not only its own business operations, but also work with vendors to bring them along on their sustainability journey. lobal experiential advertising agency Momentum Worldwide has formed the first global partnership with isla—the event industry's sustainability body, to roll out TRACE, a real-time carbon impact tool for physical and virtual experiences—as part of its increased sustainable action plan. The digital platform will help measure, reduce and report the business' carbon footprint.

As part of Momentum Worldwide's move to sustainability, Global Sustainability Director Selina Donald oversees "Make It Matter," the agency's formalized plan for climate action.

This plan includes 100% of staff being trained in sustainability through a bespoke training program and a review of all third-party suppliers to ensure everyone understands the commitment required for positive action.

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The global partnership will see Momentum Worldwide partner with isla to deploy the digital tool beyond its current application in the UK. Every project (live, virtual and shopper) delivered by Momentum Worldwide around the globe will be tracked in TRACE. The tool has been

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specifically designed to capture the full scope of the environmental impact caused by events, from collecting carbon and waste data to tracking transport and material choices.

By monitoring and measuring data in TRACE, Momentum can provide each client with an Impact Report,

Chris Weil, Chairman and CEO, Momentum Worldwide, comments, "Sustainability is everyone's responsibility, and we need to embrace the role we can play in minimizing the footprint we leave on society and the environment. This partnership is a huge step toward making that a reality."

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Tech News

March 2022

Freeman Partners With Hubilo To Offer A Seamless Customer Solution For Virtual, In-person And Hybrid Events

reeman, the global leader in events, has announced a strategic partnership with Hubilo, a leading global virtual events platform, to bolster its virtual and hybrid event offerings for customers around the globe. With Hubilo, Freeman will now have a new turn-key digital event component for all sized events, large or small.

Capabilities through Hubilo available to Freeman clients include custom branding, mobile ready, personalized networking, break out sessions, digital booths, virtual happy hours and more, with no limits on attendees, exhibitors and sessions. “Whether you’re a brand or an organizer, clients look to Freeman to plan, build, and manage their whole event,” said Janet Dell, president and COO of Freeman.

Freeman’s customers will be able to tap into the company’s strategic expertise and event planning know-how combined with Hubilo’s best-in-class platform as a one-stop approach to planning and managing all aspects of inperson, digital and hybrid events.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Hubilo because it offers our clients a scalable service for virtual and online events while still leveraging our outstanding event management expertise. By working with Freeman, all aspects of hybrid or digital events can seamlessly

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be managed regardless of size or needs, through a single team and contract.”

Hubilo’s virtual and hybrid event platform is designed for engagement by providing the best features and flexibility for its customers. Hubilo’s CEO and Founder Vaibhav Jain stated: “Freeman and Hubilo are both known in the events industry for the exceptional client experiences we provide. With our focus on putting the event planner first, it makes sense that we are partnering with Freeman to create a streamlined hybrid offering for event planners to do their most creative work and bring people together across borders, languages, and cultures.”

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TechNews

March 2022

Hyve And Crowd Connected Sign Multi-show Agreement yve Group plc, a global leader in B2B events with events in 13 countries, has entered into a multi-event agreement to licence Crowd Connected's proprietary location software. Crowd Connected's platform enables the real-time positioning of smartphones in any environment, indoors and outdoors. It is widely recognised as a best-in-class solution and is licensed across the live events industry, including at music festivals, sports, entertainment venues, and business events.

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With its software integrated into the official app for an exhibition or trade show, Crowd Connected enables bluedot navigation, location-based personalisation and location analytics, providing business critical insight into

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visitor behaviour at a venue in real time.

Mark Maydon, Commercial Director at Crowd Connected, said: “Hyve are at the forefront of the technology revolution in the exhibitions sector.

We're delighted to be extending our relationship which dates back to 2019, and we're now working closely with multiple show teams as physical events bounce back post pandemic.”

“Conscious that physical shows are competing with digital, there's rightly increasing focus across the exhibition industry on operating smart events. This translates into being more data-driven.

At Crowd Connected, we're on a datadriven mission to transform live events through location tracking insight.”

Ernesto Perdomo, Head of Digital Experience at Hyve said: “Crowd Connected's positioning technology is

proven both in terms of what it delivers and how easy it is to deploy. We're levelling up the physical experience by bringing the best of digital to the show floor.”

“This ticks multiple boxes: it elevates the visitor experience through the familiarity of blue-dot wayfinding, which drives more interactions with exhibitors.

It helps us to personalise the event experience, making the mobile app more valuable. And Crowd Connected 's analytics deliver measurements that previously weren't readily available – for example, footfall traffic stats for every exhibitor at a show.”

The first Hyve event of 2022 to benefit from the new agreement was Spring Fair. The UK's largest retail trade show returned to the NEC last month after a COVID-enforced hiatus in 2021.

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Acquisi on

March 2022

Blue Ant Media Expands Its Consumer Show Business To The West Coast With The Baby Show Vancouver

lue Ant Media has announced its acquisition of The Vancouver Baby & Family Fair and the expansion of the company's Canadian consumer show business on the West Coast. Under its new name, The Baby Show Vancouver will launch this fall 2022 in the heart of downtown at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

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The Baby Show Vancouver joins the company's impressive portfolio of lifestyle consumer shows, including the Spring and Fall Cottage Life Shows in Toronto, the Ottawa Cottage Life and Backyard Show, the Seasons Christmas Show and the Spring and Fall The Baby Show Toronto. The expansion follows the success of The Baby Show Toronto, the largest consumer parenting show in North America, which Blue Ant Media

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acquired in January 2019.

The Baby Shows' co-founders, Nick Eliades and Sandy Pedrogao, who joined Blue Ant in 2019, will oversee exhibitor sales, sponsorships and show operations for The Baby Shows in both Toronto and Vancouver. For the 2022 year, Mastermind Toys has been confirmed as the “Official Baby Play Expert”. The Baby Show Vancouver is scheduled to take place annually following its launch this fall.

“The acquisition of The Baby Show Vancouver is the latest example of Blue Ant's commitment to grow our live events business nationally,” says Jamie Schouela, President, Global Channels and Media, Blue Ant Media. “While we found creative ways to come together virtually during the pandemic, we're

pleased to be getting back to in-person shows and have already seen the pentup demand from both exhibitors and attendees to connect.” “The expansion of our business with The Baby Show Vancouver is an exciting achievement that builds on the success we've had in Toronto amongst the parenting community.

We are delighted to expand our offering to parents on the west coast and connect with local exhibitors in the Vancouver area,” says Nick Eliades, Director, The Baby Shows. “Since joining Blue Ant, The Baby Shows have been able to tap into a valuable network of brands, platforms and promotional resources to grow our live events business and ultimately increase the show's value to exhibitors and sponsors across Canada.”

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Associa on News

March 2022

BSE Joins Hands With Tamil Nadu govt’s M-TIPB To Promote Listing of MSMEs tock exchange BSE on, 5th March 2022, announced its collaboration with the MSME Trade and Investment Promotion Bureau (M-TIPB), Government of Tamil Nadu, for promoting awareness among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) of the state about the benefits of listing. Through this association, M-TIPB will provide support in mobilising the SME representatives through district industries centres and will also help in mobilising state or regional associations to encourage their SME members to attend capacity building programmes, the exchange said in a statement.

appoint a nodal person as single point contact in Tamil Nadu for providing end-to-end solution and facilitating SMEs with respect to registration/ listing on the platform,” Ajay Thakur, head (BSE SME and Start-up), said.

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The BSE will provide the capacity building and soft support to small and

medium enterprises (SMEs) in Tamil Nadu for fulfilling listing requirements.

Further, the BSE will also provide all intellectual and manpower support to create awareness among SMEs across Tamil Nadu, about benefits of listing.

“Through M-TIPB’s deep reach and network, we aim to further increase awareness amongst MSMEs about the benefits of listing. The BSE will also

Sakthivel S, general manager of MTIPB, said the BSE has played a prominent role in developing the Indian capital markets. Tamil Nadu SMEs will get opportunity to raise funds through IPOs by listing in the BSE SME platform.

The BSE was the first stock exchange in the country to launch the SME platform.

The SME platform started its journey in March 2012. Since then, over 363 companies have listed on the BSE SME platform and raised over Rs 4,000 crore.

COAI, GSMA Sign Pact To Advance Mobile Telecommunications In India OAI and GSMA have announced signing a pact to advance mobile telecommunications in India and collaborate on “areas of mutual interest”. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Barcelona by COAI Director-General S P Kochhar and GSMA Head (Asia-Pacific) Julian Gorman.

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In a joint statement issued here, the two bodies said they have “come together once again to work and collaborate on areas of mutual interest. COAI and GSMA have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance mobile

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telecommunications in India”.

The objective is also to deliver the benefits of innovative and affordable mobile communication services to the people of India, the statement said.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and GSMA have a common objective to support the advancement of world-class mobile infrastructure, products and services. GSMA will provide insights on global events and best-practice planning. On the other hand, COAI will provide local

intelligence on current and upcoming policy/regulatory issues and initiatives that may have implications for the mobile industry, it said.

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Associa on News

March 2022

TAGMA India Announces 12th Edition of Die & Mould Exhibition

tool geometries, the latest CNC machines, additive manufacturing solutions, integrated automation solutions, among others. With over 300 exhibitors showcasing their technologies and solutions, we expect this edition to be a grand success,” said D M Sheregar, President, TAGMA India.

ool and Gauge Manufacturers Association – India (TAGMA INDIA) has announced the next DIEMOULD INDIA 2020, the 12th Biennial Die & Mould International Exhibition from April 2730, 2022 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai.

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The series of DIEMOULD exhibitions “A Trend Setter” organised by TAGMA since 1998 has build growing awareness and reputation as a unique trade fair in India for the Die & Mould Industry and very large by international standards of similar Die Mould Exhibitions held globally.

The 11th Die & Mould India International Exhibition from April 1114, 2018 at Bombay Exhibition, Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai was a huge success wherein visitors witnessed latest technologies and innovation to new

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launches on display. “With ongoing pandemic still posing challenge, Indian manufacturers are taking a variety of approaches to radically transform their businesses and find new ways to differentiate themselves. Companies are continually looking for technologies that can help them achieve accuracy and reduce cycle time.

The 2022 edition of Die Mould India is going to highlight the latest development in the field of tooling as companies are gearing up to showcase smart manufacturing solutions, newer

D Shanmugasundaram, Vice President, TAGMA India said, “The die mould India exhibition is the only dedicated event for tool and die makers which makes it unique and attract visitors from diverse industries. In this edition, we are inviting delegates from 50+ OEMs and the public sector, 10+ user industry associations to explore business opportunities for tool makers.

On behalf of TAGMA India, I invite industry professionals to visit the show and witness some of the latest developments in the industry”

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March 2022

DAVID A. NASATIR The Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (PCCA) voted unanimously at its February meeting to elect David A. Nasatir as the new Chair. David A. Nasatir is a partner at Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP, a Mid-Atlantic full-service law firm based in Center City, Philadelphia. Nasatir was recently elected Chair of Obermayer, chairs the firm’s Business & Finance Department, and has been a member of the firm’s Management Committee since 2014. Nasatir has served on the PCCA Board of Directors since 2016 and currently chairs the Board’s Legal Affairs Committee.

LIZ IRVING Clarion Events North America has promoted Liz Irving, executive vice president, to the newly created position of chief marketing officer. Irving has been with Clarion Events since 2016, overseeing event and media marketing, strategy and insights, audience acquisition, digital products, and data and analytics. In her new role, she will focus on further driving customer initiatives, product innovation, and technology enablement.

SACHA CAREY The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has announced that Sacha Carey, CEM, has joined the organization as its new vice president, exhibits. Carey brings more than 15 years of experience in exhibition and event management to NBAA. As vice president, exhibits, she will work closely with the team responsible for all aspects of strategic planning and exhibitor relations for NBAA’s full suite of events, including the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE), the Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, the Maintenance Conference and NBAA’s Regional Forums.

JANICE LEE Janice Lee has been appointed as the new event director for FHA-Food & Beverage and FHAHoReCa, both business platforms for Asia's food, beverage and hospitality sectors organised by Informa Markets. Janice Lee will lead the Food Teams based in Singapore and Hong Kong respectively and will oversee the overall performance and successful execution of both event brands.

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Post Event Report

March 2022

India’s Largest Platform For Women-led Businesses, "The Business Women Expo 2022" Concluded he Business Women Expo 2022," India's leading platform for women-led businesses, wrapped off its three-day event at Hitex on Sunday night (27 March 2022). Hitex Hyderabad and COWE collaborated to host the event (Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs). Over 150 women-led enterprises from throughout India displayed their products, with support from TiE, the Ministry of MSME's Development Commissionerate, DICCI, HYSEA, FTCCI, and others.

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It was the first B2B and B2C expo of its kind. Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Delhi, and other states were among the exhibitors. D Chandra Sekhar, Additional Development Commissioner, MSME (Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises)-

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Development Institute during the inaugural address said that they have sponsored 54 women entrepreneurs to participate in Business Women Expo.

Thirty-four of the women are from Telangana, with the remaining twenty being from Gujarat and other states.

While delivering his statement, he further stated, "We have spent Rs 20 lakhs on the same.”

Women entrepreneurs can also go internationally to promote their businesses. For this, we have identified 700 exhibitions. They have until March 15 to apply for the same. We would provide them with Rs 1.5 lakh for travel tickets and Rs 3 lakh for participation.

He also stated that women make up 40% of MSME programmes. The 3rd Edition of the TiE Women Pitch Competition took place throughout the course of the three-day expo. Eleven investors heard pitches from 15 start-

ups. TiE Hyderabad also hosted the TiE Investor Connect - Women Special Edition, which was a huge success!

TiE Investor Connect is a platform that enables curated start-ups to present their business venture to top Indian PE/VC/Seed/Angel funds across the industry. This was the first session of TiE Hyderabad Investor Connect 2022 with a new approach and vibrancy and focused on Women Entrepreneurs. 15 Startups led/Co-led

by Women Entrepreneurs, from the Early & Revenue stage from various sectors pitched to 11 Investors. Out of the 80 applications received from women-led start-ups, a panel of the Investor Committee curated and lined up 15 Women Entrepreneurs from various sectors who presented their ventures to 11 Investors. For deeper dialogue, investors have shown interest in at least

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Post Event Report 10 startups and will further engage with them one on one. Sectors represented were Manufacturing, Technology, Education, Fashion, Food, Health & Wellness.

The TiE Women 2022 initiative was also unveiled. It was launched by Suresh Raju, President of TiE Hyderabad; Srikanth T.G, Business Head, HITEX; Purnima Kamble, Chairwoman of CIIIndian Women Network(IWN) Telangana; Ms Rashida Adenwala---Vice President, TiE, Hyderabad and others.

Addressing the gathering immediately after unveiling it, the TiE Hyderabad President Suresh Raju said, the pandemic paved the way for counting in more women into the workforce by providing work-from-home opportunities and nearly 26% of women workforce work from home. Women's workforce is contributing 17% to our GDP and 28% of enterprises are managed by women. The government is playing its role, so also the corporates in encouraging more women to get into

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March 2022 work. Suresh Raju went on to say that the TiE Global Summit, which will be hosted by the local chapter in Hyderabad in December, is expected to attract over 100 women entrepreneurs from around the world. This programme, according to Rashida Adenwala, is being created to promote women entrepreneurs from the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to a brilliant global team and create an inclusive climate.

This is the only programme that allows women entrepreneurs to compete on a global scale while representing their respective states.

Over the last two years, TiE Women has influenced over 200 women entrepreneurs. Rashida mentioned that the company has added 126 women to its network. This effort is supported by 30 mentors. A couple of these ladies were chosen to pitch at SharkTank and received funding totaling Rs 56 crore.

Shark Tank is a reality show in which entrepreneurs present their businesses

to a panel of investors, or sharks, who determine whether or not to invest in them.

Madhu Tyagi, Vice President of COWE informed that B2B Meetings were held in 4 industry verticals like Hospitality, Health Care, Retail and Manufacturing. Through these meetings, businesswomen were connected to potential customers Qentelli and Progress also organised an employment fair. A food entrepreneur pavilion was set up during the expo, providing a forum for food entrepreneurs and innovators. There were 30 stalls in the foodpreneur pavilion.

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Global News

March 2022

ASM Global Appointed To Manage Olympia London SM Global, the world’s leading venue management company and producer of live experiences, has been appointed to run operations at Olympia London, the premier exhibition centre in central London and one of Europe’s most historic venues.

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The announcement is a further step forward in the redevelopment of Olympia London and will see ASM Global take management responsibility for the exhibitions and events business.

The move expands ASM’s footprint in Europe with an iconic London venue and brings global knowledge‐sharing to enable Olympia London to compete harder in international markets. ASM Global and Olympia London’s management teams have already been working collectively on a venue enhancement plan for world‐class conference and hospitality facilities, with further details to follow in due course. The senior management team and all Olympia London staff will move to ASM Global under TUPE regulations.

Olympia London has been a cultural and architectural landmark since opening its doorsin 1886. Today, it is one of London’s busiest venues, and in recent years has attracted more than 1.6 million visitors and hosted over 200 events each year. The wider Olympia site is currently being redeveloped as a cultural district ‐ a new destination for art, culture, education, entertainment, exhibitions, music, state‐of‐the‐art offices and some of the best food and drink in town.

Ron Bension, President and CEO of ASM Global,said: “We are proud to

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partner with Olympia London, Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance International on this amazing and historic venue, positioning it at the forefront of the industry for the next 100 years. Our commitment to guest and partner satisfaction aligns with the reputation of Olympia London and we look forward to continuing to serve existing and new clients’ event schedules at Olympia London and developing the programme with other signature events.”

and convention centres in its portfolio include McCormick Place in Chicago, Moscone Center in San Francisco, ICC Sydney, Shenzhen World in China and P&J Live in Aberdeen, UK. Having been part of the team who appointed ASM Global, Managing Director Nigel Nathan will now gradually transition to a new role as Chairman over the coming months once ASM appoints a replacement Managing Director to lead the day‐to‐day running of the Olympia London business.

ASM Global has an unrivalled track record working with major cultural and entertainment districts and venues, including LA Live in Los Angeles, Darling Harbour in Sydney, OVO Arena Wembley in London and AO Arena Manchester. ASM will leverage its global relationships in content, programming, planning, technology, sustainability and guest safety to further enhance the visitor experience at Olympia London.

Nigel Nathan commented: “This is a truly exciting chapter in the history of Olympia London ‐ a partnership with a global venue management company with far wider business reach and resources than we could have ever imagined. The future for Olympia London and the events we host has never been brighter as we benefit from the £1.3bn investment to create an outstanding destination for London. I decided some time ago to transition from Managing Director to Chairman and now is the perfect time to begin that process knowing that the business is in the best position to benefit from the globalisation of events in partnership with ASM Global.”

Olympia London joins ASM Global’s network of more than 300 venues around the world, which host 20,000 events, and welcome 165 million guests every year. Other flagship exhibition

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Global News

March 2022

Singapore Reopens Borders from April 1 to All Fully Vaccinated Travellers

ingapore is taking a major step forward to restore air connectivity to the world, to rebuild and reclaim Singapore’s position as a premier air hub. Singapore will reopen its borders to all fully vaccinated travellers from the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) General Travel Category countries/regions and will transition to a new Vaccinated Travel Framework from 1 April 2022.

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Under the new Vaccinated Travel Framework, CAAS will allow all fully vaccinated travellers from any country

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or region to enter Singapore quarantine-free, as long as they have not visited any countries or regions on the MOH’s Restricted Category in the past seven days. There are currently no countries or regions on the Restricted Category.

The new framework will facilitate a safe and seamless travel experience for Singapore residents and visitors to Singapore and restore the well-regarded Changi Experience.

With the move to the Vaccinated Travel Framework, all existing VTLs

and Unilateral Opening (UO) arrangements will be retired.

Fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need to take any COVID-19 tests in Singapore. However, they must take a pre-departure test (PDT) within two days before departing for Singapore and obtain a negative test result. This PDT can be a Polymerase Chain Reaction test, a professionally-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART) or a selfadministered ART that is remotely supervised by an ART provider in Singapore that provide such services.

Asia’s Most Comprehensive Media Pla orm For MICE

Global News MOH will continue to monitor the local and global COVID-19 situations and consider removing the PDT requirement in the coming weeks.

Airlines no longer need to operate designated VTL flights into Singapore, and fully vaccinated travellers may now enter Singapore on any flight.

Correspondingly, there will no longer be quotas applied on daily arrivals.All vaccination certificates, regardless of place of issuance and whether digitally verifiable or not, will be accepted as proof of vaccination. Children aged 12 years and below are exempted from the vaccination requirement, in line with

March 2022 Singapore’s domestic measures.

iii. health declaration.

Singapore Arrival Card

Travellers are strongly encouraged to submit the SGAC before departure for Singapore to facilitate a smooth check-in and arrival process in Singapore, and minimising the manual document checks required. Travellers can present their SGAC acknowledgment email with any relevant supporting documentation as indicated therein, to airlines at checkin for their flight to Singapore.

Travellers can submit the SGAC (https://eservices.ica.gov.sg/sgarrivalcard /) within three days before their arrival in Singapore.

The existing SG Arrival Card (SGAC) will be streamlined and can be completed easily. There will be three sections on the SGAC: I. personal particulars; ii. vaccination status, including the submission of proof of vaccination for those who are vaccinated outside Singapore. Those vaccinated in Singapore do not need to upload their proof of vaccination;

Thailand To Launch First International Air Show In 2027 hailand will host its own air show from 2027, with the event to be held at U-tapao international airport near Pattaya. Thailand International Air Show, initiated by Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), was approved during the meeting of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EECO) held on March 9, 2022 and chaired by the Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha.

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The EECO's approval led by the Prime Minister is equivalent to a cabinet resolution. The proposal for an air show of this scale was the first of its kind initiated by TCEB. The recommendations were based on a series of feasibility studies and consultations conducted by TCEB since 2018. The Thailand International Air Show will be held every two years at U-Tapao International Airport near Pattaya and has been scheduled for 2027, 2029, and 2031. The show will include a conference, an indoor

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exhibition, static and aerial displays of aircraft, and receptions.

The EECO is the official organiser of the show and is supported by TCEB and the Royal Navy of Thailand in the working committee.

TCEB will be responsible for marketing and public relations, both domestically and overseas, to raise awareness and attract potential exhibitors.

TCEB will also plan a series of activities from 2023 through to the opening date of the show. In the announcement stage from 2023–2025, TCEB's 'Road to Air Show' project will familiarise domestic entrepreneurs and businesses to the concept of the air show and how they can benefit from it. During this period,

TCEB will also organise the 'Aviation & LOG IN Week', a roadshow to the EEC where meetings, exhibitions, and mega events in related sectors will be held in the same location around the same time.

The soft launch of the air show will take place in 2025 in the form of press conferences, academic conferences, and participation in aviation-related trade shows worldwide before the full show starts in 2027.

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Global News

March 2022

Largest Candy And Snack Trade Show In North America Heads To Indianapolis And Las Vegas he National Confectioners Association has announced that its Sweets & Snacks Expo will make a historic move to host the premier trade show for the confectionery and snack industries in a rotation between Indianapolis and Las Vegas over the next ten years. Beginning in 2024, the Sweets & Snacks Expo will cycle through a rotation of two years at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, followed by one year at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas until 2032. In May, McCormick Place in Chicago will host the 2022 & 2023 Sweets and Snacks Expos.

the NCA Board of Trustees. In 2021, the show relocated to Indianapolis because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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"Indianapolis and Las Vegas are the right fit to meet the growing demand for our show and enable it to continue providing the innovation, insights and

connections that the candy and snacks industries want and need," said John Downs, NCA president & CEO. "This decision is all about the show's future, and it was driven by our exhibitor and attendee community, for our exhibitor and attendee community." The decision to relocate the Sweets & Snacks Expo to Indianapolis and Las Vegas was made after careful deliberation by the Sweets & Snacks Expo Committee, which is chaired by Ferrero/Fannie May Confections Vice President of Sales and Business Development Ed Seibolt, and

"We saw great success in Indianapolis during the 2021 Sweets & Snacks Expo, with many attendees expressing a desire to return," said Seibolt. "Similarly, Las Vegas is an international destination with the facilities and attractions to help the Sweets & Snacks Expo continue to scale. I believe all parties will benefit tremendously from everything our new host cities have to offer."

The Sweets & Snacks Expo brings together confectionery and snack retailers, manufacturers and suppliers to showcase the latest product innovations.

Every year, the show has a significant economic impact on its host city; in 2022, the show is expected to generate $21 million for the City of Chicago.

Mascots Of China Int'l Consumer Products Expo Revealed Themed "Share open opportunities, cocreate a better life," the event is scheduled to run from April 12 to 16 in Haikou, the capital of Hainan. France will be the guest-of-honor country this year.

uthorities in South China's Hainan province on March 1 revealed the mascots for the 2022 China International Consumer Products Expo, styled after the Hainan gibbon. Hainan gibbons are the most endangered of all gibbons and the world's rarest primate.

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They are endemic to the southern Chinese island of Hainan. The mascots reflect the green consumption approach of the expo, according to Ruslan Tulenov, a global media officer at the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development.

The mascots embody the three

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dominant and distinctive industries of Hainan, namely the seed industry, deep-sea industry and aerospace industry. Designers have endowed the mascots with diverse personalities, expecting that global enterprises and consumers can share opportunities and create a better life together through the expo, Tulenov said.

The exhibition area will span over 100,000 square meters, 80 percent of which will be set up for overseas exhibitors featuring fashion, jewelry, food, medicine and other professional services. The expo is expected to become a leading platform for global consumer fashion, and well-known brands will release their latest products during the exhibition.

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March 2022

Global News

Informa Releases 2021 Full-year Results: Reports Revenue And Profits Growth nforma Markets, the international B2B Markets, Knowledge Services and Business Intelligence Group has published results for the 12 months to 31 December 2021, reporting growth in revenues and profits, balance sheet strength and further progress on the 2021-2024 Growth Acceleration Plan II (“GAP II”). Informa Markets has reported £608.5m of revenue for the year 2021, up 16.2% (underlying 7.7%) compared with 2020.

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Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive, Informa PLC, said:” The robust return of Live and On-Demand Events, combined with consistent and improving growth at Taylor & Francis, and continued expansion in B2B Digital Services, gives us confidence of further growth and acceleration in 2022.” He added: “Through GAP II, we are creating a more focused, higher growth business, built around specialist brands, with a robust balance sheet and a commitment to shareholder returns, including dividends.”

Operating Profit1 of £388.4m (2020: £266.6m), driven by higher revenues and effective cost-management; Ÿ

Improving Statutory Performance: Reduction in COVID-related exceptional costs and lower intangible amortisation and impairments, delivers statutory operating profit of £93.8m compared with a loss of £881.6m in 2020;

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Strong Free Cash Flow1: Higher adjusted operating profit, strong cash conversion and improving forward bookings for B2B Events, delivers Free Cash Flow1 of £438.7m, more than £500m better than the £153.9m outflow reported in 2020;

2021 Financial Highlights: Ÿ

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Higher Revenues: Statutory revenue growth of 8.3% and underlying growth1 of 6.1%, delivering Group revenues of £1,798.7m (2020 £1,660.8m), reflecting strength in Subscriptions, growth in Digital Services and the progressive return of Live and On-Demand B2B Events; Growth in Adjusted Profit: Adjusted

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Ÿ

Robust Balance Sheet:1 Free Cash Flow growth, combined with currency effects, drives reduction in Net Debt to £1,434.6m (2020: £2,029.6m), in advance of GAP II divestments. Long-term, covenantfree Group financing provides resilience and flexibility.

The company reports that the majority of brands in its portfolio that have run in 2022 have been in North America and the Middle East as the major brands in Europe are traditionally scheduled from the second quarter. The company reports that exhibitor space commitments are progressively increasing: "Across our major brands in Q1, total space sold is expected to be over 5 million sq ft, up over 150% on a like-for-like basis versus last year", the statement reads. As brands return, Informa observes a higher concentration of committed buyers at events, leading to high levels of customer satisfaction.

This is reflected in an 85%+ increase in average NPS scores across major Q1 brands where results have been published. Looking ahead, average bookings for Informa Market's major events brands (£5m+ revenue) scheduled for H1 2022 are reported as being at 76% of 2019 revenue, with 94%+ of related cash collected.

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Global News

March 2022

Light Middle East | Intelligent Building Middle East To Run Side-by-side With Intersec In January 2023 esse Frankfurt Middle East (MFME) is to co-locate two of its leading exhibitions in Dubai to capitalise on visitor and exhibitor synergies. Light Middle East | Intelligent Building Middle East, the region's premier exhibition, conference and awards for lighting, design and technology; and Intersec, the worldleading emergency services, security and safety event, will now run side-by-side at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 17-19 January 2023.

Sustainable Future & Seamless Integration.

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“This is a strategic move to maximise visitor and exhibitor engagement with both events sharing important visitor groups and interests across system

integration and installation, facilities and building management,” explained Christine Davidson, Group Exhibition Director of Messe Frankfurt Middle East. Dishan Isaac, Senior Show Manager for Light Middle East | Intelligent Building Middle East, said the three-day event will focus on three core themes in 2023: Innovative Design,

“Our exhibition, conferences, webinars, podcasts and features will revolve around these core themes,” said Isaac.

Light Middle East together with its new Intelligent Building extension will appeal to the 33% of visitor's interested in Light Middle East's smart home, electrical engineering and building automation profiles.

“In its 16th edition, Light Middle East | Intelligent Building Middle East will solidify its position as the region's number one networking and sourcing platform for the lighting and building services industry.”

7th Edition Of Nepal Buildcon International Expo Concludes In Nepal epal's largest expo on architecture, buildings, construction, design and engineering, the Nepal Buildcon International Expo has concluded on a high note in the capital Kathmandu, Nepal. The international level and Nepal's largest expo on Architecture, Buildings, Construction, Design and Engineering the Buildcon Expo has been held after a gap of two years due to the pandemic. It is the 7th edition which saw outpouring participation of Indian companies.

National Development. As per the organizers, the focus is on five key enablers: Facilitating Growth, Competitiveness, Promoting Infrastructure Investments, Developing Human Capital and Encouraging Social Development.

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The International Exhibition is supported by the Nepal Engineering Association (NEA), Federation of Contractors Association of Nepal (FCAN), Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA), Heavy Equipment Parts

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Association and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Alongside the 7th Nepal Buildcon International Expo, the event was also hosted Nepal Construction Machinery and Heavy Equipment International Expo as the concurrent event which showcased construction equipment and heavy equipment of companies from Nepal and abroad.

The Theme of the expo was to promote shared responsibilities, reiterates industry role and responsibility in

This year the expo focused on showcasing advanced construction technologies, inspiring innovative products and services for maximum exposure and greatest reach in Nepal's growing construction sector.

The highlight of the exhibition were Construction materials, Construction Machinery, Construction Heavy Equipment, Pre fab structures, UPVC Windows Machinery, UPVC Profile, Doors and Windows, Architectural Hardware, Bathroom Fittings.

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Global News

March 2022

The OFC Conference and Exhibition in San Diego Concludes Showcasing Breakthrough Innovations in 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Co-Packaging, Data Center Optics and Machine Learning ptical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC), the premier global event for optical communications and networking, safely welcomed back thousands of exhibitors, attendees and media from across the globe. Held 06-10 March in San Diego, CA, USA, OFC 2022 hosted 8,000 participants and 430 exhibiting companies.

Shinji Matsuo, David Plant and Jun Shan Wey.

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Given its focus on inclusivity, OFC offered a fully hybrid conference experience. Critical members of the global community unable to travel to the U.S. participated virtually, joining live Q&A discussions and gaining access to

recorded content within 24 hours.

"Global optical communications leaders united once again to exchange information and demonstrate groundbreaking interoperability including the newly launched OFCnet, catapulting optical technologies and network advancements into the reality of tomorrow," said OFC General Chairs

"Over the past two years, many of the best and brightest companies have been hard at work and were eager to show the world just how far optical advancements have come." Hundreds of companies unveiled new products and innovations at OFC. In collaboration with the operator of California's research and education network CENIC, OFC launched OFCnet, a live high-speed fiber path connecting CENIC's facility in San Diego to the San Diego Convention Center, designed to accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge networking technology.

SISO To Support Event Tech Live In Vegas And London he Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) is supporting the inaugural Event Tech Live (ETL) Vegas and with ETL London – taking the shows’ message across its network.

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Since 1990 SISO has been a forum for networking, education and best practice in the industry. Today, the society has more than 200 corporate members – businesses that own or manage trade and consumer shows, expos, conferences and other events around the globe. Adam Parry, Event Tech Live co-founder, comments: “It’s such a pleasure to work with the Society of Independent Show Organizers – its practice, experience and reputation fit

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perfectly with what we’re out to achieve with the new show in Vegas and at Excel. “The mix of exhibitors and content for the Vegas show, in June, is taking shape – truly exceptional – and SISO’s standing with the industry is a sure way to spread the news.”

Running from June 7th – 9th 2022, Event Tech Live Las Vegas is the only hybrid expo dedicated to event

technology in the United States. The launch show promises more than 100 educational sessions, 100 plus exhibitors and attendees from right around the world.

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Global News

March 2022

JGW Taps Singapore As Venue For 2022 ewellery & Gem World (JGW) is temporarily relocating from Hong Kong to Singapore this September to stage Asia’s biggest and most significant B2B sourcing fair of the year, JGW Singapore.

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This bold and strategic move aims to make the show venue more accessible to international suppliers and buyers clamouring for the in-person show experience. The venue change is a oneoff special arrangement applicable only in 2022, according to show organiser Informa Markets Jewellery. JGW Singapore will be held from September 27 to 30 at Singapore EXPO. “The last two years have been extremely challenging for everybody, and we, as an industry, have been doing our utmost to not only keep businesses running, but moving forward,” said David Bondi, senior vice president of Informa Markets in Asia. “Industry stakeholders overwhelmingly told us they wanted safe and secure physical fairs that they could participate in, and Informa Markets delivered by successfully hosting enhanced largescale in-person events in the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia in the last several months, with many more firmly scheduled for 2022 and beyond.”

“More recently, we launched Jewellery, Gem & Technology Dubai (JGT Dubai), the jewellery industry’s first international in-person B2B fair of the year and the sector’s newest premier sourcing destination. The inaugural edition drew buyers from 100 countries and regions, demonstrating the trade’s real need for face-to-face interactions,” Bondi continued.

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These physical shows did not only jumpstart the business events industry since the pandemic took hold; they also serve as bellwethers for the sector, according to Bondi. “We are confident JGW Singapore will accomplish just that – spark authentic business connections and help drive our industry recovery,” he said. Placing safety and business rebuilding at the heart of its event planning, the Group’s jewellery vertical – Informa Markets Jewellery – identified Singapore as the ideal host for its flagship show in 2022. The citystate plans to steadily ease travel and social restrictions once the current Covid wave of infections reaches its peak, providing international exhibitors and buyers a viable venue where they can do business face to face, and offering greater flexibility to those who are unable to fly to Hong Kong due to current border restrictions and selfisolation requirements.

“Even against the background of a pandemic, Singapore has the capacity

to securely and efficiently host the world’s most iconic jewellery show,” said Celine Lau, director of Jewellery Fairs at Informa Markets Jewellery.

The ultimate B2B jewellery marketplace, JGW matters now more than ever for a community that thrives on powerful connections, discovery and creativity, Lau continued.

“Suppliers who are serious about business will be at JGW Singapore, and we are confident that global buyers in decision-making roles will make the trip to the city-state to join us on the show floor,” she said.

Special-edition Hong Kong fairs Complementing the Singapore wholesale buying event are special editions of Informa Markets Jewellery’s signature Jewellery & Gem fairs in Hong Kong in June and September.

Scheduled for June 16 to 19, Jewellery & Gem ASIA Hong Kong (JGA – Special Edition) is uniquely positioned

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Global News in the mid-year buying calendar with exhibitors ready to supply merchandise for immediate delivery within the second half of the year. Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW – Special Edition), set for September 16 to 19, is likewise primed to build on the momentum sparked by the June show.

The fair features a broad selection of loose gemstones and finished jewellery for buyers who want to capture the best possible exclusive show deals for the end-of-the-year selling season and beyond.Both open to B2B buyers and jewellery lovers, the special-edition fairs are also expected to draw China-based visitors once cross-border travel restrictions are lifted. To extend the

March 2022 content and energy of both events beyond the show floor, digital elements, such as livestreaming sessions targeting Greater China and international audiences, will be incorporated into their programming.

“As the longstanding home base of the most important jewellery fair in the world, Hong Kong is almost always mentioned in the same breath as JGW. In fact, it has become an annual tradition for thousands of suppliers and buyers to travel to Hong Kong every September,” Lau said. “Our community can rest assured that Hong Kong will be ready to deliver the full JGW experience in 2023 when conditions allow for safe and

responsible in-person interactions, and international travel restrictions are lifted.”

In addition to JGW Singapore and the special-edition Hong Kong fairs, Informa Markets Jewellery will launch Jewellery & Gem ASEAN Bangkok (JGAB) from November 2 to 5. JGAB is a B2B cash-and-carry event especially focused on Southeast Asia-based buyers who need to restock instantly for the vital Christmas and New Year selling season.

Informa Markets Jewellery’s 2022 agenda also includes 10 physical events in eight cities and five theme-based digital experiences.

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA Heads To Bangkok In 2022 SIA FRUIT LOGISTICA is moving to Bangkok for its 2022 edition from its traditional location in Hong Kong and takes place on 2-4 November 2022 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC).

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The world-class exhibition centre in Bangkok hosted the first-ever edition of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA back in 2007. And the state-of-the-art facility has recently undergone a multimilliondollar upgrade, adding five times more space as well as cutting-edge technology and services. That makes QSNCC the ideal venue as Asia’s number one international trade show for fresh fruits and vegetables celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2022.

This year’s relocation to Bangkok is not permanent: Thailand is the best place in Asia this year to host an in-person

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ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA because of the strict Covid-entry travel restrictions that remain in force in Hong Kong and China.

“Asia’s fresh fruit and vegetable trade is desperate to meet in person again, and hosting ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA in Bangkok this year means we can put on a physical trade show,” said David Axiotis, executive director of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA.

Thailand resumed its Test and Go programme for fully vaccinated travellers on 1 February 2022. It means international visitors can attend ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA easily and conveniently.

Thailand is also a key hub for SouthEast Asia’s fast-growing fresh fruit and vegetable business and presents fresh opportunities for visitors and exhibitors, Axiotis noted.

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Global News

March 2022

Changes In The UFI Trio And Executive Committee Committee member since 2017. The UFI Executive Committee is the top body of UFI for making all executive decisions.

The UFI Executive Committee in its meeting on 11th March 2022 decided to temporarily suspend access to UFI events and activities for representatives from Russian member organisations while calling on the Russian leadership to implement the UN resolution.

nbu Varathan, Director General & CEO, IMTMA, has announced he is stepping down from his positions in UFI, effective immediately. Varathan, who served as UFI President in 2021, informed the UFI leadership yesterday. Mary Larkin, President at Diversified Communications USA and UFI President 2020, will re-join the UFI Trio until November 2022.

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2017 as a member of the Executive Committee. “Anbu stood at the helm of UFI in the midst of the pandemic, putting a special effort into growing UFI’s advocacy work. On behalf of the whole UFI community, I want to thank him for his tireless work.”

Anbu strongly supports the approach taken by India urging Vladimir Putin – President of Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy – President of Ukraine, NATO leadership and the US President – Mr. Joe Biden to resolve this war and reach peace through dialogue and process of diplomacy.

Extraordinary challenges demand extraordinary approaches Excerpts from Anbu’s post after his resignation:

From left to right: Monica Lee-Müller, Mary Larkin, Anbu Varathan

UFI President Monica Lee-Müller thanked Varathan for his service – initially on the UFI Board, and since

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Anbu however is not in agreement with the decision taken by the UFI Executive Committee to punish the Russian Exhibition community. Anbu has articulated that UFI always should stand for the entire exhibition industry and its position should not change even in the Russian-Ukraine conflict. UFI Executive Committee in its deliberations and decisions on such crucial subjects should be setting high standards.

Mr. Anbu Varathan served as the President of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, during 2020-21. He is the first Indian to have assumed this role and has been serving on the UFI Board of Directors since 2011, and as UFI Executive

While greatly appreciating UFI’s efforts in not expelling members from Russia unlike a few other organizations, Anbu doesn’t support UFI decision to temporarily suspend access to UFI events and activities for representatives from Russian member businesses.

According to Anbu, this decision to punish Russian companies by suspending access would harm mutual “trust” among global exhibition industry players – which is of most crucial value to the exhibition industry.

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Global News

March 2022

Sigep China, First Appointment With Koelnmesse In Shenzhen 2023

he strategic partnership between Italian Exhibition Group and Koelnmesse is taking off decisively. In accordance with the memorandum of understanding of recent months, Sigep, the IEG event held every year at Rimini Expo Centre representing the excellence of Italianmade products in the gelato, artisan pastry, bakery, chocolate and coffee sectors, shall be extended to worldwide locations where editions of Koelnmesse´s food shows ´powered by Anuga´, the leading global event for the food and beverage industry, are scheduled to take place, as well as to new markets that are potentially

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profitable for both IEG and Koelnmesse .

SIGEP China 2023 was announced at press conference at the 43rd edition of Sigep.

IEG CEO, Corrado Peraboni, and the President and CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH, Gerald Böse, signed the Letter of Intent (LOI) after having illustrated, during the press conference, the first event in the agreement schedule: the Southern China international gelato, pastry, bakery and coffee trade show, scheduled to take place from 19th-21st April 2023 at the World Exhibition & Convention Centre in the city of Shenzhen, where Sigep China will make its debut. It will be co-located with

Anufood China – powered by Anuga, Koelnmesse´s leading food event in the south of China. ´With this agreement, Sigep, which is one of our flagship events, will strengthen its mission as the standardbearer of Made in Italy food products in the world,´ said Corrado Peraboni, CEO of IEG ´starting, together with Koelnmesse, from China, which is the main foreign market outlet for Italian exports. Made in Italy, which, according to Istat (the Italian Statistics Institute), had almost reached a turnover of 500 billion Euros at the end of August 2021, registered a double-digit increase in Beijing, equal to almost 20%.

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