Dear Readers, The month of September is also approaching to a close. All our hopes to get a re-start date from the government of India are s ll hanging to the bait. With most of the industries ge ng back to ac on, the events and exhibi ons industry is s ll unable to a ract any a en on of the policy makers. Despite having many industry associa ons in the MICE sector, the voice of our sector is not reaching the government (In-spite of the SOPs and framework, which have been developed and even submi ed to the government).
M I C E Showcase &
PSU BUZZ
Nevertheless, being industry media, we have been striving earnestly to keep the industry engaged and informed during these difficult mes. The recently concluded IMS2.0 was a sincere ini a ve to reflect the strength and voice of our industry and to showcase our sector's preparedness to open up effec vely. The event concluded successfully with 1120 a endees joining during the course of two days from 52 countries! 14 power packed sessions featured over 95 global speakers who gave their valuable insights about issues most per nent to the future of our industry. Recordings of all the sessions are now available on demand on the Exhibi on Showcase's official YouTube channel. In all the interac ons with global peers, one thing that everyone accepted is that there is no subs tute to physical shows while it will be important to embrace technology going forward. There will also be a need to impart new age skills to our workforce with focused impetus on digitaliza on, innova on and sustainability. To inspire the industry, we are coming back on 5th December, 2020 with th the 5 annual edi on of Exhibi on Excellence Awards and co-located Global MICE Icons awards ceremony. This is a mega ini a ve to recognize the achievements of the MICE industry and inspire them to stay commi ed and reach for greater heights in 2021. On another posi ve development for the industry, the CARAVAN SALON th (world's largest RV trade show) which concluded on 6 September at the Düsseldorf Exhibi on Centre, Germany, drew 107,000 mobile travel and th leisure enthusiasts to the event's 59 edi on. Spanning 762,000 square feet, the show was the first major trade fair to take place in the western German city since the COVID-19 lockdown. Though the show was notably smaller than it was in 2019 — when 268,000 a endees and 645 exhibitors spanned 2.3 million square feet of indoor and outdoor expo space — Messe Düsseldorf officials s ll lauded the show as a success for the German and European trade fair industry. We hope to share many such developments more regularly! Do read this insigh ul issue to get interes ng updates from the world of business events and exhibi ons. We have featured some informa ve interviews, news and ar cles and as always, I would love to hear your feedback on raghav@exhibi onshowcase.com. Stay safe and happy reading!
World Map - News From The World Of Exhibitions
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INTERNATI
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M.I.C.E.
40th India Carpet Expo – Virtual Exhibition Concludes Successfully
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ICPB To Hold 13th CIC As A Hybrid Event On October 30 – 31, 2020
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LMIFW Gets First-Ever Phygital Avatar
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Govt. Extends Tenure Of Mr. LC Goyal As ITPO CMD
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ITB India Goes Hybrid For Inaugural 2021 Live And Virtual Event
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SHOWCASE 2.0 IMS2.0 Report
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Pg. 32-48 A Chat with GB Srithar, Regional Director, India, Middle East & South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board
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Exclusive Interview With Phil Chung, CEO Of KINEXIN Convention Management Pvt Ltd. (IICC Operating Company)
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In Conversation With Sanjoy Roy, Immediate Past President, Event And Entertainment Management Association (EEMA)
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In Conversation With Aakash Dhote, Founder & CEO, Blue Apple Digimedia
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Global News Group Editor : Raghav Khosla Design : Firoz Accounts : Pappu Yadav
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BOATS2020 Cancelled Over Southampton City Council Fears
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Shenzhen World, The Largest Trade Fair Venue Globally, Successfully Hosted The World’s Largest Furniture Exhibition
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IMM Cologne 2021 To Go Ahead For January 2021
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UFI Research Shows: COVID-19 To Cause Net Space Sold In Asia To Plummet By 75% In 2020
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Messe Frankfurt Revamps Spring 2021 Schedule
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Insights
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Netherlands 44th & 45th Dogshow Maastricht 2020 is a fact! In mes of Covid, the Maastricht Dog Show, one of the biggest in Netherlands managed to deliver a safe and secure show welcoming almost all dog races at Maastricht Exhibi on Center. The first dog show in the Netherlands a er last six months, the organiser successfully delivered coronaproof show providing enough distance for all, bigger rings and less dogs in a ring together and also fixing me slot for exhibitors to avoid crowd.
U.S.A PCMA Founda on has launched the Accelera ng Reskilling ini a ve, a massive fundraising campaign designed to help event industry professionals recover, adapt and thrive through the pandemic and beyond. Launched on Aug. 5, the campaign’s goal is to raise $250,000 by the end of 2020 to provide scholarships for the immediate reskilling of 1,000 event professionals, supplier professionals, young professionals, faculty and current students with the new and updated skill sets they will need for career recovery and success.
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South Africa The Durban ICC has always aimed to posi on itself as “Africa’s Leading Conven on Centre” but during this unprecedented global situa on, the centre has been focusing on the development of their high-tech Virtual Event solu ons. Having invested in the latest, cu ng-edge mee ng technology, the centre is re-inven ng itself as the con nent’s leading high-tech conven on centre.
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United Kingdom Greater Manchester’s vision for the environment, and next steps in achieving carbon neutrality will be on the agenda at the Green Summit 2020. Taking place fully online from 21st to 24th September, the Greater Manchester Green Summit 2020 will detail progress made toward the Five-Year Environment Plan. Goals of which include becoming carbon neutral by 2038, improving air quality in the next decade, protec ng our natural environment, and building resilience to the effects of climate change.
Korea Busan is an interna onal conven on city that is receiving a en on worldwide. The city boasts customized venues in various sizes that suit the needs of mee ng planners as well as the administra ve and financial support systems needed to host successful events. In other words, Busan is an ideal city for hos ng interna onal conven ons and is capable of accommoda ng all sorts of MICE events without any issues.
Dubai
India In a posi ve development for the industry, India gets ready to host the 13th edi on of Aero India-21, at Air Force Sta on, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka from Feb 2-7th 2021. Giving the go ahead for the space-booking of the physical show, the defence minister Rajnath Singh launched the Aero India 2021 website aeroindia.gov.in.
In honour of the 90th Saudi Na onal Day on 23rd September, Expo 2020 Dubai is celebra ng the Kingdom of S a u d i A r a b i a ’s " s i g n i fi c a n t " contribu on to the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, MEASA, region, and the largest event ever to be held in the Arab world. The World Expo provides the ideal pla orm for the Kingdom to share its heritage and the crea vity of its young, dynamic popula on to a global audience. With more than 190 par cipa ng countries, Expo 2020 is also an opportunity to convene the interna onal community in a spirit of hope and op mism, and Saudi Arabia will play an important role in innova ng and collabora ng with the world to help shape a be er future for all.
Australia Given the massive tourist inflow into Australia over the recent years, 2020 was expected to be a superla ve year for travel. Travel enthusiasts had their wish-lists chalked out, the tourism industry was raring to go; Several major on-ground events like the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia were also scheduled to take place this year. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought this to a halt. On the occasion of World Tourism Day, des na on Australia keeping in mind the varied sights, sounds and experiences that travellers look forward to, developed a host of diverse virtual experiences to enable people to con nue exploring the offerings of this des na on, virtually!
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September 2020
40th India Carpet Expo – Virtual Exhibi on Concludes Successfully
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ndia Carpet Expo is one of the largest Handmade Carpet Fair in Asia which serves as a unique pla orm for the buyers to source the best of handmade carpets, rugs and other floor coverings under one roof. It is held bi-annually with a view to showcase the Cultural Heritage of Indian Handmade Carpets & Other Floor Coverings and Promote the Weaving Skills of Indian Weavers to the visi ng overseas carpet buyers. Carpet Export Promo on Council launched its first Virtual Exhibi on for 5 days – 40th INDIA CARPET EXPO – VIRTUAL EXHIBITION from 21st to 25th August, 2020 to cater to the demand of the Indian Handmade Carpets in emerging economies post pandemic. The 1st Virtual Edi on of 40th India Carpet Expo, an exclusive trade fair for Handmade carpets and other floorcoverings, organized by Carpet Export Promo on Council, was inaugurated by Smt. Smri Zubin Irani, Union Minister of Tex les and Women & Child Development through Video Conferencing in the presence of Shri Shantmanu, IAS, Development Commissioner (Handicra s). Shri Siddh Nath Singh, Chairman, CEPC, Shri Umer Hameed, 2nd Vice-Chairman, CEPC, Shri Umesh Kumar Gupta, Shri Abdul Rub, Shri Rajendra Prasad Mishra,
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Shri Onkar Nath Mishra, Shri Feroze Waziri, Shri Husain Jafar Husaini, Mohd. Wasif Ansari, Shri Shree Ram Maurya, Shri Sanjay Gupta, Shri Bodh Raj Malhotra, Shri Sandeep Kataria, Shri Sa sh Wa al, Members COA were also present in the inaugura on alongwith the Par cipants and Guests. Smt. Smiri Zubin Irani in her address appreciated the efforts of the Carpet Export Promo on Council in organizing 1st Virtual Edi on of India Carpet Expo in the pandemic of COVID-19 and congratulated Shri Siddh Nath Singh and Commi ee Members for their efforts and men oned that “Koshis Karna Walo ki Kabhi Har Nahi Ho ” and industry is following the vision of Hon'ble Prime Minister “Sab ka Sath Sabka Vikas”. Minister assured full support from her Ministry to the Council for the growth of the industry. This Virtual Edi on is the 1st ini a ve to bridge the gap between Indian products and demand of Handmade Carpets and floor coverings across the globe in post pandemic era. The Expo is organized under the aegis of Govt. of India with an aim to promote the Cultural Heritage and weaving skills of Indian hand-made Carpets and other floor coverings
amongst the overseas carpet buyers. Shri Siddh Nath Singh, Chairman, CEPC in his address men oned that in the COVID19 Scenario travelling is not possible both for our Exporters and Overseas Buyers and hence this Virtual Edi on of India Carpet Expo is an ideal pla orm for Interna onal Carpet Buyers, Buying houses, buying Agents, Architects and Indian Carpet Manufacturers & Exporters to meet virtually and establish long term business rela onship. This exhibi on is a crucial step towards taking Indian exports of Handmade carpet to much greater and newer heights. Shri Singh further added that there are tremendous business opportuni es for par cipa ng manufacturers and exporters as various prominent buyers of Handmade Carpets from all over the world will be a ending the show and orders worth over thousand crores are expected to be executed in near future. It is the endeavor of the council to provide exclusive business environment to the both carpet importers as well as manufacturerexporters, which ul mately will benefit over 20 lakhs weavers and ar sans employed in this highly labour intensive rural based MSME co age industry.
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September 2020
ICPB To Hold 13th CIC As A Hybrid Event On October 30 – 31, 2020
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ith the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, ICPB has announced its flagship event, the 13th Conven ons India Conclave (CIC) – as a hybrid event with the theme – ‘Physical & Digital Mee ngs – A Harmonious Blend’, to be held on 30 – 31 October 2020 to promote India as a Safe and A rac ve MICE des na on, post COVID19. This year when the COVID19 crisis has disrupted the mee ngs industry, with the need for social distancing and other safety protocols, ICPB with the support of members and Industry, is using these challenging mes to demonstrate the resilience of the industry in hos ng the 13th CIC as a ‘Hybrid Event ‘. At present, due to restric ons in the number of par cipants permissible, 100 a endees will be par cipa ng at the event in person and about 800 par cipants are expected to par cipate virtually including 100-150 poten al buyers, exhibitors, stakeholders of the MICE industry, tourism students, government officials, industry colleagues
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etc. for networking, upda ng and forging new alliances to kickstart MICE business post the pandemic crisis. Amaresh Tiwari, Vice Chairman - ICPB and Conven on Chairman says, “The MICE Industry in India is slowly and steadily gaining momentum. As the apex body of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, we at ICPB have to set an example and be at the forefront of ge ng the events industry back on its feet. The venue partner for the hybrid event is JW Marrio Aerocity, New Delhi which will host the event showcasing their world class MICE facili es, applying all safety protocols in compliance with govt. guidelines. Government of Gujarat is Suppor ng State Partner for the Conclave. We have received posi ve response from the industry as people are now eager to cau ously return to the MICE arena. Challenging mes call for innova ve approach and with this hybrid-event we are se ng an example for others to follow.” Mr. Ori Lahav, President – IAPCO will
deliver the Keynote Address on the theme - Physical & Digital Mee ngs – A Harmonious Blend, which will set the tone for the 2 days events. Interes ng sessions/panel discussions and parallel sessions will be insigh ul and provide perspec ves of eminent speakers of the industry. “This year, keeping the unique format of the Conclave in mind, the focus of CIC will be knowledge exchange. We are fortunate to have Mr. Ori as the keynote speaker and ICCA has also agreed to partner with us for the 13th CIC. In addi on to this, there will be dedicated sessions for students pursuing MICE as a career, which is something that is happening for the very first me,” says Mr. Girish Kwatra, Hony. Secretary, ICPB. More than 800 a endees will par cipate on the virtual pla orm for a deligh ul digital experience. Prescheduled mee ngs with the buyers and exhibitors will be on virtual pla orm providing opportunity for business networking.
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September 2020
Visa And Singapore Tourism Board Ink Three-Year Partnership To Support Local Tourism & Lifestyle
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isa, the world’s leader in digital payments, has signed a three year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to address the needs of Singapore’s tourism and lifestyle small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) impacted by COVID-19. The STB-Visa collabora on focuses on two strategic areas to revive the local tourism industry – joint research and analy cs and marke ng partnerships. As interna onal travel gradually resumes, both organisa ons will scale up their partnership to include joint interna onal marke ng, powered by data and insights derived from their combined research. The aim is to develop marke ng strategies and ini a ves to help Singapore businesses capture demand once global travel resumes. Joint research and analy cs STB and Visa will combine proprietary data, as well as research and analy cal capabili es, to derive insights on how COVID-19 has changed domes c and interna onal consumer behaviour. These insights will help iden fy new trends and untapped opportuni es, which will be shared with local SMEs to develop their own data-driven campaigns and ini a ves that are in tune with the new environment. To kickstart the data and research collabora on, STB and Visa have produced a report to provide insights for local SMEs called Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism in Singapore and the Road to Recovery and Transforma on*, the report found that local brands are worst hit by the
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pandemic, experiencing double-digit nega ve growth. The lack of an online presence has also le local brands more vulnerable to the adverse economic impact of the pandemic, especially those located in tourism precincts**. In the next phase of their data and research collabora on, STB and Visa will focus on the impact of COVID-19 on business travel. Singapore is one of the world’s leading business travel des na ons, and business visitors represent the country’s highest yielding segment. An in-depth study to iden fy changing behaviours, new trends and growth opportuni es will sharpen Singapore’s compe ve edge as a global business des na on. Insights from the study will also guide future campaigns to capture inbound business tourism spend and help local SMEs recover. Joint marke ng partnerships In the first phase of their marke ng partnership, STB and Visa will develop a domes c marke ng campaign to raise awareness of local SMEs, while driving domes c consump on through Visa cardholder promo ons. In the second phase when interna onal travel resumes, both organisa ons will launch interna onal marke ng campaigns to increase awareness of local brands and experiences in Singapore. To launch the first phase in October 2020, both organisa ons will harness the synergies of their respec ve campaigns – #SingapoRediscovers and #WhereYouShopMa ers – to encourage Singaporeans to shop at local retailers and support the domes c economy. SingapoRediscovers, a joint campaign launched in July by STB, Enterprise Singapore and Sentosa Development Corpora on, supports local lifestyle and tourism business by encouraging locals to uncover hidden gems, stories and experiences in Singapore. WhereYouShopMa ers was introduced in
August by Visa to encourage consumers to support local SMEs, while helping SMEs digitalise to adapt, sustain and thrive in a COVID-19 environment. In the coming months, STB and Visa will introduce joint promo ons and offers to encourage locals to rediscover Singapore and support local SMEs. The campaigns will be centred on three key themes: Escape, Feast and Shop, to boost spending at hotels, a rac ons, food and beverage outlets, and other local retailers. STB and Visa will also profile homegrown brands and business owners through inspiring content that highlights their aspira ons, passions and adaptability. This includes showcasing how SMEs can adopt ecommerce and technology such as contactless payments to be er engage consumers and meet their evolving needs. For the second phase which focuses on interna onal marke ng, experiences in Singapore such as shopping, dining, sightseeing, events and entertainment will be promoted through content crea on, promo ons and tourist privileges. These campaigns will be rolled out in phases in key countries based on the respec ve market’s readiness to travel. STB and Visa will also testbed ini a ves to drive incremental spending through cross border e-commerce and harness new opportuni es for local tourism and lifestyle SMEs.“Local tourism and lifestyle businesses contribute significantly to the vibrancy of a city like Singapore. STB and Visa both want to help such businesses to survive and succeed in the new environment. We recognise that many of them, especially the smaller and mediumsized ones, are especially vulnerable. We hope to help them develop new digital capabili es and transform their businesses. Through our partnership with Visa, we also aim to give local businesses a much needed boost through domes c spending,” said STB Chief Execu ve Keith Tan.
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September 2020
LMIFW Gets First-Ever Phygital Avatar they can also shoot their own films. These pre-shot films, will be streamed across various FDCI digital pla orms Instagram, Facebook, Twi er, YouTube and the FDCI website.
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aking the plunge, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), presents the first-ever phygital, Lotus Make-up India Fashion Week, spring-summer 2021, with DLF Emporio/The Chanakya as the luxury partner. It is scheduled from October 1418, 2020. The FDCI, has made a robust blueprint for the future, this includes a studio set up with screens and bespoke ligh ng, where designers are shoo ng their fashion films/videos. Alterna vely,
These will play according to a preset show schedule. The impressive list of the showcasing designers include Varun Bahl, Tarun Tahiliani, Suneet Varma, Shivan & Narresh, Shantanu & Nikhil, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna, Rina Dhaka, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Payal Jain, Ni n Bal Chauhan, Namrata Joshipura, Geisha Designs, Dhi, Ashish Soni, Abhishek Gupta among many others. In keeping with the ethos, an online 'Designer Showroom', is being created, a dedicated space, where designers can upload their lookbooks and place orders, with their domes c and
interna onal buyers, through virtual mee ngs. This year, there are many new addi ons, observing the success of the online edi on of Designer Stockroom, the FDCI will open this B2C pla orm once again, for par cipa ng designers, a er fashion week. “We have 40 established and young designers, who are a part of this phygital showcase. This edi on of the LMIFW is going to be even ul, as we have adapted to new technology. We are happy to have Lotus Make Up con nue their partnership and welcome DLF Emporio/The Chanakya as our new collaborator, on board,” said FDCI Chairman, Sunil Sethi
ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA Is On This November
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SIA FRUIT LOGISTICA is pivo ng to an exci ng new digital format in November 2020. It's called ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON and it's the place where Asia's fresh produce business meets online. It will give thousands of exhibitors and visitors the best pla orm for them to connect, do business and to con nue to grow their business in Asia this season. “ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON has arisen out of the of COVID-19 challenge,” explains Will Wollbold commercial director of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA. “Especially a er the past months, you will know that there's a solu on for every problem in business, and ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON is our solu on for you to achieve your business goals in Asia. It has become clear now
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that we can't host our physical event in Singapore in November, so we're working hard with a specialist so ware company based in Asia to develop ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON as a digital alterna ve.” Andrew Phua, Execu ve Director, Exhibi ons and Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board, adds: “ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA con nues to be a valued partner for Singapore, and we are proud that they have teamed up with a leading Singapore tech company to build their digital event. This demonstrates the full range of innova ve solu ons that Singapore has to offer to the MICE industry, as we reimagine what safe and high quality business events could look like.” “It's important buyers and sellers come together in Asia this year too,” explains Wollbold. “Of course, we're disappointed, we've worked very hard with our expo partners in Singapore, but all over the world borders are closed and business travel is very difficult. So ASIA FRUIT
LOGISTICA ON is our response to these challenges. It's in the very best interests of every single exhibitor and trade visitor at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA.” ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON is all about bringing buyers and sellers together. This is a mee ng place online that uses the latest so ware for business matchmaking and mee ng scheduling. In short, it finds you the most suitable contacts for your business, and then helps you to schedule formal business mee ngs at the me you want to have them during the core trade show days 18-20 November 2020. In addi on ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA is working with its partners at FRUITNET MEDIA INTERNATIONAL to host a full programme of online conferences, seminars, and workshops that begin in October and take place during ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON's show days. It includes ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS ON, an online format of Asia's longest running and most successful conference event for Asia's fresh produce decision makers.
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September 2020
Refcold India 2020 Edi on – Goes Virtual a endees.
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EFCOLD INDIA – GOES VIRTUAL, 2020 EDITION, South Asia's largest Exhibi on and Conference on Cold-Chain, Industrial Refrigera on & Reefer Transporta on will be held from 29th to 31st of October. The event is being launched in response to the interest expressed by the Industry to stay connected amidst these unprecedented mes. Par cipants at virtual edi on of REFCOLD INDIA will be able to establish contacts, enhance their networks, share knowledge, and discuss new products, projects and developments in the sector. Industry Experts can look forward to a top-level conference program featuring na onal as well as interna onal speakers of repute who will provide interes ng insights and shed light on latest trends. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anoop Ballaney, Chairman - REFCOLD INDIA – GOES
VIRTUAL, 2020 EDITION, shared “India's most relevant forum for the Cold-Chain, Industrial Refrigera on & Reefer Transporta on Industry will be held from October 29th-31st, 2020 in a virtual format. The event is being organized in response to the interest expressed by the Industry to stay connected amidst these unprecedented mes. From the me of its launch in 2018, REFCOLD INDIA has enjoyed a high level of support and par cipa on from the Industry. The 2020 edi on has been created as a special experience for exhibitors as also visitors to promote the development and expansion of this sector.” Delegates to technical sessions can expect a good mix of sessions, interac ve panel discussions via Q&A chat conversa ons, masterclass sessions, while exhibitors can showcase their products, build conversa ons and have one-to-one mee ngs with registered
Ms. Sonia Prashar, Managing Director, NürnbergMesse India said, “With REFCOLD INDIA GOES VIRTUAL, 2020 edi on, we aim to establish a forum which will keep the stakeholders engaged through dialogue & discussions. The event will enable us to remain connected, albeit in a different format, while se ng the stage for innova on and future planning. We would like to thank you most sincerely and the industry stakeholders for the feedback shared during the last few days, which helped us reach this decision.” Adding to this, Mr. Richie Mi al, Na onal President ISHRAE (Indian Society of Hea ng, Refrigera ng and Air-condi oning Engineers said, “It's a proud moment for ISHRAE along with NürnbergMesse India to announce first ever virtual exhibi on on refrigera on and cold chain. The pla orm is designed to offer access to an exclusive virtual forum featuring exhibitor product informa on, announcements and demos, conference session, product presenta on etc.”
Govt. Extends Tenure Of Mr. LC Goyal As ITPO CMD Govt. has given one year extension, up to September 1, 2021 to LC Goyal as Chairman and Managing Director, India Trade Promo on Organisa on. He has been serving as the Chairman & Managing Director of India Trade Promo on Organiza on since September, 2015. Mr. Goyal is a 1979 batch re red IAS officer of Kerala cadre served as the Union Home Secretary in 2015 apart from holding several key posi ons at the Centre and in the State of Kerala.
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September 2020
Informa Markets In India Announces The Launch Of Super September - Virtual B2B Celebra on A fes val of digital offerings spanning 6 key ver cals, 6 coveted brands and 6 different communi es all in one power booster month employment, among others.
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nforma Markets in India, India's leading B2B events organizer, announced the launch of Super September – Virtual B2B Celebra on, a powerful array of 6 digital expos in 6 key ver cals for the month of September 2020. These will also be supplemented by a host of conferences, trainings, webinars and awards in the same month. The virtual trade shows, dates, and the sector they cater to include: Ÿ Renewable Energy India E-Expo: 2-3 September (Green Energy) Ÿ InnoPack Pharma Confex: 3-4 September (Packaging) Ÿ OSH India Virtual Expo: 17-18 September (Occupa onal safety & health) Ÿ IFSEC Indian Virtual Expo: 17-18 September (Security & surveillance) Ÿ SATTE GenX: 23 September (Travel & tourism) Ÿ PharmaLy ca Virtual Expo Connect: 30 September - 1 October (Pharma). The following conferences are also scheduled for the month: Ÿ Future Packet Transport Network: 18
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September Pharma Supply Chain: 17-18 September Ÿ Biopharma Conclave: 24-25 September Ÿ Cleaning Valida on: 29-30 September Ÿ
The Virtual B2B Celebra on will help the relevant communi es, and businesses overcome the limita ons of lockdown, achieve business goals and provide a powerful edge as the economy readies itself to get back on track. While Informa Markets in India is scheduled to host its blockbuster physical shows near the end of the year in strict adherence to safety guidelines and protocols, the digital business celebra on in September will enable various industries to con nue with their cri cal business conversa ons, informa on sharing and trainings. Coinciding with the Government's 'Digital India' campaign's 5th anniversary, 'Super September' supports the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' s COVID-19 s mulus ini a ve to build a self-reliant India through the priori za on of MSMEs, sustainability, power distribu on, health, and rural
Why the Super September – Virtual B2B Celebra on vision ma ers: Ÿ The projected decline in global GDP is 7.6 %. (the 2008-9 global meltdown was a mild 1.79 % in comparison). Ÿ In India INC, the op mism index for July-September 2020 was at a record low of approximately 35 % with all 6 indices of volume of sales, net profit, selling prices, new orders, inventories and employment showing a decline. Ÿ Industry es mates project that without a revision in business models, India's leading brands may see a 15 % decline in their brand value. Ÿ The exhibi ons industry, forced to postpone its physical format, has been affected to the tune of INR 3 lakh crores of business, out of which a loss of INR 1.25 lakh crores has been incurred to the na onal economy due to non-holding of exhibi ons from March 2020 ll date. Ÿ 15 lakhs livelihood lost. As catalysts to the economy and as per recommenda on of its stakeholders, the exhibi ons industry is adap ng to this new normal, even while facing immense challenges. With the lacunae in the industry that Covid-19 has created, worldwide and in India, Informa Markets in India aims to drive its leadership vision and u lize its transforma onal digital services to serve the industry and rebuild the economy. Pioneering the virtual space: What it signifies Empowered by the significant investments of its parent organiza on, Informa Plc, in the digital space on a global level, Informa Markets in India has amplified its digital mission soon a er the na onal lockdown on 25 March.
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September 2020
With a significant compression of me horizons, it organized its first virtual expo with the IFSEC Virtual Expo in June which was followed by Virtual Expos catering to Occupa onal Health & Safety, Renewable Energy, Beauty & Cosme cs, and Gem & Jewellery industries. An a rac ve array of online conferences also added to its impressive bouquet of digital events.· Globally, since Covid-19 struck, Informa Markets has successfully served more than 25 ver cals virtually Ÿ An Informa Markets customer survey has revealed that in APAC countries, 60% customers prefer digitally enabled pla orms in addi on to tradi onal ones alone. Ÿ The value enhancement ra o of tradi onal pla orms: hybrid pla orms, as perceived by the markets is 1: 1.5. Ÿ Among Asian countries, India leads in the preference of live or onsite interac on between buyers and sellers. Ÿ Since June, a dis nguished econgrega on of nearly 15,000 a endees including exhibitors, industry leaders, associa on heads, entrepreneurs and professionals have
been served by Informa Markets in India through the virtual trade shows ll date. The Super-September - Virtual B2B Celebra on is being organised with significant learnings in this pla orm since the past few months, and with an unrelen ng focus on quality, problem solving ability, seamless customer experience, security, pace and innova on. Speaking on the announcement of SuperSeptember Virtual B2B Celebra on, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, said, “We are proud to present the one-of-a-kind Virtual B2B celebra on. As an organiza on, we pioneered the virtual expo space by organizing our first e-expo InterOp, back in 2011. With our credibility and legacy in the domain, the Virtual B2B Celebra on is the result of the crescendo we have built in terms of scope, poten al and effort that will culminate with Unlock 4.0, star ng
from the beginning of September. The celebra on will no doubt, go a long way in turning the wheels of the economy. It is cri cal for the na on to promote 'Atmanirbharta' at this pping point and we are doing so by enabling mul tude businesses, and knowledge sharing by engaging with sector evangelists, brands, enterprises, government officials, and professionals at this vital juncture. While there are indica ons that India's turnaround may be a slower U-shaped or a W-shaped one, through exhibi ons, we hope to boost the business morale by working towards the op mal V-shaped economic re-emergence where the graph rises up factoring in public health as well.” He added, “September witnesses the advent of auspicious fes vals in India -- a me for goodwill, peace and prosperity. The season also flags off the momentous last quarter of each year for Informa Markets in India, with its array of blockbuster shows. This year onwards, with our strategy to implement a hybrid version of shows, the digital celebra on in September will no doubt complement and bolster our physical shows.”
ITB India Goes Hybrid For Inaugural 2021 Live And Virtual Event
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the first exhibi ons in India to adopt a hybrid model. The live event will welcome over 8,000 a endees, more than 400 exhibitors, over 500 buyers, and an array of over 150 top speakers. The virtual event is set to complement the live event by reuni ng a much wider audience accompanied with digital innova ons to improve audience engagement and connec vity.
Coming April 2021, ITB India 2021 will offer a hybrid exhibi on experience to the travel industry. The event will be amongst
"We see how trade fairs are changing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Personal contact remains the heart of a trade fair. At the same me, however, the trade fairs of the future will be hybrid events. Classic mee ngs of exhibitors and visitors will be accompanied by digital events,” said Sonia Prashar, Deputy Director General of Indo-
TB India’s organiser has announced the adop on of a hybrid model for ITB India 2021. The coming tradeshow will be a combina on of a live event (physical exhibi on) held on 7- 9 April 2021, in Bombay Exhibi on Centre, Mumbai, India; and a virtual event happening five days later, on 15 – 16 April 2021.
16 | www.exhibi onshowcase.com
German Chamber of Commerce, the organiser of ITB India. ITB India 2021 will take place at the Bombay Exhibi on Centre in Mumbai, India, from 7 to 9 April 2021. In its first year it will be organized by the IndoGerman Chamber of Commerce and supported by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd. The 3-day business-to-business travel trade show and conven on will focus on the Indian travel market including MICE, corporate, and leisure travel sectors. Exhibitors from every sector of the industry, including travel agencies and operators, NTOs, business travel and MICE, travel technology, accommoda on, and transport companies are all expected to a end.
Save the new dates for EEA & GMI 2020
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IMS2.0 Report
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IMS2.0 Concludes Successfully With 1120 A endees From 52 Countries various brouchers and engage via the social media pla orms as well. IMS2.0 turned out to be a perfect pla orm to learn, interact and grow business rela onships and was well appreciated by the a endees and par cipants alike. Recordings of all the sessions are now available on Exhibi on Showcase Official YouTube Channel.
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he 1st ever Interna onal M.I.C.E. Showcase 2.0 virtual summit was held successfully on September 11 & 12, 2020. The event highlighted the strength and the significance of the MICE sector and brought to the fore various facets about the industry in a well-cra ed & comprehensive manner. These are very hard mes for the Mee ngs, Incen ves, Conferences, Events & Exhibi ons sector. The MICE industry has been hit hard and the business has come to a stands ll. As this sector is an economic enabler & a catalyst, slowly and surely, many countries are allowing MICE ac vi es to restart in a cau ous manner. Gradually, the industry will open up but the industry needs to prepare itself to blossom in the new normal. Health and safety, technology and innova on will play a key role in shaping the future of MICE industry. IMS2.0 proved to be a one of its kind virtual summit to reflect the preparedness of our sector to open up effec vely. Over 95
speakers from all around the world deliberated and discussed about the future of our industry and about ge ng ready to re-start in the new normal. 14 power packed sessions gave important insights and ins lled 360 degree knowledge on many significant topics to 1,120 a endees from 52 countries who joined in during the two days of the summit. Another significant objec ve of the IMS2.0 was to provide an effec ve Phil Chung
David Audrain
Andrew Phua
Maunik Thacker
GB Srithar
Raymond Lim
Chin Sak Hin
Jochen Witt
Ravinder Sethi
interface for enabling professional networking. A endees got an opportunity to connect with each other and build their business rela onships. IMS2.0 was kept free to a end for the benefit of the fraternity at large. A endees also got to meet the future ready exhibitors who were showcasing their new age solu ons and their preparedness to open up effec vely. Once at their booth, a endees could meet the exhibitors via the video call features, view their videos, download
Singapore Tourism Board was the exclusive Pla num Partner of the mega event. STB reflected their future ready des na ons, state of the art infrastructure to support MICE ac vi es and various offerings to promote business tourism through their par cipa on at IMS2.0. RE Rogers India was the Signature Partner, jwc Consul ng (Germany) was the Advisory Partner while MBB Consul ng Group (UK) was the knowledge Partner of IMS2.0. In his Opening Remarks, Raghav Khosla, Group Editor, Exhibi on Showcase, MICE Showcase, welcomed all the delegates and men oned that IMS2.0 is an effort to reflect the collec ve strength and significance of our industry by bringing together all stakeholders on one pla orm. He further made a fervent request to the government to open up our sector. “I appeal to the government and the policy makers to give the a en on to our sector that we so deserve. We are not a part of general mass gatherings. We are the harbinger to your economic growth and not allowing us a restart date is not just our loss but the loss of the businesses across various sectors to revive back effec vely,” he concluded.
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IMS2.0 Opening Notes by Industry Leaders Mr. LC Goyal, Chairman and Managing Director, ITPO At the outset, I congratulate Exhibi on Showcase for organising this significant ini a ve for the industry. It is an excellent opportunity for all the stakeholders to interact and deliberate on the way ahead for the MICE sector in the context of the COVID 19 situa on. We all are aware about the crucial role that the MICE sector plays towards the economy. Indeed, we are passing through a difficult me but it is temporary phenomenon and it will not last long. I am quite confident that MICE industry and all the stakeholders have the resilience, confidence and determina on to bounce back with new vigour and enthusiasm. As far as ITPO is concerned, we are ready to hold events in four new exhibi on halls at Praga Maidan. We have prepared a comprehensive SOP encompassing all the key aspects. And, I assure you that ITPO will allow events to be held at Praga Maidan a er taking into account all the difficul es and issues faced by different stakeholders as a result of the COVID 19 situa on. I wish you all the best, stay healthy and stay safe.
Mr. Rajesh Agrawal, Executive Director, ITPO, Chairman, India MICE Alliance All of us are aware that the Pandemic has posed a serious challenge before the en re humanity. MICE sector has not been le behind & infact it is one of the most deeply impacted sectors owing to this outbreak. But, having said that, I believe that every challenge brings with itself a lot of opportuni es. We, as a part of the MICE Sector, should not get distracted by the outcome in the last six months or what has happened or not happened during this me. Rather, we should use this me to rethink, reinvent, and reposi on ourselves & our sector in a way that we are able to serve our stakeholders in be er way. If the economy has to come back to normal and charter its growth path then trade promo on has to be the key to this momentum. And we all know that how essen al is the MICE sector in enabling trade. We, at ITPO have been suppor ve of the en re MICE sector in India and we will do whatever it takes to see that this sector comes back on track, reposi ons itself and restarts in a big way, sooner rather than later.
Mr. Rakesh Kumar, DG, EPCH & Chairman, IEML, Chairman- Advocacy Committee, IEIA Today, we are all in the same boat due to the challenges posed by this Pandemic. We all are aware that opening of the physical exhibi ons, congrega on, events, mee ngs and conferences are very much important for the economic development of the country. Infact, the MICE sector is the mul plier of the economic growth and it is also an important employment generator – both for the skilled and unskilled sector. So, it is me that the Indian Government should bring it into considera on so that we can grow on the lines of 'AtmaNirbharBharat'. Since many countries have already announced for the opening of venues and exhibi ons it is important that we do not lose any more opportunity. It is the responsibility of the venue holders & organisers to prac ce prudence in making the events safe and such SOPs are very much in place & duly submi ed to the government for allowance.
Mr. V Anbu, DG & CEO - IMTMA and BIEC, Incoming President, UFI With a belief that the pandemic cannot determine the fate of people and our industry will bounce back, Mr. Anbu said, MICE industry is the back bone of cross-cultural trade, commerce and business development. MICE is an enabler for building the economy of our country, providing livelihoods and developing strong rela onships between countries. The exhibi on & conven on industry across the world has undergone tremendous stress. UFI and all other industry associa ons have taken various measures to tackle the situa on and keep the fraternity engaged during these difficult mes. Let us be op mis c and look forward for brighter days.
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Mr. Kai Hattendorf, MD & CEO - UFI ‘Normally’, September is a me our industry is busy all around the world. Hundreds of shows, thousands of exhibi ng companies and lacs of visitors on the show floor has been a pa ern since many years. UFI suggests that we are already beginning to recover. We see huge domes c shows taking place in China, Japan, Korea and Germany already. Situa on remains difficult in the vast part of the world of course, but these shows around the world have also helped to rebuild momentum to convince our customers, the exhibitors and the visitors that shows can run well and safe even during the pandemic with necessary precau ons.
Mr. Balasubramanian S, President- Indian Exhibition Industry Association It is encouraging to note exhibi ons and events have restarted in some part of the world with new frame work and safety protocols. We need to be future ready and adop on of technology would be crucial to stay relevant and sustain in the changing mes. Future business models cannot be made on past history or successes. IEIA has launched several ini a ves and made representa on to the Government. We are hopeful that Government would soon allow us to restart and we will soon meet face to face.
Mr. Walter Yeh, President, Asian Federation of Exhibition & Convention Associations Governments across the world are taking effec ve measures to reopen and support the MICE industry. Furthermore, many organisers are reopening their MICE events according to the new normal. Digitalisa on is the hot topic in MICE industry now.
Mr. GB Srithar, Regional Director - India, Middle East & South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board The Covid 19 outbreak has brought an unprecedented amount of uncertainty into the economies around the world. On the tourism front, much cau on is being necessarily exercised by the Governments to restart the travel space and opening up the borders. India is an important MICE source market for Singapore. It is therefore very important that we con nue our engagement connec ons and stand united in this troubled hour. In Singapore, a risk management framework has been developed for business events that is based on strict & safe management measures. STB will be trialling this framework with two pilot hybrid events in the coming months and gradually scale it up to other events for event organisers. I wish you all to stay safe, stay posi ve and stay produc ve.
Mr. David Duboiss, President, International Association of Exhibitions and Events IAEE represents over twelve thousand professionals in fi y countries for the very valuable global exhibi on and business events industry. Surely, we are working our way out of the very difficult global pandemic situa on both economically and from a health standpoint but we have to stay posi ve. I know that we're in the middle of a storm and I do also believe that sunshine is in our future so let's keep a very posi ve frame of thought as we move forward.
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Mr. Suman Billa, Director, United Nations World Tourism Organisation Today we are seeing a crisis like no other, the united na ons world tourism organiza on es mates that interna onal tourist arrivals this year are likely to drop anywhere between 60 to 80 percent. Today the most important thing for us to do is to survive and survival can be ensured by making sure that there is adequate liquidity in the system and ensuring that the job losses are kept to a minimum. India's pandemic is peaking now it is widely expected that by Mid-October the prime of the pandemic would have passed & if that be the case i think we should be prepared to restart the tourism sector from November onwards using domes c market as the growth engine by using strong safety and hygiene protocols which give confidence to the consumer to travel again.
Mr. Amaresh Tiwari, Vice Chairman, India Convention Promotion Bureau Namaste on behalf of India Conven on Promo on Bureau to the en re MICE industry. I welcome all the par cipants and delegates of Interna onal Mice Showcase hosted by exhibi on showcase. Tourism industry is facing the toughest me ever and I hope this event brings lots of posi vity to the MICE industry. At ICPB, we are doing our best to revive the Indian MICE industry and we are hopeful for posi ve developments in the near future.
Mr. P Udayakumar Director, (P & M) National Small Industries Corporation Exhibi ons & business events play a major role in the life of MSMEs to the tune of about 50 percent of the business or its turnover comes only from exhibi ons and trade events. Most of the MSMEs cannot afford to have their own direct marke ng network, they cannot afford mul -loca on offices and they do get a very good ROI through exhibi ons. The present pandemic has put MSMEs in a lot of stress that besides their cash flow and liquidity problems, they are also deprived to get in touch with their clients and buyers through physical exhibi ons and events. I am sure that its just a ques on of me that your industry will bounce back and ll that me we do hope that the virtual events will provide more support for the MSMEs.
Mr. Sunil More, President, Indian Exhibitions, Conferences and Events Services Association Exhibi on Showcase is organizing this very important virtual conference and B2B mee ngs for the MICE industry. I am also happy to note that IESA members are par cipa ng in this conference and will be greatly benefited by it. I extend my best wishes to Exhibi on showcase for organising this very significant event for the industry.
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Ms. Nichapa Yoswee, Senior Vice President, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau I would like to express my sincere apprecia on to the organizer of IMS2.0 virtual summit for bringing together the global industry leaders on one pla orm. I would also like to thank all the interna onal speakers because i believe that your insights may change our peers foresight and thought process on how to tackle this situa on. It has always been proven me and me again that by working in unity & cohesion, we can remain ahead of the curve. The MICE industry has always been vital to the na onal economies because it is one of the most effec ve marke ng pla orms to bring a sustainable revenue stream across various sectors. And while COVID 19 has unprecedently disrupted the whole world, I would encourage all of us to stay future focused as we lead the rebuilding of business model for our industry and our people.
Mr. Ravinder Sethi, Chairman & MD, R.E. Rogers India & International Ambassador, IEIA I am honoured and humbled to deliver this vote of thanks to such a highly dis nguished panel from the global MICE industry. We are today in very challenging mes but having said that we are also aware that we are on the road to revival. Social media every day is talking about new markets opening from around the world and this is what we all have gathered here at IMS for. IMS reflects our sector’s strength and it’s a crucial pla orm to deliberate on the future of our industry. This collec ve reflec on on the situa on from the global industry leaders will pave way for the fraternity at large and bring to them much needed foresights to remain strong and commi ed to the industry.
IMS2.0 Supporting Bodies
Conferences Exhibitions Events
India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) (A Government of India Enterprise) Department of Commerce
Meetings
India's leading Media for MICE
GLOBAL ALLIANCE INDIA MICEMICE ALLIANCE
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We bring to you the excerpts of a couple of sessions at IMS2.0. Complete recordings of all the sessions at IMS2.0 are now available on Exhibi on Showcase YouTube channel
Future of Exhibi on, Event & Conven on Industry Mr. Rajesh Agrawal, Execu ve Director, ITPO, Chairman, India MICE Alliance, shared that the good part is that the economy which was completely choked out in April because of the na onwide lockdown has slowly started reviving. We are aware of the fact that the exhibi on industry in some way has made its beginning in some parts of the world so slowly things are beginning to shape up and we are confident that the industry will bounce back in India too.
manner. “When it comes to resump on of MICE events we are going to be pilo ng the smaller ones before we scale up and step up to the larger events. We'll be coming out with an event guide to pivot the MICE industry on how to reopen for business with all the necessary guidelines.” Mr. Phua men oned about various support schemes launched by Singapore and also highlighted about their much acclaimed job support scheme.
Mr. Michael Duck, Execu ve Vice President, Asia, Informa Markets, shared that he lived in Hong Kong during the SARS epidemic which was a truly awful me and lasted some seven-eight months or so but these are unprecedented mes for the humanity. He also highlighted that there is nowhere else in the world at the moment where the shows are going on like the way they are, except for China. One of the most important things we have got to do is to create confidence in our markets & in our businesses.
Mr. Phil Chung, CEO Kinexin, (IICC Operator) shared about the developments in the Korean region and how Kintex venue has been hos ng physical exhibi ons successfully despite the pandemic. He highlighted that it requires concentrated efforts and coordina on between the venue and the organisers to ensure safe and effec ve events and that the events are being driven under the new protocols and SOP. He also men oned the relevance of hybrid events and gave an update on the IICC, New Delhi venue construc on.
Mr. Andrew Phua, Execu ve Director, Exhibi ons and Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board shared that Singapore is opening in a very safe and calibrated
Ms. Nichapa Yoswee, Senior Vice President, Thailand Conven on and Exhibi on Bureau, shared that since the outbreak, the government has launched
of at least five phases of economic s mulus packages worth more than $65 billion just to support SMES, including MICE stakeholders. Recently, the Thai government just launched a new campaign to boost local travel industry by providing subsidy for overnight stays and including discount on domes c ckets. The other good news in Thailand is that since June the government has announced to reopen the MICE sector which means that all MICE events can operate without limits on size or number of a endees, with their new hygiene guidelines and SOP. Mr. Jochen Wi , President & CEO, jwc GmbH, said that It will be significant to learn from the shows that are beginning to take place including the much awaited Caravan salon in Dusseldorf. He men oned that the industry might not get back to pre-crisis levels before 2023 or even 2024. Mr. Ravinder Sethi, CMD, RE Rogers India, said that our industry is a resilient one and this phase too shall pass soon. He highlighted the significance of confidence building measures amidst these troubled mes.
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Global Industry Response To COVID - A Collec ve Analysis & Assessment Mr. Rakesh Kumar, DG, EPCH & Chairman, IEML, Chairman - Advocacy Commi ee, IEIA, said that even a er unlock4.0, the exhibi on sector has not got any relief from govt. in regards to opening up the industry. Commen ng on the present state of en re industry,
as compared to the last year. Industry professionals should collaborate and speak in one voice. It is important to work with govt authori es. He highlighted that ‘Trust and Rela onships’ are important aspects in face to face and it will be challenging to fix them elsewhere.
Mr. V Anbu, DG & CEO- IMTMA and BIEC, Incoming President, UFI, said that though en re global trade has been impacted to the tune of 35% due to COVID , but few sectors like MICE are even much more severely affected. THIS YEAR is the year of SURVIVAL. Last quarter from January to March may bring some opportuni es. Commen ng on the NEW NORMAL, he said that eventually industry will go back to normal, but in a different manner. Exhibi on organizers as well as venue providers will have to adapt a lot of technology in their trade shows. Digital tech will play a great role. Technology will also bring a lot of efficiency in various aspects of a trade show, for example registra on & matchmaking. Visitors will be more focused.
Mr. Walter Yeh, President, AFECA & TECA, commented that because of travel restric ons, most of Interna onal events will be virtual this year . Some countries in Asia have opened their trade shows, but they are mostly local. Companies will have to find solu ons in a digital way, otherwise visitors’ par cipa on will not be possible. Embracing technology for online shows is very important. Another ques on is how to make online trade shows profitable? Commen ng on how Hong kong is opening up its industry, what safety protocols and precau ons are being taken
Mr. Kai Ha endorf, MD & CEO, UFI, shared that travel is a necessity for shows to take place. Prospec ve on reopening of exhibi ons is not so nega ve. September onwards, 40% companies globally are set to resume some ac vity. Local and na onal events will precede Interna onal events. As far as revenues are concerned, it is a very difficult situa on for the whole industry. We see 40% of revenue coming
Mr. Stuart Bailey, President, Hong Kong Exhibi on & Conven on Industry Associa on, stated that travel is a necessity and borders are opening gradually. Being normal is a long way, but there are posi ve signs in the form of virtual conferences. China is also down as compared to previous year but they are opening up now. Industry might take 2 years to come back to normal. China is a big market, so na onal trade fairs can take place. They can have na onal buyers. Hongkong is an interna onal city and needs to have interna onal buyers.
Hongkong is down by 90% this year and China by 65%. China & Hong Kong have taken very strict measures to check spread of COVID. Mr. Stuart Bailey then remarked that in the beginning the organisers considered technology as their compe tor. But now they understand that digital technology can enhance the value of their show and more importantly ‘Return on Investment’. But online events have their limita ons. Business is conducted through trust and for this face to face mee ngs are necessary. That is why it is important to go back to physical events. Mr. Ravinder Sethi, CMD, RE Rogers India, in his closing remarks said that one good thing that has come out of this pandemic is that the whole Industry has come together. Since govt. has opened different industries in previous unlock periods, it is only a ma er of me when trade show industry will also be allowed to reopen. He reaffirmed to everyone that do not underes mate and put off this industry. He men oned that hybrid model will remain more relevant in present mes since there are travel restric ons in place. He concluded by highligh ng that the face to face mee ngs are irreplaceable but technology has to be treated as our friend. It is also important to build trust with all the stake holders. Complete recordings of all the sessions at IMS2.0 are now available on Exhibi on Showcase YouTube channel.
Sessions Agenda
Glimpse Of All Sessions th
DAY 1 : 11 September, 2020
Inaugura on Ceremony Opening Remarks
Key Note
Welcome Note Mr. Rajesh Agrawal Executive Director, ITPO, Chairman, India MICE Alliance
Mr. LC Goyal Chairman and Managing Director, India Trade Promotion Organisation
Mr. Suman Billa Mr. Walter Yeh Mr. GB Srithar Director, United President, Asian Regional Director Federation of India, Middle East & South Asia, Nations World Tourism Exhibition & Singapore Tourism Board Organisation Convention Associations
Mr. Raghav Khosla Group Editor, Exhibition Showcase, MICE Showcase, Association Buzz
Mr. Rajesh Agrawal ED, ITPO & Chairman, India MICE Alliance
Mr. Kai Hattendorf MD & CEO, UFI
Mr. Balasubramanian S President, Indian Exhibition Industry Association
Vote of Thanks
Mr. Rakesh Kumar DG, EPCH & Chairman, IEML, Chairman, Advocacy Committee, IEIA
Organiser's Message
Session 1
Mr. V Anbu DG & CEO, IMTMA and BIEC, Incoming President, UFI
Mr. Amaresh Tiwari Vice Chairman, India Convention Promotion Bureau
Mr. David Duboiss President, International Association of Exhibitions and Events
Mr. Ravinder Sethi Chairman & MD, R.E. Rogers India & International Ambassador, IEIA
Mr. Sunil More Ms. Nichapa Yoswee Mr. P Udayakumar President, Indian Senior Vice President, Director, (P & M) Exhibitions, Conferences Thailand Convention National Small and Exhibition Bureau and Events Services Industries Corporation Association
Future of Exhibi on, Event & Conven on Industry
Mr. Michael Duck Executive Vice President, Asia Informa Markets
Mr. Andrew Phua Mr. Ravinder Sethi Executive Director, CMD, Exhibitions and Conferences, RE Rogers India Singapore Tourism Board
Mr. Phil Chung CEO Kinexin, (IICC Operator)
Ms. Nichapa Yoswee Senior Vice President, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau
Mr. Jochen Witt President & CEO, jwc GmbH
Global Industry Response To COVID - A Collec ve Analysis & Assessment Session 2
Mr. Kai Hattendorf MD & CEO, UFI
Mr. Walter Yeh President, AFECA & TECA
Mr. Ravinder Sethi Chairman & MD, R.E. Rogers India, & International Ambassador, IEIA
Mr. Raghav Khosla Mr. Stuart Bailey Group Editor, President, Hong Kong Exhibition & Exhibition Showcase, MICE Showcase, Convention Industry Association Buzz Association
Moderator
Mr. Rakesh Kumar Mr. V Anbu DG, EPCH & Director General & CEO, Chairman, IEML, IMTMA and BIEC, Chairman, Advocacy Incoming President UFI Committee, IEIA
#IMS2.0
Session 3
Day - 1
How To Bring The Visitors & The Buzz Back To Live Events? Re-DeďŹ ning Our Value Preposi on
Mr. David Duboiss President, International Association of Exhibitions and Events
Mr. Balvinder Sawhney Asst. Secretary General, FICCI
Mr. J Shankar General Manager, CII
Session 4
Mr. Sunil Jain Ms. Loredana Sartian President, Plastics Secretary General, Machinery Manufacturers Associazione Esposizioni Association of India e Fiere Italiane
Moderator
Mr. Paul Colston Managing Editor, Exhibition World
Mr. Rajan Sharma Managing Director, InterAds Exhibitions
Mr. Raghav Khosla Group Editor, Exhibition Showcase, MICE Showcase, Association Buzz
Lessons Learnt From COVID 19 - Opportunity In Adversity
Mr. Naji El Haddad Regional Manager, MEA, UFI
Mr. Bejan Dinshaw Country Manager, Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi
Mr. Ronjon Lahiri Asst. DG Retired, Ministry of Tourism, India
Mr. Sanjay Datta President, SKAL International
Mr. Raghav Khosla Group Editor, Exhibition Showcase, MICE Showcase, Association Buzz
Singapore MICE Presenta on
Mr. GB Srithar Regional Director, India, Middle East & South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board
Mr. Raymond Lim Area Director North & East India Singapore Tourism Board
Moderator
Mr. Bhupinder Singh Ms. Seema Srivastava CEO, Executive Director, Messe Muenchen India India ITME Society
#IMS2.0
Day - 1
Role Of Technology & Innova on To Revive MICE And Emergence Of New Models - Changing Dynamics Session 5
Mr. Yogesh Mudras Managing Director, Informa Markets India
Mr. Mark Cochrane Regional Manager, Asia Pacic, UFI
Mr. Manish Chandak Mr. Chander Mansharmani Mr. Kiran Bhandari Dubai Business Events President & CEO, MD, Alpcord Network Director, India Ofce Ungerboeck Travel & Conferences
Ms. Karla Juegel CEO, Messe|Marketing
Mr. Richard Ireland Vice President, Professional Development SACEOS & MD, Clarion Events Asia
Do We Need Government's Focus On Our Industry. If Yes Then How Can It Be Done - Call For Industry Status Session 6
Mr. Girish Kwatra Mr. Subhash Goyal Hony. Secretary, Hony. Secretary, ICPB Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality Industry
Mr. Sanjoy Roy Immediate Past President, EEMA
Mr. Swadesh Kumar Mr. Gajesh Girdhar President, Founder Chairman, Adventure Tour Operators Network of Association of India Indian MICE Agents
Mr. Raghav Khosla Group Editor,
Exhibition Showcase, MICE Showcase, Association Buzz
Moderator
Mr. Kailash Murarka Chairman, Plastivision 2020
Glimpse Of All Sessions
#IMS2.0 th
DAY 2 : 12 September, 2020 ETT VIEWPOINT - The Big Virtual Ques on - Relevance, Acceptance, Threat - An Overview Session 7
Mr. Matthias Tesi Baur Mr. Stephan Forseilles CEO, MBB Consulting Technology Director, Group & Founder, ETT Easy Fairs
Session 8
Mr. Justin Pau Events Consultant
Mr. Mike Frost Recruitment Director, Expocast
Mr. Manish Chandak President & CEO, Ungerboeck
Mr. Atul Todi CEO, 10 Times
Mr. Abhishek Kumar COO, Grover AV
Ge ng Ready To Re-Start In The New Normal - How Far Are We Going To Change
Mr. Balasubramanian S ED & COO, IMTMA & BIEC, and President, IEIA
Ms. Sonia Prashar Managing Director, NürnbergMesse India
Mr. Amaresh Tiwari Mr. Rod Kamleshwaran Vice Chairman, Partner and COO, ICPB GainingEdge
Mr. Vivek Shukla Director, Afairs Exhibitions
Mr. Chin Sak Hin Assistant Chief Executive Ofcer, (Finance) Sentosa Development Corporation
Mr. Berislav Cizmek CEO, CBBS Group
Evolving Role Of MICE Venues - Challenges & Opportuni es Ahead Session 9
Mr. Fred Lazzerini MD, Asia Pacic Ungerboeck
Mr. Tomasz Szypuła CEO & President, Ptak Warsaw Expo
Mr. Sachin Kumar Sinha CFO, India Exposition Mart
Ms. Meena Bhatia VP, Le Meridien, New Delhi
Mr. Raghav Khosla Group Editor, Exhibition Showcase
Moderator
Mr. Maunik Thacker Senior Vice President, Marketing, Marina Bay Sands
Upcoming Trends In Our Industry - Drivers To Future Growth Session 10
Mr. Raymond Lim Mr. Rajeev Kohli Area Director Joint Managing Director, North & East India Creative Travel Singapore Tourism Board
Mr. Naveen Rizvi Executive Director, ICE and Governing Board ICPB
Ms. Mariane Ewbank Director, Fulstandig Shows
Mr. Ravinder Sethi CMD, RE Rogers India
Closing Remarks
Mr. David Audrain Executive Director, Society of Independent Show Organizers
#IMS2.0
Day - 2
How To Restore The Confidence Of Par cipants : Bring Them Back On The Show-Floor Session 11
Mr. Igor Palka Director, Messe Muenchen GmbH
Mr. Dayakar Reddy President, IPAMA
Mr. Ravi Boratkar MD, Asian Conventions & Expositions
Mr. Peter Theodorides President, International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services
Mr. Vikas Vij MD, IDEX
Mr. Raghav Khosla Group Editor,
Moderator
Ms. Himani Gulati Director, MEX Exhibitions
Exhibition Showcase, MICE Showcase, Association Buzz
The Future Of Business Tourism - Evolu on Of Business Travel In The New Normal Session 12
Mr. Vinod Zutshi Ex. Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
Ms. Jyoti Mayal Mr. Riaz Munshi President, President, Travel Agents Outbound Tour Operators Association of India Association of India
Mr. Sanjeev Joshi Mr. Jatinder Singh Taneja Mr. Nitin Sachdeva Vice Chairman, Co-Chair, Meetings President, PATA India Chapter Mean Business India SITE India
Mr. PP Khanna President, ADTOI
Focus On Sustainability - Driving Responsible Events Session 13
Mr. Sooraj Dhawan Director, Falcon Exhibitions
Mr. Kailash Singh Managing Director, Tea's
Mr. Surajit Bit Director, Messe Düsseldorf India
Mr. HS Bedi Director, PS Bedi Group & Chairman, IELA (2018-2020)
Ms. Suparna Gupta Co-Chairperson, G S Marketing Associates
Mr. Stephan Murtagh Director, The Exhibition Guy
Vote Of Thanks Closing Ceremony Mr. Raghav Khosla Group Editor, Exhibition Showcase, MICE Showcase, Association Buzz
Mr. Rameet Parmar Losberger Deboer Group, Country & Projet Manager
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Powered By The Voice Of Asia’s Exhibition & Convention Industry
www.exhibitionshowcase.com
INTERNATI
NAL
M.I.C.E.
SHOWCASE 2.0
1120 Attendees
52 Countries 95 Distinguished Speakers
5 Hours Average Stay THANK YOU FOR MAKING
IMS 2.0 A GRAND SUCCESS #IMS2.0
WE ARE BACK! To Inspire and Recognize The Achievers Of Our Industry
ATION
GLORY
R CELEB
UR
HONO
iON
NiT RECOG
CO LOCATED PRIDE
Recognizing Distinguished MICE Achievers
DECEMBER
5, 2020 th
Interview
September 2020
Char ng The Path Ahead For Singapore MICE In India
A Chat with GB Srithar, Regional Director, India, Middle East & South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board Singapore’s Handling of the COVID-19 pandemic Singapore is fortunate that we have the capacity and resources to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in a robust manner and we have made good progress. Majority of the economy has re-opened since Singapore entered into the second phase of “A Safe Singapore” on 19 June 2020. Singapore is ranked by Deep Knowledge Centre, an independent think tank body as the 4th safest country in the world for Covid-19. This is a mark of assurance that Singapore is doing things right. Under a domes c tourism campaign, “SingapoRediscovers”, our a rac ons have started welcoming Singaporeans and local residents, with safe distancing measures put in place. The recovery for tourism will take me and Singapore is adop ng a measured and cau ous re-opening of its borders for interna onal travel that is based on data and evidence. We have progressively put in place fast / green lane arrangements with more countries and regions and will adjust our measures for inbound travellers according to risk of importa on.
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Impact on MICE It will take a while for global travel sen ments to return and for borders to re-open and we have to be prepared for recovery to be a slow, deliberate process. The resump on of MICE events is to be done in a careful and calibrated manner, with limits on the size and capacity of events to ensure safety of on-site par cipants and allow for wider interac ons through virtual pla orms. Safe distancing will shape how various aspects of social and business ac vi es will be conducted. The MICE industry is rethinking how business events will be organised and how it can deliver new value. Various alterna ve mee ng formats that allow people to meet and interact remotely have emerged. Covid-19 has certainly pushed the fast-forward bu on and accelerated digital transforma on and adop on across the world. Today, consumers use screens and live virtual experiences more than ever, and that's how the MICE space will be redefined – a consumer-centric offering that is digital-enabled and data-
empowered.
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Interview
September 2020
Host your business events on board the Royal Albatross
Public spaces are being re-designed so as to provide safe distancing, touch-less solu ons and hygiene prac ces for delegates and employees. Virtual spaces are being transformed to replace physical mee ngs. One such recent event in Singapore was the Interna onal Dental Exhibi on and Mee ng (IDEM), which converted its physical trade show and conference into a fully virtual event in June 2020. Featuring a digital conference and exhibi on, it had a racted close to 4,000 par cipants, with over 300 exhibi ng brands from over 50 countries, demonstra ng how virtual engagements can augment face-to-face events safely and effec vely. Hybrid event formats have become increasingly significant, where content is delivered virtually, while retaining the live aspect for limited, small groups of a endees that fulfils par cipants' needs to connect. These hybrid event formats ensure that the digital aspects complement in-person events. Marina Bay Sands in Singapore has recently launched a hybrid event broadcast studio with hologram func onali es at its Sands Expo and Conven on Centre. This state-of-the-art studio is designed to accommodate a live studio audience with a maximum capacity of 50 persons at any one me, enabling it to be versa le in hos ng mee ngs in a hybrid format and offer opportuni es to wow the par cipants through immersive content. We will certainly see more of such innova ons as the industry landscape and experience evolve.
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Maunik Thacker, Senior Vice President – Marke ng, Marina Bay Sands says “The MICE industry is currently experiencing an accelerated digital transforma on, and tradi onal event set-ups may no longer serve the needs of event planners in this new environment. Digi sa on, flexibility of venue spaces as well as health and safety protocols will be event planners' key priori es following the resump on of the industry. Marina Bay Sands is inves ng in the future and has further expanded our in-house capabili es to meet the demands of the evolving landscape. Our new state-of-the-art hybrid broadcast studio was conceptualised as a first-of-its-kind offering both in its design system and set-up as well as overall opera ng model. We will con nue to bring forth technological innova on to the business event industry by offering AR, VR, XR and holographic telepresence capabili es to co-create a unified experience for both in-person and virtual audiences. Having an opera onally safe venue and sani sed opera ons is the new baseline for us. The integrated resort has implemented an even more rigorous suite of hygiene and precau onary measures to safeguard the health and safety of our communi es.” Singapore MICE Industry Gearing Up Singapore Tourism Board (STB) had on 22 July announced the calibrated and safe resump on of business events which is
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Interview
September 2020 Ms. Lyne e Ang, Chief Marke ng Officer, Sentosa Development Corpora on says “As an island-in-the-city that offers an array of novel leisure experiences all in one place, Sentosa has been popular amongst MICE groups from India, among other markets, and we look forward to retaining this appeal post-COVID-19. We have therefore con nued to engage our partners regularly through pla orms such as virtual tradeshows and webinars to keep in touch with our trade partners, despite the inability to meet faceto-face during this period,”
supported by a risk management framework for business events of up to 50 a endees, based on strict safe management measures. STB would trial this framework with two pilot events before gradually scaling up to other events. Building upon the successful trial of this framework in a pilot hybrid event in August, it was further announced on 7 September that STB would start accep ng applica ons for organisers to pilot MICE events with up to 250 a endees. This augurs well for the MICE industry as it prepares itself to safely open the doors to holding events at an even larger scale and subsequently welcoming foreign delegates' par cipa on. To provide further guidance for our MICE businesses, STB and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) are collabora ng with the Singapore Associa on of Conven on and Exhibi on Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS) to formulate an Event Industry Resilience Roadmap (IRR). This roadmap is the result of a publicprivate partnership focused on three strategic objec ves: establishing best-in-class standards for new event safety measures, crea ng agile business models with a focus on digital capabili es, and developing pathways for professional development. The Event IRR will provide mely guidance on safety measures and best prac ces in line with the gradual resump on of business events. On the hygiene and sani sa on front, Singapore has taken a number of measures. One of them is the SG Clean quality mark, our na onal mark of excellence for environmental public hygiene and the government's effort to rally businesses and the public to uphold good sani sa on standards and hygiene prac ces. To date, more than 20,000 premises including MICE venues and facili es such as Sands Expo & Conven on Centre, Singapore Expo, Resorts World Conven on Centre, and Suntec Singapore Conven on Centre have been cer fied. We are heartened to see some momentum building up with two recent successful bids secured in August 2020 for the rights to host the Worldchefs Congress and Expo in 2024 and the 110th Lions Clubs Interna onal Conven on in 2028. The Lions Clubs Interna onal Conven on is expected to a ract around 20,000 foreign delegates. These successes build upon Singapore's track record as Asia Pacific's top mee ng city for 18 consecu ve years and the confidence in Singapore's robust and transparent handling of the Covid-19 situa on.
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She added: “As travel restric ons start to gradually ease, such as through the establishment of “green lanes” for travel, we have begun to study what we can do for MICE delegates while assuring their safety and well-being. This includes working closely with STB to pilot trial MICE events to test the newly launched Safe Business Events framework and the safe management measures in place. We have also been studying new ways to bring Sentosa's offerings safely to delegates, by offering hybrid “phygital” experiences that integrate the virtual and physical. As part of the SingapoRediscovers domes c tourism campaign, we have curated fresh and authen c experiences such as themed i neraries, as well as Fun Deals across F&B, a rac ons and hotels, which we believe can be adapted for tourists and MICE audiences at a later stage. We will con nue to deepen our engagement with stakeholders and posi on Sentosa for a strong recovery, as we look forward to welcoming our overseas guests again.” A peek into my work journey People ma er the most. Growing connec ons within the travel and MICE tourism industry and cul va ng rela onships with partner-friends in India are important for my team and I. This focus and belief in people before results stem from my earlier human resource professional career in HR management, development, change management and organisa on development. This HR grounding, with marke ng and business development acumen picked up along my work journey, has helped me lead interes ng tourism projects. I enjoy the privilege of leading a great team. By building on their strengths and commitment to quality work and fostering deep travel trade
LAVO Singapore on level 57 at Marina Bay Sands offers one of the best roof top experiences
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Interview
September 2020
Gardens By The Bay has both indoor and outdoor venues to hold corporate and private events. rela onships, we bring Singapore even closer to the hearts and minds of Indian consumers. Having spent about a decade in HR func ons in STB, I was posted to India as Area Director in April 2010. I had enjoyed my close-to-4 years s nt, doing various leisure, enrichment and PR projects and established good networks in the travel trade. A er a couple of years in STB HQ's Interna onal Marke ng and Brand Campaigns teams, I returned as Regional Director in mid 2016. In the past decade, India has grown in importance for Singapore, moving up from the fi h to third posi on as a visitor arrival source market for us. Two areas that we have focused on: strong travel trade engagement and innova ve, engaging consumer outreach projects. In line with our “Growing Connec ons, Achieving Together” trade engagement theme, we have built strong and meaningful rela onships with travel trade across India. We have embarked on many travel promo on and consumer outreach projects with them. To present Singapore in different, fresh perspec ves to the Indian audiences, we have worked on several unique collabora ons with brands like Dharma Produc ons, Ola, Paytm, Tripoto, VOOT, Vh1, St+art India Founda on and Zomato. These projects have helped showcase the diverse offerings of Singapore and keep the city as a top choice des na on. In the important MICE and Cruise sectors, we work closely with the trade fraternity to retain Singapore as an ideal des na on for mee ngs and incen ve travel and cruise holidays. A rac ng the Indian MICE travellers India is one of the top source MICE markets for Singapore, par cularly for mee ngs and incen ve travel. This is a key sector with quality visitors providing high tourism yield and features prominently in our work in India. We work very closely with corporates, M&I travel intermediaries, event organisers in India and Singapore tourism stakeholders to facilitate the staging of successful and memorable group experiences in Singapore. STB has developed various support schemes to be er equip MICE agents and corporates in their planning for their next business
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Enjoy a drink at Smoke & Mirrors, National Gallery trip to Singapore. These schemes have been customised keeping in mind that group size will be smaller for a start. Ÿ INSPIRE (In Singapore Incen ves & Rewards) is a scheme which supports small groups and offers a choice of precurated unique experiences such as dining op ons, event venues, a rac ons admission with extra benefits, tours and teambuilding ac vi es. Ÿ BEiS (Business Events in Singapore) is a financial support scheme to help anchor and grow quality events, and innovate new content Ÿ SMAP (Singapore MICE Advantage Program) offers a host of privileges and unique experiences for delegates. Ÿ STARS (Special Travel Agent Rewards Singapore) recognises MICE agents and event planners for securing groups to Singapore. These schemes are reviewed regularly to meet the changing needs of the corporates, MICE agents and event planners and to keep Singapore compe ve as a top-of-mind MICE des na on for the Indian market. We welcome interested par es to connect with us and find out more. Heightened concerns of safety and hygiene, demand for clear, hassle-free travel arrangements and strong co-opera on among corporates, MICE intermediaries and host country's stakeholders will determine MICE des na ons and experiences. Singapore is well-known for its safety, cleanliness, efficient infrastructure and systems. Together with our industry partners, we will present Singapore as one of the world's leading des na ons for safe, trusted and innova ve business events. Singapore's business events sector has shown much resilience during this difficult period, and we are grateful for the innova veness and adaptability shown by our industry. We are confident that Singapore will lead the way in reimagining what safe and high-quality business events could look like. We will con nue to extend our hands in partnership in India and work with MICE players and corporates to bring groups to Singapore, when the ming is right.
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Hannover Fairs Asia-PaciďŹ c Pte Ltd
Innovating for the future of business events Raising the bar for health and safety
Exclusive Insights
September 2020
Role Of Technology & Innova on To Revive MICE And Emergence Of New Models - Changing Dynamics Suppor ng Venues with their Reopening The new era of face-to-face event experiences requires conscious efforts to priori se a endee and staff safety. Venues are being challenged to implement procedures that comply with local health regula ons. Many of these safety measures are likely to become standard prac ce as global a tudes change regarding crowd control and cleanliness.
Article by Manish Chandak, President & CEO, Ungerboeck
B
ringing people together has never been harder nor, paradoxically, easier. The digital age has brought people together across the planet to build communi es and share experiences. More people are connec ng online than ever before for work, family, and entertainment, and they are changing the digital landscape. They are demanding new tools and new experiences to mirror their physical life in their digital life. Our audiences are primed for an immersive digital experience, requiring an evolved approach to onsite experiences, and expec ng innova ve blending of online and onsite as we forge towards a new normal in the event world. The events industry is uniquely posi oned to use technology to our advantage. Now, in a me of unprecedented struggle in the events industry, we cannot afford to hope that our tradi onal business models will bounce back from the brink. We must define a new model that sustainably supports our industry.
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Technology providers play a big part in suppor ng venues with their reopening. They can help venues iden fy poten al high-risk a endees during the event registra on process so staff can plan accordingly. They can provide powerful room configura on tools that account for social distancing and changing capacity regula ons. They can help venue staff keep track of specific cleaning and sanita on tasks alongside other general maintenance and opera onal tasks, as well as help facilitate contactless payment op ons, keep track of all people coming in and out of the venue, and much more. In this new age of events, technology providers must adopt a holis c approach to support venues and event organisers. Any tools we create must benefit all par es to an event. That's why Ungerboeck has developed new room diagramming, visitor management, and opera ons task tracking tools that help venues support their staff, protect their a endees, and guide their partners at the same me. Event technology also needs to adapt to changing regula ons and expecta ons. We inten onally designed Ungerboeck's onsite event tools to be easily configurable so that venues can change data collec on, cleaning protocols, and event setup plans as o en as required. Even more importantly, technology providers need to create tools that allow
our venue customers to avoid lost revenue from cancella ons. These tools will allow our customers to easily convert an onsite event to a virtual event as safety situa ons change. Ungerboeck So ware allows our customers to prepare for mul ple event styles simultaneously. Our so ware allows a venue to plan a virtual version of an onsite event as either a failsafe or an inten onal hybrid event. This agility is crucial for our customers' success in reimagining their business models. The Rise of Virtual and Hybrid Events
Online events and hybrid events offer new opportuni es to engage with a endees and diversify business. The digital space gives us new tools every day for communica ng and can pull down tradi onal barriers to engagement. The digital space gives us new opportuni es to offer greater value and can increase revenues and profit margins. But o en the tools we use to digitalise events have been a disconnected jumble of par al solu ons that don't actually solve anything and struggle to provide real value. For organisers and venues, these tools can present real headaches if they can't connect easily with key business systems. Hybrid events let us offer immersive combina ons of online-only sessions, live streams, survey apps, and social media e-ins all alongside onsite mee ngs, marketplaces, exhibi on halls, and seminars. Yet we o en combine them in ways that fail to fully connect the digital audience with the physical experience.
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Exclusive Insights
September 2020
We cannot just s ck a webcam in an exhibi on hall and provide a bug-riddled app and call that a hybrid event. That's a quick way to get a lot of disengagement. The new era of events requires the physical and digital world to unify in meaningful ways. Venues need to work hand-in-hand with technology providers to bring the onsite experience to remote a endees and offer organisers innova ve solu ons to produce top class content to facilitate engagement with and between a endees, no ma er where they a end the event from. These measures can reduce costs to par cipate and to facilitate. They can increase engagement and market presence. They can increase value on all sides.
For a endees, the biggest benefit is o en a lowered cost to par cipate. Offering digital op ons also can build on that savings by le ng a endees go at their own pace. Using recordings and other con nuous engagement tools furthers learning and can even alleviate #FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) by allowing them to watch every session instead of only what fits in a conference day. Virtual pla orms offer new ways to network with other a endees and integrate matching technologies in a meaningful way. They let your audience harness the rela ve anonymity of a digital presence to set aside any anxie es about a ending an event solo and engage fully in the experience. For event venues and organisers, virtual and hybrid events can extend our market reach and open to whole brand-new markets. Digital tools allow us to completely tailor access and pricing to
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virtual tradeshow. Vitally, we give them the tools to add value to the experience of their par cipants whether its hos ng ongoing content, presen ng natural engagement opportuni es, crea ng virtual networking systems, offering integrated lead capture, or providing unparalleled analy cs.
meet the needs of our business and our audience. We can offer new perks to our exhibitors, presenters, and a endees. The deep analy cs, lead capture, and networking u li es Ungerboeck can now offer just could not happen in an onsiteonly model. We also can create inclusive events with readily available assis ve technologies. We can even leverage interna onal partnerships with other venues to hold conferences at the same me in different parts of the world to avoid interna onal travel for par cipants. Virtual components allow more people to access our onsite events when they were otherwise inaccessible before. Ungerboeck has seized this opportunity to increase investment value for our customers by providing unified tools to plan and execute virtual and hybrid events. Our Virtual Events Extension lets our customers convert their exis ng Ungerboeck tools to handle the nuances of virtual event components.
The future of events is a smarter hybrid model. We have the technology to fully unify experiences across the physical venue and the virtual pla orm. We also have the responsibility to our industry to create a new standard for hybrid event experiences How much of these events are online vs. onsite will depend on various factors. For the next 12 to 18 months, event organisers and venues will need to be more agile and flexible than ever. Event formats may quickly shi from onsite to hybrid or virtual, and venues need to think how they can facilitate that transi on to support their customers.
We can unify their session planning, registra on, marke ng, a endee management, virtual delivery, par cipant engagement, billing, and analy cs in a single system. Our tools let them produce a huge range of virtual event components from a simple live stream to a webinar to a mul -track conference to a full-on
We have the technology to fully unify experiences across the physical venue and the virtual pla orm. We also have the responsibility to our industry to create a new standard for hybrid event experiences. The bo om line is that by offering both digital and physical op ons makes you a leader in the field.
Above: The lifecycle of your 1 – 3 day event is a six month marketing cycle, from preevent, to during the event, to post event. Continuous engagement is crucial even after the event, to keep your event at the forefront of their minds.
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Interview
September 2020
Exclusive Interview With Phil Chung, CEO Of KINEXIN Conven on Management Pvt Ltd. (IICC Opera ng Company)
ES. Please share with us your professional journey. What have been the major milestones and most amazing achievements and moments in your exhibi on industry career? Phil. I started my career as an interna onal marke ng coordinator in an interna onal tradeshow and conference organizing company in 2001 a er finishing my mandatory military service in Korea. I ended up moving to New York to learn IT and so ware marke ng and later worked as a na onal sales I am hoping a Vand marke ng coordinator in a shaped growth Manha an-based so ware pattern after the crisis. company.
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Interes ngly, it was at this me in New York that I got to know more about India and Indian food, as I was interac ng with not a few Indian so ware developers from New Delhi! I remember I even asked the company to hire my close Indian-American friends as so ware developer interns.
As everyone knows, our industry is undertaking R&D in areas such as virtual conferencing formats, virtual shows, and socalled un-tact events, among others.
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I helped them market and sell search engine marke ng services and related web-func onali es of many kinds while there. In fact, the company where I worked also launched opera ons in Bangalore at the me. A er returning to Korea in 2004, I began working for KINTEX, Korea's largest interna onal exhibi on and conven on venues, where I was one of the founding members. Since that me, we have opened three venues In addi on to
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KINTEX 1 & 2, and currently operate and manage four venues, one of which is IICC in Dwarka, New Delhi(now the construc on's about 70% complete). During my career at KINTEX, where I s ll hold the posi on of General Director, I have been quite successful in the areas of interna onal business development and venue marke ng and sales. I have worked with numerous global tradeshow and conven on organizers and helped them launch new opera ons, new shows, and conferences (some mes via a joint venture) in Korea. I have also promoted our venue on a global scale. There have been countless strategic na onal and interna onal business projects that I have either ini ated or was proac vely involved with. One such project was ini a ng and establishing the na on's largest venue catering business with the Hanhwa Group, one of the largest Korean conglomerates, as a 50:50 joint venture within the KINTEX venue. As an acknowledgment of my dedica on, both KINTEX and myself were nominated as one of the Top 4 finalists for the UFI Marke ng Award 2013 (*K Formula), while in 2019, KINTEX received the UFI Marke ng Award (*Influencer Marke ng for the KINTEX gaming show). In 2018, through a professional feasibility study
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Interview
September 2020
and thorough prepara on, KINTEX won the bid to operate the India Interna onal Conven on & Expo Centre (www.iiccnewdelhi.com). This achievement was ignited by the strong willingness of my Chairman, Chang Yuel Lim (KINTEX President) to explore the Indian market star ng from that project. As a well-known Korean poli cian and businessman, he served the na on as a former deputy prime minister, minister of several government ministries, and as a former execu ve director at the Interna onal Money Fund and the World Bank. Interes ngly, the KINTEX project was also ini ated by Chairman Lim in the late 1990s during his tenure as the governor of Gyeonggi Province, Korea's most populous province, and home to Samsung Electronics and several other global companies. A er winning the IICC bid, I was appointed as MD & Ac ng CEO of the IICC Opera ng Company, a joint venture between KINTEX, the lead member of the consor um, and Messe Esang, Korea's largest tradeshow organizer and listed on the KOSDAQ exchange. In brief, this is how I got involved with the India IICC project. ES. Please give us an update about IICC construc on and its comple on Phil. IICC construc on: According to IICC Limited under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India, our current construc on progress stands at about 70% comple on due to a more than 6 month-long stoppage caused by Covid-19 and the bad air of New Delhi. Although the site looks robust, it should have been completed by now when referring to the original plan. That said, however, the current Covid-19 situa on represents a good opportunity for us all to interact with many Indian and global industry colleagues to develop our future plans. I am quite busy with them now both in Korea and India.
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The IICC (India Interna onal Conven on & Expo Centre) is a smart city project being driven by Government of India. With a total area of 300,000 sqmt, IICC is India’s largest conven on and exhibi on complex.
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ES. How is the trade show industry reopening in Korea. Please update us? Phil. In my mother country, Korea, exhibi ons were never put on hold in a compulsory manner. The government did once issue a recommenda on to postpone a few events, but government events are not frequently held at present in light of the pandemic. Korea's Covid-19 rate has plummeted to a reassuring level so all previously scheduled tradeshows, events, and exhibi ons at KINTEX have taken place since May 1st. As you have been watching my updates on social media, shows held in KINTEX have become robust again and are a rac ng tens of thousands of
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people who know how to protect themselves by abiding by our venue rules and regula ons on hygiene. I have already distributed our well-wri en preven ve measures taken on site with real photos taken during our recent shows and conferences to the Indian exhibi on industry and beyond through UFI, ICCA, our New Delhi NCR MICE Forum, and several other MICE related associa ons as a sign of our dedica on to the successful efforts hoping India overcomes the crisis as soon as possible. If more Indian associa ons wish to receive those materials once more, they can contact us or Raghav, the publisher of this magazine. ES. What can be the recovery guide for tradeshows? Phil. WHO, the government of India, and other na onal organiza ons are developing SOPs to prepare for a resump on as far as I know. These documents are in need of constant updates. Abiding by their recommenda ons on social distancing (between people, between chairs, etc.), proper mask wearing and changing, as well as several body temperature checks when entering the venue and show halls, are considered important when you plan to resume shows in India or elsewhere for that ma er. For venues, KINTEX case studies and manuals can be of some help as we have already experienced many different scenarios. Of course, venues and organizers should share the burden of such prepara on in regard to resuming the shows; venues can provide some strategic discounts to organizers and organizers can prepare more hygiene-related procedures on site, while the venue should prepare its own digital and physical measures on its rules and regula ons. All venue contractors should develop their own preven ve measures under the venue's basic guidelines to protect our mutual customers. If venues could allow organizers to use addi onal space for free, let's say, for the purpose of providing a more spacious area for exhibi on registra ons in expo halls, etc., such measures are a good way to keep people maintain sufficient distance during this pandemic season. Through the New Delhi NCR MICE Forum, I have also recommended to organizer members the idea of an 'invita on-only style B2B show' at which they can keep all the possible social distancing norms to be distributed during their pre-show marke ng period and invite buyers and visitors on an invita on-only basis or pre-registered visitors-only basis, at least for the me being. Such a show would make things less stressful while running the show with a relevant level of quality visitor traffic during the Coivd-19 pandemic. ES. What is the silver lining of this pandemic? Phil. Stocks are going up as businesspeople are looking for more avenues for investment, as is being witnessed in the USA or South Korea. It is my belief that Indian stocks will also be stable, as they are working closely with those key countries. The current controversial US-China rela onship may also be some posi ve momentum to India in many aspects. An upward trend will eventually help companies overcome liquidity
Save the new dates for EEA & GMI 2020
Interview
September 2020
ma ers and R&D investment challenges, and help businesses become ac ve again right a er the pandemic. I am hoping a V-shaped growth pa ern a er the crisis. As everyone knows, our industry is undertaking R&D in areas such as virtual conferencing formats, virtual shows, and so-called un-tact events, among others. In Korea, people have now started going to deluxe hotels rather than going outside of the na on during this pandemic period. With no special travel bans, they are travelling everywhere while maintaining social distancing and recommended hygiene norms of IICC Dwarka all types, efforts which have been quite successful. I do believe India is going to be the same soon. However, abiding by all possible government recommenda ons on hygiene is mandatory, even among family members. We should keep in mind that the exhibi on and conven on industry have been developing over the last several centuries, and that we have overcome numerous pandemics during that me. Therefore, this will not be an excep on. We will overcome Covid-19 soon, as I am hearing good news regarding a vaccine from the United States, Korea, and European countries. This is just a ma er of me. In the mean me, we should develop be er and more future-oriented business plans across a broader spectrum. These would also be my sugges ons to entrepreneurs facing the stresses of the pandemic, as well as my message to the industry. ES. What is your take on virtual events? Phil. To cut a very long story short, at this stage of development, if I could say based on our internal surveys and cumula ve feedback from virtual event par cipants from Korea, USA, Japan and India, virtual events can be considered good supplementary measures to our exis ng shows and mee ngs, but not a solu on which replaces physical exhibi ons. In many countries, going to an exhibi on itself is a refreshing business development experience for many. Although I do not wholly agree, some say that exhibi ons are a part of business tourism, and countries like Korea, Japan, Singapore, or Hong Kong are giving financial incen ves to such travelling exhibi ons when held in their countries, as they are considered to boost the local tourism industry. It goes without saying that no one thinks seeing the Lotus Garden in Delhi through virtual reality can match the actual experience of experiencing it firsthand. Humans by ins nct need tac le experiences; they wish to travel to see the site, feel the weight of machinery, hear real sounds, witness the appropriateness of the actual designs, and witness the feedback of others via real touch. They wish to get out of their offices to get some fresh air and see different people, experience various cuisines, hear pleasant noises, and listen to music from the show floor. If their employers just start pushing them to log into a dizzy virtual show which
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(Construction in progress) causes ver go due to the slow and unsa sfying level of Internet connec vity and less-than-impeccable augmented technology, or make them visit and study virtual booths online for a long me, this will never feel as refreshing as a ending a physical show. They will never be able to concentrate completely on each and every booth, which may end up with a promise to meet up physically some me soon to discuss the “real thing” in person. We all know that. However, through this crisis, organizers and venues can try to develop many good mobile, online, and so-called *un-tact solu ons which can enable people living in remote countries to connect to our shows held in a country like India. It is the right me to develop pre-show, at-show, and post-show on-line marke ng strategies that can be helpful and informa ve to show a endees. You can use smart glasses during a tradeshow to send relevant informa on to overseas buyers and communicate realme with them while answering their queries from a first-person point of view, as is being tested here in Korea at KINTEX. You can also use hologram technology or video-conferencing technologies to have VIP interna onal guests “take part” in conferences as opposed to spending a lot on assis ng their unnecessary travel for some me to supplement the upcoming tradeshows to be held within this year. ES. What is your outlook towards India and its exhibi on industry? Phil. Promising. There is no need to explain any further as I have been explaining over and over again on so many occasions. All of India's industries will rise again a er this pandemic period. I hope the Digital India policy represents a good example to cope with Covid-19 and grow the country's digital tech sector through this un-tact period. Recent tension between the United States and China could represent a posi ve sign for India as many global manufacturing and R&D bases are moving toward India as an alterna ve to China and as a promising land of new opportuni es. The Indian MICE industry and our IICC venue will surely play an important role in welcoming new opportuni es which showcase all of India's capabili es to both India and the world beyond.
Save the new dates for EEA & GMI 2020
Interview
September 2020
ES. Please share with us some excerpts from your recently published book? Please share some highlights of your career in army and your war days. Richard Erschik. I was an everyday kid, living an everyday life, in the everyday world of the tumultuous 1960’s un l Uncle Sam came calling. I was inducted (dra ed into the military at age 20 and served 2-years in the Army on ac ve duty. My recent book is a story about my me served. It’s available on Amazon.com. I went from Chicago, IL, to Ft. Knox, KY, to Ft. Hood, TX, where I was assigned to the largest weapon system in the United States Army. Simply named – Honest John, which was a nuclear capable rocket that traveled 2- mes the speed of sound. In the 1960’s that was quite impressive. I adapted quite quickly and well to the military. Along with hand to hand combat and extraordinary weapon proficiency, my shiny boots were partly responsible for my promo on to SGT E5 and the rank of a NonCommissioned Officer. ES. As an expert in exhibi on industry what subjects/ini a ves are close to your heart which you are closely advoca ng? Richard Erschik. There are many reasons to exhibit in a trade show. But the most important reason is to generate sales leads that eventually result in SALES and the Return On Investment (ROI) necessary to offset the cost of exhibi ng. In my company (that I sold in 2009) I developed a way to generate a posi ve ROI and was teaching it to exhibitors before COVID-19. Trade show organizers around the world (Including IMTMA) hired me to present an educa on and training webinar to their exhibitors. All that has come to a halt as my business was paralyzed from COVID-19. ES. What are the main ac vi es of your business these days? Richard Erschik. Just because trade show organizers and their shows have been stopped by COVID-19, it’s not to say exhibitors have stopped marke ng and selling. Therefore, I now work with exhibitors (directly) and teach them how to conduct their own Online Trade Show. Or, I do it for them. Why wouldn’t they? They can do it at much less cost than a tradi onal trade show. They have be er names for a endance than any trade show organizer could muster. And they get the op on of me managing it for them, or me showing them how they can do it themselves. ES. How is the trade show industry reopening in USA. Please update us? Richard Erschik. Very slowly and with cau ous op mism. I feel that ‘a endee’ behavior will control the pace of any return to normalcy (if there ever will be.)
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In Conversa on With Richard Erschik, Presenter, Exhibitor Training Webinar
“I was an exhibitor for 20+ years in the metalworking industry where I discovered the pervasive problem of lead follow-up a er a trade show. I solved the problem with a very prac cal solu on. At the me, I was also the chairman of the Na onal Machine Tool Builders Associa on (now AMT) and showed my solu on to my commi ee members. When they too admi ed they had the same problem it gave me the idea to start a business that would provide the solu on to other companies. So in 1986, I founded and managed (un l 2009) a na onal trade show marke ng services organiza on that American Airlines named ‘One of the most innova ve companies in the country,’ and a ‘Best Prac ce’ in trade show marke ng.” My company processed more than 1 million trade show generated sales leads for other exhibi ng companies, and my company generated more that $10 million dollars in sales. In 2009 I sold the company to one of its customers, and I began teaching the sales lead response and management process that I developed.” Save the new dates for EEA & GMI 2020
Interview
September 2020
A endees have to be comfortable riding in strange cars, flying on crowded planes, sleeping in hotel beds, ea ng at restaurants, registering at a show, walking the show floor, talking to exhibitors, and repea ng all that to return home. Spouses and family concerns for bread-winner safety is a major deterrent to travel and company management is ge ng comfortable with their employees working from home and online. I’m not sure about India, but as I’m tying this I am s ll sheltered in my home and fearful of going anywhere. I’m sure that translates into fear-oftravel for prospec ve trade show a endees, not to even men on exhibitors. ES. Please share with us your take on this situa on and its effects on the exhibi on industry in USA? Richard Erschik. Trade show organizers once enjoyed a revenue and profit stream that has disappeared almost overnight. I can’t speak from organizer experience but I’m sure they are now looking to replace that model. Personally, I think it’s gone forever and downsizing will be their new normal. ES. What do you see the roadmap ahead for the exhibi on industry? Richard Erschik. I see exhibitors looking for, and finding, other goto-market methods to replace tradi onal face-to-face marke ng. I have one that I developed and will be introducing very soon. It s ll does everything a trade show does, but at a frac on of the cost. Pre show marke ng invites prospects to the online show. During show presenta ons iden fy and qualify poten al customers. And Post show follow-up produces sales results and maximizes ROI. ES. What can be the recovery guide for tradeshows? Richard Erschik. I don’t see recovery to normalcy. Instead, I see more of an effort to salvage whatever can be used from the old model, to try to establish a new normal. Consequently, the word ‘hybrid’ has crept into the industry. I’ve seen a few photos of today’s trade show model with social distancing in front of registra on areas and people stacked in long lines. Everyone on the show floor was wearing masks and spaced in the aisles per the new protocol. People will remember what it was, and no doubt cri cize what it is. I wouldn’t want to be an organizer today trying to sa sfy everyone’s expecta ons. ES. What do you see as the upcoming trends? Richard Erschik. An a empt at virtual shows, only to eventually realize that poor a endance and engagement will discourage exhibitors and force them elsewhere. I see many organizers trying to duplicate the on-site experience on-line. They have reproduc on so of aisles, booths, floor to ceiling pillars, even carpet. To me, as an exhibitor, all I’d want is a forum that brings buyer and seller together and a way to facilitate the process of telling and selling. ES. What is the silver lining of this pandemic? Richard Erschik. Crea vity. Forced innova on. Changes that were
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desperately needed to benefit exhibitors. It has forced cri cal thinking and more focus on exhibitor needs instead of organizer wants. ES. What do you suggest to entrepreneurs who are facing stress in these mes? Richard Erschik. Ideas are plen ful, while those who can implement ideas are rare. Step back and get a different perspec ve. Don’t look to repair, but replace. What has been effected by COVID-19?. I came up with an idea in 1986 and turned it into a $10 million dollar business. There isn’t anyone reading this that can’t do the same thing. Opportuni es are all around a er COVID-19. Look for them. ES. What is your take on virtual events? Richard Erschik. As I previously men oned, virtual and hybrid shows will be an interim solu on. Exhibitors will eventually realize that poor a endance and engagement will be discouraging and force them elsewhere.” As you have been an exhibitor, yourself, please take us into the mind of an exhibitor in these mes “I always think like an exhibitor. I would be looking to save myself and make myself relevant by being part of the solu on, rather than part of the problem. at this crisis hour as an exhibitor. Trade shows are simply a means to an end. The end being SALES. There are other was to put buyers and sellers together, which I will be introducing to exhibitors very soon. ES. Would you like to par cipate in shows going ahead or you would rather spend your money in marke ng elsewhere? Richard Erschik. Yes shows. But not tradi onal shows. ES. How do you see travel gradually opening up and what are your sugges ons in this regard? Richard Erschik. People here are very reluctant to travel. Airline pricing incen ves and safely assurance will bring travelers back, slowly. A er more than 2 million miles, I for one, am in no hurry to travel. Especially with on-line alterna ves to in-person mee ngs. ES. Which regions do you feel will pick up first and by when? Richard Erschik. Here, everything is being managed locally, and by regions of the most and fewest cases of COVID-19. Those with the least will pick up first. ES. What is your outlook towards India and its exhibi on industry? Richard Erschik. From those I talk to, there, the situa on is very similar to the USA – so most of my comments also apply to India. ES. Your message to the industry? Richard Erschik. With my exhibitor hat on I’d say the mes of organizers overcharging exhibitors for services is gone. “With my service company owner’s hat on, I’ll say, I can’t wait to show the industry what I have as an alterna ve to tradi onally expensive trade shows.
Save the new dates for EEA & GMI 2020
Interview
September 2020
In Conversa on With Sanjoy Roy, Immediate Past President, Event And Entertainment Management Associa on (EEMA) ES. As the Outgoing President of EEMA who took EEMA to new heights, you leave behind very big shoes to fill in. Could you share with us the major achievements of EEMA under your leadership? Sanjoy. On taking over EEMA I had defined the need of the hour as; 1. Increase our membership 2. Be Inclusive and work to bring on board regional associa ons 3. Work on major policy issues including: 4. One window clearance 5. Standardisa on of tenders 6. Establish EEMA as a policy and business body for the Crea ve sector and events and entertainment 7. Work towards being seen as an industry 8. Help members relook at their business given the economic situa on 9. Bring EEMA's voice to government. While a few of these were realised, we did take steps to lead toward the larger goals. ES. Please look back to your tenure as EEMA President and share with us some throwback moments? Sanjoy. Our legacy will include; Ÿ
Ÿ Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
The Michael menezes scholarships The MOU's we signed with academic ins tu ons to upskill their own students and provide opportuni es for those wishing to join this profession Move from the organisa on being one that looked at networking opportunity, events and celebra ons to policy and business We created an effec ve health and Safety Protocol Entertainers manual Signed an MOU with the Nani Palkhivala centre for arbitra on Look at legal issues around IP's etc Tried to find more ways to benefit our members, including increasing the very value of their membership. A successful EEMAX, EEMAGINE and a series of other events.
All of this was a collec ve effort and not necessarily done by me but by Team EEMA and my NEC colleagues. ES. If you would like to men on 3 biggest learnings which you got as EEMA President, what would they be? Sanjoy. Democracy is a messy business. Elec ons don't necessarily throw up the result you wish but it certainly allows for representa on and par cipa on. 1. As President one has to carry all your colleagues with you.
The Michael menezes Knowledge series
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Save the new dates for EEA & GMI 2020
Interview
September 2020
2. You have to speak with one voice at the head table to be heard and seen and you should do it without fear but with strategy and considered thought. ES. We are eager to know how did EEMA elec ons take place during these mes? What was the process followed? Sanjoy. This was the first me that the Presidents post was contested for in EEMA. Since 2018 there has been a concentrated effort to streamline our elec ons and make them efficient, transparent and run it as best prac ce. An external Chief Elec on Commissioner was appointed along with 4 elec on commi ee members from EEMA. They worked closely to monitor the process, the campaign and the vo ng methodology which has been conducted online. The votes were by secret ballot and audited by Deloi e. ES. What do you see the roadmap ahead for the events industry? Sanjoy. I see an opportunity to reboot, reinvent, innovate and
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ac vate. In mes of crisis you can either lock yourself up or examine the situa on in a pragma c way and lead from the front! While the world has changed for ever yet agin (the last me for 9/11 ), we are well poised to take up the gauntlet using AR/ VR and the new physical distancing protocol to find effec ve solu ons. Responsible consump on is the need of the hour. An effort to conserve the environment, create a be er world for the next genera ons is vital. Big does not need to get bigger. Niche events, occasions could have a higher value and make for more empathe c exchange of energy. Humans are resilient beings and will invariably find solu ons to adapt to the present reality. ES. Since travel is a key element for events, how do you see the scenario ahead? Sanjoy. Difficult. Travel of yore has mostly ceased. The earliest event or leisure travel will restart is 2021 2/3rd quarter. Local is the new global.
Save the new dates for EEA & GMI 2020
Interview
September 2020
This to presents infinite opportuni es to create new paradigms and eke out new business opportuni es and iden fy new talent. ES. What can be the recovery guide for events sector? Sanjoy. The events and entertainment sector will be amongst the first to bounce back. When is the trillion dollar ques on. Arts and entertainment consump on has gone up 47% since the pandemic. This is good news. The unanswered ques on is where is the money? Will there be funding/ ckets/ dona ons for online events. ES. What do you see as the upcoming trends of your sector? Sanjoy. Niche events Bou que weddings Online conferences Growth of AR/ VR/ AI to create an immersive environment Growth of chartered flights and rental of bou que islands ES. Is there any silver lining in this pandemic for the industry? Sanjoy. Absolutely! An opportunity to think innova vely To convert juggad from make do to make possible To be market leaders in this sector To leverage our diversity and crea vity ES. What do you suggest to entrepreneurs who are facing stress in these mes? Sanjoy. Hunker down for the long haul Don't panic Conserve cash intelligently Provide for your eco system Innovate innovate innovate
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ES. Your 3 takes on how to cope in these mes? Sanjoy. Carry your team Lead from the front Address mental health issues ES. What will be the future of events Sanjoy. In the short term a mix of digital and smaller live gatherings In the long term use of AI/AR/VR to create a combina on of online and physical programs and events ES. How do you see tourism gradually opening up and what are your sugges ons in this regard? Sanjoy. A much needed correc on has kicked in. Safety protocol was being breached in every context in PCE (pre covid era). Hospitality and Tourism was seen as an automa c money maker with scant regard to experience, return customers, unique memory. Post Covid every traveller will be sought a er / looked to and celebrated – every occasion will need to be special. Even as hotel and airlines open up the opportuni es for India will begin to improve but this will depend on; Ÿ Our con nued response to Covid Ÿ Crea ng be er infrastructure for tourism Ÿ Correc on in world wide rates ES. Your message to the industry? Sanjoy. There is a crises we are in the midst of. This is a me to band together, work together across sectors, provide solu ons and prove opportuni es. Its about people, about responsibility and above all about respect, empathy and collec ve posi ve ac on.
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Young Turk
September 2020
In Conversa on With Aakash Dhote, Founder & CEO, Blue Apple Digimedia for us, because we were appreciated by one of the leading Exhibi on & Events Industry giant. During the Covid-19 lockdown as well we made sure to stay mo vated, and in that purview we created a video along with Exhibi on Showcase “ –The Song for Solidarity for the Exhibi on and Conven on Industry”. This video was highly appreciated and shared and it helped bond the exhibi on industry during these trying mes.
ES. Hello Aakash! You are one bright, talented and passionate youngster in the industry. Please share with us your professional journey. What have been the major milestones in your MICE industry career so far? Aakash. Blue Apple Digimedia is one name synonymous with Exhibi ons & Tradefairs. We are dedicated into weaving stories, dreams, emo ons, rela ons and responsibili es through our Event Photography and Film-making. We started off in Mumbai, gradually marking our presence in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Noida. Today individuals, families, Corporates, big organisa ons; all trust us for sleek & sophis cated Photography and Cinematography solu ons at all levels – local, regional, na onal and interna onal. Led by passionate and uber progressive team, we believe in breathing life in the work that we create.
“We focus on capturing the emo ons of the people involved in the shows, the togetherness of a sector and how they connect with each other under
There have been some really important moments and one some amazing achievements in our journey with the exhibi on & event industry over the years. The IHFF 2019 video that we made for ABEC was a game changer. It was on par with the Interna onal Olympiad video. The video was shared by everyone on digital pla orms, which gave it momentum and was equally appreciated by all the body-building and fitness fraternity. Thanks to Mr. Manish Gandhi and Mr. Sumit Gandhi, and the en re ABEC team for the opportunity and the support they provided. One major milestone for us as an organiza on, came when we were presented with the 'Most Valued Partner 'award by Messe München India. That was one of the most overwhelming moment
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roof ”
ES. Please share with us the legacy of Blue Apple. How did it come into existence and why did you choose this field? Aakash. The zeal to progress and the dream to create films and photographs which narrates stories led to the forma on of Blue Apple. It started off as a college project, ini ally I would take projects on freelancing basis. But by the end of the 2nd year of college, I already had a fully func oning office space to work. Our major break came, when we started working with RPG enterprises and group companies, which was one of our first clients. There was no looking back a er that. The legacy that we maintain and would pass on is, always working with a straight forward philosophy "providing quality media solu ons, efficiently" which has served us well in becoming a one-stop solu on for any kind of digital produc on related services for the Exhibi on & Conferences Sector. We chose this field because we understood how important this industry is when it comes to contribu ng to our economy, and we really just wanted to make sure it gets the quality media coverage it deserves. Over the years it has made its place in India's Top 10 media service provider for Trade Fair & Exhibi ons. We have a created a niche for ourselves in the Event Media Produc on.
ES. What are your major offerings and how do you differen ate them from others in similar domain? Aakash. Our major offerings are primarily Photography and Videography services. But we don't just offer that, we provide our clients with much more. From on-day live edits, post-show videos, Event promo videos to live feed display, Social Media Live Streaming & Tes monial Shoots; all are a part of our comprehensive package that we provide to our clients. We were actually the first ones to provide the service of 'on-day live edit' of the show - a small video capsule of the day's ac vi es which
Save the new dates for EEA & GMI 2020
Young Turk
September 2020
can be displayed on LED screens during the Event. What differen ates us from the service providers in the similar domain, is the quality of work that we provide to our clients, and the flexibility of a client-agency rela onship. We never compromise on the quality of work, be it a big or small project. And we work hard to deliver superiority in our content through constant innova on in the process. ES. What is the secret of crea ng a good video capsule that you and your team follow? Aakash. There isn't a secret per se, but we do know the emo onal engagement an Organizer has with a par cular Event and we want to make sure that it is portrayed through our work. We don't just shoot photos and videos, we create films that capture the essence of the Event. We focus on capturing the emo ons of the people involved in the shows, the togetherness of a sector and how they connect with each other under one roof. That's what makes the content more connec ng with the viewers. We understand our organizers needs and their offerings to the clients, and thereby we try our best to communicate the crux of the show. We create content that is more engaging and show a lot of ac vi es in a short span of me. ES. What have been your biggest learnings from this industry? Aakash. Two words – Composure and Exposure. We learned that presence of mind is very important when you're doing any job in the Events and Exhibi on Industry, especially when you're doing media coverage. This has been a key learning from the years of work in this field and one can say we've mastered composure. The second thing that we have learnt comes from the exposure that we have had to the varied facets of business through the Events and Exhibi ons that we have done. We have interacted with stakeholders from industries like Building & Construc on, Food, Architecture, Travel & Tourism, to industries such as Logis cs, Technology, Pharma, Packaging and many more. This has helped me and my team develop ourselves in many ways, and we don't just apply it in our work, but we use it in our daily lives.
upcoming months, so we came up with 'The Webinar Studio', a post-webinar service specially to visualise and design webinars in a polished way. We started crea ng content which made it easy to grab the a en on of the audience on digital pla orms. Another diversifica on that we have added, is our venture into the world of Weddings. Earlier this year, we captured my wedding and we realised how melessly valuable that moment was; so we came up with “Blue Apple Weddings”, so that anyone who wishes to have their valuable moments turned into their very own film, could just do so by reaching out to us. To underline our evolu on in one word during these mes, I would say, it is all because of our resilience. ES. What is your take on virtual events and the role of technology going forward? Aakash. The technology is already flourishing at a top speed and it is astonishing for us to see that the Events and Exhibi on Industry has adapted to the “new normal”. Informa Markets were the first to start with Virtual Expos and we are very grateful to them for giving us the opportunity to make promo onal videos for their organisa on. We are, for sure going to be totally adept with the new technology by the end of the pandemic and learning always comes in handy. Going forward, as much as the Virtual space has given us the opportunity to walk instead of just sit in our homes in the contemporary mes, what I'd really like to see is, us run. Running forward and moving past this phase in a healthy environment. Because we're humans and we cannot go longer without human interac on. And that's what this Industry is all about. Bringing different people, different perspec ves and personas under one roof, celebra ng innova on and welcoming new ideas.
ES. Please share with us your take on this situa on and its effects on your business. Aakash. We were equally impacted as any other event and exhibi on company as we were majorly revolving around the same ecosystem. Many of our projects were shelved or postponed. But we decided to stay strong during this unprecedented situa on. We made sure that we kept in touch with all our clients and showed our uncondi onal support to them. We tried to innovate in every way possible to meet the changing needs of our clients. We created personalised promo onal content for all our clients. All of this, while keeping in mind the health of our team members. ES. How have you evolved your business model during these mes? Aakash. With the ongoing scenario, we were immediately sure about the boom which the digital sector was going through. We realised how important of a role it is going to play in the
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Save the new dates for EEA & GMI 2020
Global News
September 2020
BOATS2020 Cancelled Over Southampton City Council Fears Bri sh Marine regre ully announced that BOATS2020 had been cancelled.
A
t 6.34pm on Thursday 10 September, on the eve of opening day, Bri sh Marine received the devasta ng news from Southampton City Council that the show could no longer go ahead due to the rising risk of COVID-19 and growing Government fears. The show, due to take place from 11-20 September 2020, was set to open on Friday following extensive work in collabora on with Southampton City
Council to ensure that the exis ng Public Health England COVID-19 secure requirements were met. We understand that the MDL Ocean Village event has also been cancelled. Lesley Robinson, CEO of Bri sh Marine, said; “We are desperately disappointed that BOATS2020 will no longer be taking place, especially receiving the news at the eleventh hour before opening. A tremendous amount of work has been put in and it was heartening to see commi ed exhibitors on-site today ge ng geared up for opening. “Bri sh Marine has remained commi ed to staging this not-for-profit boat show to support the leisure marine industry and our host city of Southampton, and I am deeply saddened that it will now no longer be taking place. Alongside our exhibitors, we were ready to open a show
that exceeded all safety requirements. We are truly perplexed as to why we are unable to run the show at least un l Monday in line with the government restric ons imposed yesterday. The global pandemic and unprecedented mes mean that the latest circumstances are beyond our control. Public health and safety come first and naturally, as the show organiser, Bri sh Marine must comply with all guidance.” Bri sh Marine will be communica ng with exhibitors, cket holders and further stakeholders, and would like to thank all of them for con nuing to support the event in these uncertain mes. We are offering all BOATS2020 cket holders a credit against their cket purchase* for Southampton Interna onal Boat Show 2021.
Appeal Against Cancella on Of Boat Shows Unsuccessful Organisers of the scaled-down Southampton event said council officers only asked for one change to the site set-up, but then ordered the cancella on.
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wo boat shows in Southampton were cancelled at the last minute despite council officers only asking for one change to the site set-up, the organisers have said. Bri sh Marine, which had organised the scaled-down version of the Southampton Interna onal Boat Show, has confirmed an appeal against the decision to shut down the event has been unsuccessful. They had asked the Secretaries of State for Public Health and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to review the decision made by Southampton City Council. Staff put up screens at the Boats2020 show in Southampton following the cancella on of the event (Steve Parsons/PA) The Boats2020 event and accompanying Ocean Village Boat Show – both set to run from September 11 to 20 – were cancelled by order of the local authority on the eve of the event. The annual Southampton Interna onal Boat Show,
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which has been held for more than 50 years and last year saw 100,000 visitors, was postponed because of the pandemic and replaced with the smaller events which were expected to pull in 20,000 people over the 10 days. The decision to cancel them was cri cised by Royston Smith, Conserva ve MP for Southampton Itchen, who posted on Twi er: “These events were cri cal to Southampton’s economy and recovery.” A Bri sh Marine spokesman said: “Just hours before the show was due to open, on the a ernoon of Thursday 10 September, Southampton City Council representa ves had reviewed the show site and requested only one site amendment: to remove a panel in the site entrance security marquee to increase airflow, which was implemented immediately. “The show plans were developed alongside Southampton City Council using the Events Industry Forum
and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport guidance, Associa on of Events Organisers (AEO) All Secure Standard and other contribu ons from exhibitors and industry.” Lesley Robinson, chief execu ve of Bri sh Marine, said: “I am saddened that our appeal has been rejected and the plight of our exhibitors and the industry has not been recognised by the Secretaries of State. “The cancella on of the show will have a considerable financial impact on the marine industry, and also on the city of Southampton.
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September 2020
CARAVAN SALON 2020: Physical Show Concluded Successfully 107,000 people visited the first major trade fair a er the lockdown / Highly sa sfied exhibitors with very good sales results
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his year’s CARAVAN SALON DÜSSELDORF has provided impressive proof that caravanning as a way of holidaymaking inspires people and that trade fairs can be held successfully even in Corona mes. Messe Düsseldorf and the Caravaning Industrie Verband e. V. (CIVD) can look back on very posi ve results. "With 107,000 visitors the CARAVAN SALON sends an important signal for the en re trade fair industry in Germany and Europe. The world's most important trade fair for caravanning convinced with its well thought-out hygiene and infec on protec on concept", rejoices Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director Messe Düsseldorf. “The whole team at Messe Düsseldorf and CIVD as well as all employees of our exhibitors turned this trade fair into a fantas c experience with great commitment and lots of passion – this passion for mobile leisure was omnipresent over the past ten days”, says Wienkamp. The mood at the fairground has been excellent. Just as posi ve, he adds, is the fact that more and more newbies as well as many young families have visited the caravanning trade fair. Hermann Pfaff, President of the Caravaning Industrie Verband, was also thrilled with how the CARAVAN SALON
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went: “These visitor numbers are a very good result under the circumstances. The fact that they include many newcomers and that the average age has come down markedly shows that we are currently experiencing an inflow of completely new customers. The success of the event, however, is not only measured by the a endance figures but above all by the sales deals concluded – and those were even higher than in the record year across the board. Add to this, the customers’ very useful direct feedback that manufacturers can only get in this way at a trade fair. Furthermore, the expert exchange on the biggest B-2-B pla orm of our industry is extremely valuable for exhibitors.” The exhibitors of CARAVAN SALON were also exuberant about the results of the trade fair and reported very good sales closed. “A er ini al scep cism we are overall very happy to have presented our products at this year’s CARAVAN SALON in Düsseldorf. Although the number of visitors was limited our Hobby sales team were kept very busy. Our customers – also including many young people – were highly interested and very pa ent and relaxed at the same me. Apart from our vehicles the well thought-out hygiene concept was
also received very well by visitors and distancing measures were observed. To sum up, the CARAVAN SALON – even under these special circumstances – proved a really nice trade fair,” says Holger Schulz, Managing Director at Hobby. Dr. Holger Siebert, Managing Director at Eura Mobil GmbH and Trigano Deutschland KG, says: “This Caravan Salon was special – we have held the first major trade fair in Germany in precarious mes. The atmosphere was relaxed and posi ve, and the par es involved highly sa sfied with the results at the end of the day. Our thanks as exhibitors go to Messe Düsseldorf that has done a perfect job in the run-up to and during the trade fair. Occupying 15,000 square metres of exhibi on space with 20 brands in the segments motor caravan, caravan, accessories and rentals the Trigano Group showed trust the trade fair and our decision proved right. All brands succeeded in increasing their sales. Our premium brand Eura Mobil saw the new Contura on a Mercedes chassis celebrate its debut. The modern entrylevel brand Forster proved par cularly popular among the no ceably younger trade fair visitors this year, especially the starter vans priced below EUR 35,000. The
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September 2020 stand space, thereby easing visitor rou ng and allowing for sufficient wai ng areas by the vehicles. Conversa ons on the stand and in the guest area were very relaxed, safe and at ease thanks to the par on screens we had installed between the tables.”
tradi on-rich Karmann-Mobil brand exhibited on a substan ally enlarged exhibi on stand and benefited from the trend towards camper vans /buses. Finally, the Spanish brand Benimar, which was represented in Düsseldorf for the first me, staged an impressive market entry on a 900 m² stand. “This year’s CARAVAN SALON was a resounding success despite all the special circumstances. As one of the most beau ful and currently safest forms of vaca oning, caravanning boasts enormous poten al – as the trade fair clearly demonstrated,” said Gerd Adamietzki, CSO at Knaus Tabbert AG, and added: “We are so delighted the trade fair could be held in Düsseldorf. It provides us with the perfect se ng for staging our products; and the growth rates we posted yet again show that the innova ons by Knaus Tabbert inspire customers – caravanning has really become mainstream now. In a nutshell: CARAVAN SALON 2020 has exceeded our expecta ons. This is also a ributable to the exemplary implementa on of Messe Düsseldorf’s hygiene and safety concept.” Bernd Wuschack, Manager Sales, Marke ng and A er-Sales Service at the Carthago Group: “CARAVAN SALON 2020 called for a lot of courage in these mes of the pandemic. Courage on the part of Messe Düsseldorf, on the part of exhibitors and dealers as well as on the part of visitors. This courage has paid off for all par es involved: the audience
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behaved in a very disciplined and mindful manner, our specially developed exhibi on concept with separate mee ng islands met with a very posi ve response and the hygiene concept of Messe Düsseldorf was successful. Be it Carthago or Malibu – the numerous innova ons presented for our motor caravan brands went down extremely well with the avidly interested visitors. They were just as pleased with the relaxed atmosphere at our trade fair stand. In view of the unique circumstances this year’s CARAVAN SALON was truly a very successful trade fair for the Carthago Group. Now our retail partners and we ourselves expect equally successful follow-up business a er the fair.” Mike Reuer, Managing Director at Wes alia Mobil GmbH, also echoes this posi ve verdict: “We are pleased we opted to par cipate at the CARAVAN SALON and display our products here. In line with the hygiene concept there were fewer trade fair visitors touring the halls than in previous years – but we saw visitors with an increased and concrete interest in camper vans and buses. The posi ve result is that direct sales to end users clearly exceeded those posted in the previous year. In our opinion the trade fair company has put the detailed hygiene concept into prac ce very well. Visitors were very disciplined, wearing face masks and wai ng at a distance to inspect the vehicles. These were placed further apart on our markedly enlarged
The trade fair also went well for the suppliers in the “Technik-Order” segment featuring technical equipment, detachable parts and installa ons for order. Commen ng on this John-David Pozzi, Managing Director at Fiamma S.p.A., said: “We are sa sfied and can look back on a very successful trade fair. Customers need to see the innova ons and novel es on the market hands on – which is why I am happy about returning to normal. For the many newcomers in the caravanning sector the CARAVAN SALON is the ideal opportunity to gather informa on and gain a comprehensive overview. Needless to say, there were much fewer people in total but instead the quality of the leads with in-depth and probing conversa ons was very high. We welcomed a surprisingly large number of wellinformed visitors to our stand.” “The decision to join the fray as an exhibitor here in Düsseldorf proved absolutely right. The CARAVAN SALON gives us ideal opportuni es to obtain direct feedback from our end users. We found the conversa ons very helpful and the audience very focused and sa sfied with the sales deals concluded. The exhibitors represen ng the upstream supply industries here rate the results of the trade fair as posi ve – even though there were fewer B-2-B leads generated as was to be expected. Both manufacturers and visitors felt at home and safe; the considerate and mindful a tude towards fellow a endees was par cularly striking and pleasant to note,” sums up Nicolaus Hirsch, Managing Director at Linnepe GmbH. The 60th CARAVAN SALON Düsseldorf will be held from 27 August to 5 September 2021.
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September 2020
Shenzhen World, The Largest Trade Fair Venue Globally, Successfully Hosted The World’s Largest Furniture Exhibi on
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henzhen World has successfully hosted the world’s largest furniture show, the Shenzhen Interna onal Furniture Exhibi on, which took place from August 20 un l 23.
with the outcome of the show. “In the current circumstances we did not expect such an overwhelming success, but buyer interest was very high and thus the show succeeded much be er than expected.
With the gradual reopening of the exhibi on business in China by the central Government many venues have restarted opera ons. To date, however, most shows have seen significant reduc ons in size and a endance In accordance with local health regula ons, Shenzhen World together with the organizer of the Shenzhen Interna onal Furniture Exhibi on implemented strict safety protocols. For a endees, social distance keeping and the wearing of face-covering masks throughout the en re venue were mandatory. Addi onally, all a endees were obliged to be in possession of their respec ve green travel passes (mobile). A further combina on of health measures, such as body temperature scanners, sani za on sta ons and regular cleaning enabled the show to go forward in a safe environment.
For the next edi on of the show in 2021 we expect that the show will use 400.000m², the en re space of Shenzhen World.” Mr. Yun Ma, President and CEO of Shenzhen World, said: “Hos ng such a big show was a challenge for us but also very rewarding. Shenzhen World, with its ample hall space, its large boulevards, its grand mee ng rooms and vast F&B areas is the only venue globally which can host such shows and we are proud that the en re event took place smoothly and so successfully”.
The event’s overwhelming success can, amongst other factors, also be a ributed to the new product segments which were
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introduced this year, such as "Challenging Impossibility" by Japanese residence master Sadao Tsuchiya, or “WorkBox: Foreseeing the future 2025”. In addi on, a number of world leading brands, like Gensler, Vitra, Haworth or Vita Home took part in the show. As a result, Shenzhen Interna onal Furniture Exhibi on, in its first edi on in Shenzhen World, advanced to the largest furniture show globally. Exhibitor numbers increased by 75% compared to the previous edi on of the show, whilst visitor numbers increased by nearly 40% to 216.000. With 320.000 gross m² and more than 140.000 net rented m² the size of the show nearly tripled. Oliver Hou, Execu ve Chairman of the Shenzhen Furniture Associa on, the organizer of Shenzhen Interna onal Furniture Exhibi on, expressed that he was extremely pleased
Dr. Gerd Weber, partner at jwc, said: “It is clear that when we at jwc developed the Master Plan for Shenzhen World, we did not foresee the extent of a Covid-19 situa on. But of course, seeing today that Shenzhen World was capable to host an event of this size in the current circumstances, gives us great sa sfac on and confirms our venue development philosophy”.
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September 2020
2020 IELA General Assembly Elec on Results: Guido Fornelli Elected As New IELA Chairman 2020 Ma hias Dornscheidt, Vice President Global Fairs & Exhibi ons - Schenker Deutschland AG, Germany Ÿ Alexandra Erdmann, CEO - Swiss Expo Logis cs Ltd., Switzerland Ÿ Daniel Mithran, Director - JIM Project & Expo Logis cs (M) Sdn.Bhd, Malaysia Ÿ Jacqui Nel, Director - EF-GSM South Africa, South Africa Ÿ
The 2020-2021 IELA COMMITTEE: During the General Assembly, Lena Widman, Managing Director - On-Site Exhibi ons AB, Sweden, was elected as new Commi ee Member, joining Greg Keh, COO of TWI Group Inc., USA and Ravinder Sethi, Managing Director of R.E. Rogers India Pvt. Ltd., India., to form the 2020-2021 IELA Commi ee.
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he Interna onal Exhibi on Logis cs Associa on (IELA) has elected a new chairman and four new exhibi on logis cs leaders to its Board of Management. Three Women leaders were elected to head the 'IELA Strategy in the NEW NOW' project. Guido Fornelli was elected as the new Chairman for a period of two years. Guido has been involved with the Associa on since 1992 and joined the IELA BOM for the first me in 2003. A er the announcement of the results, the new Chairman Guido Fornelli stated:“I'm honoured to be the Chairman of our Associa on and look forward to star ng work with the new elected Board. It is amazing to see that distance didn't dampen, but even increased, our enthusiasm for involvement and par cipa on in IELA life during the last months.
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The Digital Assembly and e-mail vote are definitely an experience of a new kind this year. I strongly hope we'll not need to repeat it in the future!!! It is indeed so sad that we did not get the chance to meet in person as usual and have to shi to our interes ng Zoom mee ngs. Let's hope we can step into a “New Now” next year and resume the work we love and which we are used to handling so successfully. I can assure you that myself, the IELA Board and Elizabeth's Team are restless to con nue on project development and to deliver the value we all need to overcome the Pandemic with new ideas, new tools and new pla orms for the new era! ” The newly-formed IELA 2020-2021 BOM welcomes 4 new faces this year for a 2year term. The following individuals are all recognised leaders in the exhibi on logis cs industry and already involved in the associa on's ac vi es:
Elizabeth Niehaus, Execu ve Officer of IELA sad: “The NEW NOW poses new challenges to the event value chain. The exhibi on and event industry is a truly global industry made of resilient, crea ve and strong people. It's the factor People which is the answer to all new threats. A great example is the new IELA Board of Management, ready to take decisive ac ons and launch a formal transforma on programme for the associa on. We are par cularly proud that women leaders make up 40% of Management. They will be a source of inspira on to ignite IELA ac vi es from another perspec ve, bringing their fresh input, ideas and ini a ves to drive IELA into the future. The IELA trademark stands for excellence and cohesion in the industry. IELA is commi ed to the industry and to its members and is determined to ac vely promote the paramount role of events and exhibi ons for all economies worldwide more than ever.”
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September 2020
IMM Cologne 2021 To Go Ahead For January 2021
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erman trade fair imm cologne has confirmed that it will take place (with Living Kitchen) from January, 18-24, 2021. “We want to blaze a bold trail into the new normal together with the industry,” says Ma hias Pollmann, vice president, trade fair management, at organizer Koelnmesse. As it stands, 70% of the hall space has been booked. “Given the present circumstances, this really is a very good registra on figure,” explains Ma hias. “Compared with previous months, we are also currently seeing increased interest overall in holding live trade fairs. The mo va ng realiza on is gaining ground that real-life interac ons between people are essen al when it comes to establishing and building business rela onships. To ensure the safety of exhibitors and visitors, Koelnmesse has worked in coopera on with the public authori es to
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develop #B-SAFE4business, a concept that makes provision for all measures rela ng to hygiene, medical care and organisa on. On top of that, Koelnmesse has drawn up a hygiene and infec on control concept, which complies with the current provisions of North Rhine-Westphalia's Corona Protec on Ordinance and the requirements of the relevant health authority. Measures include discharging used air from the exhibi on halls to the outside and drawing in en rely new fresh air so that aerosols cannot spread via our ven la on system. The team from imm cologne is very op mis c about a rac ng visitors. “Of course, the number of visitors will depend on the travel situa on with regard to air, rail and local public transport – as well as on the extent to which travel restric ons are li ed. Nevertheless, we are already reaching around 90 per cent of our trade visitors despite the limita ons that are
currently in place.” At the same me, the imm cologne team is also developing a hybrid event format for those par cipants unable to a end in person. “We will focus on extending our digital reach and will learn from the digital formats we are offering this autumn for gamescom and DMEXCO,” comments Pollmann. “Of course, it is in the nature of the interior design sector that its products are more difficult to present digitally than games are, for instance. Nevertheless, we are seeing some good concepts for streaming certain imm cologne events as well as top-class congress talks and discussions. Exhibitors will also be able to present their products digitally and thereby increase their reach. To supplement our digital matchmaking op ons, we are not only expanding the business opportuni es available to our exhibitors but also reaching a broad spectrum of visitors.”
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September 2020
Exhibi ons To Play Cri cal Role In Post-covid World As Dubai Re-Starts Events Industry – Study
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ubai is seen as the safest loca on to host interna onal exhibi ons and conferences in the coming months, while trade fairs will play a cri cal role in a postcovid 'restart', according to new research. A recent market survey of more than 4,000 professionals from 130 countries explored the impact of covid-19 on the global exhibi ons industry, delving into key areas such as travel, budgets, and the importance of trade fairs in a postpandemic world. The study covered a wide range of industry sectors from the auto a ermarket and commercial security to beauty and cosme cs, showing that 77 percent of respondents viewed Dubai and Germany (41 percent of respondents), as the safest des na ons to a end exhibi ons post covid-19. Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) agreed that as the novel coronavirus recedes and a semblance of normality returns, exhibi ons will be more important for business (31 percent), or just as important (38 percent), compared to the past. A further 64 percent plan to a end exhibi ons in the next eight months, while 36 percent have been given the
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green light to do so before the end of this year. The July 2020 'Exhibi ons post covid-19' survey was commissioned by Messe Frankfurt Middle East (MFME), one of the region's largest trade fair organisers with major events such as Automechanika Dubai, Intersec, and Beautyworld Middle East among its por olio of more than 16 exhibi ons and conferences. “As with many business sectors, the trade fair industry felt the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, par cularly in Dubai, which has a thriving exhibi on sector at the Dubai World Trade Centre,” said Simon Mellor, Messe Frankfurt Middle East's CEO. “The purpose of the 'Exhibi ons post covid-19' study was to inves gate how this global virus affected businesses of MFME stakeholders, and how we can address their concerns collabora vely with our peers. We will con nue to run the survey over the course of the year and look to engage more par es as it evolves over me.” Added Mr. Mellor: “The good news for the exhibi ons industry is it's s ll a cri cal component for business success, as this
research has indicated. Clearly there is an appe te for the events sector to pick up in Dubai, with this evident during the AI Everything conference at DWTC, which marked the return of physical events in Dubai. “Globally, Messe Frankfurt has 'restarted' exhibi ons with the opening of Intertex le Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics on 15 July 2020 in China, and we're on track to deliver two of our most important shows in Dubai. These will take place with stringent health and safety measures to help keep our a endees safe.” While 77 percent of the survey respondents indicated they may travel abroad for business by the end of 2020, much of this figure (50 percent) depends on the li ing of interna onal travel restric ons. Half who said they could travel abroad before the end of the year, pending government rules and recommenda ons, said they would do so by airplane. Encouragingly, nearly 62 percent would a end exhibi ons at their 'home country' and abroad, however 25 percent would only a end an event 'at home', perceiving reduced travel as be er for their health and safety.
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September 2020
UFI Research Shows: COVID-19 To Cause Net Space Sold In Asia To Plummet By 75% In 2020 – Latest UFI/BSG report on the trade fair industry in Asia tracks regional developments before and during COVID-19 pandemic – Net space sold is expected to fall from the 24.5 million m2 recorded in 2019 down to 6.8 million m2 in 2020 – 2019 saw con nuous growth in the region, with close to 5% growth of the exhibi on space sold by exhibi on organisers to clients The report also provides a detailed summary of the industry's performance in Asia last year. In 2019, across the region, net space sold at Asian trade fairs reached 24.5 million m2, represen ng an average growth rate of 4.8% across 17 Asian trade fair markets – up from 23.4 million m2 in 2018. On the posi ve side, investment in venue capacity con nues. By the end of 2021, venue capacity in Asia will be 11.8 million m2, and the number of purposebuilt exhibi on venues opera ng in Asia will be over 280. Key markets including India, Korea and China will add capacity.
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FI, the Global Associa on of the Exhibi on Industry, has released the 16th edi on of its annual report on the Trade Fair Industry in Asia, capturing an industry in the midst of an unprecedented global crisis. The report, compiled in Hong Kong by BSG, covers actual performance of the industry in 2019, as well as forecasts for the years 2020 and 2021. Overall, BSG es mates that Asia will record an unprecedented 75% drop in net space sold in 2020 compared to 2019 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This means net space sold is expected to fall from the 24.5 million m2 recorded in 2019 down to just 6.8 million m2 in 2020. According to BSG, achieving this result depends on the market in China – which accounts for nearly 60% of net space sold in Asia. If China avoids a significant second or third wave of infec ons, 6.8 million m2 sold across the region in 2020 is achievable. If China experiences another outbreak and returns to lockdown, the actual results in 2020 will be significantly lower. Of the large markets in Asia, China is expected to record the strongest performance in 2020 with a drop in net
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space sold of 65%. Japan, the second largest trade fair market in the region, is expected to see a decline of 75%. Markets with highly interna onal trade fairs, including Hong Kong and Singapore, will post a 90%+ decline in net space sold in 2020. In 2021, BSG's forecast for the Asia Pacific region is net space sold in the range of 50% to 60% of 2019 levels – with China expected to outperform all other markets. In 2021, China is expected to achieve 70% to 75% of net space sold in 2019 – barring a significant new outbreak of COVID-19. In 2021, Asia's second largest trade fair market, Japan is forecast to record 40% to 50% of space sold in 2019, hampered by the on-going closure of key venues needed for the postponed Olympic games. UFI Asia/Pacific Regional Manager and BSG managing director, Mark Cochrane notes that “the forecast for 2021 is par cularly challenging due to the long list of poten al unknowns, including possible waves of new infec ons in any market, the ming and severity of government restric ons in each market, travel restric ons, and a number of other factors”.
Kai Ha endorf, UFI Managing Director, commented, “Our industry is currently naviga ng the most challenging crisis in its history. In 2020, net space sold will fall by more than 90% in some markets – and a full recovery will not be realised un l 2022 or 2023. With that in mind, the data and analysis in this report are more valuable than ever for UFI's members as they advocate for government support and plan their recovery strategy.” This report provides detailed informa on on the development of trade fairs and suppor ng facili es in 17 markets: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. The report also includes analysis on actual market performance in 2019 as well as forecasts for 2020 and 2021, and commentary on key trends in each market. The research was undertaken for UFI, the Global Associa on of the Exhibi on Industry, by Business Strategies Group (BSG) in Hong Kong.
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September 2020
IAEE Announces Virtual And In-Person Hybrid Format For Expo! Expo! 2020
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he Interna onal Associa on of Exhibi ons and Events has announced that Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Mee ng & Exhibi on 2020 will be produced as a hybrid event to include a virtual online experience as well as a live, face-to-face experience. This year's Expo! Expo! will be held on 8-10 December at the Kentucky Interna onal Conven on Center (KICC) in Louisville, Ky. IAEE has selected Swapcard as its pla orm provider partner to power the virtual, online experience of the event. “IAEE underwent an extensive RFP process to select the pla orm,” noted IAEE President and CEO David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA. “The process began last April and yielded 21 proposals from virtual event pla orm solu on providers. IAEE staff experienced demonstra ons from 12 of these pla orms, an invaluable learning opportunity for us all. The comprehensive RFP document was shared with the en re
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IAEE community, including with organizer members as a reference for their own pursuits of virtual event solu ons. A er much delibera on, we are eager to share with Expo! Expo! a endees the experience Swapcard offers.” “As a decade long supporter of IAEE's Expo! Expo!, it's an honor to partner with the industry-leading associa on for exhibi on and event organizers. We are proud to have been selected as their exclusive virtual conference and exhibi on pla orm. It's a testament to our product and support teams who have rapidly expanded our ability to power thousands of complex virtual mee ngs during this challenging me for our industry,” said Ma hew Donegan-Ryan, General Manager of Swapcard. “IAEE shares our vision that communi es create valuable and efficient bonds through events, whether hosted inperson, or virtually.” IAEE is working
closely with Louisville Tourism, the KICC, and other show partners on the implementa on of health and safety ini a ves. Louisville Tourism, the host city for Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Mee ng & Exhibi on 2020, recently announced its support of the GBAC STAR™ facility accredita on program, with assistance in funding select hospitality industry venues, including the KICC, for the first year. The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry associa on, has been ac vely involved in the first release and con nued development of IAEE's Essen al Considera ons for Safely Reopening Exhibi ons and Events. The cost for virtual Expo! Expo! a endees to receive an all-access pass, including all live and on-demand content, will be $299 USD for IAEE members. There will also be op ons for member organizers to a end the marketplace por on of the pla orm at no charge.
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September 2020
Tarsus Group Celebrates A Return To Live B2B Events In China exhibi on space. The organising teams in Tarsus China worked closely with venues and event partners to ensure that the most stringent of health and safety requirements were delivered on-site and to meet all measures put in place by the Chinese government around live events.
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arsus, the global B2B media group, has announced that it has successfully delivered six exhibi ons over the course of just five weeks in China – a key territory for the business where it is one of the largest exhibi on organisers in opera on. The safe running of numerous face-toface events across key ver cals in the wake of Covid-19 has been heralded as a posi ve indicator for a wider recovery in the global events industry whilst also clearly demonstra ng the capacity for live business events to be run in a safe and compliant way. The events industry is one that has been par cularly impacted by the repercussions of the global pandemic and has seen hundreds of events across the sector being postponed or cancelled en rely. However, with exhibi ons recognised as one of the most effec ve and targeted B2B marke ng channels, demand for live events remains high with many businesses sta ng that they are missing the value delivered by face-toface events and the role they play in driving economic recovery. Kicking off on 10 July with the Automo ve A ermarket Industry and Tuning Fair (AAITF) Tarsus China went on to deliver SIUF The Interna onal Brand Underwear
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Fair, the Zhengzhou Medical and Dental Fair, the West China Dental Show, Hometex, the Home Furnishing Expo and most recently, Guangzhou Prolight +
John Liu, CEO Tarsus China elaborated: “The health and safety of our customers, a endees and staff guided every decision we made when planning and running these shows; whilst we were very keen to get back to staging events we wanted to ensure that we could do it safely and successfully. A huge amount of thanks also goes to our event partners, industry associa ons and the venues we worked with for helping us to meet all the measures necessary post Covid-19. It was exci ng for us as a team to get a feel for what events are going to look like in the future and we were delighted to incorporate a hybrid model at some of our shows such as Hometex, to enable customers who could not physically be there to s ll par cipate.” Given the group's significant global footprint, other divisions across the business as well as industry counterparts will see the recent shows as evidence of a burgeoning recovery for the wider events industry. Tarsus Group CEO, Douglas Emslie commented: “I want to congratulate our team and partners in China for a fantas c run of events over the past few weeks. I think it's fair to say they have given all of us a much needed boost of confidence and reason for op mism as we find our way forward on the back of the pandemic.
Sound with all six shows demonstra ng posi ve results and very strong turn-outs – the combined events went on to host almost 4,000 exhibitors and more than 220,000 visitors over 380,000 sqm of
Tarsus China have demonstrated that not only can B2B events be delivered safely but moreover that there is significant pent up demand for exhibi ons and that we have a vital role to play in suppor ng industries as they seek to recover, innovate and rebuild supply chains in this very challenging period and beyond.”
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September 2020
TCEB Helps Interna onal Trade Show Organisers To Re-Energize Their Exhibi ons In Thailand industries, suppor ng exhibi ons with strong poten al to expand industries rela ng to Thailand 4.0, logis cs and infrastructure, as well as those iden fied by the government as post-COVID-19 focus industries. These include future automo ve; robo cs and automa on; medical hub; food processing; defence/disaster and pandemic management, many of which industries have a localised presence in Thailand's high-profile industrial infrastructure, such as the Eastern Economic Corridor.
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he Thailand Conven on and Exhibi on Bureau (TCEB) has unveiled a new support scheme to help organisers of interna onal tradeshows in Thailand get back to business in the wake of COVID-19. Re-Energizing Exhibi on is a new campaign designed to help interna onal organisers and their clients gain all they can from their exhibi on experience in Thailand. It seeks to limit disrup on to event crea on and management by suppor ng both online and offline services through four core values, Ease-Up, Experience, Enhance and Empower. The campaign incorporates and expands on previous ini a ves including the ASEAN+6 Privilege programme, now extended to include oversea MICE travel agents; and the Exhibiz in Market campaign, which has been made available to one more player, exhibi on sales agents.
size of events and lowers the criteria in the physical a endance of interna onal par cipants, while promo ng remote interna onal par cipa on through interna onal marke ng assistance. This has been achieved by revising ASEAN+6 Privilege and Exhibiz in Market campaigns, in addi on to raising fixed financial subsidy of up to 25 per cent for both local and overseas marke ng across all event sizes. The Experience element sees TCEB invi ng interna onal and domes c involvement through effec ve hybrid exhibi on development. Thailand has embraced this 'new normal' of exhibi ons in which engagement is increased through online components, driven by the bureau's Virtual Mee ng Space (VMS), which supports business conducted through effec ve online methods such as webinars and online-to-offline interac on. The support includes site inspec on of virtual events.
"TCEB's E-themed quartet of promo ons have been designed to introduce domes c talent and enterprise, aid with interna onal and regional promo on and mi gate the disrup on caused by COVID19's impact on interna onal events," said Mrs. Nichapa Yoswee, TCEB Senior Vice President.
In parallel with this, TCEB also strives to ensure minimal disrup on to the physical experience, providing addi onal funding for organisers to conduct hygiene management and apply disease control measures set out by the Ministry of Public Health.
Ease Up supports the recruitment of domes c par cipants, reduces minimum
To Enhance interna onal business events in Thailand, TCEB is promo ng target
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Apart from that, partnership with the airlines will grant addi onal privileges for local and interna onal par cipants. The Empower component of TCEB's new campaign is designed to engage government collabora on by easing regula ons, facilita ng growth and giving regional industry a boost through pavilions at trade shows in Thailand. TCEB is doing the utmost to ensure new shows are being developed with a commitment to local service providers and an incuba on programme designed to support and propel Thai entrepreneurs. At its core, Re-Energizing Exhibi on aims to provide accessibility and return on investment from trade shows in Thailand, and minor changes to exis ng campaigns further accommodate the market's changing requirements, such as including overseas MICE travel agents in ASEAN+6 Privilege campaign. The Exhibiz in Market campaign has also been extended to include exhibi on sales agents in addi on to worldwide trade associa ons, chambers of commerce, non-profit organisa ons and federa ons. Thailand is South East Asia's leading exhibi ons marketplace. As restric ons on events are now eased up, there will be 43 shows scheduled for 2021 and another 14 shows in the pipeline. TCEB is on-hand to re-energize the future of the industry, concluded Mrs. Nichapa.
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September 2020
Prime Minister Sco Morrison Announces $50 Million Injec on To Drive Confidence For Australia’s Business Events
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Program, approved business events, including mee ngs conven ons, incen ves and exhibi ons, will be able to apply for upfront grants to cover up to 50 per cent of their costs (between $10,000 and $250,000). This ini a ve is part of the Morrison-McCormack Government's $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund, which supports sectors severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) welcomed the Government's $50 million funding announcement to support the restart of Australia's business events industry. The targeted support will drive confidence and create momentum, posi oning the industry to rebound as market condi ons improve. Under the Australian Business Events Grants
The business events industry was one of the first and hardest hit industries by COVID-19 and may be one of the last to recover, due to the long lead mes between booking and holding a major business event. By March this year, 96% of business events scheduled for 2020 in Australia had been cancelled or postponed. Close collabora on with Government led to this announcement as BECA's Recovery and Rebound Framework highlighted the devasta ng impact of COVID-19 on the sector and the need for funding to drive business confidence.
rime Minister Sco Morrison has confirmed $50 million in support for Australia's business events industry. This news confirms the Government's recogni on of the cri cal role that exhibi ons and business events play in rebuilding the Australian economy.
With a contribu on of $35.7 billion to the Australian economy, and employment of 229,000 people, it's important that the business events industry can recover as quickly as possible. Last year over 480,000 business events were held in Australia and over 43 million people a ended a business event in the form of a mee ng, conven on, exhibi on or incen ve event. In a recent survey conducted by BECA, 67% of businesses said they don't have any business events confirmed for 2020 and 48% of businesses said they don't have any business events confirmed for 2021 either. While Australia's state and territory borders remain closed, the recovery of the business events industry is seriously impeded. BECA calls for clear guidelines that provide predictability and transparency in the way the borders are being managed so businesses can plan and book their next business event with confidence.
Ethiopia Acquisi on Is The Latest African Market Expansion For DMG events
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eading interna onal events company dmg events, has acquired Addisbuild, the longest-running building and construc on exhibi on in Ethiopia. Acquired from Expo m Uluslararasi Fuar Organisa on A.S. the 11th edi on is set to take place in Addis Ababa on 14 to 16 October 2021, under the new name:
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exclusive business matching-making event.
Addisbuild by The Big 5 Construct Ethiopia. The new branding will align the event with the broader Big 5 por olio, whilst building on the decade of experience and knowledge accumulated by the Addisbuild team. The rebranded exhibi on will also deliver on dmg events' vision to provide the best pla orm for the world's construc on businesses to venture into emerging markets.
The demand for construc on materials across Africa is expected to remain strong, with a volume CAGR of 5.4% over 20192029. As one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, Ethiopia will benefit greatly from an extensive building and construc on event.
Keeping in line with The Big 5 events around the globe, the show's content will be steered by an Execu ve Commi ee comprising of the country's top developers, architects and contractors. Show a endees will benefit from a comprehensive programme of free-toa end CPD cer fied workshops and an
The country's growth is driven by increases in industrial ac vity, infrastructure investment and boosts to manufacturing. These changes are set to deliver more opportuni es for sectors such as heavy machinery, mining, road building, concrete, steel, and other building resources.
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September 2020
Stuart Bailey Re-Elected As The Chairman Of HKECIA Commi ee were elected. The Chairman, Execu ve Vice Chairman, two Vice Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary were also appointed in the 1st Execu ve Commi ee Mee ng following the AGM. Mr. Stuart Bailey is pleased to have been re-elected as the Chairman of the HKECIA for the third me.
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he Hong Kong Exhibi on & Conven on Industry Associa on (HKECIA) is has announced that the 2020 Annual General Mee ng was successfully held virtually on 7th August 2020, from which the new term of Execu ve
Mr. Bailey commented that 2019 was a challenging year for the conven on & exhibi on industry due to the escala on of the US-China trade war as well as the city-wide public ac vi es in the second half of the year. And since the beginning of the 2020, the whole industry have been hit hard by the effects of the global pandemic and suffered greatly. He is s ll confident that we will beat the virus and that face-to-face exhibi ons will come
back stronger than ever combined with new ideas that will enhance deal-making and measurable business outcomes for all par cipants. He would like to thank the members for everything that has been done over the past months to support each other and help to provide a strong network to share ideas and give advice; he has been delighted to see the solidarity shown by HKECIA members recognising that we are all in this together. He would also like to thank the Execu ve Commi ee who has been unwavering in their efforts to find solu ons to the many problems that the industry faces. By con nuing to work together, he believes that the industry can emerge stronger and make Hong Kong once again Asia’s World City.
Entry To Germany Possible For All Foreign Trade Fair Par cipants Exhibitors and visitors can generally enter Germany even from outside the EU to par cipate in a trade fair. This has been decided by the German government. This clears the way for par cipa on in ISPO Munich 2021.
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reen light for foreign exhibitors and visitors at ISPO Munich from 31 January to 3 February 2021: As the German government has decided, exhibitors and visitors at a trade fair can in principle enter Germany, even if they come from a country that does not belong to the EU/Schengen area or the group of countries on the German posi ve list. Since trade fair par cipants are considered business travellers with good cause, entry is permi ed. Par cipants from non-EU/Schengen countries or countries that are not on the posi ve list must provide proof of their par cipa on in the trade fair when applying for a visa or entering Germany: Exhibitors with a confirma on of their par cipa on from the trade fair Ÿ Visitors to the trade fair with presenta on of their admission cket to the trade fair and an appointment with at least one trade fair exhibitor Ÿ
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September 2020
"Those Who Focus On Trade Fairs Can Gain Market Shares”: AUMA Chairman, Philip Har ng
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he German economy is currently experiencing considerable declines in sales due to the corona pandemic. Investments and private purchases are o en postponed or even cancelled. At the same me, the trade fair industry, otherwise the most important instrument of business-to-business communica on, has difficul es ge ng back on track, partly because many exhibi ng
companies are now asking themselves: do we rely on trade fair par cipa on to get our own business going? Or do we rather prefer wai ng un l the industry recovers, because then the success of the trade fair will probably be greater and other basic condi ons will have improved? Philip Har ng, Chairman of AUMA Associa on of the German Trade Fair Industry and himself an entrepreneur expresses : "The principle is: Whoever dares wins. Anyone who bets on trade fairs in the coming months will have an earlier chance than others to receive a direct, unfiltered response to innova ons,
because at trade fairs customers can check and test the product. Once the customer is convinced of the quality, he simply decides faster. Winning new customers in par cular is extremely difficult with the help of digital formats. Many companies have experienced this in recent weeks and months. Along the way an exhibitor also gets valuable advice for the enhancement of his products". And, according to Har ng, those who exhibit at trade shows find suitable coopera on partners faster, both professionally and personally, to help them weather the crisis be er. Last but not least, he says, one can ini ate urgently needed business deals, perhaps not as extensive as usual, but small orders o en enough turn into large ones in the medium term.
RAI Holds First Exhibi on In China Since Coronavirus Outbreak
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quatech China 2020, the largest interna onal exhibi on for process, drinking and waste water in Asia opened its doors at the Na onal Exhibi on and Conven on Center in Shanghai from 31 August – 2 September 2020. Aquatech 2020 is the first RAI exhibi on to take place since the outbreak of 2019-Novel Coronavirus.
featured across 125.000 square metres of exhibi on space will be there, ready to do business and to share with more than 80.000 visitors the latest developments for tackling China's water issues”; according to Maurits van der Sluis, COO of RAI Amsterdam.
Aquatech China 2020, originally planned from 3-5 June, was pushed back three months. This decision was made a er closely monitoring and assessing the poten al impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. In China the events industry is opening up again.
Van der Sluis emphasises: “A lot of a en on is paid to organize the exhibi on according to governmental regula ons in order to ensure a safe, responsible and hospitable Aquatech China. They involve focal points such as hygiene guidelines, facemasks and temperature checking. During registra on visitors have to provide their official IDnumber and there is facial recogni on at the entrance. At all mes visitor flows are
“We are very grateful to our Chinese and interna onal partners for their flexibility. I am happy to announce that almost 1800 interna onal and Chinese companies
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regulated. These changes are designed to guarantee the safety and health of all present”. Aquatech China will again be held next year (June 2021), followed by Aquatech Mexico in September. The biennial Aquatech Amsterdam will be held on 2-5 November 2021.
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September 2020
Messe Frankfurt Revamps Spring 2021 Schedule As a result of the course taken by the pandemic, Messe Frankfurt will not be holding any of its own physical trade fairs at the Frankfurt exhibi on grounds between January and March 2021. The company is revamping its spring trade fair calendar to focus on new synergies and new digital offerings.
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esse Frankfurt has already organised 13 large trade fairs at various loca ons in China since the crisis began. Unfortunately, however, it is not possible to hold such events in Germany at present. This is in spite of the fact that exhibi on halls are amongst the safest enclosed buildings in which people can spend me without being subjected to an increased risk of infec on. The halls can be con nuously resupplied with fresh air, and in conjunc on with the measures included in our extensive hygiene concept, people could safely do business in person here on the Frankfurt exhibi on grounds. However, now that it is not only governments ghtening travel restric ons, but also companies, the latest pandemic developments are causing growing uncertainty amongst trade fair customers. Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Execu ve Officer of Messe Frankfurt: “It is important for our customers that we make a decision at an early date, as it would otherwise be me for them to begin inves ng in their trade fair presenta ons. Messe Frankfurt will con nue working closely with its customers to ensure that its decisions serve the interests of the exhibi ng industries.” That is why Messe Frankfurt has reacted to ghtened travel restric ons by revamping its spring 2021 trade fair calendar for Frankfurt:
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Heimtex l moved to 4 to 7 May 2021 Heimtex l 2021 is being moved from January to 4–7 May 2021, when it will be taking place alongside Techtex l and Texprocess 2021 in Frankfurt. “Much of the interna onal home and contract tex les industry has made it clear that they want Heimtex l 2021 to take place. Many companies are looking to their trade fair presenta ons to help boost sales following the resump on of business, and we feel that it is more important now than ever that we sa sfy this demand,” explained Detlef Braun, Member of the Execu ve Board of Messe Frankfurt. “However, the travel restric ons that have now been put in place and a renewed rise in the number of infec ons simply pose too great a hurdle for our very interna onal event. We are working closely with our exhibitors and the relevant authori es and doing everything we can to ensure that we are able to hold a safe and successful Heimtex l 2021.” The new dates offer Heimtex l the opportunity to join with these two tex le fairs to serve the en re tex le value chain at the same me on the Frankfurt exhibi on grounds. “These modali es and external condi ons are equally applicable for every industry, including the field of consumer goods as a whole,” added Braun. ‘Interna onal Consumer Goods Show – Special Edi on’ brings together Messe Frankfurt’s consumer goods por olio in 2021 From 17 to 20 April 2021, the Ambiente, Christmasworld and Paperworld shows will be making a once-only appearance as a joint event in Frankfurt am Main: the Interna onal Consumer Goods Show – Special Edi on. The
physical event will be ac vely supplemented with digital offerings as part of Consumer Goods Digital Days, which will also be home to the purely digital Crea veworld, an event that is taking a oneyear hiatus as a physical mee ng place in 2021. As a result of the trade fairs taking place simultaneously on new dates and the hybrid nature of this event, the en re industry can look forward to beneficial new synergy effects in the ongoing pandemic. Increased scope: U lisa on of the Nextrade digital marketplace to be expanded As the first digital B2B marketplace for the Home & Living sector, the Nextrade pla orm matches supply and demand for the en re industry – crea ng tremendous added value for both. Ambiente, Tendence and Nords l have been using the portal and its ordering and data management services since 2019. In 2021, this portal will for the first me also be available to customers of Heimtex l, Christmasworld and Crea veworld to extend their physical trade fair par cipa on and allow orders to be placed all year round. ISH from 22 to 26 March 2021 as an en rely digital event ISH will be taking place as a purely digital event in 2021, with a wide range of digital features on offer. These include exhibitor presenta ons (products, informa on, videos, contact persons, chat func ons and oneto-one video calls), intelligent matchmaking that delivers suitable business partners for AI-supported lead genera on, live streams and ondemand broadcasts of the suppor ng programme, and appointments fo online mee ngs with exhibitors. And all of this will be available round the clock throughout the event, worldwide and in every me zone. More informa on will be available soon.
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September 2020
Virtual Fairs: Isolated Solu ons Vs. Long-term Strategy therefore crucial to determining the strategy. This also directly implies that it is not an “eitheror” decision – rather, the strengths and weaknesses must be weighed against each other and the strategic use of the two supposed alterna ves must be planned accordingly.
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irtual fairs have been around for years as a digital alterna ve to real trade fairs – but so far they have not been able to establish themselves. It was not un l the shutdown of the Covid-19 pandemic that they became increasingly popular. From a strategic perspec ve, however, the ques on now arises as to whether this is a short-term phenomenon or a long-term development. This analysis is crucial to the ques on of whether virtual fairs require an isolated solu on or long-term strategy in the marke ng Virtual fairs – short-term phenomenon or long-term development? Looking at this issue under the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is not only scien fically incorrect, but also dangerous from a business perspec ve. The mo ves for virtual trade fairs are too different and the feedback on the success of virtual trade fairs is just as varied. If you want to make a well-founded decision, virtual fairs must be placed in the context of global and long-term marke ng developments. Probably one of the most central changes in marke ng is the trend towards inbound marke ng or content marke ng. This trend is analogous to the change in user behavior: users want to inform themselves about products and make a well-founded purchase decision themselves. The mes of ac ve selling are over. Marke ng and sales are becoming the customer’s advisors along the customer journey. The contribu on that virtual fairs and real fairs can provide to the customer journey is
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Customer Journey – Digital vs. Physical Touchpoints A very good introduc on to the ques on is to look at the customer journey in terms of digital and physical touchpoints.
The customer-journey view has gained in importance in the context of online marke ng. The reason for this is not that people in offline marke ng have not thought about the customer journey, but rather because of the easier tracking of touchpoints in the digital world. The visualiza on of the touchpoints makes it clear that there are generally fewer physical than digital touch points. The ongoing trend towards digi za on is further accelera ng this. A look at city centers illustrates this development in the area of store touchpoints (retail trade). However, this growing imbalance can also be a possible explana on for the posi ve development of the live communica on sector (trade fairs & events) in recent years. If real trade fairs are “replaced” by virtual trade fairs, further physical touchpoints disappear. This means that virtual fairs are just another digital touchpoint and cannot replace the physical touchpoint “real fair”.
The previous sec on has shown that replacing real fairs with virtual fairs in both the isolated solu on and long term strategy cannot replace physical
touchpoints. So if “virtual fairs” are to be used sensibly, they must necessarily be a sensible supplement to “real fairs” and cannot be considered separately. The advantages and disadvantages of the respec ve formats must always be considered in the context of the customer journey (see sec on 1). The following thoughts serve this purpose: Ÿ Real trade fairs take place at a certain me, at a certain place and are limited to a certain period of me. Ÿ Naturally, the contacts of our target group are in different phases of the customer journey. Due to the restric ons (fixed me & limited me frame) the real event can only reach a part of the target group in terms of the customer journey. Ÿ Virtual fairs (digital events) therefore have the poten al to compensate for the limita ons of the real trade fair ( me and place) The following applies to the use of virtual fairs: The virtual fair must extend the dura on of the real trade fair and thus provide the content on a long-term basis. Ÿ Access to the content must be made available to the target group in every phase of the customer journey. Ÿ
Virtual fair: Standalone vs. Hybride
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Ÿ
September 2020
The virtual trade fair must be a fixed and long-term component of the customer journey.
Ins tu onaliza on of virtual fairs in the Customer Journey The last sec on showed that the virtual trade fair as a supplement to the real
integrated into the exis ng marke ng so ware infrastructure. Ÿ Connected: The pla orm must be able to connect to all available communica on services. Ÿ Ongoing: The pla orm must be able to host the content prior, during and a er virtual or hybrid events
Visitors are not directed to other pla orms, but spend “their me” directly on the page of the “exhibi ng company”. Ÿ The virtual space thus complements the content strategy with addi onal, valuable content Ÿ
Summary of virtual fairs
trade fair makes a useful contribu on to the customer journey, as it provides the content on a long-term basis (content marke ng).
A corresponding architecture can therefore only be achieved by seamlessly integra ng plug-ins into exis ng content marke ng architectures. In order to correctly implement the requirements of the AMICO model, virtual trade fairs should therefore not be used as an ad hoc isolated solu on, but rather integrated
At the same me, however, the strategy for virtual trade fairs must also fulfill the following requirements: (AMICO model) Authority: The content of the virtual trade fairs must be under the company’s own sovereignty and control. Ÿ Measurable: The success of the virtual and real trade fairs must be measurable and transparent to the target group. Ÿ Integrated: The content of the virtual trade fair must be seamlessly integrated with the exis ng content. Ÿ Connected: The system must be able to “talk” to communica on tools via interfaces Ÿ Ongoing: The content of the virtual trade fair must be permanently available. So ware architecture according to the AMICO model To implement the requirements of the AMICO model, the following requirements must be fulfilled by a virtual event pla orm. Ÿ
Authority: The pla orm must be under control of the own marke ng or event department. Ÿ Measurable: The pla orm must generically measure, analyze and report the performance of all events. Ÿ Integrated: The pla orm must be Ÿ
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into the exis ng content marke ng strategy on a long-term basis. The leading solu on for this strategy is the VirtualShow plugin from Expocloud. The plugin is compa ble with the common CMS systems such as Drupal, Typo3, Hubspot, Magento and many more. With the plugin, 2D as well as 3D rooms can be seamlessly integrated into exis ng online presences and all elements of the rooms can be easily linked to exis ng content of the content strategy. This approach has the following key advantages: CAD models of showrooms, exhibi on stands or even just exhibits can be imported directly into VirtualShow and thus integrated into the exis ng website. Ÿ Exis ng content does not need to be specially prepared or exported for virtual trade fair stands or virtual trade fairs, but can be directly linked. Ÿ This extends the visi ng me of your own website and sends a posi ve signal to Google for “valuable content”. Ÿ
Virtual fairs will not replace real trade fairs in the long term. Rather, they represent a meaningful supplement to real events. Ÿ Virtual fairs have the central advantage over real trade fairs: they are independent of me and place. They therefore have the poten al to be available as content to all interested par es at the en re customer journey. Ÿ Virtual fairs should therefore be integrated strategically into the content strategy on a long-term basis. In doing so, the specifica ons of the AMICO model should be observed: Authority (under own control), Measurable, Integrated, Connected, Ongoing Ÿ Virtual fairs are therefore usefully implemented with a plug-in in the exis ng content marke ng so ware. In this way, the exis ng content can be easily and sensibly linked with spa al models. Ÿ
Dr. Chris an CoppeneurGülz CEO, expocloud GmbH A er studying business administra on in Vallendar , Rome and Los Angeles, Chris an Coppeneur Gülz earned his doctorate in business informa cs and informa on management at the WHU O o Beisheim School of Management. With the goal of suppor ng the event and booth building industry, in November 2018 he founded the expocloud GmbH.
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