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 connuous growth in the region, with close to 5% growth of the exhibion space sold by exhibion organisers to clients

UFI, the Global Associaon of the Exhibion Industry, has released the 16th edion 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 esmates 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 infecons, 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 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 internaonal 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 parcularly challenging due to the long list of potenal unknowns, including possible waves of new infecons in any market, the ming and severity of government restricons in each market, travel restricons, and a number of other factors”. 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, represenng an average growth rate of 4.8% across 17 Asian trade fair markets – up from 23.4 million m2 in 2018. On the posive side, investment in venue capacity connues. By the end of 2021, venue capacity in Asia will be 11.8 million m2, and the number of purposebuilt exhibion venues operang in Asia will be over 280. Key markets including India, Korea and China will add capacity.

Kai Haendorf, UFI Managing Director, commented, “Our industry is currently navigang 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 unl 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 informaon on the development of trade fairs and supporng facilies 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 Associaon of the Exhibion Industry, by Business Strategies Group (BSG) in Hong Kong.

IAEE Announces Virtual And In-Person Hybrid Format For Expo! Expo! 2020

The Internaonal Associaon of Exhibions and Events has announced that Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Meeng & Exhibion 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 Internaonal Convenon Center (KICC) in Louisville, Ky. IAEE has selected Swapcard as its plaorm provider partner to power the virtual, online experience of the event.

“IAEE underwent an extensive RFP process to select the plaorm,” noted IAEE President and CEO David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA. “The process began last April and yielded 21 proposals from virtual event plaorm soluon providers. IAEE staff experienced demonstraons from 12 of these plaorms, an invaluable learning opportunity for us all. The comprehensive RFP document was shared with the enre

IAEE community, including with organizer members as a reference for their own pursuits of virtual event soluons. Aer much deliberaon, we are eager to share with Expo! Expo! aendees the experience Swapcard offers.”

“As a decade long supporter of IAEE's Expo! Expo!, it's an honor to partner with the industry-leading associaon for exhibion and event organizers. We are proud to have been selected as their exclusive virtual conference and exhibion plaorm. It's a testament to our product and support teams who have rapidly expanded our ability to power thousands of complex virtual meengs during this challenging me for our industry,” said Mahew Donegan-Ryan, General Manager of Swapcard.

“IAEE shares our vision that communies 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 implementaon of health and safety iniaves. Louisville Tourism, the host city for Expo! Expo! IAEE's Annual Meeng & Exhibion 2020, recently announced its support of the GBAC STAR™ facility accreditaon 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 associaon, has been acvely involved in the first release and connued development of IAEE's Essenal Consideraons for Safely Reopening Exhibions and Events.

The cost for virtual Expo! Expo! aendees to receive an all-access pass, including all live and on-demand content, will be $299 USD for IAEE members. There will also be opons for member organizers to aend the marketplace poron of the plaorm at no charge.

Tarsus Group Celebrates A Return To Live B2B Events In China

Tarsus, the global B2B media group, has announced that it has successfully delivered six exhibions over the course of just five weeks in China – a key territory for the business where it is one of the largest exhibion organisers in operaon. The safe running of numerous face-toface events across key vercals in the wake of Covid-19 has been heralded as a posive indicator for a wider recovery in the global events industry whilst also clearly demonstrang the capacity for live business events to be run in a safe and compliant way.

The events industry is one that has been parcularly impacted by the repercussions of the global pandemic and has seen hundreds of events across the sector being postponed or cancelled enrely. However, with exhibions recognised as one of the most effecve and targeted B2B markeng channels, demand for live events remains high with many businesses stang 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 Automove Aermarket Industry and Tuning Fair (AAITF) Tarsus China went on to deliver SIUF The Internaonal Brand Underwear Fair, the Zhengzhou Medical and Dental Fair, the West China Dental Show, Hometex, the Home Furnishing Expo and most recently, Guangzhou Prolight +

Sound with all six shows demonstrang posive 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 exhibion 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.

John Liu, CEO Tarsus China elaborated: “The health and safety of our customers, aendees 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 associaons and the venues we worked with for helping us to meet all the measures necessary post Covid-19. It was excing 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 sll parcipate.”

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 fantasc 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 opmism as we find our way forward on the back of the pandemic.

Tarsus China have demonstrated that not only can B2B events be delivered safely but moreover that there is significant pent up demand for exhibions and that we have a vital role to play in supporng industries as they seek to recover, innovate and rebuild supply chains in this very challenging period and beyond.”

TCEB Helps Internaonal Trade Show Organisers To Re-Energize Their Exhibions In Thailand

The Thailand Convenon and Exhibion Bureau (TCEB) has unveiled a new support scheme to help organisers of internaonal tradeshows in Thailand get back to business in the wake of COVID-19. Re-Energizing Exhibion is a new campaign designed to help internaonal organisers and their clients gain all they can from their exhibion experience in Thailand. It seeks to limit disrupon to event creaon and management by supporng both online and offline services through four core values, Ease-Up, Experience, Enhance and Empower.

The campaign incorporates and expands on previous iniaves 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, exhibion sales agents.

"TCEB's E-themed quartet of promoons have been designed to introduce domesc talent and enterprise, aid with internaonal and regional promoon and migate the disrupon caused by COVID19's impact on internaonal events," said Mrs. Nichapa Yoswee, TCEB Senior Vice President.

Ease Up supports the recruitment of domesc parcipants, reduces minimum size of events and lowers the criteria in the physical aendance of internaonal parcipants, while promong remote internaonal parcipaon through internaonal markeng assistance. This has been achieved by revising ASEAN+6 Privilege and Exhibiz in Market campaigns, in addion to raising fixed financial subsidy of up to 25 per cent for both local and overseas markeng across all event sizes.

The Experience element sees TCEB inving internaonal and domesc involvement through effecve hybrid exhibion development. Thailand has embraced this 'new normal' of exhibions in which engagement is increased through online components, driven by the bureau's Virtual Meeng Space (VMS), which supports business conducted through effecve online methods such as webinars and online-to-offline interacon. The support includes site inspecon of virtual events.

In parallel with this, TCEB also strives to ensure minimal disrupon to the physical experience, providing addional funding for organisers to conduct hygiene management and apply disease control measures set out by the Ministry of Public Health.

To Enhance internaonal business events in Thailand, TCEB is promong target industries, supporng exhibions with strong potenal to expand industries relang to Thailand 4.0, logiscs and infrastructure, as well as those idenfied by the government as post-COVID-19 focus industries. These include future automove; robocs and automaon; 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.

Apart from that, partnership with the airlines will grant addional privileges for local and internaonal parcipants. The Empower component of TCEB's new campaign is designed to engage government collaboraon by easing regulaons, facilitang 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 incubaon programme designed to support and propel Thai entrepreneurs. At its core, Re-Energizing Exhibion aims to provide accessibility and return on investment from trade shows in Thailand, and minor changes to exisng 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 exhibion sales agents in addion to worldwide trade associaons, chambers of commerce, non-profit organisaons and federaons. Thailand is South East Asia's leading exhibions marketplace. As restricons 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.

Prime Minister Sco Morrison Announces $50 Million Injecon To Drive Confidence For Australia’s Business Events

Prime Minister Sco Morrison has confirmed $50 million in support for Australia's business events industry. This news confirms the Government's recognion of the crical role that exhibions and business events play in rebuilding the Australian economy.

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, posioning the industry to rebound as market condions improve. Under the

Leading internaonal events company Australian Business Events Grants Program, approved business events, including meengs convenons, incenves and exhibions, 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 iniave 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 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 collaboraon with Government led to this announcement as BECA's Recovery and Rebound Framework highlighted the devastang impact of COVID-19 on the sector and the need for funding to drive business confidence. event with the broader Big 5 porolio, With a contribuon 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 aended a business event in the form of a meeng, convenon, exhibion or incenve 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

Ethiopia Acquision Is The Latest African Market Expansion For DMG events

Addisbuild by The Big 5 Construct exclusive business matching-making Ethiopia. The new branding will align the event. whilst building on the decade of The demand for construcon materials experience and knowledge accumulated across Africa is expected to remain strong, by the Addisbuild team. The rebranded with a volume CAGR of 5.4% over 2019- exhibion will also deliver on dmg events' 2029. As one of the fastest growing vision to provide the best plaorm for the economies in Africa, Ethiopia will benefit world's construcon businesses to greatly from an extensive building and venture into emerging markets. construcon event.

confidence. dmg events, has acquired Addisbuild, Keeping in line with The Big 5 events The country's growth is driven by the longest-running building and around the globe, the show's content will increases in industrial acvity, construcon exhibion in Ethiopia. be steered by an Execuve Commiee infrastructure investment and boosts to comprising of the country's top manufacturing. These changes are set to Acquired from Expom Uluslararasi Fuar developers, architects and contractors. deliver more opportunies for sectors Organisaon A.S. the 11th edion is set to Show aendees will benefit from a such as heavy machinery, mining, road take place in Addis Ababa on 14 to 16 comprehensive programme of free-tobuilding, concrete, steel, and other October 2021, under the new name: aend CPD cerfied workshops and an building resources.

Stuart Bailey Re-Elected As The Chairman Of HKECIA

The Hong Kong Exhibion & Convenon Industry Associaon (HKECIA) is has announced that the 2020 Annual General Meeng was successfully held virtually on 7th August 2020, from which the new term of Execuve

Commiee were elected. The Chairman, Execuve Vice Chairman, two Vice Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary were also appointed in the 1st Execuve Commiee Meeng following the AGM.

Mr. Stuart Bailey is pleased to have been re-elected as the Chairman of the HKECIA for the third me.

Mr. Bailey commented that 2019 was a challenging year for the convenon & exhibion industry due to the escalaon of the US-China trade war as well as the city-wide public acvies in the second half of the year. And since the beginning been hit hard by the effects of the global pandemic and suffered greatly. He is sll confident that we will beat the virus and that face-to-face exhibions will come back stronger than ever combined with new ideas that will enhance deal-making and measurable business outcomes for all parcipants.

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 of the 2020, the whole industry have

HKECIA members recognising that we are all in this together. He would also like to thank the Execuve Commiee who has been unwavering in their efforts to find soluons to the many problems that the industry faces.

By connuing 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 Parcipants

Exhibitors and visitors can generally enter Germany even from outside the EU to parcipate in a trade fair. This has been decided by the German government. This clears the way for parcipaon in ISPO Munich 2021.

Green light for foreign e from 31 January to 3 F xhibitors and visitors at ISPO Munich ebruary 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 posive list.

Since trade fair parcipants are considered business travellers with good cause, entry is permied.

Parcipants from non-EU/Schengen countries or countries that are not on the posive list must provide proof of their parcipaon in the trade fair when applying for a visa or entering Germany:

Ÿ

Ÿ Exhibitors with a confirmaon of their parcipaon from the trade fair Visitors to the trade fair with presentaon of their admission cket to the trade fair and an appointment with at least one trade fair exhibitor

"Those Who Focus On Trade Fairs Can Gain Market Shares”: AUMA Chairman, Philip Harng

The German economy is currently experiencing considerable declines in sales due to the corona pandemic. Investments and private purchases are oen postponed or even cancelled.

At the same me, the trade fair industry, otherwise the most important instrument of business-to-business communicaon, has difficules geng back on track, partly because many exhibing Aquatech China 2020, originally planned from 3-5 June, was pushed back three months. This decision was made aer closely monitoring and assessing the potenal impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. In China the events industry is opening up again. “We are very grateful to our Chinese and internaonal partners for their flexibility. I am happy to announce that almost 1800 internaonal and Chinese companies companies are now asking themselves: do we rely on trade fair parcipaon to get our own business going? Or do we rather prefer waing unl the industry recovers, because then the success of the trade fair will probably be greater and other basic condions will have

improved?

Philip Harng, Chairman of AUMA - Associaon 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 innovaons, lot of aenon is paid to organize the exhibion according to governmental regulaons in order to ensure a safe, responsible and hospitable Aquatech China. They involve focal points such as hygiene guidelines, facemasks and temperature checking. During registraon number and there is facial recognion at 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 parcular 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 Harng, those who exhibit at trade shows find suitable cooperaon partners faster, both professionally and personally, to help them weather the crisis beer.

Last but not least, he says, one can iniate urgently needed business deals, perhaps not as extensive as usual, but small orders oen enough turn into large ones in the

RAI Holds First Exhibion In China Since Coronavirus Outbreak

Aquatech China 2020, the largest featured across 125.000 square internaonal exhibion for process, metres of exhibion space will drinking and waste water in Asia opened be there, ready to do business its doors at the Naonal Exhibion and and to share with more than Convenon Center in Shanghai from 31 80.000 visitors the latest August – 2 September 2020. Aquatech developments for tackling 2020 is the first RAI exhibion to take China's water issues”; place since the outbreak of 2019-Novel according to Maurits van der Coronavirus. Sluis, COO of RAI Amsterdam.

Van der Sluis emphasises: “A visitors have to provide their official IDmedium term.

the entrance. At all mes visitor flows are 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.