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m+a | UFI Exhibition Newsletter
m+a ufi weekly update

Issue 26 | July 14, 2021

<<Salutation>>,

The pandemic has resulted in parts of the customer journey being redefined: Exhibitors and visitors have clear ideas about how exhibitions should be reoriented to gain outreach and relevance as a sector event. Analysis of the data helps with understanding that. Who the data generated by digital events belong to is the topic of the UFI Connects session on July 15.

Gwen Kaufmann (kf)
for the m+a | UFI Exhibition Newsletter Team

Tagungsplaner.de

Americas

SISO / UFI publish case study on Las Vegas Market

394 days after the COVID-19 induced shutdown of trade shows on April 11, 2021 International Market Centers (IMC) opened the Las Vegas Market with permanent showrooms, 200 temporary tradeshow exhibitors and 1,400 attendees from 30 countries and all 50 states. From April 11 to 15, the event was the first in the newly constructed Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas (WMCLV), a $103 million investment by Blackstone, the private-equity owner of IMC. The new Expo at WMCLV features 194,785 gross square feet of exhibit space, which is divisible into two halls — North with 97,684 gross square feet and South with 97,101 gross square feet — which can accommodate up to 1,000 booths. The venue offers an expansive lobby area, registration area, onsite shuttle bus depot, attached parking garage and two permanent grab-and-go food service areas. It is part of the WMCLV, a complex that features 5 million square feet of permanent showrooms in three buildings and the new Expo, located next to the Premium Outlets and down the street from the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. On April 9, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Las Vegas City Councilman Cedric Crear gathered with IMC executives and invited guests to celebrate the official ribbon cutting. The building was completed and ready to open for the Las Vegas Market in July 2020, but due to COVID restrictions, the new venue could not house exhibits until April 2021. "These buildings are truly a statement, and I want to thank Blackstone for their investment," said Goodman. "The Expo is the jewel of the desert in the heart of downtown, and it's nirvana for smaller conventions. This centre, along with this show to be the first to open, is so greatly significant. Despite the pandemic, we in the city of Las Vegas have done everything to keep in compliance with state restrictions. It's been a difficult year, and we are excited to have people back." (kf)
blog.ufi.org/siso-ufi-deeper-dive-case-study-on-las-vegas-market/

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Asia Pacific

HML offers free dinner passes to accelarte vaccination

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (HML) encourages Hong Kong public to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to build a safety net for the city. Thus, HML plans to organise a campaign to encourage vaccination, by offering free one-year passes for unlimited dinner buffets at Congress Plus and free dining vouchers, valued at over HK$500,000. The campaign launch is expected in July. Hong Kong residents who have completed two doses of COVID-19 vaccines can make registrations on or before August 31, 2021. Details of the campaign will be announced soon. (kf)
www.hkcec.com/en/hkcec-management-limited-gives-away-free-buffets-encourage-vaccination

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AsiaWorld-Expo kicks off renovation

To mark its 15th anniversary, AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) has kick-started a HK$600 million venue-wide renovation project. The project covers three dimensions, namely hardware upgrades, technology and network advancements, and smart solutions for sanitisation. To ensure there are no disruptions to daily operations during this large-scale infrastructure enhancement programme, the project has started already and is targeted to complete in strategic phases over the coming five years. This massive investment signifies AWE's strong belief in a vibrant market recovery, and a new era of inspirational EXPOtainment events. "After operating for 15 years, this is a milestone year for us," remarked Ms Irene Chan, CEO of AWE. "The year’s strategic importance is reflected in our chosen theme of 'Change • Possibilities'. This is the perfect time to launch a large-scale renovation project, one which will position AWE for the many opportunities that lay ahead. As we witness the recovery of business markets worldwide, AWE is proud to welcome everyone with a new face and even finer facilities." (kf)
www.asiaworld-expo.com/e15th-anniversary

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Europe

Eurobike moves to Frankfurt

Messe Frankfurt and Messe Friedrichshafen are intent on further developing the topic of mobility together. They have founded a joint venture for this purpose: Fairnamic, which combines the words "fair" and "dynamic". The aim of the enterprise is to combine the performance capabilities of the two companies in order to expand the leading fairs in the sectors general aviation and urban mobility with the driver topic bicycles. Messe Friedrichshafen will contribute its brand clusters Eurobike and Aero; Messe Frankfurt, its weight and internationalism and also ensure that Fairnamic enters the market well endowed. The new company will be headquartered in Friedrichshafen – and organise Eurobike in Frankfurt from 2022. Aero will remain on Lake Constance and near to the airport and be further internationalised – adding an event in Asia in 2022 to the existing event in South Africa – and will be a showcase for e-flight and sustainability. Klaus Wellmann, CEO of Messe Friedrichshafen: "Our partnership with Messe Frankfurt, an absolute heavyweight in the global trade show business, is another important step in our international expansion strategy. Through this merger, we are adding key building blocks to the value chain and earning capability of our bike and aviation events and creating first-class access to customers." The transportation shift is now in full swing. "The task now is to rapidly and robustly strengthen the market position of our two leading trade shows, Eurobike and Aero, and make them accessible to a broad audience", said Uwe Behm, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt. New dates, new concept, new venue – but the team is the same. The organiser from Friedrichshafen is planning to move the Eurobike dates forward to the slot in late June to mid July. With three days reserved for trade followed by a festival weekend, Eurobike 2022 is to be held in Frankfurt from July 13 to 17. (ch)
www.messefrankfurt.com/messe-frankfurt-friedrichshafen-fairnamic

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Sales in Nuremberg at 2005 levels

"The COVID year 2020 brought about a fundamental change in the rules of the game for the trade fair industry", Peter Ottmann, CEO of the Nürnbergmesse Group, explained at the company's hybrid annual press conference on July 8. The "flash freeze" of the business model has made its mark on the balance sheet: The group closed fiscal year 2020 with sales of 110.3 million euros (2019: 285.7 million euros), which is 65 percent below the reference year 2018. "We last achieved this sales figure in 2005 (96 million euros) and 2004 (108 million euros)", CEO Roland Fleck reported. The group's losses are -68.6 million euros (group profit in 2018: 28 million euros). A more severe net loss was avoided by systematic cutbacks on expenses and investments. The principal measures were reducing personnel expenses (-25 percent) and material expenses (-40 percent) – the headcount was cut back by around five percent and without layoffs – and the investment volume of 54 million euros (-77 percent), including deferring major investments in the exhibition centre like the planned construction of NCC Süd. To date, the company has avoided redundancies. The management are expecting fiscal year 2021 to be roughly at the same level as the previous year, depending on how successful the restart is. (ch)
www.nuernbergmesse.de/nuernbergmesse-onsite-plus-online-into-the-future

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MCH Group is picking up speed again

The MCH Group had almost completed its restructuring process when the COVID pandemic resulted in a de-facto ban on events. Now it has a clear roadmap for ramping up and further developing its business operations. Lupa Systems is a key contributor to that. The entry of the new anchor shareholder – it holds 32.32 percent – not only provided a capital increase, but also renewed the management. "The new board of directors embodies our strategy", Beat Zwahlen, CEO of the MCH Group said at a press conference on July 9. It is international, innovative, open and full of drive. That means: A number of initiatives will be implemented or are being developed in all business units. Marketing along the customer journey: "We have a focused growth strategy with promising initiatives and clear plans in all our business units", said Zwahlen. The Swiss company is depending on the network of the three business units – community platforms, experience marketing and infrastructures in Basle and Zurich in its traditional topics of art, watches/jewellery/gems or built environment. The aim is to create unique added value for the communities of these ecosystems with physical, hybrid and digital formats and platforms. Zwahlen spoke about "innovative 24/7/365 experience marketing and transaction solutions". The aim is also to use brands, competencies and capabilities transversely within the group – for the company a "unique asset with major synergy and development potential". However, the focus will not only be on transformation or digital offerings, geographical expansion will be just as important to get back on track to success. (ch)
www.mch-group.com/mch-group-is-picking-up-speed-again

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Hyve launches Shoptalk Europe

Building on the successful Shoptalk brand and formula, Hyve has announced the launch of Shoptalk Europe, a new in-person event to debut at ExCeL London from June 6 to 8, 2022. Shoptalk Europe will aim to bring Shoptalk's outstanding customer experience and industry leading format to a European audience. The event will showcase the group’s omnichannel strategy by incorporating Hyve's innovative facilitated meetings solution. Due to high demand for Shoptalk Fall Meetup taking place in October 2021, this online event will now be expanded to include a European audience. This will complement the Shoptalk Europe in-person event when it takes place in 2022. (kf)
hyve.group/Media/News/Hyve-News/July-2021/FY21-Q3-trading-update

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Middle East - Africa

Durban hosts IATF 2021

The second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2021) has been rescheduled to take place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa from November 15 to 21, 2021. The Trade Fair was previously due to be held in Kigali, Rwanda from December 8 to 14, 2021. The decision to move the trade fair to Durban was made by the Advisory Council of IATF2021 and was arrived at after formal consultations with the Government of Rwanda, who indicated that logistical constraints related to the COVID-19 pandemic had adversely affected the progress of construction of a new facility to host the event. Commenting on the decision, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, IATF 2021 Advisory Council Chairman and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, stated: "Relocating IATF 2021 to Durban saves us time on the calendar and will enable African countries and corporates, as part of their recovery strategy, to take full advantage of the Trade Fair, which is also an important component of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement under which trading commenced this year." (kf)
www.intrafricantradefair.com/en/news/durban-announced-new-host-intra-african-trade-fair-iatf2021

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People

Rita Ugianskis-Fishman has been appointed as vice president of the Food & Beverage Group of Clarion Events. She will lead three Restaurant and Foodservice Trade Shows, three Healthy Food Expos, four Coffee Fest events and The NGA Show. Rita Ugianskis-Fishman was most recently senior vice president and general manager for the ASI Show (Advertising Specialty Institute) and has held leadership positions at Reed Exhibitions and Informa. She also is a founding member of the North American chapter of Women in Exhibitions and has served on the board of the Society of Independent Show Organisers (SISO). (kf)

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Sustainability

MCEC publishes sustainability strategy

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has unveiled its new five-year sustainability strategy, with targets to create a positive impact for both the planet and the community. MCEC Sustainability Manager, Samantha Ferrier said the strategy is about being aware of the scope of influence and driving social and environmental solutions to create a meaningful and long-term impact: "We're aiming high, with a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2030. We are working to eliminate problematic and unnecessary single-use plastics, divert 90 percent of waste from landfill by 2025, and to be completely powered by renewable electricity by 2028." MCEC engaged a number of key stakeholders including industry partners, customers and employees to identify sustainability goals which range from mutually beneficial partnerships through to responsible procurement. Forming the foundation of MCEC's sustainability strategy are the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries to address the world's most pressing challenges by 2030. (kf)
mcec.com.au/mcecs-sustainability-strategy-paves-the-way-for-a-better-future

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Join the Conversation

The exhibition industry is built on understanding our customers. We have been using intelligent data to understand our attendees and exhibitors at face-to-face events for years. Today, there is more data and customer insight about our communities than ever before, thanks to organisers using digital event platforms, tools, and technology partners. But the big question is - who owns and controls all the data that empowers organisers to better serve the customer? And, how is that data protected from misuse? Join us in this session to hear more about the 'data debate' from the perspective of some of the world's leading organisers. (ufi)
Register here: https://bit.ly/2LQ3R48
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