Category Archives: Exhibitions

According to a recent analysis by International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) on COVID-19’s impact on the meetings industry, 95.9 per cent of the confirmed meetings in Asia Pacific scheduled for 2020 were not affected by the virus outbreak. This accounted for 1,021 of the 1,065 meetings confirmed. The analysis also states that only 44 meetings scheduled for Asia Pacific were affected by COVID-19, accounting for only 4.1 per cent of the total. While 34 of these meetings were postponed, 10 were either relocated or cancelled. Outside Asia Pacific, two meetings in Europe and one in Africa are postponed. “We believe the international meetings industry can play its part in finding a solution to the current COVID-19 outbreak. International meetings represent the best possible vehicle for addressing this and many other global issues. As an industry, we must demonstrate resilience and confidence by maintaining to the greatest extent possible our ongoing schedule of activities – and where this is not possible, by working collaboratively to develop alternatives that help maintain the exchange of information and insights that account for the benefits we believe to result from this kind of engagement,” says ICCA President, James Rees.

IMEX Frankfurt, one of the largest annual trade exhibitions for the meetings, conventions, events and incentive travel industry, has been cancelled, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The event was scheduled to take place May 12-14 in Frankfurt, Germany. The announcement comes soon after IMEX Group Chairman Ray Bloom and CEO Carina Bauer said they were confident the show would go on. The statement reads, “It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the cancellation of this year’s IMEX in Frankfurt (due to take place 12-14 May). We know that this will come as an enormous disappointment, not only to the exhibitors, buyers and industry professionals who were due to attend the show, but also to the global business events community. This is not a decision we have taken lightly and there are two overriding concerns that have caused us to make this decision at this time. First is the uncertainty caused by the fact that the German health minister has recently called for the ban on events with over 1,000 people which some German states have already endorsed, including the state of Hesse where Frankfurt is located. This announcement makes the probability of factors outside our control forcing us to cancel the show at the last minute much higher. Second, our primary concern is always the responsibility we feel towards our exhibitors and partners, who fund the show – not only by purchasing stand space but also in the considerable additional investment they make in everything from the build of stunning stands to the hosting of buyer events. Whilst only a short time ago we felt optimistic that May was far enough away to confidently proceed with our …

Reed Travel Exhibitions has announced that it has postponed Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to 28th June – 1st July 2020, at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, U.A.E. Due to the escalation of the COVID-19 epidemic around the world, after consultation with all their stakeholders, the venue management, supporting associations, and in alignment with the advice from the UAE public health authorities regarding travel to and from impacted countries, they have taken the decision to postpone the event which was due to take place on 19 – 22 April 2020 in Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Whilst the UAE is following the strictest medical and hygiene protocols in line with international standards, they have made this decision in the best interest of the industry to enable them to organise an event which provides effective participation and experience for all. Arabian Travel Market (ATM), is the leading global event for the Middle East inbound and outbound travel industry for the last 27 years.

In its 16th year now, HICSA has become indisputably known as the premier hospitality event in the South Asian Region. It is now scheduled for 22nd and 23rd July 2020 at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai. Notable speakers confirmed or invited to HICSA 2020 include Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, Christopher J Nasseta, President and CEO, Hilton, Dimitris Manikis, President and MD – EMEA, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Federico J González, President and CEO, Radisson Hospitality AB, Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO, IHCL, Radha Arora, President, Rosewood Hotel Group and Marc Steinmeyer, Founder, Tauzia hotels, to name a few.

The 35th edition of Aahar was inaugurated by LC Goyal, IAS, Chairman & Managing Director, ITPO. Reassuring the participants of Aahar he said, “Large complexes are sensitive to the needs and requirements of participants, I am afraid that ITPO has a long way in achieving this. They need to feel more receptive to all of you when you visit our office. I am going to revisit the entire system and make it robust. In case of any malpractice, please bring it to my attention. Infrastructure is one aspect; we need to develop the soft skills. The industry is getting very competitive, more venues are coming up, so best of service is required and we have a long way to go.” Assuring  better, transparent  and  accountable  professional  services  to  all  the   trade and industry by ITPO in future, he further adds, “ These events are extremely important, and we cannot undermine them. Last year we offered an area of 24000 square metres, this year it is 44 ooo square metres. There has been  a huge gap between demand and supply. For next year’s edition of Aahar hopefully we will be able to offer 1 lakh square metres.”

Inaugurating the  of the 35th edition of Aahar, L C Goyal, IAS, Chairman & Managing Director, ITPO, said, “Events like these help promote and transform the various sector of our economy. They are the lifeline of the exhibition industry. The industry is at a stage today where it is poised to grow at a faster pace. Recent studies have indicated that Asia and India will be at the forefront of future growth of global exhibition industry. This is a huge industry waiting to expand. This industry directly or indirectly is creating a business of more than 3 lakh crore every year. It has  a crucial  role  to  achieve  the  target  of US$5 trillion  economy by  the  year 2024 , as  envisioned  by  Prime  Minister   Modi. “

Artem Chernyshov, Event Director, MITT has confirmed that MITT 2020 will proceed as planned. There is no directive from the Russian government to halt any event or impose any ban on the entry of foreigners to Russia. The organisers are currently making all necessary preparations to run the 27th edition of the Russian travel trade show as planned in Crocus Expo, Moscow from 17-19 March 2020. The update came following the rapid outbreak of coronavirus globally. MITT is taking extra measures to ensure the health and safety of all exhibitors, visitors and staff. For any other queries, people can contact the official call-centre on 8 800 555 43 43 designated by the Russian Federation. The organisers are also in constant touch with WHO and the Russian Federation to stay up to date with the latest developments. With IMEX due to take place in the middle of May (still 10 weeks away), the IMEX team continues to plan confidently for the show. They currently have NO plans to postpone or cancel. They are very grateful for the ongoing support of their exhibitors and attendees who continue to register and plan for the show and they have not experienced any substantial impacts so far. The IMEX team remains in close contact with their partners in Germany, as well as the relevant health authorities. As this unprecedented situation is changing every day, they remain watchful but also focused on delivering what is an extremely important event for the global business events community. Mindful of our duty of care, they are also carefully considering and consulting with experts on what the appropriate sanitary, health and other measures should be. Ray and I assure you …

The ITB India organisers have announced to postpone ITB India 2020 due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. Originally scheduled to be held on 15- 17 April 2020 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, the show is now scheduled to be held on 7 – 9 April 2021 at the same venue. The participants of the show can reach the organising team by sending queries with regards to ITB India directly to exhibitor@itb-india.com. Significantly, it was the first-ever edition of ITB India. The 3-day B2B travel trade show was being organised by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce and supported by Messe Berlin (Singapore). The ITB India organisers will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide further updates based on official assessments of the overall risk situation.

After announcing the cancellation of ITB Berlin 2020, organisers Messe Berlin have announced dates for the event in 2021. It will take place from March 10-14. On Friday, the German Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Economics had stated their opinion that ITB Berlin 2020 be cancelled in view of rapidly spreading coronavirus threat in Germany and other parts of Europe. More than 10,000 exhibitors from over 180 countries were expected to attend ITB Berlin 2020.

The German authorities have announced the cancellation of ITB Berlin, scheduled from March 4-8 in Berlin, Germany. The decision was taken in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak all around the world. As on Friday, 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the country according to the German government’s health authority. Considered as one of the largest tourism fairs in the world, 100,000 visitors from across the globe were expected to attend the event. Paragraph 9.1 of the agreement between Messe Berlin (ITB) and exhibitors says if the event is cancelled due to higher force (authority) and in case neither Messe Berlin or the exhibitor has caused, exhibitors will not have to pay their stand fees. Making the announcement, Dr Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH, said: “With more than 10,000 exhibitors from over 180 countries, ITB Berlin is of outstanding importance for the global tourism industry. We take our responsibility for the health and safety of our guests, exhibitors and employees very seriously. It is with a heavy heart that we look forward to the cancellation of ITB Berlin 2020, which has now become necessary”. The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Messe Berlin Wolf-Dieter Wolf explained, “In their now 54-year history ITB Berlin and Messe Berlin have never before experienced a comparable situation. We would like to thank all exhibitors and partners around the world who have supported ITB Berlin in the past days and weeks, and look forward to continuing our trusting cooperation with our partners in the market”.