Anticipated solid growth in future

Generally all of the industry professionals CEI Asia Pacific contacted for their 2006 forecasts were all positive and for a variety of reasons, although stronger consumer buying power was a constant theme. Singapore-based Messe Düsseldorf Asia managing director Gernot Ringling says the greater trade and political co-operation between economic giants India and China and the ASEAN nations will lead to more shows being launched in the region to meet demand from manufacturers wanting to get even more exposure for their products. Promising future "The future of the exhibition industry in the region will continue to look more promising due to the positive economic climate and growing consumer demand," Ringling says. "More bilateral and regional trade agreements between ASEAN, China and India, greater intra-regional business and a more cohesive effort to grow outsourcing work from OECD nations are expected in the next few years. "Collectively, Asia remains the biggest consumer base in the world with the two most populous nations driving demand in all areas. "All these factors provide a basis for organisers such as ourselves to organise even more exhibitions in Asia." Business Strategies Group principal Paul Woodward agrees the success and growth of the industry will be dependent not only on the region's economic success but global performance as well. "The performance of the exhibitions industry is closely tied to general economic and trade trends," he says. "If the world economy does well and trade from and within Asia is strong, then the exhibitions business will do well. Generally, the predictions for 2006 seem to be reasonably strong, so we expect another year of good performance from most of Asia. "It will be interesting to see the extent to which domestic demand in the key countries begins to take over from exports as a key driver. Some economists think that trade will slow a bit this year and that may slow growth in some types of fair." Further expansion Marcel Ewals, managing director of Bangkok-based AsiaCongress Events says he also expects further expansion this year but will be mindful of the sustainability of the growth. "With the world's manufacturing bases moving to the far-east, the future of the exhibition, and certainly also the convention industry, is in Asia," he says. "As long as the development is sustainable in Asia region, the exhibition and convention industry will bloom further." On the theme of sustainability, there has been much debate about the opening of Hong Kong's new AsiaWorld-Expo venue (are two large-scale venues viable in Hong Kong?), the glut of exhibition space in southern China and new space coming on line in Macau with US investment behind it and how the industry can survive in the Pearl River Delta region. But Business Strategies Group's Paul Woodward believes the development of these venues is sustainable, if early results can be used as a gauge. "When we see the new venue (AsiaWorld- Expo) in Hong Kong boasting 30 shows in its first year and the Venetian in Macau taking 20 event bookings two years before it opens, it seems to me that new venues in the right places still have good potential," he says. "At peak periods, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) has been pretty full for some time and the fact that most of the 30 events booked into AsiaWorld- Expo are new to Hong Kong indicates that there was demand for more space. "There will, of course, be some competition but I believe that the market will grow and we will see some new, world class events emerging at both centres as a result."