WEO Breaking News, Issue 8, 02 September 2008 WEO management and staff ‘Being Positive’ in Bangkok Member groups of the World Events Organisation (WEO) met in Bangkok, Thailand the 7th through 9th of August 2008. Executive Director, Marcel Ewals, greeted members from all of over Southeast Asia. James Chia, Chairman of the Board, gave brief opening remarks, urging the individual member groups to work together as “we continue to develop the WEO culture.” Following the opening remarks, each member group presented their recent successes and plans for upcoming events. A “Wish List” was created, to capture needs and ideas to improve business. It will be maintained by the new Director of Corporate Development, Raymond (Ray) Possick. In addition, to the member presentations, of note was Jing Lagandaon’s great presentation about the sales effort at Global Link/MP Philippines. On day 2, Severino “Joey” Reyes of PowerSpeak had the management and staff of WEO listening, talking and playing with balls and hoola-hoops.  Though billed as a “Sales Training”, Joey explained that the training was more about working with others to improve relationships.  Everyone learned a great deal and enjoyed the presentation.   MP Partners with major Geneva-based Conference Organiser MP has set up a joint-venture company with Kenes International, a Geneva-based conference organiser with strong background in biomedical events, to form Kenes MP Asia Pte Ltd. The new company will focus on organising medical meetings in the Asia Pacific region. Kenes International is an industry pioneer and leader in the field of congress organisation and association management services. It has organised over 1500 congresses during the last 42 years. Currently, it handles some 40 congresses a year. The new joint-venture will enable Singapore to better anchor and develop biomedical events here and consolidate Singapore’s position as Asia’s biomedical hub.   Global-Link MP Adds Another Major Event 19 August 2008, Global-Link MP Events International Inc. (GMP) was officially appointed by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) from Japan as the event organiser of the ECO-PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL FAIR 2009, besting other local and international event managers. The APO will also be working with their Philippine counterpart, the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and the First Co., Ltd of Japan, the organising secretariat of the exhibit. This will be held on 19 - 22 March 2009 at the SMX Convention Center, Manila - Philippines. The fair will emphasize the importance of green manufacturing and purchasing to consumers. It will also serve as a venue for networking and for the discovery of new business partners in the eco-business. The ECO-PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL FAIR 2009 will occupy over 20,000 sq. meters of exhibition space covering industries such as Automotive, Lifestyle, Electronics, Eco-Materials, Energy, Power, Construction, Manufacturing, Finance and Government Services. After its success in Malaysia (2004), Thailand (2005), Singapore (2006) and Vietnam (2007), Global-Link MP is expected to provide the necessary assistance and support that will allow ECO-PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL FAIR 2009 to achieve record breaking numbers currently set at 1,000 booths and over 100,000 trade buyers and visitors in four (4) days. The event is also scheduled to hold two major conferences along with workshops, technical seminars, business-to-business meetings together with the exhibit. The ECO-PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL FAIR 2009 is expected to be the biggest international exhibition ever organised in the Philippines and Global-Link MP is ready to exert its best effort to guarantee the success of this show.   First combined textile machinery show in Shanghai a success Thanks to the unprecedented support from the world’s major textile machinery associations, the inaugural combined show, ITMA ASIA + CITME 2008, has emerged as Asia’s most important textile machinery showcase. Spanning 126,500 square metres gross, the exhibition, which was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 27 to 31 July attracted a total of 1,368 exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions. ITMA ASIA + CITME 2008 is jointly owned by CEMATEX (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers), the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT-Tex), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) and China Exhibition Centre Group Corporation (CIEC), is organised by Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co Ltd and co-organised by MP International. A special ITMA 2011 networking reception, hosted by MP International, was held at SHILE Lifestyle Boutique Centre, Shanghai during ITMA ASIA+CITME 2008 for some 300 guests. The ITMA 60th anniversary logo was unveiled at the reception to celebrate ITMA's 60th year when it is held in Barcelona in 2011. Guests were treated to an evening of spanish wine, food and entertainment. ITMA 2011 will be held in Fira de Barcelona Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain, from 22 to 30 September 2011. It is the world's largest international textile machinery show, and is recognised as the 'Olympics' of the textile machinery industry.   Another season of enchantment at Singapore Garden Festival 2008 The Singapore Garden Festival saw record numbers of visitorship represented at the eight-day event. Held from 25 July to 1 August 2008, there were some 300,000 visitors to the Festival with an estimated 30 per cent coming from countries such as Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. The Festival featured 18 show gardens and 14 floral displays by 35 designers from 17 countries, and some 40 orchid displays. A new component at the biennial event, the Singapore Garden Festival Expo, was a three-day trade conference and exhibition which ran from 24 to 26 July 2008. Some 300 delegates and 3,000 trade visitors attended, with 55 per cent of the conference delegates hailing from some 20 countries. The event was organised by National Parks Board, Singapore and managed by MP Asia and Pico Art International.   Intelligent transport industry professionals converge at annual Asia-Pacific forum Some 300 delegates from 27 countries participated in the 9th Intelligent Transport Systems Asia-Pacific Forum & Exhibition, ITS AP 2008, which was held from 14 to 16 July 2008 at Suntec Singapore. The three-day conference featured engaging interactive sessions and informative technical visits to discuss and explore the use of advanced technologies. In total, 74 speakers from 17 countries presented more than 80 papers. A state-of-the-art exhibition complemented the conference. Featuring the latest technology and equipment on safety, security, mobility and other ITS-related products and services, it saw 38 exhibiting companies from 17 countries participating, and drew more than 600 trade visitors from 21 countries. The event was jointly organised by the Land Transport Authority of Singapore and Intelligent Transportation Society (Singapore), and managed by MP Asia.   China EPower 2008 concludes successfully China EPower 2008, the re-branded China international electric power and electric engineering technology exhibition, was staged successfully at Intex Shanghai from 22 to 24 April 2008. The show, the eighth in the series, was organised by MP Zhongmao International (Shanghai) Pte Ltd. It featured 302 exhibitors from 10 countries, and attracted 16,320 visitors over the three-day period. The inaugural China EPower conference, co-organised by International Power Producers Forum, featured a distinguished panel of international and local speakers. The next edition of China EPower will take place in April 2009 in Shanghai.   Wine for Asia Toasts New Partnership MP has acquired Wine For Asia (WFA), Asia’s most comprehensive international wine exhibition. Future WFA shows will be organised by MP Wine Resources Pte Ltd, a new joint-venture set up by MP and Wine Resources. WFA has become the must-visit regional wine event that wine distributors, importers, F&B and hospitality professionals mark on their calendars. It serves as an excellent showcase for exhibitors to promote their brands to the growing number of wine consumers. WFA 2008 will be held at Suntec Singapore from 16 to 18 October. For more information, visit www.wineforasia.com.   ASEAN Energy Business Forum Under the ASEAN Center of Energy (ACE) the AEBF is the annual forum where the industry drafts recommendations for the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. This high level dialogue will allow the energy industry to raise issues to regional law makers and network face to face with governments. This year, the Petroleum Insititute of Thailand (PTIT) will lead the program development and will draft the outcome. AsiaCongress was previously appointed in 2002 for AEBF.   PRA 2009 PetroChemical and Refining Asia (PRA) is the newly launched trade show and conference for the regional industry. The event, in cooperation with the Petroleum Club and Refining Club, will be a major step towards the development of the industry in Asia, which is undergoing major changes and investments. The trade exhibition will take place at BITEC and is expected to attract 150 exhibitors in the first edition.   AsiaCongress leads Royal sustainable Forum AsiaCongress has been appointed by SIDA - the Swedish Development Agency - to develop and manage a regional forum on Sustanable Management under Climate Change, lead by HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. The forum, which will take place in Bangkok, Thailand in November, will feature key experts from around the world, and will focus on recommendations for the Asian development plan.   IFFS/AFS 2008 Soars to new heights with record-breaking deals The International Furniture Fair Singapore 2008 and 25th ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS 2008) recorded an impressive attendance of 18,361 trade visitors from 129 countries. Spread over 70,000 square metres of gross space at the Singapore Expo, the fair showcased the best of Asian and international furniture to great success, achieving an estimated USD 271 million of spot orders. The excellent results reaffirmed the effectiveness of the IFFS/AFS as a business gateway to the Asian and international market for global trade players. A total of 118 foreign buying delegations visited the four-day fair which took place from 9 to 12 March. As a result of the business partnerships and opportunities forged at the fair, an additional estimated USD 2.45 billion is expected in follow-on sales. IFFS/AFS 2008 also generated an estimated USD 45 million in economic spin-offs for Singapore’s Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) and tourism sectors. A truly record-breaking event, IFFS/AFS 2008 has already established itself as the largest in its 25-year history. This year, the fair played host to a record number of 517 exhibitors from 33 countries, with the largest booths occupying 900 square metres each. In terms of exhibition space, IFFS/AFS 2008 was larger than the 2007 fair by 12 per cent, with 44,000 square metres of nett space. In line with the push towards design development in the Singapore furniture industry, IFFS/AFS 2008 also saw the return of PLATFORM, Furniture Design Award and the FL!P Challenge. Ninety-five local and Asian talents from 38 different design houses and institutions displayed creative new furniture prototypes to the international trade fraternity, adding to the dynamism of the fair. With over 60,000 pieces of furniture and furnishings on display at the fair, buyers were spoilt for choice. The myriad of high-quality furniture and furnishings available further strengthened IFFS/AFS’ reputation as a one-stop Asia-wide sourcing platform. Exhibitors were also pleased with the results of IFFS/AFS 2008. For more updates on IFFS/AFS 2009, please visit www.iffs.com.sg.   Upcoming Events Month of October Month of November 3RD THAILAND CONGRESS OF NUTRITION (TCN 2008) 1 - 3 October 2008 Bangkok Int'l Trade & Exhibition Center, Bangkok, Thailand WORLD TOILET SUMMIT & EXPO 2008 4 - 6 November 2008 The Venetian Macau Resort Hotel, Macau SAR THE MILLIONAIRE SHOW 2 - 4 October 2008 SMX Convention Center, Philippines GASEX 2008 - 10TH GAS INFORMATION EXCHANGE FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC 12 - 15 November 2008 The National Convention Center, Hanoi, Vietnam HEALTH WORLD EXPO 2008 2 - 4 October 2008 SMX Convention Center, Philippines PHILCONSTRUCTION 2008 13 - 16 November 2008 World Trade Center, Metro Manila Philippines XIII WFDSA World Congress 2008 8 - 10 October 2008 Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore HVAC/R PHILIPPINES 13 - 16 November 2008 SMX Convention Center, Philippines MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY WORLD 8 - 11 October 2008 SMX Convention Center, Philippines MINING ASIA 2008 13 - 16 November 2008 SMX Convention Center, Philippines ICSC ASIA EXPO 2008 14 - 16 October 2008 The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, Macau SAR ELECTRONICS & COMPONENTS CHINA SOURCING FAIR 14 - 16 November 2008 Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India WINE FOR ASIA 2008 16 - 18 October 2008 Suntec, Singapore HARDWARE & BUILDING MATERIALS CHINA SOURCING FAIR 14 - 16 November 2008 Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India APAA COUNCIL MEETING 2008 18 - 21 October 2008 Suntec, Singapore INFOCOMM ASIA 2008 19 - 21 November 2008 Hong Kong PROCESSCEM ASIA 2008 22 - 24 October 2008 Suntec, Singapore THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL TRADE EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY (BIOASIA 2008) 25 - 27 November 2008 Bangkok Thailand CEPSI 27 - 31 October 2008 Venetian Macau Hotel-Resort, Macau SAR AIME 2008 (ASIAN INTERNATIONAL MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT EXPO) November 2008 (to be confirmed) N/A AAMA-TEX VIETNAM 2008 29 - 31 October 2008 HIECC, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ASOC 2008 - ASIAN SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES CONFERENCE November 2008 (to be confirmed) Bangkok, Thailand (to be confirmed)