UFI Report Finds Growth in Asian Exhibition Industry in 2005
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 7/17/2006
Asia's exhibition industry saw tremendous growth in 2005 with a 12-percent expansion of showfloor space for a total of just over 10 million square meters (107.6 million square feet) sold. China led the region with nearly 40 percent of regional space sales, followed by Japan and then South Korea.
The news came in a new research study of the Asian trade fair market commissioned by UFI, the Global Assn. of the Exhibition Industry. The study, which offers data on actual market performance in 2005 as well as forecasts for future growth, provides details on the development of exhibitions and facilities in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
According to Paul Woodward, who heads UFI's Asia-Pacific office as well as Business Strategies Group, the consulting firm which worked with UFI to compile the report, "Last year's first edition of this report was groundbreaking. Our industry is generally under-researched, especially in Asia, and we felt that an important service to UFI members was to take some significant steps towards filling the void of good information."
Woodward said that in fast-moving markets like the emerging economies of Asia, it is vital to be armed with the best information available. This report gives users a clear view of which markets are the most important, which industries generate the most business, what facilities are available for staging those fairs and the key emerging trends, he said.
"It is important for UFI, in promoting the many positive values of the exhibitions industry, to make its arguments fuelled with good, strong data," Woodward said. "Many other media which compete for the marketing dollar do so with much more compelling information than we have traditionally made available."
UFI Managing Director Vincent Gerard said he anticipated that in the future the report would be published each year, allowing for analyses and comparisons. He called the report an important part of the services provided to UFI members.
