Informa Markets moves a top executive to ASEAN to strengthen push on the region growth.

The new executive bets its future as a Smart Event Organizer to organize all kinds of exhibitions for promoting business growth through the COVID-19 crisis, while also supporting Thailand as a center for MICE in the ASEAN region.

Informa Markets, the world's leading exhibitions organizer, recently moved high experienced executive "Ian Roberts", Vice President - Asia Region Informa Markets to Thailand for overseeing the ASEAN's strategies, and tackling challenges in every aspect by accelerating organize an event in a hybrid platform following a new normal lifestyle. To reinforce confidence, the company is preparing to host a world-class event next year, showcasing innovations in digital technology combined with on-site exhibitions under global standards. Moreover, the firm has adjusted its strategy for Informa Markets in the ASEAN region to become a Smart Event Organizer to respond to future trends towards sustainable business, fulfill the needs of business partners to grow toward the future. Meanwhile, it also expects that the MICE businesses in Thailand would grow strongly in the near future following the post-pandemic and people's adjustment to living a new normal life.

Mr. Ian Roberts, Vice President - Asia Region of Informa Markets, said that after being appointed to oversee Informa Markets in ASEAN countries, and chose to base in Thailand because he foresees the potential of being a hub of MICE business in the region. Currently, Informa Markets, Thailand is the largest contributor in ASEAN in terms of revenue. In 2020, the Thailand market can generate more than 35 percent of the regional revenue. Despite being affected by COVID-19, it can adapt quickly. The exhibition business is expected to be recovered to a normal situation in the near future after the pandemic situation around the world has begun to unravel, while many countries including Thailand have reopened the countries and unlocked international traveling around the world.

"I think the next year is a year of transition, the industry has been hit very badly, it's been a very difficult time for everybody in the exhibition industry, or in the MICE industry, so I think next year, it will take a little while for recovering and hopefully, in 2023, we can be close to where we were in 2019. Thailand remains a strong country with potential as a regional trade fair hub from various factors. The country is one of the best countries in Asia to run exhibitions because they got excellent venues. Next year, the country will have three international venues for hosting the events, and also have the high potential of human resources and industries that meet the needs of organizing events. There are also good accommodations, foods and restaurants, and reasonable living expenses, and attractions that everyone wants to visit. There is a systematic management of MICE business through the organization. The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau or TCEB is a very strong organization, doing excellent jobs, supporting the industry, and trying to attract new events to Thailand. Thus, I believe that after the COVID-19 situation, Thailand is the regional center and not just for ASEAN, I can see Thailand becoming even more for the regional center of Asia," Mr. Roberts said.

• Set goal to become a Smart Event Organizer

In terms of business goals, the newly appointed head of Informa Markets for the ASEAN Region aims to integrate the event to meet the new trends of the global by continuing to organize events in a hybrid platform. The company still focuses on on-site events, which must be perfectly organized to facilitate face-to-face business meetings to maximize the benefits of their customers. At the same time, it pays attention to organizing the event through online channels since it will help facilitate and streamline the new way of life that we are familiar with the current. Therefore, both onsite and online events must go hand in hand, meaning exhibitors and visitors get the highest benefit. Also, it's a challenge for the team to overcome their efforts to cope with new ways of working to be a Smart Event Organizer by using digital technology for maximum efficiency and be a coordinator to help create a business outcome. We will adopt the digital technology learned during the past two years during the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to learn new technologies to make online activities fulfill the exhibition. We must be more than the organizers but also the potential business link. Informa is the biggest in the world, but I don't think being the biggest matters, I hope people think in time about being the best in what we do what I mean the best is that we have the plan to develop our human resources because our business does not have products on hand, but requires the expertise of people to connect and create business opportunities. Therefore, the capability of the team must be increased. Our staffs must work happily and with maximum efficiency. And another goal that is no less important is to move towards sustainable business under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concept, which we have already started and made great efforts to reduce the impact on society, economy, and environment. This must be covered in every process of our business operations, Mr. Roberts told.

• Ready to support Thailand to be the MICE center at international levels

As leading of Informa Markets in ASEAN countries in Thailand, Mr. Roberts talked about the plans to reinforce confidence in Thailand's potential as a leader and hub of trade fairs in the region by bringing world-class events to be organized in Thailand for the first time, while also continuing to organize 10 annual big events of Informa Markets, Thailand. For instance, those are such as Cosmoprof CBE ASEAN, the gateway to Southeast Asia's expanding beauty industry, which has successfully held in Italy, Hong Kong, China and India, Jewelry and Gem ASEAN Bangkok, the ASEAN's gem and jewelry industry trade show by partnering with Informa Markets Asia, the world's largest gem and jewelry organizer. We are confident that Thailand certainly has the potential to become a hub for the premier gem and jewelry industry in the region. Moreover, the vice president of Informa Markets also expected that the MICE business in Thailand will return to grow as normal in 2023. And hopefully, in 2023, revenue for Informa Markets, Thailand can be return to close to where it earned in 2019.

• Informa Markets Thailand announces its achievement amidst the crisis while moving forward with a strategy to become a Smart Event Organizer

Regarding the management in Thailand, Mr. Sanchai Noombunnam, Deputy Managing Director of Informa Markets (Thailand) Co., Ltd, said that since the early pandemic in 2020, we were able to hold only 3 out of at least 8 events, all of which have adapted to a hybrid platform with had both on-site and online exhibitions. Those were included INTERMACH & SUBCON Thailand 2020, ASEAN SUSTAINABLE ENERGY WEEK 2020, and ProPak Asia 2020. With arising pandemic this year, we faced a big challenge because we were unable to organize a regular event. Yet, amid the crisis, we have seen business opportunities and synergies with our business partners, both public and private sectors to cope with the crisis together. We continue to move forward by applying digital technology to learn and open up experiences in organizing events in a new format on a fully integrated online platform in the form of Virtual Events such as Propak Connect, Fi Asia Online Event 2021, Subcon Thailand & Intermach, ASEAN Sustainable Energy Week and Pumps & Valves Asia - Virtual Edition and Food & Hotel Thailand x Thailand Sourcing Festival, etc. This year, we also organize online seminars on 80 topics, 6 online business matching activities, and other 12 digital activities covering almost every major industry.

In 2022, we will continue to organize exhibitions in a physical format combined with the advancement of digital technology or a Virtual Event to fully organize the event in the form of a Smart Event. Besides organizing international exhibitions next year to help promote various industrial sectors to continue to grow, we have plans to expand our exhibitions into various regions, such as organizing MIRA (Maintenance Industrial Robotic and Automation Event), a showcase of technology, and innovation in the maintenance industry. industrial robot, and automation systems and solutions to penetrate to industrial entrepreneurs in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) development project area, which is a large industrial area covering 3 major economic provinces, and one of the most growing regions of Thailand.

Mentioning the coming of Mr. Roberts who has chosen Thailand as the base for the management, reinforces the importance and potential of Thailand as an international event hub as well as enabling close discussions, analysis, and decision-making to keep up with changes and competition instantly. I am confident that the business will continue to move forward and be able to develop by leaps and bounds," Mr. Sanchai concluded.