New BSG Subscription Service

The following announcement appears today in our weekly newsletter:

Hong Kong, October 10: Business Strategies Group (BSG) has announced the launch of a new and unique subscription service. The Asian Business Media Tracker will provide subscribers with privileged access to unique data on the B2B media and events business across Asia.

The service has been designed for senior executives at B2B publishers, business information providers, exhibition organizers and venue operators, venture capital and private equity groups, industry associations, trade promotion bodies and other governmental organizations.

The new service offers nine different and comprehensive reports to subscribers. They are:

1. Enhanced weekly newsletter

2. Industry reports (monthly)

3. Profile of B2B media companies in Asia

4. Listed B2B media in Asia financial tracking

5. Key exhibition venues in Asia

6. Directory of the top 25 exhibition organisers in Asia

7. List of the top 100 trade fairs in Asia

8. B2B online media report

9. B2B publishing report

Please contact Jess Wong (jess@bsgasia.com) for more information on subscription packages.

Update: You can find more detailed information and subscription forms on the BSG web site now at this page.

Outsell Acquires EPS

We have been working with EPS in London for a little over a year and half and were delighted for them to hear the news that they have been acquired by Outsell, Inc.

The following announcement is circulating to their clients and partners:

'It is with great pleasure that we write you today to announce Outsell, Inc.'s acquisition of Electronic Publishing Services Ltd. (EPS) of London. Both firms have long been committed to giving the publishing and information services industry and its stakeholders a strong voice by defining the industry and creating industry awareness. Today we are the only research and advisory firm covering all aspects of the information industry worldwide, and we are thrilled to be working together.

This union provides our marketplace with deeper coverage in all key information industry segments. It also provides global reach and geographic coverage, serving over 300 clients around the world; we are maintaining our offices in London and the San Francisco Bay Area. Our team is nearly 60 strong, and our ability to fully serve you and your needs is unprecedented in the marketplace. We are pleased to collaborate and are excited about the opportunities ahead. David Worlock, Founder and Chairman of EPS, will serve as Chief Research Fellow of the new organization, and all members of the EPS team will remain an integral part of our company.

Anthea C Stratigos
Gregory P. Chagaris
David Worlock

UFI Asia Seminar announced for Seoul

BSG will once again manage the UFI Open Seminar in Asia in 2007. At UFI's Summer Seminar in Helsinki last week, a contract was signed between UFI and KOTRA to host the event on March 8 - 9 in Seoul, Korea. UFI 2005/06 President Tom Beyer and KOTRA's Director-General of trade fairs Mr. Han Jong-Woon are seen signing the contract in this picture.

BSG managed the first UFI Open Seminar in Asia in Hong Kong this year. See here, here and here for details.

Great response to UFI report news

UFI and BSG have just announced the imminent release of the second annual report of the Trade Fair Industry in Asia. It has generated a great response from individual companies and media, already being reported in a number of places including:

Travel Daily News

Highlights from the press release include:

The report provides detailed information on the development of exhibitions and supporting facilities in 13 markets: Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It includes data on actual market performance in 2005 as well as forecasts for growth in 2006 and beyond.

The report shows that the overall Asian exhibitions market grew over 12% in 2005 in terms of actual space sold by organisers. Exhibition sales topped 10 million square metres in the year according to the UFI/BSG research. China remains the top market with almost 40% of space sales in the region, followed by Japan in second place and South Korea in third.

BSG recruiting again

The following advertisement has appeared in Hong Kong's South China Morning Post. We would be very happy to hear from any readers who may be interested - the job is Hong Kong based:

Exhibitions industry - exciting opportunities

Manager / Assistant Manager

A fast-growing consulting business is looking for a talented self-starter with experience in the exhibitions industry to join its Hong Kong team. This role will involve working with high-profile international organisations, assisting them to develop their activities across Asia.

The successful candidate will be a university graduate with 3 - 5 years of exhibitions industry experience and the capacity to work comfortably independently in countries around Asia. Fluent English is essential. Putonghua and other Asian languages would be a significant advantage. Experience of exhibitions in different Asian companies would be of most benefit.

Please apply in writing by e-mail with full details of relevant experience and expected salary to Ms. Kim Cheng, Business Manager, Business Strategies Group Ltd. Email: kim@bsgasia.com

BSG to work with BPA on events in Asia

The following press release was issued by BPA Worldwide last week while we were all in London attending the FIPP B2B conference:

Hong Kong China 1 May, 2006 – Under a recently signed agreement, Business Strategies Group Ltd. (BSG) will work to enhance and support BPA Worldwide’s Events Audit offering in Asia.

Hong Kong-based BSG will assist in marketing new BPA Event memberships and supporting existing members in Asian countries through non-auditing customer services activities. BSG is Asia’s only consultancy supporting business media and events.

“BPA offers world-respected standards in events attendance auditing, as well as circulation auditing of publications and other media, and it has proven its commitment to China and greater Asia,” said Paul Woodward, Principal of BSG. “We are proud to be working with BPA to help Asian event producers provide their exhibitors and sponsors with solid assurance of attendance and audience demographics data.

“In an increasingly crowded market, the better-quality exhibition organisers are looking for ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors,” Woodward added. “Providing properly audited data to their customers is an excellent way to do that. At the same time, the major international exhibitors in Asia expect organisers to adhere to the same quality benchmarks they are demanding elsewhere in the world.”

“We have been doing newspaper and magazine audits in Asia for over a decade now and, with expositions and events of all kinds on a major growth curve, we feel that the time is right to make the benefits of the BPA Event Audit known in this region,” said BPA President and CEO Glenn Hansen. “Exhibitors throughout the world want third-party verification of what they are getting in return for their events investments, and BPA is leading the way in supplying these important metrics.”

New member of BSG team

BSG is delighted to announce an addition to its consulting team. Mark Cochrane has been based in Asia for almost 10 years, working in that time for Global Sources, the Gartner Group and most recently as an independent consultant. An MBA graduate FROM the American Graduate School of International Management(Thunderbird), Mark has wide-ranging research experience in the B2B and technology industries in Asia and will work as a consultant on many of our client projects as well as helping us to expand our range of multi-client research studies.

Woodward quoted in Alibaba.com release

Alibaba.com has just announced a new programme for partnership with exhibition organisers. The company's official press release includes a quotation from BSG Principal Paul Woodward:

Industry analysts agree that with increased competition in Asia's trade show sector, trade show organizers who adopt innovative media strategies will have an edge over the competition. Paul Woodward, Business Strategies Group (BSG) founder and a veteran of business development in Asia with over 20 year experience in the region, said: ''The Chinese exhibitions industry has been growing at over 20% a year for the past five to 10 years. It is increasingly important for trade show organizers to distinguish the quality of their events with much more sophisticated communications programs and doing so with the right media partner.''

UFI Asia Seminar 2 weeks to go

With just over 2 weeks to go, sign-up for the UFI Asia/Pacific Seminar has substantially exceeded our expectations. At close of play on Friday we were expecting 144 delegates from all over the world (see the website for list of who is coming). As well as the anticipated strong showing from all over Asia, we have delegates from as far afield as Russia, the Czech Republic and the USA.

Event sponsors are the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Hong Kong Tourism Board, AsiaWorld-Expo, and Adventor. Thanks to all of them.