Interview with Stephan Buurma, Managing Director, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

"For us, quality of service, and quality of infrastructure, will always win the day. That's one reason why we hold many of our major fairs in Hong Kong."

Stephan Buurma is Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. The German giant began running trade fairs in Asia in the 1980s in response to major shifts in global sourcing and manufacturing, with Hong Kong the second of its regional Asian offices to be opened back in 1994. Today, Messe Frankfurt has 15 offices across the Asia Pacific region, employing around 200 people.

We asked Mr Buurma what had changed most in the industry regionally over recent years. "Most fundamentally, it's the explosion of new space for trade fairs and exhibitions that's coming onto the market," he says. "More and more cities see building an exhibition centre as a key to prosperity." And does Buurma agree? "We have to wait and see," he declares. "Certainly, growth in China is a genuine attempt to catch up with rising demand, at least in first-tier cities. In other places, a lot will depend on whether the new facilities can offer what organisers like us are looking for."

So, what exactly is a professional organiser like Messe Frankfurt looking for in exhibition locations? As Buurma points out, low costs are not a primary concern: indeed, some centres offering "cheap" prices come with many hidden costs. "For us," he insists, "quality of service, and quality of infrastructure, will always win the day. That's one reason why we hold many of our major fairs in Hong Kong. At the HKCEC, for instance, we know we're dealing with highly professional staff in an excellent venue, and we've developed a very valuable long-term relationship as a result." Particularly important, he points out, is for exhibition centres to have clear policy sets. "Some exhibition centres cannot or will not guarantee fair scheduling of competing shows," he notes. "In that case, why should I bother organising a show there?"

Some have suggested that the rapid growth of trade fair venues in China poses a threat to Hong Kong. Buurma doesn't think so. "In fact I see an increasingly symbiotic relationship developing between fairs on the Mainland and in Hong Kong, especially with the development of the Pearl River Delta region," he says. "Synergies are being created that were not present before. And despite the growth of China fairs, ever larger numbers of Mainland visitors prefer to use Hong Kong as a trade fair base because it offers them the best opportunities for reaching international buyers."

Asked whether today's electronic communications threaten the future of trade fairs, Buurma smiles. "I've heard this question many times," he says, "especially before the dotcom bubble burst a few years back. The answer is simple: most people want to see, touch, and handle the products they are dealing with. You just can't do that online. Similarly, most business people need to meet suppliers or buyers in person. They can tell a lot about potential partners from the way they interact in person. That's what trade fairs provide: a platform, and a personal physical opportunity for doing business. I don't believe we will be abandoning that anytime soon."