Top 100 Exhibitions in 2007 and Top 25 Organisers in 2006

This is the inaugural edition of this BSG report which will be published annually. The report tracks the top 100 exhibitions and the top 25 organisers in Asia.

The ranking of the top 25 organisers is based on both publicly available data as well as BSG's estimates for privately-held companies. Due to the confidentiality of some of these figures, BSG does not publish the revenue figures of the privately-held companies. Individual companies, however, are welcome to approach BSG to discuss their own figures.

Almost half of the top 25 organizers are government-supported entities and associations. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) holds the number one position with trade fair revenues in 2006 of nearly US$150 million. Reed Exhibitions ranked second and CMP Asia was third posting exhibitions revenues of US$114 million. China Foreign Trade Centre, the organiser of the Canton Fair, ranks fourth on our list. The Allworld network which organises exhibitions in 10 markets in Asia through a variety of local subsidiaries (each with slightly different shareholding structures) rounds out the top 5. With event revenues of US$42 million, Global Sources makes an impressive showing, ranking sixth after only having entered the exhibitions business in 2003.

BSG's ranking of the top 100 exhibitions in Asia is based on recently-updated 2007 data. One of two formulas was to calculate the net size of each show. Figures in bold were calculated by dividing the gross area by two. All other figures were calculated by multiplying the numbers of booths sold by 9 - the size in m2 of a standard booth. These figures are cross-checked against organisers' size claims and, where possible, floor plans and exhibition directories.

The two annual editions of the Canton Fair are each approximately 285,000 net m2 and more than twice as large as its closest competitor, the furniture machinery show in Dongguan which features two editions, both are 120,000 m2. The only other two shows in excess of 100,000 m2 are both furniture sourcing events based in Guangzhou. In fact, six of the top 10 shows are Chinese-based events related to the furniture industry and only three of the top 25 shows are held outside China. The notable exceptions are the two editions of the Indian Handicrafts Show and the India International Trade Fair.

Despite the impressive average size of the top 5 exhibitions (185,000 m2), 75% of the exhibitions on our list are less than 50,000 m2 and 15% of them are 25,000m2 or less.