SRI LANKA - Montgomery and Pico Global have announced a joint venture partnership to run a series of new tradeshows in Sri Lanka.
The companies said the events will be staged at Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre (SLECC) in Colombo, which Pico owns, and will aim at internationalising the local exhibition industry. They come off the back of solid business and tourism development in the country and will be promoted regionally.
“We have been following the rapid developments in Sri Lanka in recent years and everywhere there is evidence of solid growth and strong potential,” said Montgomery Worldwide chairman Sandy Angus. “Clearly the many infrastructure projects which have been announced will benefit not only the industry, but also the Sri Lankan community of 21 million people.
“Sri Lanka has been gaining serious world attention as it aspires to a service economy. Moreover, its tourism sector is currently diversifying and is engaged in modernisation. Innovative specialist tradeshows are catalysts for growth that will further stimulate these trends and we are certain that the events we develop will enhance Colombo as a regional business destination and boost business tourism.”
Pico Sri Lanka executive director Santi Outschoorn said the end of the three-decade war and rapid development programmes implemented were opening up major business opportunities in the country.
“The exhibition industry is a critical and vital component in the economy of a country and internationalisation of the industry will pave the way in the countries that endeavour towards becoming a regional hub,” she said. More details on the focus of the exhibitions are expected in early 2011.
Montgomery’s Sandy Angus was recently nominated for the 2011 Convention Industry Council’s Hall of Leaders by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE).
