ASIA - Indonesia is embarking on a venue development spree in an effort to attract international exhibition organisers to the country.
The country, which has a population of 240m, has seen income per capita rise from US$550 in 1990 to US$3,000 in2010, but the increased wealth has not been matched by development in the country's exhibition marketplace.
Chairman of the Indonesian Exhibition Companies Association (IECA), Effie Setiabudi, told delegates at the UFI Asia Open Seminar in Shenzhen that the Indonesian market "is still wide open because the competition is still quite low”.
The majority of events in the country takeplace at The Jakarta International Exhibition Centre (JIEXPO, pictured), which offers 60,000sqm dedicated space for exhibitions.
However, development is taking place across the country. The BSD Convention Centre, providing 100,000sqm, will be completed in 2014, while the Alam Sutera Convention Centre will open in 2014 offering 60,000sqm.
Other smaller venues include the new Medan International Exhibition and Convention Center in Medan, which launched on 15 February offering a modern 3,500sqm complex for smaller events. More minor event space will be offered by the Santika Dyandra Makassar Convention Center and Hotel, due for launch next year offering 3,500sqm.
Setiabudi told delegates that with the venues in development, he would like to see the halls start booking up with international B2B events.
"Currently there are too many B2C exhibitions," he said. "Indonesia needs more B2B and it is up to us to get this message out there. IECA is the only official organisation of exhibition industry in the country."
Now 22 years old, IECA represents 225 organisers. There are 139 companies involved in the capital, Jakarta, followed by 55 in Java (45 in east Java and 10 in central Java).
Organisers including UBM and Allworld are already active in Indonesia, but Setiabudi claims more needs to be done to raise awareness of the benefits of doing business in Indonesia.
"Make cooperative agreements with local partners, they know the country best," Setiabudi urged delegates. "Talk to IECA members and they will help you with the best way to deal with logistics and other problems."
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