ASIA’S exhibition market is fragmenting – and two countries are breaking away from the pack.
India and Vietnam are accelerating faster than their regional peers, highlighting a shift towards more uneven but opportunity-rich growth across the sector, research from UFI – the Global Association of the Exhibitions Industry and BSG (Business Studies Group).
India, long tipped as a market of promise, is now delivering in earnest, according to UFI-BSG’s latest report on the Trade Fair Industry in Asia.
BSG managing director Mark Cochrane, who is also UFI regional director in Asia Pacific, said India’s momentum is finally translating into sustained expansion, underpinned by domestic demand and growing international interest.
“India has always been a market of great potential with an economy growing like gangbusters,” Cochrane told MIX, adding that geopolitical tensions elsewhere are making India a “more attractive alternative”. With confidence running high, he added: “We’re going to see some impressive years ahead especially the next three years.”
Yet the picture is more mixed in China. Venues in third-tier cities are finding it increasingly difficult to fill exhibition halls, reflecting more cautious business sentiment and a shift away from blanket expansion.
“China’s exhibition industry is heading into another chapter after non-stop growth of 20 years,” said Cochrane, noting that venues beyond the country’s biggest commercial centres are under pressure to sell space.
“At the same time, the Big 4 – Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and, most notably, Shanghai – continue to dominate, accounting for the bulk of activity. “If you’re in those cities [organising] a top show, then you’re doing well,” he said.
Exhibitions linked to consumer goods are under strain, but those tied to priority industries are thriving. ‘Some consumer-goods shows are struggling, but if you’re in tech, energy renewables, EVs and health – sectors aligning with Beijing’s objectives in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan – you’re going to do great.”
Industries singled out under the 15th Five-Year Plan are attracting investment, innovation and policy support – factors that feed directly into demand for trade fairs, conferences and industry gatherings.
As China shifts from broad-based expansion to more targeted growth, business events tied to these sectors stand to benefit from stronger exhibitor demand, higher-quality audiences and deeper international engagement, according to the report’s executive summary..
Southeast Asia is entering a more dynamic phase, with Vietnam emerging as a clear beneficiary of shifting supply chains. Manufacturers adopting a “China plus one” strategy are helping to reshape trade flows, and with it, demand for exhibitions that connect regional industries.
Cochrane pointed to Vietnam as a standout case, noting that its combination of steady economic growth and new venue development is drawing global organisers. “It’s almost a guarantee we’re going to see good growth,” he said, citing the recent opening of the country’s largest exhibition venue – the Vietnam Exposition Centre, in Hanoi – and the pace of industrial growth.
Other markets are also gaining traction. Indonesia is seeing a lift from new infrastructure, including the Nusantara International Convention and Exhibition venue, reinforcing its role in the regional circuit. But it is Vietnam, alongside India, that is most clearly capturing attention as a rising hub for both manufacturing and events.
Mature destinations such as Singapore are holding steady by focusing on higher-value events rather than volume growth, even as space constraints limit expansion. “Singapore does exceedingly well, despite costs… Yet they do well as there is a focus on high-value events,” Cochrane said.
Across Asia, the exhibition model itself is evolving. Organisers are shifting from a straightforward space-selling approach to more complex offerings that combine content, networking and experience. “Festivalisation is real,” Cochrane observed, pointing to changing expectations among younger attendees and the growing importance of immersive formats.
The result is a regional market that remains one of the world’s most active, but far less predictable. Growth is fragmenting along geographic and sectoral lines, rewarding those who align with the right industries and locations.
Main image… A computer-generated image showing an aerial view of the Vietnam Exposition Centre in Hanoi
The 19th Edition of the Trade Fair Industry in Asia Report is available for download here
