Global business events veteran Edward Liu, group managing director of Singapore-based Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS), has completed both parts of the company’s divestment plan, which started in 2022.
In an exclusive interview with TTGmice, Liu said negotiations for CEMS’ lifestyle portfolio to leading listed Italian show organiser Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) took a year.
It was completed in March 2023 and eight team members were transferred to the IEG office in Singapore.
Judy Lee, CEMS executive director as well as wife of Liu, anchored the IEG negotiations and will consult on two editions of Café Asia and International Coffee & Tea Expo, and Singapore International Jewellery Expo.
According to Liu, part two of CEMS’ divestment – its signature Architecture & Building Services event – was officially announced on April 29 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UK’s Nineteen Group (NG) and the Singapore Tourism Board at the opening of the former’s The Security Event (TSE) 2024 at National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
The MOU signing was followed by the launch of Safety & Security Asia (SSA) 2025 to be held in November at Marina Bay Sands.
Posting on social media, Liu noted: “With this divestment, my company and I would focus on acting as consultants to the Nineteen Group on SSA 2025 as well as other MICE companies and projects in Singapore and the Asian region.”
Liu shared that NG group director Tristan Norman had expressed interest in SSA during the pandemic and finally attended the event in 2023 with CEO Peter Jones. Negotiations followed when both sides found their respective portfolios to be “a good fit”.
Liu added that NG appointed Lau Ping Ping, former project director, Experia Events, as general manager with effect from April 2.
CEMS will remain an independent company owned by Liu and Lee.
Nicknamed the Exhibitions Man, Liu has organised more than 1,000 meetings in 13 countries over the last 47 years.
