CORPORATE NEWSwww.exhibition-world.net Issue 8 | 20119EW PEOPLE ON THE MOVERUSSIA - St Petersburg's convention and exhibition centre developer ExpoForum has named Sergei Voronkov as its new executive director. The position is a new one in the company and he has been tasked with managing operations relating to organising exhibitions. SINGAPORE - UBM Asia has appointed Paul Wan as MD of UBM Asia Trade Fairs in Singapore. Wan joined UBM Asia in September 2005 as deputy jewellery fairs manager to lead the sales network on UBM Asia's eight jewellery exhibitions in Hong Kong and China.USA - Long-time industry fi gure and president of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) Steven Hacker (1) will step down next year. Due to formally leave the association on 30 September 2012, Hacker said he plans to remain in the exhibition industry although his next step has not been confi rmed.UK - Duncan Painter has taken over the role of CEO at Emap International, owner of exhibition organiser Emap Connect. Painter replaces David Gilbertson, who stepped down in May amid concerns over private equity ownership.AUSTRALIA - The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) has appointed Jon Hutchison (2) as its new independent chair. Most recently the chief executive of Business Events Sydney, Hutchison has been in the tourism industry for more than 30 years.GERMANYApproximately 2.6 million visitors attended German trade fairs from abroad in 2010, almost reaching the record pre-recession levels of 2008.Although there were not quite as many of them, the percentage of international visitors last year was the highest to date at 25.5 per cent, according to research by the Association of German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA). There was also a return to growth in the number of non-European visitors, GERMANY DRAWS MORE INTERNATIONAL VISITORSwhich dipped in 2009 due to the recession.Overall, half a million visitors were from non-European countries, representing almost a fi fth of total international visitors. Non-European regions by attendance include South East and Central Asia (175,000), Middle East (90,000), North America (75,000), South America (70,000), Africa (55,000) and Australia/Oceania (25,000). Notably, there were 60 per cent more visitors from South America than attended in 2006, perhaps refl ecting the region's growing presence in the international expo milieu.Visitors from Europe numbered approximately two million. The Netherlands supplied the highest number of European visitors from a single country with 250,000, while visitors from the USA comprised the largest single country attendance outside Europe at 60,000.2,600,000The number of overseas visitors to attend German trade shows in 2010SPAINDIVERSIFIED PARTNERS WITH ALIMENTARIA IN BARCELONADiversifi ed Business Communications has partnered with Alimentaria Exhibitions to launch Seafood Barcelona in the Autumn of 2012.Running at Fira de Barcelona, the new show will focus on bringing buyers and sellers together from Spain and Southern Europe. Diversifi ed also organises the European Seafood Exhibition in Brussels, the Asian Seafood Exhibition in Hong Kong and the International Boston Seafood Show. Alimentaria organises events in Barcelona, Lisbon and Mexico City. "Barcelona is the perfect location to hold a fair that brings all aspects of the seafood and seafood processing industry," said Alimentaria deputy MD Antonio Valls.BRAZILREED ACQUIRES BRAZILIAN OIL AND GAS EXPOReed Exhibitions has acquired the Santos Offshore Oil and Gas Expo in Brazil.The organiser said the purchase adds might to its global energy portfolio, which includes 16 upstream oil and gas and renewable energy events. These range from Offshore Europe and the All-Energy Exhibition and Conference in Aberdeen in Scotland to the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. In South America specifi cally, Reed owns Brasil Offshore and Protection Offshore in Rio de Janiero, as well as Fenasucro, Agrocana and Sucronor in Brazil, which Reed acquired from Brazil organiser Multiplus Fairs and Events in February. Reed is working with the Brazilian Institute of Petroleum to develop content. 12