UBM Asia Forms JV with Shanghai ShowStar to Develop DenTech China

HONG KONG, February 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

UBM Asia (http://www.ubmasia.com) announces that it has formed a JV company, Shanghai UBM ShowStar Exhibition Co Ltd with Shanghai ShowStar Exhibition Service Co Ltd, owner of China International Exhibition & Symposium on Dental Equipment, Technology & Products ("DenTech China"). UBM (http://www.ubm.com) acquired 70% of the joint-venture company on behalf of UBM Asia to organise DenTech from 2012 onwards to further expand the participation of international attendees. This acquisition is subject to the approval of the Ministry of Commerce in China.

(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2010/04/19/20100419602891.jpg )

Launched in 1994, DenTech is the first event of its kind in China and is now the market leading dental exhibition in the country in terms of attendee level and status. The 2011 event held from October 26 - 29 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre marked its 15th anniversary. The fair covered 12,000 sqm of net exhibition space, attracted over 500 exhibitors and recorded over 65,000 visits. With more than 2,000 delegates, the symposium held alongside is an important event for the local dental industry and draws senior dentists, healthcare professionals and the "Who's who" of the China dental industry. The revenue in 2011 was US$3.9m.

This co-operation provides DenTech the perfect opportunity to leverage on UBM Asia's expertise as the biggest commercial trade fair organiser in China and also the international dental community served by UBM Medica's (another UBM company) APDN (Asia Pacific Dental News), Dental Progress and DentalHub.net.

Jime Essink, President and Chief Executive Officer of UBM Asia said: "This acquisition proves again the commitment of UBM Asia to support the branded exhibitions in China to become the leading ones in the world. UBM Asia has over 1,000 staff in 21 major cities, stretching from Japan to Turkey and also in the USA. We are very pleased to welcome Grant Chen and the DenTech team to this big and ever growing UBM family.''

Notes to Editors

1. About UBM Asia (http://www.ubmasia.com)
   Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia operates in 18 market sectors with headquarters in Hong Kong and subsidiary companies across Asia, including UBM China in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Beijing. We have over 200 products including trade fairs, conferences, trade publications, B2B/B2C portals and virtual event services. As Asia's leading exhibition organiser and the biggest commercial organiser in the two fastest growing markets in Asia: China and India, we stage the leading events of their kind across Asia. Our 150 events, 24 publications and 16 vertical portals serve a 1,000,000 plus quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and subscribers from all over the world with high value face-to-face business-matching events, quality and instant news on market and industry trends and round-the-clock online trading networks and sourcing platforms. We have 1,000 staff in 21 major cities across Asia, stretching from Japan to Turkey.
2. About UBM plc (http://www.ubm.com)
   UBM plc is a leading global company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,000 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

For press enquiries, please contact:

Jennifer Law, Director of Communications, UBM Asia
Tel: +852-2516-1691
Fax: +852-3749-7342
Email: Jennifer.Law@ubm.com

Violet Wong, Corporate Communications Executive, UBM Asia
Tel: +852-2516-1679
Fax: +852-3749-7342
Email: Violet.Wong@ubm.com