《海峡会展》杂志记者在“2018厦门国际会展周”期间，拜会了在亚洲会展界德高望重的AFECA荣誉主席（前任主席）、新加坡会议与展览管理服务有限公司（CEMS）董事长廖俊生，并在会后邮件采访了廖老。本次专访中，廖俊生对新加坡的会展业先发经验、中国及亚洲会展业崛起、AFECA的作用、会展界如何应对贸易保护主义等话题，要言不烦，娓娓道来，体现出一位40余年会展人前辈的睿智和淡定。
（以下Q代表《海峡会展》，A代表廖俊生）
- 采访/王应武 编译/林越
Q：作为会展业的前辈，您1981年就来到中国拓展业务，在很长时间里帮助中国和很多亚洲发展中国家发展会展业，也见证了很多城市会展业的发展。在您看来，会展业能够发展较快的城市具备哪些特质，或者做了哪些工作？
A：事实上，我在1981年就大胆地来到中国，当时我协助一家英国公司ITF与雅式Adsale、新鸿基等公司合作组织了1981年中国国际包装展览会（China Pack 1981）。对我来说，这是一次令人大开眼界的项目。
Indeed, I had ventured into China in 1981, when I had assisted in the organization of China Pack 1981 by a British company, ITF, in collaboration with Adsale, Sun Hung Kai etc. It was an eye-opening event for me.
从那时起，中国的许多城市，特别是北京、上海和广州，发展得面目一新！这些城市已经成为具有庞大基础设施的大都市，迎合了快速增长的会议和展览业。
Since then, many cities in China, especially Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have developed beyond recognition! These cities have become bubbling metropolises with vast infrastructure catering to the fast growing convention and exhibition industry.
在银行和金融机构、物流和交通以及商业和工业的大力支持下，这些大城市已经发展成为全球性城市。真的，对于中国许多会展城市来说，一切都是可能的！
These big cities have evolved into global cities in their own rights, well supported by banking and financial institutions, logistics and transportation as well as commerce and industry.Truly, the sky is the limit for many of these Chinese MICE cities!
Q：新加坡会展业在亚洲居于领先，但新加坡的制造业规模并不大，新加坡是如何扬长避短做好会展业的？有哪些好的做法值得学习借鉴？
A：在上世纪八九十年代初，新加坡曾是会议展览业的中心，但如今已不再是。随着2001年中国加入世界贸易组织，全球会展业格局发生了变化，大多数国际会展组织者在中国从事商业活动。
Singapore used to be the capital of the convention and exhibition industry in the early years of 1980s and 90s. But no longer. With the entry of China into the World Trade Organization in 2001, the global MICE landscape has changed with most international organizers plying their trade and businesses in China.
东南亚的其他国家也赶上了新加坡，泰国、印度尼西亚、越南和现在的马来西亚纷纷建设大型会议展览中心。由于这些扩建，亚洲会展组织者也纷纷涌向这些东盟国家，复制他们的展览和成功。
The rest of Southeast Asia has also caught up with Singapore with the construction of huge convention and exhibition centres in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and now Malaysia. Due to these physical expansions, Asian organizers have also flocked to these ASEAN countries to replicate their exhibitions and successes.
然而，新加坡仍然是会议业的中心，拥有众多五星级酒店和世界级会议中心的优良基础设施；丰富的航线网络和经验丰富的组织者，以及与其全球同行联系紧密的大量专业协会和社团。
However, Singapore is still very much the capital of the convention industry with its excellent infrastructure of five-star hotels and world-class convention centres; well-connected air linkages and experienced organizers as well as an abundance of professional associations and societies which are connected with their global counterparts.
Q：新加坡也是世界知名的会奖旅游目的地，在打造会奖旅游目的地的过程中，有哪些著名的项目？有哪些好的经验？
A：由于新加坡在面对来自该地区的激烈竞争中失去了在展览领域的主要地位，政府决定通过创建可吸引游客的项目专注于“活动和体验”空间，例如新加坡滨海湾金沙综合度假村和圣淘沙名胜世界。此外，还有滨海湾花园和夜间野生动物园，这些标志性项目激发游客和旅游业的六大感官。
As Singapore has lost its prime position in the exhibition sector in the face of intense competition from the region, the government has decided to focus on the “events and experience” space by creating projects which could engage the tourists, such as the integrated resorts of Marina Bay Sands Singapore and the Resorts World @ Sentosa. In addition, it has created the Gardens by the Bay and the Night Safari, iconic projects that scintillate the six senses of the tourists and tourism industry.
Q：会展业有一定的马太效应，强者恒强，但现在亚洲有不少新兴市场国家正在持续快速发展，这些国家发展会展业的路径怎么走？
A：社会经济的马太效应在中国会展业中是显而易见的，一线城市吸引了所有的组织者和展客商，而在许多三线城市则相反。
The socio-economic effect of Matthew is certainly evident in the exhibition industry in China where the first-tier cities are drawing all the organizers and trade visitors while the opposite is true in many of the third-tier cities.
同样，泰国和印度尼西亚在某种程度上正在吸引更多的展览，而新加坡继续主办最多的国际会议和会晤。
Similarly, Thailand and to some extent, Indonesia are attracting more exhibitions while Singapore continues to host the most international conferences and conventions.
应对马太效应取决于组织者和城市是否能继续表现良好，是否能持续提供世界一流的基础设施和服务。他们的成功自然会吸引更多成功的组织者的青睐。
The Matthew Effect is contingent on the organizers and cities continuing to perform and offering their best in terms of excellent infrastructure and world class services. Their successes naturally draw more successful organizers to their shores.
Q：当下的亚洲会展界合作应该朝向怎样的目标去努力？
A：亚洲展览会议协会联盟（AFECA）的愿景和使命是为亚洲的协会提供互利合作的平台。自成立以来的13年中，AFECA在促进亚洲会展业的整体利益和经济价值等方面发挥了重要作用，特别是对各个城市和政府。因此，大多数政府现在已经接受了MICE行业，许多政府正投入数十亿美元来创建庞大的基础设施，以支持该行业发展。
The Asian Federation of Exhibition & Convention Associations (AFECA) has the vision and mission to provide a platform for the Asian associations to cooperate for mutual benefits.In the last 13 years since its establishment, AFECA has played a significant role in promoting the benefits and economic value of the exhibition and convention industry in Asia; especially to the respective cities and governments. Hence, most governments have now embraced the MICE industry and many are investing billions into creating huge infrastructure to sustain the industry.
此外，AFECA还联合亚洲所有会员协会，定期举行行业会议和论坛分享经验和想法，其中一些是针对高校的学生。
In addition, AFECA is also uniting all the associations in Asia to share experiences and ideas through regular meetings and forums, with some targeting at the students from tertiary institutions and universities.
Q：经历过40多年的风雨，见证过亚洲会展业的成长，您认为当前亚洲会展业应该怎样应对贸易保护主义的挑战？
A：贸易保护主义通常由政府强制执行或操纵，经常进行旷日持久的谈判或通过多边渠道，以解决各方之间的问题。问题的核心在于，强权政治正在发挥作用。
Trade protectionism is often mandated or manipulated by governments. Protracted negotiations are often undertaken to resolve the issues between parties or through multilateral channels. At the core, power politics are at play.
作为贸易展览会的组织者，我们的角色是组织展览和活动以促进贸易和产业。鉴于目前中美贸易争端，我们的协会应加强努力，促进两国组织者之间的更多合作。通过这样的做法，我们的展览可以继续在参展商和买家之间产生积极的商务交易。
As trade show organizers, our role is to organize exhibitions and events to promote trade and industry. In the light of the current trade disputes between China and the United States, our associations should enhance our efforts to facilitate more cooperation between organizers in the two countries. In so doing, our exhibitions could continue to generate positive business transactions between exhibitors and trade buyers.
本文刊发在《海峡会展 · 会奖旅游》杂志第13期
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