New MD will succeed Heiko M. Stutzinger, who recently became COO of Royal Jaarbeurs | VNU Group
Bangkok, Thailand, 14th December 2021
Igor Palka (38) has been appointed as Managing Director for VNU’s regional office in the South East Asian region. Based in Bangkok, Igor Palka will be starting officially on the 15th of January 2022.
Mr. Palka is a seasoned trade show executive with over 18 years of exhibition industry knowledge and leadership in Germany and South Asia. He spent most of his professional life with Messe Muenchen GmbH, a leading global player in the sector, where his career steps included the leadership of Messe Muenchen’s subsidiaries in India as CEO and COO, serving as Director for the Ceramitec Portfolio as well as leading the standardization of Digital Events. Most recently, Igor served as Managing Director of an international exhibition series in Berlin, Germany.
Mr. Palka will be overseeing the entire South East Asian region with responsibility for continuing the rapid business expansion in the post-pandemic recovery phase. Mr. Palka will be in charge of executing the organization’s regional growth strategy with a focus on portfolio expansion, new business development, strategic joint ventures, operational excellence and
digital transformation.
Albert Arp, CEO of Royal Jaarbeurs | VNU Group and Chairman of the Board of VNU Asia Pacific: “We are excited to welcome Igor to our team. With Igor’s international experience, passion and broad knowledge of the exhibition industry, we can guarantee a smooth transition and a successful continuation of the business development and leadership excellence
in the region.”
“Igor is an experienced and ambitious executive, that shares our passion and vision for future growth, execution speed and superior customer service.” said Heiko M. Stutzinger, COO of Royal Jaarbeurs | VNU Group and Member of the Board of Directors VNU Asia Pacific. “As the South East Asian region is re-opening for the trade fair industry with huge investments upcoming, Igor can rely on a great team with excellent stakeholder relations – together with the VNU Asia Pacific team, I am sure Igor will bring our regional operations and portfolio to the next level.”
“I have been following the fast-moving events industry in Asia and could observe the substantial progress VNU Asia Pacific has made in the region. I am truly thankful for the trust offered to me and very excited to be joining VNU Asia Pacific at this point in time. Together with the entire team, we will continue our future growth course based on the solid foundation set up
in recent years,” said Igor Palka.
Please follow the Royal Jaarbeurs, VNU Europe and VNU Asia Pacific on LinkedIn to stay tuned for the latest news and developments.
About VNU Asia Pacific
VNU Asia Pacific is part of VNU Group, a globally operating exhibition company with offices in Utrecht, Shanghai, Bangkok and consolidates the international exhibition business of Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs. In Southeast Asia, Jaarbeurs formed a Joint Venture with TCC Group, a leading corporate conglomerate in the fast-growing region. From its business hub located in Bangkok, VNU Asia Pacific covers all key exhibition markets in South East Asia. VNU Asia Pacific has a constantly expanding portfolio with currently 24 trade shows and event formats both online and face-to-face platforms including brands from the AgriTech, Animal Husbandry, Animal Companion, Food, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, 5G and IoT and Disaster Resilience industries.
Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs belongs to the top 20 exhibition organizers by revenue worldwide and operates a 100.000 square meters exhibition center in the city of Utrecht, The Netherlands. In the coming years, the company is going to invest 300 Million Euro into further expansions of its exhibition center to continue to meet the highest technology and sustainability standards. The Asian counterpart, TCC Group, headquartered in Thailand is one of South East Asia’s leading conglomerates and most recognized corporations. TCC Group employs 60,000 employees and has an extensive service and real estate portfolio. One of its real estate highlights is the premier exhibition and conference venue in the heart of Bangkok, The Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) is currently being newly built and scheduled to re-open at the end of 2022. | For more information, visit www.vnuasiapacific.com
