Singapore  - Asia is likely to host more trade fairs, but the growth of the region's exhibition industry is expected to slow amid fierce regional competition, a newspaper's report said Tuesday.

Exhibition space in the region expanded 86 per cent between 2000 and 2005 and is forecast to increase 20 per cent between 2006 and 2010.

A study by market intelligence firm Business Strategies Group put the revenue from trade fairs last year in Asia at 3.25 billion US dollars, up from 2.57 billion US dollars in
2006.

China remained the front-runner in terms of space sold last year, up 21 per cent over 2006, according to data in The Business Times. India grew the fastest, expanding 50 per cent.

Both China and India have obstacles to overcome.

China faces a "dearth of experienced venue managers," Mike Kelly, executive general manager of the China National Convention Centre, was quoted as saying.

There is also a need to engage the public sector. "Regional competition is fierce and very real," Kelly noted.

India is plagued by a competitive market place and soft infrastructure.

China has 84 exhibition centres. India and Japan each have three. (dpa)