International business events in Indonesia continue to thrive this year, defying shorter booking windows and tighter client budgets.
At the Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo), the exhibition sector maintains an upward trajectory despite geopolitical tensions and government spending cuts.
“The exhibition business at JIExpo is showing an upward trend. Even with the government’s tightening budgets, we have not experienced a significant negative impact,” said Hosea Andreas Rungkat, general manager of sales and marketing at JIExpo.
Driving this momentum is an influx of Chinese trade events, which now command nearly 90 per cent of Indonesia’s international exhibition market.
“Their presence increases every single year because their market and manufacturing industries are just massive,” Hosea pointed out.
This footprint has transformed Jakarta into a strategic “two-in-one” hub where European companies can network with Chinese suppliers while tapping into the local consumer market. Despite regulatory hurdles, foreign businesses still pursue these high financial returns, fuelling the venue’s expansion by three to five new exhibitions annually.
Parallel to this tradeshow boom, Jakarta’s conference and association sectors are growing.
Reza Abdullah, CEO of Royalindo, shares that the capital has seen a higher volume of association meetings, with local groups now spearheading their own events.
“We PCOs used to be the ones creating events and seeking support from associations. Now, we have started to see associations approaching us to support the ones they create,” he said.
However, Reza warned that scaling this growth is hindered by a lack of institutional backing. As international associations increasingly demand hosting fees, local organisers are stretched thin.
“That is a bit heavy for us because we do not have institutional support like our neighbours like Singapore with Singapore Tourism Board, and Thailand with Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau,” he highlighted. “We do not have a dedicated convention bureau.”
Meanwhile, at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre (BNDCC), overall event numbers match last year’s, but delegate sizes are smaller and booking windows are shorter. Despite tighter budgets, corporate, association, and intergovernmental meetings hold steady.
“The association and corporate segments continue to hold a dominant share of our business this year,” said Riyanthi Handayani, president director of Nusa Dua Indonesia, operator of BNDCC.
“We are seeing the return of several international-scale meetings, both with the Indonesian government acting as host and events organised under the auspices of various UN bodies.”
This institutional backing secures BNDCC’s calendar, which features major upcoming events like the Inaugural Congress of the Asia Pacific Federation of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery, and UFI Asia Pacific Conference 2027.
