Asia/Singapore Monday, 8th June 2026

Tākina injects NZ$120m into Wellington economy in first three years

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Tākina was designed to capture the larger, high-value conferences that the capital previously lacked the capacity to host

New Zealand’s Tākina Convention & Exhibition Centre has injected more than NZ$120 million (US$71.3 million) into the Wellington economy in its first three years of operation.

Since opening its doors on May 31, 2023, the purpose-built venue has attracted over 300,000 exhibition visitors and hosted 119,758 delegates across 306 business events, directly stimulating the region’s retail, hospitality, and accommodation sectors.

Tākina was designed to capture the larger, high-value conferences that the capital previously lacked the capacity to host

WellingtonNZ’s chief executive Mark Oldershaw stated the venue has rapidly proved its commercial value, noting that every event held at the centre creates ripple effects across the city that drive spend and support local jobs.

The venue has served as the backdrop for globally significant events, including the 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference, and the 30th ICDE World Conference, both of which yielded major national policy outcomes.

On the consumer side, the centre has consistently drawn massive out-of-region crowds through immersive experiences including Jurassic World by Brickman, Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Exhibition, Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder and Disney: The Magic of Animation, alongside exhibitions such as The Art of Banksy and The World Press Photo Exhibition 2025. Upcoming events include Michelangelo: A Different View and the recently-announced LEGO Star Wars.

Financially, the venue is outperforming expectations and is currently on track to finish the financial year NZ$600,000 to $700,000 ahead of budget. This fiscal success is paired with surging customer satisfaction, as the venue’s Net Promoter Score climbed from +56 to +83 over the past year.

Alongside its financial metrics, the five-star Green Star rated facility has also achieved international acclaim, placing as runner-up in the World-Architects Building of the Year awards while successfully diverting 7,800 food portions to local rescue charities and harvesting three million litres of rainwater.

Purposeful agendas

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1. Trapeang Sangkae Fishing Community, Cambodia
Once a struggling fishing community in Kampot, the Trapeang Sangkae Fishing Community is tapping into eco-tourism to ensure an education for its children, elevate local livelihoods and preserve the delicate marine ecosystem.

Fish stock in the area has depleted due to over-fishing and manmade development, which has caused swathes of mangroves to disappear. Visitors can replant mangroves, join fishermen on their patrols, enjoy boat rides, and even stay overnight to experience life in the riverine community.

2. The Lantern Lady, Hoi An, Vietnam
Delegates can immerse themselves into Vietnamese arts with a lantern-making workshop in Hoi An. Guided by local artisans, The Lantern Lady gives participants the chance to learn from master artisans to create their own colourful lanterns while learning about the cultural symbolism behind the age-old tradition.

The experience culminates with a special lantern-lit evening stroll through the town’s historic streets, offering an experience that fuses Vietnamese heritage, creativity, and cultural connection.

3. Pos Lanai, Malaysia
Pos Lanai in Pahang – home to the Semai community – offers groups a meaningful way to connect with Malaysia’s indigenous heritage while giving back. Guests engage alongside community members in hands-on activities such as edible forest planting, traditional atap weaving, river clean-ups, and seasonal padi harvesting and processing.

The programme fosters cultural exchange, supports local livelihoods, and contributes to environmental stewardship, making it a purposeful and memorable activity rooted in community and sustainability.

4. Morazen Yogyakarta Hotel, Indonesia
Set in the coastal highlands of Kulon Progo, Morazen Yogyakarta Hotel offers a “soft adventure” 4WD Jeep tour to decompress after intensive meetings.

Designed for groups of up to 100 (four per vehicle), the rugged route heads west toward Glagah Beach, famous for its dramatic tetrapod breakwaters. The journey then transitions from rural rice fields to off-road village paths and sandy coastal tracks, offering a controlled adrenaline rush. To conclude, teams can engage in sunset teambuilding, mangrove planting, or turtle releasing – blending authentic local insights with environmental conservation.

5. Happitat, Australia
Perched 400 meters above the Gold Coast’s Lamington National Park, Happitat is the world’s first cliff park. Featuring ziplines, via ferrata climbs, and cantilevered platforms, the five-hour experience is designed for accessibility rather than extreme fitness.

Built on the belief that shared challenges foster real connection, this accessible activity is ideal for corporate and incentive groups of up to 350 guests seeking a memorable, high-impact bonding experience.

6. Bangkok Community Help Foundation, Thailand
Event planners can integrate high-impact CSR into Bangkok itineraries by partnering with the Bangkok Community Help Foundation.

This volunteer-driven organisation offers corporate groups hands-on activities ranging from food relief and care package distribution to building projects, such as restoring homes or local libraries. By working alongside local volunteers, delegates foster team cohesion while making a tangible difference in vulnerable Thai communities.

Said Al Shanfari elected as UFI president 2027-28

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The UFI Board of Directors has elected Said Al Shanfari as the association’s president for the 2027–2028 term.

Al Shanfari, currently the CEO of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC), will officially join the UFI presidential trio as incoming president this November at the conclusion of the 93rd UFI Global Congress. He will step into the role of president in November 2027 during the 94th UFI Global Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Said Al Shanfari

For the November 2026 to November 2027 transition term, Al Shanfari will serve alongside incoming president Wolfram Diener, CEO of Messe Düsseldorf Group, and outgoing president Panittha Buri, vice chairperson of the Bhiraj Buri Group.

Al Shanfari brings extensive experience in destination development and venue management across the Middle East and Africa. In addition to his leadership at OCEC, he serves as UFI’s Middle East & Africa Chapter Chair, where he has championed sustainable growth, innovation, and international partnerships.

Global coalition debuts 13-goal sustainability framework

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The SEGs were launched during a press conference at IMEX Frankfurt 2026

A coalition of global business events leaders launched the Sustainable Event Goals (SEGs) at IMEX Frankfurt 2026, establishing the industry’s first globally aligned roadmap to embed sustainability across the event lifecycle.

The framework features 13 interlinked goals designed to translate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into actionable guidance for organisers, suppliers, and destinations. The SEGs are structured around three pillars: environmental, social, and economic governance, aiming to guide operational decisions ranging from venue selection and transit to waste management and community impact.

The SEGs were launched during a press conference at IMEX Frankfurt 2026

The initiative stems from Destination Canada’s inaugural Business Events Sustainability Roundtable held in Montréal in April 2025, which identified a gap between high industry ambitions and practical execution. Developed by a volunteer-led, cross-sector working group, the framework is designed to complement existing standards without duplicating effort.

The SEGs have secured endorsements from major industry bodies, including Destination Canada, PCMA, Convene 4 Climate, Events Industry Council (EIC), Kenes Group, and Amex GBT Meetings & Events.

EIC’s president and CEO Amy Calvert emphasised that the new goals will serve as a “unifying resource” to support the council’s ongoing standard-refinement efforts, providing the global business events community with the clarity and accountability needed to achieve measurable sustainability outcomes.

“Sustainability only delivers real impact when it is embedded into everyday decisions. The SEGs respond to a clear need within our industry for greater alignment and practical direction, helping organisations move from ambition to action in a consistent and credible way…,” stated Kenes Group’s CEO, Ori Lahav.

New Zealand posts strong MICE arrivals for 1Q2026

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Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre

New Zealand’s international business event arrivals surged in 1Q2026, climbing more than 50 per cent year-on-year to near pre-pandemic levels.

According to Stats NZ data, more than 16,500 international delegates arrived between January and March, generating an estimated NZ$54.1 million (US$32 million) for the economy.

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre

Growth was driven by traditionally quiet summer months hosting major events, including the Special Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Auckland, International Sedimentological Congress in Wellington, and International Cool Climate Wine Summit in Christchurch.

Australia remains the country’s top source market with 8,204 arrivals (up 37 per cent year-on-year and just 8% below 2019 levels), while the US saw a 53 per cent year-on-year spike to 2,425 arrivals. China, Japan, Korea, and the UK also posted gains.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa’s chief executive, Lisa Hopkins, noted that the surge highlights the business events sector’s high-value economic impact, aided by a favourable exchange rate, and newly-completed convention center infrastructure, including the New Zealand International Convention Centre, Tākina, and Te Pae.

However, Hopkins urged caution despite the strong momentum and parallel global spending growth cited in the latest Events Industry Council data.

“The level of geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty across the world is currently high, so this is not the time to take our foot off the pedal,” she said.

Yokohama doubles down on sustainability ahead of International Horticultural Expo 2027

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Yokohama City Visitors Bureau’s spokesperson speaking at Yokohama MICE Showcase; photo by Kathryn Wortley

Sustainability was the key theme of Yokohama’s MICE Showcase 2026, as the city intensifies its positioning as an environmentally responsible choice for events.

Organiser Yokohama City Visitors Bureau (YCVB) used the one-day programme to introduce more than 100 people from domestic and international business events-related organisations to the destination’s latest “green” activities via monitor tours, presentations and workshops.

Yokohama City Visitors Bureau’s spokesperson speaking at Yokohama MICE Showcase; photo by Kathryn Wortley

Participants visited an aquaponics system implemented as a form of sustainable agriculture and viewed food waste reduction and waste cooking oil recycling initiatives. They also heard presentations on how Yokohama is “engaging the local economy” to advance sustainable business events: one of the city’s 2030 goals.

Yokohama administers its own sustainable development goals certification system called Y-SDGs, which evaluates applying businesses on 30 criteria across four categories: environmental, social, governance and local. Furthermore, one of the city’s districts, Minato Mirai 21, is a government-designated Decarbonization Leading Area spearheading Japan’s carbon neutrality by 2050.

Officials hope Yokohama’s hosting of the International Horticultural Expo 2027 (also called Green x Expo 2027) from March to September next year will be a further boon to its sustainability credentials. The expo is designed to promote global sustainability, biodiversity and harmony with nature.

“Ahead of the green expo next year, we want to make Yokohama an even more sustainable city,” a YCVB spokesperson told attendees at the showcase’s venue Pacifico Yokohama North.

“There is growing demand for sustainability among event organisers and participants,” she continued, citing a 2025 report by the International Congress and Convention Association and Destination Canada that shows sustainability is “very” or “extremely” important to 66 per cent of associations, up six per cent from 2023.

In response, YCVB has expanded its sustainable offerings for conferences, adding options that include Cyclopolitan eco-taxis (tricycles), disaster prevention training and standup paddleboarding while picking up plastic trash.

ICCA to bring meetings professionals through different worlds at its Panama congress

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ICCA Congress 2025 in Porto, Portugal

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has curated a programme for its 2026 congress that will bring delegates through different worlds and perspectives – from personal reflection and professional growth to cross-disciplinary collaboration, diverse communities, and future-focused thinking.

Sharing initial programme structure with TTGmice, Gemmeke De Jongh, senior manager education and impact, ICCA, said the programme “will once again be unique and distinctly different from previous editions”.

ICCA Congress 2025 in Porto, Portugal

Three key themes of collaboration, competitiveness, and creativity will guide the formation of the the 65th ICCA Annual Congress programme, added De Jongh.

Also new to the congress in Panama City is the introduction of organisations and companies from outside the meetings and events industry to bring fresh knowledge, expertise, and perspectives to the ICCA community.

De Jongh cited the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as one example.

“We will also invite a number of mayors to discuss how, on a city level, we can move the needle for business events and use the industry as a driver for investment, scientific advancement, and innovation in a destination,” she elaborated.

A dedicated CEO session will return to the 2026 congress, where ICCA and an educational institution will present a platform to answer the learning needs of C-level members.

Meanwhile, insights obtained from last year’s ICCA Annual Congress in Porto, Portugal will also be used to shape this year’s selection of speakers and event formats.

De Jongh added that the Sharing Hub concept will continue to evolve this year, “with intentional networking becoming a central pillar of the experience”. Congress attendees will be able to choose from a variety of practical and region-focused activities that are designed to facilitate meaningful networking and genuine connection among members.

“The goal is to create intersections between perspectives and encourage deeper peer-to-peer learning. We also want to intentionally connect similar stakeholder groups ­– for example, venues with venues – so that delegates can exchange experiences, benchmark ideas, and learn directly from one another,” she explained.

“We believe that true innovation and opportunity emerge at these intersections,” she remarked, expressing hopes that congress attendees will go home with “fresh inspiration, new ideas, practical tools, and insights that support both their professional development and their work within the industry”.

1000Meetings enters Indonesia, sets sights on GBA

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Delerue: 1000Meetings’ growth strategy is based on “Asia for Asians in the region and beyond”

Corporate events platform 1000Meetings has expanded its South-east Asian footprint with the launch of its Jakarta network.

This follows the company’s 2025 opening in Kuala Lumpur and builds on its dual-headquarters structure in Singapore (established in 2020) and China (established in 2008).

Delerue: 1000Meetings’ growth strategy is based on “Asia for Asians in the region and beyond”

Founder and managing partner Julien Delerue told TTGmice that the platform is eyeing growth in China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA), driven by a rising number of regional technology companies.

The expansion comes as the company hosts its inaugural 1000Meetings MICE Showcase in Jakarta from June 3 to 4, featuring hotel and hospitality partners from China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The event has drawn registered buyers primarily from the Indonesian capital, alongside several overseas delegates.

“We need to be as close as possible to where the demand is,” Delerue said, noting that the platform is targeting Bandung, a major Indonesian economic hub for creative tech, digital startups, and textile manufacturing.

Delerue pointed out that while Asia remains a “fragmented market”, the necessity of face-to-face events remains unchanged. However, he observed that post-pandemic corporate events have scaled down – frequently ranging between 20 to 100 attendees – as companies become more selective and hyper-focused on the attendee experience to achieve their corporate goals.

Furthermore, conservative Asian buyers are increasingly prioritising regional travel over longhaul destinations due to rising costs and market uncertainties.

He elaborated: “Corporates are not only headquartered in Singapore, but also in Kuala Lumpur; and many in Malaysia are heading to Penang, Kuantan, Ipoh, and Kota Kinabalu for factory visits, and incentives.”

Looking ahead, 1000Meetings sees further South-east Asian expansion opportunities in Thailand and Vietnam.

Concurrently, the platform is ramping up engagement with domestic clients in the GBA, particularly within the tech sector. Delerue pointed out that while Shanghai remains a go-to event destination, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are often overlooked due to sourcing complexities.

To bridge this gap, 1000Meetings plans to leverage its extensive hotel and hospitality partnerships, while also capitalising on outbound opportunities from high-mobility corporate hubs like Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

Photo of the day: Cebu proves global event readiness following ASEAN Summit

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The Summit was also a showcase of Filipino hospitality on the global stage

Cebu has strengthened its standing as a rising South-east Asian business events hub following the successful hosting of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.

The international gathering follows Cebu’s hosting of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) earlier this year, marking a banner year for the province’s business events sector.

The Summit was also a showcase of Filipino hospitality on the global stag6

Megaworld Hotels & Resorts anchored a significant portion of the summit’s logistical and hospitality operations through its properties within The Mactan Newtown township, including Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown, Mercure Mactan Cebu, and the Mactan Expo. Ahead of the event, all three venues secured Certified Sanitation Standards from the Department of Health to accommodate high-profile regional delegates and heads of state.

“The ATF demonstrated Cebu’s growing strength, but hosting the ASEAN Summit and ministerial-level meetings affirms that the destination is fully prepared for events of global significance,” said Cleofe Albiso, managing director of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts and president of the Cebu MICE Alliance.

In addition, Megaworld’s township model provided a distinct operational advantage by integrating accommodations, convention facilities, and transport links within a single, secure environment to minimise logistical complexity.

ABEA, SITE ANZ team up to sharpen Australia’s incentive travel edge

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ABEA and SITE ANZ are working together to grow Australia’s incentive travel sector

The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA), and Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) ANZ, are working together to boost Australia’s incentive travel sector, following a series of strategic industry roundtables in Sydney and Melbourne.

The discussions brought together inbound, outbound, domestic, and supplier practitioners to address growth barriers and sharpen Australia’s competitiveness as an incentive destination. Industry leaders focused on positioning incentive travel as a critical business strategy, creating structured career and education pathways to attract emerging professionals, and deepening collaboration across venues, bureaus, and suppliers.

ABEA and SITE ANZ are working together to grow Australia’s incentive travel sector

ABEA’s CEO Melissa Brown said: “Australia combines sophisticated conference and event infrastructure with culturally rich experiences and some of the world’s most unique landscapes, giving organisers enormous flexibility to create memorable incentive and business events programmes.”

She added that sustained collaboration between industry bodies and suppliers is vital to maximising the sector’s long-term economic impact.

Meanwhile, SITE ANZ’s president Tanya Wick stated that working alongside ABEA will strengthen local education and advocacy while leveraging SITE’s global network to drive international inbound opportunities into the Australia and New Zealand markets.

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