The growth and vital role of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in the future of global business travel was demonstrated by the strong turnout, engagement and insights from the GBTA APAC Conference 2025 held at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore from May 27-28.
Hosted by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), and co-located for the third year with the WERC Regional Summit, the event brought together over 950 industry professionals including corporate travel managers, travel suppliers, exhibiting companies and sponsors.
Peter Koh, chairperson of the APAC Advisory Board with GBTA, told TTGmice: “Last week’s fourth GBTA APAC conference saw 950 delegates from 32 countries with 50 per cent first-time attendees making up 50 per cent of the total.”
He added there were 250 buyers from 18 countries and more than 40 exhibitors and sponsors, an increase of 20 per cent from 2024.
The first conference held in Bangkok in 2022 had an attendance of just 200, and Koh is hopeful that next year’s edition will cross the 1,000 delegate count.
The two-day programme showcased over 80 featured speakers and prominent regional experts plus 10 breakout sessions, guided by regional APAC committees, along with collaborative buyer- and supplier-only sessions.
Sessions focused on industry forecasts, current challenges, and emerging trends shaping the future of business travel. Key topics included travel programme evolution, workforce mobility, artificial intelligence, payments, sustainability, and the next generation of business travellers.
In 2022, GBTA and WERC saw the opportunity to create a gathering for the APAC business travel sector. While each organisation’s conference runs independently, the collective attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors benefit from access to all sessions, a shared expo, and networking events.
“Our collaboration with GBTA brings together complementary communities, expands our collective reach, and elevates the experience for members and sponsors, all in the pursuit of empowering more seamless global talent mobility. We look forward to another impactful year together,” said Anupam Singhal, WERC president and CEO.
“We saw a convergence in the shared objectives of GBTA and WERC. Co-locating our events has been very successful. This year’s attendance exceeded last year’s by nearly 20 per cent and this is a testament to the continued relevancy and value our shared attendees receive from our partnership,” said Elle Ng-Darmawan, regional director, APAC, GBTA.
According to a press release, GBTA and WERC will again co-locate their conferences next year. It will be held at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on May 12-13, 2026. – Additional reporting by Caroline Boey
