Ibrahim Canliel has taken on the role of CEO at Air Astana Group. He steps up from chief financial officer, a position he has held since 2017.
Canliel has been part of the airline’s leadership team for more than 14 years, supporting its strategic and financial development, including its public listing in 2024.
Dusit International has named Marc Handl managing director of Dusit Thani Bangkok. He will lead the hotel and oversee Dusit Residences and Dusit Parkside at Dusit Central Park.
Handl joins from Abu Dhabi National Hotels, where he was responsible for a portfolio of 15 properties, and brings more than 30 years of experience with brands including Park Hyatt, The Ritz-Carlton, Aman and Rosewood.
InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) has appointed William Walsh as CEO, subject to regulatory approvals. He is expected to join by August 3, 2026, following the end of his tenure at IATA on July 31, 2026.
Walsh is currently director general of IATA and was previously CEO of British Airways and International Airlines Group, overseeing multiple airline brands.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has appointed Vikas Chawla as president, India and South-west Asia, effective April 1, 2026.
He brings more than 30 years of experience in food and beverage and consulting. He joins with a background in building and scaling businesses, and will lead Hyatt’s strategy and growth across the region.
Thailand’s inbound recovery is gaining momentum, underpinned by a surge in Chinese and Taiwanese arrivals that appear resilient.
Data from the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) reveals that Thailand welcomed more than 8.4 million international visitors between January 1 and March 21, with China reclaiming its position as the top source market.
Speaking at the ATTA annual general meeting and Thailand Tourism Resilience Conference, honorary secretary-general Adith Chairattananon highlighted that these regional markets have demonstrated year-on-year growth even after the start of the ongoing geopolitical volatility in the Middle East.
He pointed to an 82.4 per cent year-on-year increase in Chinese arrivals this February.
While January figures initially showed a deficit, the market share for Thai destinations has expanded significantly from the middle of the first quarter.
A critical driver for this growth is the reduction in negative virality on social media platforms — a factor that has been resolved by a stabilised “Safe Destination” image.
He also cited the charter flights from China to Thailand subsidised by the Thai government, and a strategic shift in corporate travel patterns as contributing factors. Adith noted that regional instability has diverted lucrative business from competing corridors.
“Our recent engagements in Shanghai indicate a strategic advantage for Thailand. With Chinese restrictions on incentive and MICE movements to the Gulf markets, we are successfully capturing that redirected demand,” said Adith.
The Taiwanese market has also mirrored this rebound, posting 12.2 per cent year-on-year growth in February and six per cent in March.
Looking ahead, ATTA remains optimistic about hitting a seven-million-arrival target for China, provided economic factors remain stable.
“Overall, the Taiwanese and Chinese markets have not been affected by war, safety concerns, or the impacts of war. However, they are mainly affected by psychological factors regarding travel costs,” he stated.
Adith concluded: “A critical variable for the second half of the year will be monitoring geopolitical developments over the coming months, coupled with fluctuating fuel surcharges, airfares and impacts on the costs of living. Should these factors significantly inflate travel costs, the Chinese outbound market may pivot toward domestic alternatives.”
Rising fuel costs and a softening Middle Eastern market are beginning to weigh on Thailand’s business events sector, with longhaul bookings bearing the brunt of the ongoing regional conflict.
“Short-haul traffic continues to materialise, but longhaul clients are delaying their plans. They forwarded them to later this year, or the very end of this year, or early next year,” noted Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, president of the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA).
“Clients with distant travel dates have not officially postponed indefinitely, but they are withholding deposits due to situational uncertainty,” she noted.
Prachoom highlighted significant headwinds for the upcoming May-to-October low season, a period traditionally defined by lower volumes that is now further strained by a lack of demand from primary source markets.
While Chinese arrivals remain steady, they have yet to reach the high-volume benchmarks of previous years, while the Indian market is only seeing a gradual recovery in booking pace. Most concerning is the total stagnation of the Middle Eastern market – typically a primary driver during this window – where demand has flattened to near-zero as new bookings fail to materialise.
Compounding these suppressed arrival figures are surging airfares driven by increased fuel prices. Prachoom warned that elevated flight costs are already forcing unconfirmed business to downsize or pivot to alternative destinations entirely.
“Thai MICE suppliers are adapting through a mix of market diversification, product adjustment, and tactical promotions. Additionally, there is increased flexibility in terms of pricing, programme structure, and booking conditions. Shorter programmes and more cost-efficient packages are becoming more common,” Punnaporn Wongjanpen, founder and CEO of Paula & Co. (Thailand) Co., told TTGmice.
To stimulate volume, suppliers are rolling out aggressive tactical offers, ranging from early-payment deals valid through September to “come 4 pay 3” structures and enhanced value-added incentives.
According to the Bangkok Post, Khon Kaen’s hospitality and business events sectors are facing a crisis “more severe than the pandemic”.
Nattiya Tantasook, president of the Khon Kaen Tourism and MICE Association, reported that the province has lost nearly half of its hotel reservations as the local business events calendar is wiped clean by a wave of cancellations and indefinite delays.
Attributing the downturn to the twin pressures of the global fuel crisis and the Gulf conflict, Nattiya – who also serves as acting chair of the Tourism Council of Khon Kaen – is urging financial institutions to drop the “high-risk” designation for tourism operators. This classification, she warns, is currently stifling the sector’s ability to secure the critical capital needed to navigate the slump.
In response, the private sector is convening a series of strategy meetings in early April to address the fallout across both the leisure and business events segments.
These initial sessions aim to consolidate private-sector proposals for government intervention, which will then be elevated to the state level as TICA consults with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, on crisis mitigation measures.
Business events must move away from being performative and overcrowded, as the industry enters a critical era of recalibration.
This was the consensus at the Thailand MICE Roadshow in Singapore 2026 last Thursday, where the panel discussion, Designing the Next Generation of Business Events: What Clients Expect in 2026, explored the evolving demands of the market.
“Success is not only defined by attendance or numbers anymore, but more on impact, experiences, and meaningful outcomes,” stated Supawan Teerarat, president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).
During the session, Supawan also spoke about Return on Experience (ROX) and Return on Relationship as the new benchmarks for Thai business events.
“We are moving from the counting of numbers to diving deep into the experiences that matter. When you have your event in Thailand, you can explore more on ROX for yourself and your clients,” she elaborated.
While digital transformation remains a priority, the panel noted a growing paradox. As AI further integrates into the industry, delegates increasingly crave physical connection.
Anna Patterson, founder & chief amazement officer, Sight Agency, opined that technology alone is not a cure-all. “New and shiny technology needs new and shiny experiences… It’s the user touchpoints and the value of their time that matters,” she said.
Florence Chua, managing director APAC at Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), supported this with a preview of PCMA’s global outlook study, which revealed an infrastructure gap.
“While we are saying we are working harder and planning better, less than 20 per cent (of event organisations) have actual infrastructure frameworks to help in planning,” Chua noted, adding that “real-life scrambling” remains the industry norm.
The discussion also sparked a debate over the industry’s talent gap. Chua emphasised the need for digital literacy and data science to alleviate low-value tasks, allowing humans to focus on higher-level strategy. However, Patterson countered that the industry faces a “mindset gap” rather than a pure talent shortage.
“Everyone wants (tasks to be done) quicker, but we’ve lost sight of what’s important to us as individual humans. We need to spend more time mentoring our people and being human – because an overwhelmed attendee does not remember the brand,” Patterson observed.
Is sustainability truly a driver of responsible decision-making in the meetings and events industry or are we adjusting to a variety of expectations from clients with diverse priorities?
It is our responsibility to guide clients toward more sustainable meetings and events, even when it is not explicitly requested in the brief.
Sustainability as a driver of event planning and decision‑making
Adopting this “sustainability militant” mindset is not always simple. Our industry is built on operational efficiency, especially for large global organisations like BCD Meetings & Events (M&E).
Designing more sustainable events demands more planning time, the right methodologies and tools, and a commitment to integrating sustainability indicators into every stage. This includes destination and venue selection, event design, emissions compensation, and post-event reporting. Sustainability is no longer a trend but a structural transformation in business and society.
From a macro perspective, many global companies have ambitious decarbonisation goals, yet meetings and events are often overlooked in these strategies. By 2030, an essential milestone toward net zero by 2050, our sector will face renewed scrutiny. With its strong ties to business‑travel emissions, meetings and events will gain more visibility and accountability.
Some believe companies might step back from sustainability because of geopolitical tensions.
According to PwC’s State of Decarbonization Report (2025), companies now set carbon targets nine times more frequently, and 37 per cent are increasing the ambition of their goals. The European Union’s recent simplification of CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) requirements, which exempts many companies, did not lead to disengagement.
Based on a survey by sustainability and compliance software company Osapiens, 90 per cent of exempted companies still intend to continue sustainability reporting, and 86 per cent plan to follow full European Sustainability Reporting standards . Companies understand that dismantling hard-won systems and culture would only create long-term costs.
Post‑event sustainability actions and impact measurement
Transformation is accelerating. Today, we have affordable, collaborative tools that integrate seamlessly into the planning cycle. Impact measurement has evolved from a post-event emissions report to a strategic early-stage tool guiding destination and venue selection.
How sustainable choices influence event quality
Creating sustainable events is not complicated; the data, tools, and processes all exist. The real challenge is transforming these habits and traditions.
To help guide decision‑making, BCD M&E uses structured tools that outline high‑impact actions and provide scoring to compare event performance. These sustainability indicators work best when considered alongside other strategic factors: budget, business needs, travel inconvenience, and participant effort.
Hotels are also advancing quickly with net-positive properties, net-zero strategies, AI tools reducing food waste, and brands incorporating CO2 compensation for M&E spaces and services. Beyond measurable impacts, public opinion is a powerful driver. As climate-related extreme weather increases, social expectations rise.
According to the 2024 People’s Climate Vote, 80 per cent of people want stronger action, and 68 per cent say climate considerations influence major life decisions.
Communication in advancing sustainable event practices
This is why communication is essential. Meetings and events remain one of the most impactful corporate communication tools. We must speak more openly about how sustainable events can reduce costs, increase efficiency, and strengthen brand credibility, to contribute to more responsible corporate practices.
As BCD M&E’s global sustainability director, Thiago Araujo brings extensive experience in developing and implementing sustainability strategies across multiple sectors. Based in France with more than 15 years in business development and sustainability management, he leads the company’s global sustainability strategy by aligning operations with environmental and social objectives, and managing sustainable partnerships.
Previously, he held key roles at Volvo Group, GL Events, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the UN Department of Public Information, and the UN Rio+20 Conference, where he led significant sustainability initiatives.
IBTM Asia Pacific will debut at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre from June 9 to 10, 2027.
The event aims to capitalise on the Asia-Pacific’s status as the world’s third-largest business events market – currently valued at US$231.5 billion – by connecting global suppliers with high-tier regional buyers.
Supported by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, the tradeshow will utilise IBTM’s “Hosted Buyer” model and AI-driven matchmaking to facilitate high-value partnerships. The choice of Bangkok as the host city highlights Thailand’s strategic position as a regional hub, bolstered by its extensive hotel infrastructure and accessible visa policies for major markets including China, India, Europe, and the US.
Beyond the exhibition floor, the event will feature a conference programme focused on interactive workshops and industry wellbeing, alongside a cultural welcome event designed to foster local networking.
The 2027 launch follows several previous attempts to establish a regional presence. IBTM originally planned to debut in Singapore in 2020, but the event was deferred several times due to the pandemic and ultimately did not proceed after a final 2022 date.
A subsequent move to Hong Kong was announced for March 2025; however, organisers RX Global eventually withdrew the event in late 2024, citing commercial considerations and a shift in focus toward the growing international representation at their flagship IBTM World show in Barcelona.
Mondrian Gold Coast has debuted its crown jewel, the Sky House, a 320m2 space on level 24 designed to redefine high-end corporate and private events.
Suspended between the Pacific Ocean and the hinterland, the venue offers a cinematic 180-degree panorama framed by five-metre-high floor-to-ceiling glass, capturing the coastline’s shift from blue to amber against the iconic Burleigh Headland.
Marketed as the VeeRoom for functions, the open-plan residence is optimised for hosting with an entertainer’s kitchen, a full personal bar, and an alfresco balcony that merges sculptural design with the drama of its natural surroundings.
The space accommodates 100 guests for cocktail sets or 70 for seated dining, supported by in-house AV specialists for tailored sound and DJ requirements. Minimum spends for the exclusive venue begin at A$18,500 (US$12,778) from Monday to Wednesday, increasing to A$23,500 on Thursdays and A$28,500 for weekend bookings from Friday through Sunday.
Beyond its capacity as a premier meeting place, the residence includes three king ensuite bedrooms and access to the CIEL Spa, offering a seamless transition from a high-stakes event to an ultra-luxury executive retreat.
