Ryan: targeting South-east Asia's high-value conference and incentive sectors
New Zealand is stepping up its pursuit of South-east Asia’s events sector, hitting Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in March with targeted roadshows to connect with high‑value conference and incentive buyers.
Members of the Tourism New Zealand Business Events team and 13 partners will host two sessions in each city, one for incentive planners, and one for association buyers.
Ryan: targeting South-east Asia’s high-value conference and incentive sectors
The events will include a presentation, then one-on-one appointments between invited buyers and New Zealand operators such as Air New Zealand, Auckland Convention Bureau, and Hobbiton Movie Set.
The in-market visit follows Tourism New Zealand engaging Esther Ng and Annie Tay as market support in October last year to grow South-east Asian incentive and association conference business, respectively. Both are team members of business events consultancy Gaining Edge with significant experience and contacts in the sector.
In the past year, Tourism New Zealand Business Events has supported six conference wins from the region with another six bids pending, and won 10 pieces of corporate or incentive business.
Tourism New Zealand’s global manager business events, Penelope Ryan, said: “New Zealand has seen an uptick in holiday visitors from South-east Asia. We’re now building on the work of Esther and Annie in-market to grow our share of conferences and incentives in the region through better awareness of our world-class convention centres, direct air connectivity and tailored funding and support.
“These events will be an opportunity for some of our partners to showcase what’s on offer, from excellent accommodation options to exploring New Zealand’s unique Māori culture and experiencing the country’s natural beauty.”
Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, the brand’s first property in Singapore and the 100th in its portfolio, has been pulling in sustainability-aligned events set within the 126-hectare Mandai Wildlife Reserve, a world-leading wildlife and nature destination.
Billed as Singapore’s first super low energy-certified resort and designed with regenerative principles and a low-impact footprint, general manager Glen Cook said the property is “in a unique position to attract high-end incentives, leadership retreats, board meetings, and nature-themed product launches”.
Mandai Rainforest Resort
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Cook added meeting groups looking to stay at the resort can enjoy a restorative retreat in nature and enhanced wellness through the Banyan Tree Spa.
The resort, which has been operational for almost a year, features 338 guestrooms, including 24 elevated treehouses with private patios offering views of the surrounding rainforest and Upper Seletar Reservoir.
F&B facilities include “harvest-to-table” restaurant Forage and Planter’s Shed, the resort’s all-day dining outlet.
Small- to mid-scale corporate meetings have taken place in the modular Meranti Ballroom, and dedicated Kempas and Pulai meeting and function rooms, for groups ranging from 20 to 300 guests.
“We are seeing growing interest from lifestyle and eco-conscious brands looking to host intimate product launches in a unique biophilic setting,” noted Cook. This trend is reflected in the 2026 calendar, with bookings dominated by regional incentives seeking nature-themed experiences and exclusive stays in the treehouses.
For large-scale events, the resort collaborates with Mandai Wildlife Reserve to access the nearby Green Canvas, a new purpose-built event space.
Cook added that the partnership’s offering of a fresh alternative to conventional city venues has resulted in business from several major companies.
Following a record-breaking 2025, Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) has launched a nationwide engagement series to align the industry with Malaysia’s long-term development goals.
The initiative, themed Satu Meja, Seribu Cerita, will span Kuching, Sibu, Miri, Bintulu, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang to foster collaboration between government, academia, and private sectors.
BESarawak’s Ramadan engagement night in Kuching
The move comes as Sarawak enters a critical phase of its Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030. Minister for tourism, creative industry and performing arts, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, emphasised that the ministry will refine event concepts and innovation to ensure business gatherings deliver “measurable value” beyond simple tourism, contributing instead to the broader economy and local communities.
Sarawak’s strategic shift toward legacy impact is yielding significant returns. In 2025, the region secured 160 future business events through 2030, representing a projected economic value of RM483.5 million (US$122.5 million).
Additionally, Sarawak hosted 159 events in FY2025 alone, a 27 per cent year-on-year increase that generated RM491.4 million in total economic impact.
Moving forward, BESarawak chairman Hii Chang Kee stated the organisation will focus on three pillars: transformation and innovation, legacy and impact, and partnerships and people to maintain this momentum.
Moxy Bangkok Ratchaprasong has rolled out a new suite of event packages at its recently-opened Sato San Rooftop Bar.
Located on the 32nd floor, the venue features 360-degree views of the Bangkok skyline, blending a neon-lit indoor lounge with an open-air terrace.
Sato San Rooftop Bar
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For smaller gatherings of 15 to 35 guests, the Sunset Starter offers a 90-minute golden hour experience at 1,500++ baht (US$47.55) per person, including free-flow highballs, beer, wine, and shared bar bites. Larger groups of up to 100 guests can book three-hour private sessions starting at 3,000 baht per person for the House Flow tier, with Signature and Reserve tiers available at 3,300 baht and 3,600 baht for those seeking premium spirits and cocktails.
For major celebrations, the venue offers exclusive buyouts for up to 250 guests. These three-hour full-rooftop experiences start at 3,200 baht per person, while all-day access from 18.00 to 02.00 begins at 4,500 baht per person. Reflecting Moxy’s social-first branding, these larger bookings can be customised with interactive add-ons such as silent discos, Sake Pong tournaments, and mixology sessions.
Accor has named Rob McIntyre as vice president operations for New Zealand & Fiji, effective April 13, 2026.
McIntyre brings extensive operational experience across New Zealand and internationally. Most recently based in Singapore, he led Accor operations including the flagship Pullman Singapore Orchard.
He previously served as general manager of Pullman Auckland Hotel & Apartments and held regional general manager and broader operational leadership roles across New Zealand.
APAC corporate travel managers are advised to strengthen risk management strategies for this year
The region’s corporate travel community is being urged to stay informed, adaptable, and prepared in the face of rising risk unpredictability and frequency caused by civil unrest, geopolitics, cyber attacks, and extreme weather events in the coming year.
Speakers on GBTA’s webinar, The Year Ahead: 2026 Global Risk Outlook (APAC), held on February 25, advised corporate travel managers to arm themselves with risk intelligence to make the right and timely decisions, and to use traveller-tracking tools to work towards proactive instead of reactive actions.
APAC corporate travel managers are advised to strengthen risk management strategies for this year
GBTA APAC Risk Committee member Victor Lim, global travel leader, Ingka Group (IKEA), said: “Stop travel to certain countries (deemed at risk) early rather than having to extract travellers.”’
Based on what was experienced in 2025, he recommended cancelling, rerouting, or postponing travel.
Lim added that geopolitical spillover effects – including tit-for-tat delays in visa approvals, sudden changes in entry requirements, and the rising imposition of Electronic Travel Authorisations – could disrupt travel policies and negatively impact travellers.
On the issue of cyber security and how to incorporate AI into a company’s daily operations, committee member Mamatha Basavaraju, global procurement travel category manager, Konecranes & Demag, shared: “Miscommunication can spread during a crisis and information has to come from a trusted source.
“As the risk also extends to suppliers, negotiate on how cyber resilient they are, the importance of transparency, the safety of the traveller if there is an outage, and their business contingency plan. Equally important is data resilience,” she added.
Addressing the increased frequency and unpredictability of extreme weather events, Bala Selvam, regional security manager at International SOS, advised travellers to remain flexible. He added that those booking back-to-back trips should build in a buffer for rest, and thoroughly understand their travel insurance coverage.
Destination and location resilience must be considered to determine if infrastructure is robust and travellers can access the airport, review the travel itinerary, and move out of accommodation in low-lying areas, for example in Manila, which was impacted by back-to-back typhoons.
As for traveler health, wellness, and workforce resilience, speakers said corporates need to consider the lowest logical fare for air bookings, give employees time off for being away from their families, and work with HR to manage travel-related stress.
The findings highlight a clear shift towards value-driven programmes, accelerated technology adoption and tighter governance
Thomas Cook (India) Limited, and its group company, SOTC Travel, have released the inaugural edition of their Business Travel Report 2026, offering insights into the evolving priorities, patterns and pressures shaping business travel across India.
The survey conducted over a two-month period, is based on responses received from 25+ leading enterprises across sectors including BFSI, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, conglomerates and professional services, along with insights from internal booking and transactional data. The report highlights a strong revival in business travel demand, alongside a heightened focus on cost optimisation, policy discipline, traveller experience and compliance.
The findings highlight a clear shift towards value-driven programmes, accelerated technology adoption and tighter governance
Key observations include:
Business travel demand remains resilient
Nearly 65% of corporates expect their business travel volumes to increase over the next 12 months, while 30% expect it to remain stable. Only five per cent anticipate a decline. This translates to 95% of respondents projecting stable-to-growth spend, underlining travel’s continued role in driving growth, client engagement and business continuity. Client meetings, sales-related travel and internal business-critical movement continue to dominate business travel demand.
Technology and data-led decision-making on the rise
More than 70% of corporates are increasing their reliance on digital tools for booking, approvals, expense management and MIS reporting, enabling improved visibility, policy compliance and data-backed decision-making across business travel programmes.
Shift towards value-driven travel management
While cost optimisation remains critical, over 62% of respondents highlighted a move towards value-led travel decisions – balancing cost efficiency with safety, reliability, compliance and traveller well-being. This has elevated the role of managed travel programmes and strategic travel partners.
Traveller experience, flexibility and duty of care gain prominence
Alongside business objectives, over 56% of respondents acknowledged the growing importance of traveller experience, flexibility and duty of care – particularly for frequent flyers and senior leadership. The findings point to a clear trade-off between traveller convenience and policy compliance, underscoring the need for smarter, more flexible travel policies supported by technology and data-led controls to reduce friction while maintaining governance.
Policy tightening and supplier renegotiations gain momentum
Close to 60% of corporates indicated that they have tightened or are in the process of revisiting their travel policies. Renegotiation of airline and hotel contracts, rationalisation of preferred suppliers and stricter approval workflows have emerged as key levers to offset rising costs and tax-related pressures.
Bleisure travel on the rise
Sixty-eight per cent of corporates report that employees are increasingly extending business trips to include personal leisure time — blending work and downtime. This growing shift is prompting organisations to reassess travel policies, clarify cost‑sharing norms and offer greater flexibility to support work‑plus‑leisure travel.
Domestic hubs dominate, with growth in international business travel
Seventy-two per cent of corporate travel continues to be domestic, led by key business hubs such as Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. These cities remain critical for client meetings, internal reviews and project-based travel.
On the international front, Singapore, Thailand, Hong-Kong, Maldives, Dubai-Abu Dhabi, UK, Italy, Netherlands, US, South Africa and Australia remain preferred destinations for leadership meetings, supplier engagements and strategic business expansion – with China and Japan emerging strongly on the radar.
Rising airfares and costs driving sharper controls
A sharp 80% of respondents reported an increase in Average Ticket Prices over the past year – with over 36% witnessing a significant rise of more than 15%, and 45% reporting a moderate increase of five to 15%, highlighting tighter controls, advance booking mandates and closer monitoring of travel spends.
GST and input tax credit challenges add pressure to travel budgets
GST-related complexities continue to weigh on business travel programmes. Over 55% of respondents highlighted challenges around GST applicability, compliance and input tax credit (ITC) optimisation – particularly for air travel and hotel stays. This has led corporates to increasingly seek structured invoicing, compliant supplier ecosystems and expert support to minimise leakage and improve tax efficiency.
Executives representing TCEB, IPSF, FAPA, and AASP gather at the press conference at The Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok, and TCEB’s Supawan Teerarat (middle); photo by TCEB
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has secured hosting rights for three international pharmaceutical conferences scheduled between 2026 and 2027.
These events are expected to attract more than 3,200 delegates and generate over 151 million baht (US$4.9 million) in revenue.
From July 29 to August 11, 2026, the 71st International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) World Congress 2026 will take place at Chulalongkorn University. The event is expected to attract approximately 600 participants, including 500 international delegates from over 100 countries, generating around 33 million baht in revenue. Thailand previously hosted this congress in 2011 in Hat Yai.
Executives representing TCEB, IPSF, FAPA, and AASP gather at the press conference at The Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok, and TCEB’s Supawan Teerarat (middle); photo by TCEB
Following this, the 31st Congress of the Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Associations (FAPA) will be held from November 3 to 7, 2026, at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center, Muang Thong Thani. This congress is expected to draw 2,000 attendees, including 1,500 foreign delegates, and generate approximately 99 million baht in revenue.
This event will focus on digital innovation and artificial intelligence for healthcare safety, while highlighting Thai herbal medicine. This marks the sixth time Thailand has hosted the FAPA Congress, the highest hosting record among member countries.
Finally, the biennial Asian Association of Schools of Pharmacy (AASP) Conference 2027 will bring 600 participants to the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre from July 1 to 2, 2027. This marks the event’s second time in Thailand, returning 22 years after its 2005 debut.
“The strong professionalism of three Thai pharmaceutical bodies – including the Pharmacy Students’ Federation of Thailand – in their collaboration with TCEB as a national bidding government agency resulted in these successful wins, covering the entire pharmaceutical industry value chain – including students, schools, and organisations – for the first time,” TCEB’s president, Supawan Teerarat, said.
More than 320,000 visitors attended IHK 2025 at Ilsan Lake Park
The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) has formally approved International Horticulture Goyang Korea 2026 (IHK 2026), marking the third consecutive approval for the city’s flagship horticultural event.
The 17-day exhibition, organised by the Goyang International Flower Foundation, will run from April 24 to May 10, 2026, at Ilsan Lake Park.
More than 320,000 visitors attended IHK 2025 at Ilsan Lake Park
The event will utilise 280,000m2 for large-scale outdoor installations, paired with an expanded indoor environment consisting of the permanent Goyang Flower Exhibition Centre and two additional halls.
The exhibition aims to attract over 400,000 visitors, serving as a platform for industry professionals to showcase nursery stock, cut flowers, and foliage plants while facilitating trade exchange programmes.
The event will serve a global platform for high-level exchange and professional development; Tokyo pictured
Business Events Tokyo has revealed that the city will host the 72nd UIA Congress, the flagship annual gathering of the Union Internationale des Avocats (International Association of Lawyers).
The event is scheduled to take place from November 1 to 4, 2028, at the Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba.
The event will serve a global platform for high-level exchange and professional development; Tokyo pictured
The Congress is expected to draw approximately 1,500 legal professionals, including private practitioners, bar association representatives, judges, and academics from over 110 countries.
Selection committee members cited Tokyo’s robust convention infrastructure and its proven track record of managing large-scale international summits as primary factors for the win. The city’s position as a legal hub in Asia, supported by a highly active local academic and legal community, further solidified the bid.
The successful acquisition of the event was bolstered by a combination of financial and in-kind support from the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau.
While the core dates and venue are confirmed, the UIA Secretariat will release specific programme themes and registration details as the event draws closer.
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He previously served as general manager of Pullman Auckland Hotel & Apartments and held regional general manager and broader operational leadership roles across New Zealand.
