The outlook for Asia Pacific’s (APAC) exhibitions industry, which has been outperforming other regions for some two decades, continues to be positive, but the performance in 2026 will be more nuanced.

Mark Cochrane, regional director APAC, UFI, told TTGmice: “China’s growth will be slower due to a softer economic outlook as well as geopolitical and trade tensions.”

But impetus, he remarked, is coming from India, on the rise right now due to new venue capacity and robust economic growth.

“South-east Asia is also growing strongly, driven by good economic expansion and as many industries diversify supply chains, shifting capacity to countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia,” he continued.

Michael Duck, executive vice president, commercial development, Informa Markets and Informa Group, commented the China Plus One strategy continues to reshape supply chains, driving exhibition growth in Vietnam, Thailand and India.

Duck added: “Growth drivers include post-pandemic recovery, increased corporate spending, government digitalisation initiatives, and APAC’s position as the world’s fastest-growing consumer market offering many opportunities for international exhibitors.”

But geopolitical uncertainties affecting international participation, rising venue costs, and infrastructure gaps in emerging markets are key challenges.

The region also faces tariff-driven headwinds in 2026, with regional GDP growth projected to slow to 3.7 per cent from 4.3 per cent in 2025 due to US trade tensions.

AI and AI-related businesses will outperform most sectors, Cochrane opined, adding that the healthcare sector will boom due to ageing populations, rising affluence in the region, and increase in medical tourism.

He added: “Renewable energy and rising energy demand that comes with rising affluence, technology innovation, and pressure to stop climate change will also drive growth.”

“Healthcare and medical technology is strongly driven by the APAC medtech market, which is projected to reach good growth levels by 2026, fuelled by personalised medicine and telemedicine growth,” Duck agreed.

Additional bright spots include sustainable energy exhibitions capitalising on the region’s green transition initiatives and renewable energy investments, he added.

Conference & Exhibition Management Services’ managing director, Edward Liu, told TTGmice: “A lot of attention is shifting to South-east Asia and it has been accelerating since two years ago.”

Liu sees Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam taking centre stage, and drawing the attention of international organisers in the next five years, predicting South-east Asian events will increase between five and 10 per cent.

Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam are also developing more exhibition facilities to cope with demand, with Liu naming Jakarta’s Nusantara International Convention Exhibition, and Malaysia’s Petronas and its property arm, KLCC Holdings, being involved in expansion and new development projects in Kuala Lumpur.

Organisers and venues are also expected to do more to reduce waste and their carbon footprint, according to Darren Seah, executive director, Messe Berlin Asia Pacific. He also pointed out that the industry’s greatest challenge remains balance – ensuring that innovation and growth are sustainable, inclusive and beneficial to all stakeholders.

“In 2025, participation and business activity expanded across all major markets, and this positive trajectory is expected to continue into 2026,” Seah said.

For Messe Berlin, growth has been “particularly strong” in Central Asia, Africa, and India, alongside the newly-expanded Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.