Conrad Bengaluru has appointed Aagman Baury as hotel manager.
He was most recently general manager at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi, where he focused on operational performance and market positioning.
In his new role, he will oversee hotel operations, with a focus on guest experience, efficiency and growth.
Conrad Bali reinforces its commitment to responsible and impactful gatherings through its Meet With Purpose initiative, enhanced by the brand’s signature Conrad 1/3/5 programme.
Both these programmes aim to create a destination-conscious platform where sustainability, cultural immersion, and wellbeing experiences are woven into the meeting experience.
“Conrad Bali is committed to driving a positive change through meaningful hospitality experiences,” shared Marco Neukom, cluster general manager of Conrad Bali and Hilton Garden Inn Bali Nusa Dua. “By combining sustainable event design with immersive cultural encounters, we aim to inspire our guests to create gatherings that leave lasting impact while discovering the beauty of Bali.”
By integrating eco-conscious practices, local community engagement, and curated micro-experiences, the hotel lets planners deliver programmes that can positively impact the destination.
Through Meet With Purpose, organisers can host carbon-neutral meetings by offsetting event emissions through a reputable carbon offset programme.
To reduce its environmental impact, Conrad Bali has transitioned to a plastic-free meeting environment, replacing single-use bottled water with glass carafes and reusable stations, alongside sustainable amenities such as recycled lanyards and locally crafted materials.
The hotel has also adapted its culinary approach to be more sustainable. Its producer-to-plate programme offers menus that feature locally sourced ingredients and plant-based options.
Beyond operations, Conrad Bali emphasises community engagement. Delegates can participate in programmes such as mangrove restoration, coral planting, and food donation initiatives, allowing meetings to contribute directly to the local environment and community.
Complementing this is the Conrad 1/3/5 programme – thoughtfully crafted one, three, and five-hour itineraries where groups can discover Bali and experience wellness, cultural encounters, nature and its culinary heritage.
Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur has unveiled a suite of AI-driven technologies designed to enhance meetings, events and weddings, positioning itself as a future-ready luxury venue in Malaysia’s capital.
Introduced as optional enhancements, the technologies aim to complement rather than replace human interaction, combining operational efficiency with personalised guest experiences.
Nelson Hilton, regional commercial director, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, said: “While technology continues to advance at an extraordinary pace, one thing remains constant: our guests and our clients are always at the centre of everything we do. These intelligent solutions are introduced to simplify, remove friction, enhance engagement, and ensure that every moment, from arrival to conclusion, feels effortless and intentional.”
Among the new offerings is an AI-powered conference assistant that facilitates self check-in, seat allocation and access to event information, alongside post-event AI-generated summaries for organisers.
Real-time AI interpretation supports more than 40 languages via personal devices, LED displays and AI-enabled glasses, addressing the needs of multilingual gatherings.
The property has also introduced what it describes as Kuala Lumpur’s first AI hologram emcee, capable of delivering multilingual presentations and guiding event proceedings. Additional features include AI live feed technology with instant highlight reels, immersive 360-degree virtual showcases with AI avatars, and same-day VideoFX playback designed for social sharing.
By integrating these technologies, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur aims to reduce logistical complexity, particularly for large-scale and international events, while allowing planners to focus on creativity and guest engagement. The hotel shared that its events team remains central to delivering personalised service, from menu curation to décor and entertainment.
With the ongoing oil crisis, Asia’s business events outlook “remains cautious but not significantly weakened”, with incentive travel as the most affected segment, said Stephan Roemer, CEO of DTH Travel.
Incentive trips are “more discretionary in nature and therefore more sensitive to cost pressures, making them more likely to be postponed or reduced in scale”, explained Roemer.
The DMC’s incentive trip cancellations, however, remain limited, with most groups choosing to postpone or adjust their plans instead, he said, citing that incentive requests for 2027 to the Philippines remain with no cancellations.
“The flight disruption in the Middle East affected two incentive groups due to arrive last March (in the Philippines), but both have rebooked their trips for later this year,” Roemer told TTGmice.
As for business events, corporations are still proceeding with events, though with more attention to cost and efficiency. Some companies have shifted toward short-haul or regional destinations, with shorter programme durations and tighter budget controls.
“Rather than completely canceling their plans, many companies are opting to postpone or scale down their events, indicating that MICE remains important for business continuity and engagement,” said Roemer.
As for what corporate clients look for in these uncertain times, he cited that “safety and sustainability are becoming more prominent in decision-making”.
DTH Travel will actively work with its partners to offer full flexibility and customisation through scalable programmes, hybrid-ready solutions, and more favourable booking terms. It also ensures that its contingency plans are up-to-date to anticipate and address possible uncertainties.
Roemer added that: “what increasingly differentiates MICE products is the ability to combine unique, memorable experiences – especially for incentive groups – with strong infrastructure such as quality venues, hotels and digital capabilities.”
For the first time, the internationally recognised Shanghai Fair Healthcare Malaysia will be held in the country from May 22 to 23.
Organised by the Shanghai Fair Committee and Shanghai Sail International Convention & Exhibition, it will be held at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), The exhibition will mark a significant milestone in strengthening the healthcare and medical trade collaboration between China and South-east Asia.
Bringing together about 80 leading healthcare enterprises representing 160 exhibitors, the event will provide opportunities for business matching, policy dialogue and cross-border healthcare collaboration between China and Malaysia.
“South-east Asia has always been a dynamic and fast-growing hub for healthcare development. In recent years, we have observed Malaysia’s growing prominence in the medical tourism industry and its expanding healthcare ecosystem. At the same time, several member companies from the associations cooperating with us have expressed strong interest in entering the Malaysian market.
This exhibition allows us to lead a delegation of Shanghai-based enterprises to conduct on-site engagement, gain deeper understanding of the local healthcare landscape and explore meaningful partnership and investment opportunities. We see this as an important step in strengthening bilateral medical cooperation between China and Malaysia,” said a representative from The Shanghai Fair Committee.
The Malaysia edition forms part of Shanghai’s broader Health Silk Road initiative, and aims to create a high-impact platform that connects advanced Chinese medical technologies and solutions with South-east Asia’s growing healthcare market.
The exhibition will showcase exhibitors from medical equipment, medical consumables, health consumption, and medical services segments.
A proposed signing ceremony between the Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Medical Device Industry Development Promotion Association, and Malaysia Medical Device Association, is expected to further deepen industry cooperation.
Strong showing from companies from the Shanghai Yangtze River Delta Medical Device Industry Development Promotion Association is expected.
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has selected Bali, Indonesia, as the host of the UFI Asia Pacific Conference 2027, following a successful bid led by the IECA (Indonesia Exhibition Companies Association).
The announcement followed the conclusion of this year’s conference in Bangkok, which brought more than 260 industry leaders to the Thai capital.
This is the second time Indonesia will be hosting the event, after Jakarta first hosted it in 2013.
Set to take place at Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center at the end of March, the event is expected to draw up to 300 delegates. It will feature expert panels and keynote sessions by exhibition industry leaders, focusing on key trends and opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region.
With Bali long established as Indonesia’s premier destination for conferences and incentive travel, IECA is expected to leverage Indonesia’s global profile among players in the exhibition industry.
Hosea Andreas Runkat, chairperson of IECA, said it has been a “long and winding road” to getting UFI to hold the APAC Conference in Bali, but they have finally succeeded.
He also pointed out the broader impact of the conference: “Hosting this conference goes beyond the immediate economic benefits. It’s significant not just for Bali, but for the Indonesia business events industry as a whole.”
The 2027 conference is also set to adopt a net zero approach. “We’re putting this into practice. It’s a small step, but it’s our way to showing that Bali can host big events in a sustainable way,” said Andreas
Looking ahead, Andreas hopes that Indonesia could host the UFI World Congress in 2030 or 2032. With an even larger international audience, the World Congress will bring a bigger economic boost and cement the country’s standing on the global business events stage.
Melbourne’s incentive pipeline from Asia is showing strong momentum, with conversion being driven by repeat visitation, and a growing appetite for experiences that go beyond the expected.
According to Melbourne Convention Bureau CEO Julia Swanson, the city is seeing tangible results from this shift.
“In FY24/25, we secured around A$80 million (US$53.5 million) worth of incentive business events. In 2026, more than 130 incentive programmes are estimated to visit Melbourne, bringing approximately 13,000 international delegates to both the city and regional Victoria,” said Swanson.
Much of that growth is being fuelled by returning incentive groups, prompting planners to look for experiences that feel new and differentiated.
“As more delegates come back for a second or third time, the need for unique experiences becomes even more important,” she noted.
Purpose-led programmes are also converting strongly, with organisations wanting their incentive programmes to reflect company values and ethos. As a result, experiences that incorporate CSR elements or purpose-driven activities are becoming increasingly popular.
These shifts are translating into sustained year-on-year growth across the Asia Pacific incentive market.
“All our key incentive markets from Asia are performing well,” said Swanson. “China is particularly strong off the back of Amway China’s Leadership Seminar. India is also solidly growing, and South-east Asia is a really strong performer.”
The turning point came in April 2025, when Amway China brought 16,000 delegates to Melbourne, the largest incentive group ever hosted in Australia. The scale and visibility of that programme has since become a catalyst for global enquiry, illustrating what is possible when destination infrastructure is paired with creative event design.
“Amway delivered some truly standout experiences, including the creation of a custom hot air balloon, which flew over the city and the Yarra Valley. That led to inquiries from many of our key incentive markets including the US, China, India and South-east Asia. People told us, ‘I didn’t know you could do that in Melbourne’,” said Swanson.
The economic impact from incentive groups has been undeniable. Chadstone The Fashion Capital, Australia’s largest shopping destination, has seen incentive visitation more than double in 2025 compared with the previous year, driven largely by the Amway China programme and Malaysia’s BE International, which brought 1,300 delegates in November.
“The number of incentive groups has increased, but the number of visitors has been tenfold, largely due to those two programmes,” said Ian McDougal, business development executive for tourism at Chadstone.
He shared that Amway delegates alone delivered a 48 to 1 return on investment when comparing hosting costs with retail spend. International incentive travellers spent about A$1,000 per visit, with some markets spending significantly more.
For Orange Incentive House’s managing director Vidya Hernanto, Melbourne’s diversity is a drawcard for her Indonesian clients.
“Melbourne and Australia are good options because they have everything,” she said. “In contrast, Europe is mostly about history and art, so it’s not popular with Indonesians. They don’t want to listen to the Michelangelo story; they just want to take pictures in front of the statue.”
However, she said there was still room to grow awareness for Melbourne’s offer.
“In terms of suppliers, we are very satisfied. We can easily find menus and hotels, and public transport is very accessible. But there is more potential for my clients to really understand the city as an incentive destination,” said Vidya.
Budget dynamics are also evolving. Swanson noted that buyers are increasingly prepared to invest when programmes deliver a clear wow factor.
“After launching our new China strategy, we found that buyers are prepared to spend if you can create something with a wow experience,” she said.
Looking ahead, Melbourne’s bookings calendar includes the National Insurance Elites Incentive Tour in May 2026, expected to bring over 1,000 delegates.
Meanwhile, The Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), held in February, continues to serve as a flagship platform. AIME 2025 generated projected business transactions of A$400 million within the year, a 21 per cent increase on the previous year.
Anthony Leung has been appointed rooms division manager at Dorsett Melbourne.
He joins with nearly 15 years of hospitality experience, most recently with Accor brands including Art Series and Mantra, as well as Quest Apartment Hotels, with roles spanning front office, guest services and operations across Switzerland, Hong Kong and Australia.
JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa has unveiled its 2026 MICE offer, shifting the focus toward a “campus-style” meeting experience on Vietnam’s Emerald Bay.
Designed by Bill Bensley as a fictional 19th-century university, the resort is positioning its 1,400m2 of flexible event space – including the Lamarck Ballroom and five themed breakout rooms – as a creative alternative to traditional corporate venues.
The offer is available for bookings made between now and September 30, 2026, for stays throughout the 2026 calendar year, provided the total contract value exceeds US$20,000.
Exclusive group rewards include a suite of financial incentives for planners, most notably a five per cent discount on the Master Bill for room rates and meeting packages. The deal also features double Marriott Bonvoy points on the total booking, and a signing bonus of 20,000 points for organisers who process 100 per cent of their rooming lists via ResLink.
To assist with group overheads, the property is offering one complimentary room for every 20 paid rooms per night, capped at three complimentary rooms during peak nights.
For delegates, the package integrates the surrounding Sun Group ecosystem into the itinerary, including a complimentary ticket to the “Kiss of the Sea” show in nearby Sunset Town. Standard inclusions cover daily buffet breakfast at Tempus Fugit, and a chilled drink upon arrival.
The meetings and events digital platform at the Desaru Coast Conference Centre aims to provide planners with a seamless and integrated meetings experience.
Designed as a centralised resource for planners, the platform offers access to venue specifications, capacity charts, floor plans, and curated event experiences, enabling faster decision-making and more efficient event planning for corporate groups and international organisers.
By providing a focused and comprehensive digital touchpoint, the Desaru Coast Conference Centre aims to enhance its visibility among regional and long-haul markets, particularly Singapore, Southeast Asia, and key international feeder markets while supporting planners with a streamlined, user-friendly planning journey.
“Our goal is to make event planning as effortless and intuitive as possible for our partners,” said Karin Jongman, general manager of The Westin Desaru Coast Resort.
The Desaru Coast Conference Centre itself can host up to 1,400 people in the grand ballroom and houses three smaller meeting spaces.
