Armand Steinmeyer has been appointed vice president, development, Southeast Asia at Radisson Hotel Group.
Based in the region, he will lead the group’s development strategy across South-east Asia.
He brings more than 15 years of experience in hospitality development, investment analysis, portfolio growth, mergers and acquisitions, and owner relations across South-east Asia, Asia-Pacific and EMEA.
Michael Yang has been named general manager, Hong Kong at Plaza Premium Group (PPG).
Based in Hong Kong, he will lead the group’s business and operations in the market.
He most recently served as general manager – special task force at PPG, where he led strategic expansion initiatives and partner engagement programmes across the region.
EventsAir has launched Air Intelligence, a new suite of AI-powered assistants designed to streamline event planning and enhance the attendee experience.
The tool integrates real-time and historical event data into a single platform, shifting the planner’s role from navigating complex software to interacting directly with data through conversational prompts.
Instead of manually building reports or managing repetitive tasks, organisers can now track performance metrics, such as registration trends and session engagement, using instant queries.
The rollout introduces targeted assistants designed for different stages of the event lifecycle. The Attendee Assistant and Content Assistant are available now, providing immediate, context-aware updates to participants and automating event communications. The Planner Assistant, coming soon, will focus on surfacing live insights to enable faster decision-making on the ground.
EventsAir CEO Paul Trappett stated in a release: “For too long, event professionals have had to work around systems, rather than with them. With Air Intelligence, we’re introducing intelligent assistants that are evolving towards agent-like capabilities, working alongside planners to interpret data, surface insights, and take appropriate actions in real time, powered by over 35 years of event delivery expertise and deeply connected event data.”
EventsAir CTO Mehdi Khalili emphasised that the technology is built to extend human capabilities rather than replace them, giving organisers more time to focus on strategic execution while identifying operational issues early.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has entered a three-year strategic partnership with global trade exhibition organiser Informa Markets to bring a portfolio of premium international event IPs to the city.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) spanning 2026 to 2028, the collaboration will establish a luxury business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) platform named The Festival of Connoisseurs.
Departing from traditional convention centre formats, the flagship event will debut Asia’s first “city-as-your-showroom” concept. Instead of confining exhibits to a single venue, the festival will activate multiple landmarks and signature locations across Hong Kong to display high-end sectors, including supercars, yachts, haute jewellery, horology, private aviation, fine art, and rare spirits.
The event will see a high-impact soft launch in November 2026 before expanding into a full-scale annual festival in 2027.
To build out the festival’s footprint, Informa Markets plans to anchor several events from its global luxury portfolio in Hong Kong. This includes expanding major international IPs to the city, such as Top Marques Monaco, which will debut in Asia through this initiative.
As part of the reciprocal agreement, the HKTB will also participate in five of Informa’s major global high-end exhibitions including the Monaco Yacht Show, Palm Beach International Boat Show, Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, and Jewellery Arabia, to actively promote Hong Kong’s high-end tourism capabilities to international audiences.
The Korea MICE Expo 2026 (KME2026) is executing an internationalisation strategy to draw in planners navigating a volatile global market, capitalising on growing demand for stability.
Scheduled for November 17 to 19, 2026, at Seoul’s brand-new Coex Magok, KME 2026 aims to expand its showfloor by 20 to 30 international booths this year.
Danny Hyundae Shin, chairman of Korea MICE Association (KMA), told TTGmice that while the ongoing conflict has prompted international associations and corporate planners to re-evaluate Middle East destinations, it has not yet triggered a full-scale relocation trend. Instead, global buyers are actively reviewing South Korea as part of a broader risk-diversification strategy.
“The global MICE industry is becoming far more sensitive to geopolitical risks. South Korea is increasingly being recognised as one of the most reliable alternative destinations in Asia due to its infrastructure, public safety, and proven operational capabilities,” Shin said.
In response, the country is intensifying its marketing, roadshows and partnerships across Singapore and South-east Asia.
However, steep economic headwinds, rising energy costs, high airfares, and supply chain pressures continue to put a strain on local suppliers and PCOs.
When asked about the recent multi-trillion won supplementary government funding for “war response”, Shin clarified that no specific “inflation-shielding” subsidies or cost-absorption mechanisms have been earmarked for the business events sector.
“The industry is watching the situation carefully,” Shin stated, adding that KMA will advocate for expanded bidding and delegate-attraction support if prolonged cost pressures affect South Korea’s hosting competitiveness.
The newly-opened Vietnam Exposition Center (VEC) in Hanoi is anchoring the country’s aggressive push to challenge established regional hubs for the global business events economy.
Developed by conglomerate Vingroup, the 90-hectare mega-complex stands as South-east Asia’s largest all-in-one exposition and event venue, designed to capture top-tier international events as rising venue costs squeeze organiser budgets in traditional destination markets.
At the heart of the Hanoi venue is the Kim Quy Exhibition Hall, a 13-hectare centrepiece featuring flexible operational zoning. Vingroup is already planning to scale this infrastructure footprint into southern Vietnam with the VEC Can Gio project in Ho Chi Minh City. This upcoming sister complex will house Blue Wave Theater, a 60,000-capacity venue engineered to become the largest theatre in Southeast Asia.
Geoff Dickinson, CEO of global energy event organiser dmg events, stated that Vietnam’s deliberate hardware planning is the decisive factor in drawing major international business. “You cannot attract ministers, government representatives, or the world’s 5,000 largest corporations by chance. They come because of deliberate planning and infrastructure development.”
To eliminate weather risks for major outdoor exhibitions and conventions, the venue pipeline includes the 60,000-seat PVF Stadium, which features a specialised PTFE retractable roof designed to open or close within 20 minutes. Additionally, the 135,000-seat Hùng Vương Stadium is projected to open by 2028 to accommodate massive international entertainment and corporate gatherings.
Beyond standalone venues, Vingroup is backing the VEC with an integrated supporting ecosystem. This includes Vinpearl’s hospitality inventory of over 16,100 hotel rooms, a dedicated international event organising arm (V-Spirit), and Green SM’s fleet of 186,000 electric vehicles to manage large-scale delegation logistics.
Supported by new national legislative reforms that slash administrative and tax barriers for the exhibition sector, Vietnam’s business events market has reached an estimated valuation of US$6 billion.
“We believe this is Vietnam’s moment. The combination of national ambition and world-class infrastructure has the potential to transform the country into a major destination for global events,” Dickinson said.
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has rolled out JerGan (meaning “Let’s meet” in Thai), a pioneering data infrastructure and destination experience application for business events.
First deployed in March 2026 and officially launched on May 28, 2026, the platform is designed to serve as a smart concierge for business travellers while restructuring how financial benefits are distributed across the local economy.
According to TCEB data, international business events travellers spend an average of 60,000 baht (US$1,842) per trip. However, traditional industry frameworks have struggled with three critical gaps: a lack of cohesive customer data insights, a lack of designed experiences tailored specifically for business travellers outside the show floor, and an uneven distribution of revenue that leaves local businesses behind.
Speaking on the initiative, Jaruwan Suwannasat, vice president of TCEB, emphasised that JerGan is not another standard travel application or search engine.
“We wanted to find solutions that go far beyond basic digital directories. Because business travellers have distinctly different constraints regarding time and distance compared to leisure tourists, they cannot share a generic tourism supply chain. JerGan acts as a dedicated business concierge – the first touchpoint to respond to their exact needs,” noted Jaruwan.
JerGan operates as an open infrastructure designed to bridge the gap between Thailand’s business events travellers – of which there were 26 million last year – and the local ecosystem. The application integrates services from logistics and lifestyle companies like Grab, MuvMi, and LINE Man, alongside retail powerhouses including Central Group, Siam Piwat, and Ratchaprasong District.
The critical role of data integration was highlighted during an industry fireside chat at the JerGan app launch featuring Harisuda Buanyawat, director of the MICE Intelligence and Innovation department at TCEB, and Attapol Teanrausong, chairman of the sub-committee on innovation and technology for the Thai Exhibition Association.
Attapol pointed out that while the industry sits on vast troves of data, it historically has only been utilised at a surface level.
“Data is usually isolated within the boundaries of an event. Organisers might see success on the showfloor, but they lack tools to analyse visitor behaviour outside the venue,” he explained.
JerGan bridges this divide by acting as a national-level data integrator, Harisuda stated.
By blending TCEB’s data with partner ecosystems, the app tracks the journey of visitors, providing intelligent analytics with every transaction. Over time, the platform will become smarter, giving Thailand an edge with incisive analytics that can be leveraged to bid for future international events.
For business travellers, time and distance are paramount. Hence, JerGan resolves these friction points by allowing users to seamlessly locate adjacent co-working spaces, book logistics, plan where to host clients for meals immediately surrounding event centres – and even find applicable retail coupons, hot deals and concurrent events happening in the vicinity.
“Ultimately, the grand vision for JerGan is long-term sustainability and competitiveness for Thai MICE. By steering high-spending international attendees toward nearby hidden gems, local SMEs and communities can capitalise directly on massive influxes of business tourism,” Jaruwan noted.
She added: “The application is already scaling rapidly to handle world-class conventions, with upcoming deployments locked in for the IMF World Bank Group Annual Meetings and Gastech 2026.”
Wellington has secured the hosting rights for the 62nd ISOCARP World Planning Congress, scheduled to take place at Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre from April 27 to 30, 2027.
The event is expected to attract around 500 global city planners, policymakers, and researchers, injecting nearly NZ$975,000 (US$583,200) into the local economy. Hosted by the Wellington City Council, the congress will focus on sustainable urban development, climate change resilience, regeneration, and spatial equity.
Elisabeth Belpaire, president of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), stated that New Zealand’s commitment to incorporating Te Ao Māori perspectives into urban planning and governance was a key factor in selecting the city.
“Hosting the 62nd ISOCARP World Planning Congress in Wellington places the Pacific at the centre of the conversation – where questions of resilience, regeneration, indigenous knowledge, and spatial equity are lived realities,” Belpaire said.
Despite boasting world-class infrastructure capable of hosting luxury business events, Jakarta remains an underrated hidden gem due to a lack of strong destination marketing.
To counter this, The St. Regis Jakarta and The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place recently hosted 13 PCOs, event planners, and media representatives from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines on an exclusive familiarisation trip.
The initiative was designed to directly challenge overseas misconceptions about Indonesia’s capital.
“We keep getting questions about what MICE clients can actually do in Jakarta,” said Juliet Mangowal, multi-prooperty director of sales and marketing for The St. Regis Jakarta and Sheraton Senggigi Beach Resort. “With this trip, we wanted to highlight that beyond great museums and shopping, Jakarta is a dynamic, happening city.”
Mangowal noted that culinary and nightlife experiences have become vital to modern business events, pointing out that Jakarta serves as a cultural melting pot and boasts six venues on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list – including The St. Regis Bar Jakarta, which ranks 22nd.
Sumit Joshi, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place, agreed: “Jakarta has significantly strengthened its position as a high-end MICE destination over the past two years, supported by consistent annual economic growth and a resilient domestic economy.”
He added that extensive infrastructure funding through 2030 is fuelling a surge in demand for premium conventions.
To capitalise on this surge, the host hotels are shifting away from standardised corporate setups toward immersive, experience-driven events.
Joshi noted that modern luxury lies in balancing creativity with operational precision. “Events are no longer simply about scale or service excellence, but about creating a distinct identity where every element is intentional,” he explained.
Mangowal echoed this sentiment, adding that modern business travellers seek efficiency blended with emotional connection, placing a high value on flexibility, privacy, and cultural authenticity.
To showcase Jakarta’s myriad offerings, the properties partnered with the Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Office and Jakarta Cultural Office for the fam trip. The curated itinerary took delegates on an open-top double-decker heritage tour through Kota Tua (Old Town), alongside hands-on activities like batik painting, cooking classes, a Sunday “Car Free Day” morning walk, and high-end dining experiences across both hotels.
Francis Cheong, The Muse & Group CEO of Aavii Worldwide, revealed that Jakarta is firmly on his radar, having booked a 260-participant pharmaceutical conference, and a 600-participant exhibition in the city for later this year.
While Cheong praised the hotels for leading the charge, he stressed that sustaining this momentum requires more evocative storytelling. Invoking Maya Angelou, Cheong remarked: “People will forget what you say, people will forget what you do, but they will never forget how you make them feel. Jakarta has a soul in its people – I can see it. The potential here is huge.”
Meanwhile, Mina Lim, senior manager of group travel management at Holiday Tours, agreed that while Jakarta possesses excellent luxury assets, the key lies in elevating them to make travellers feel truly valued.
Both Lim and Cheong concluded that weaving rich storytelling into local elements – such as traditional dances and culinary traditions – is the crucial final step to creating the memorable, high-touch experiences expected by luxury business events travellers.
The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with automotive distributor Edaran Otomobil Nasional Berhad (EON Berhad) to integrate electric vehicles (EVs) into the state’s business events sector.
Under the agreement, EON Berhad becomes the official mobility partner for conferences and business events in Penang, deploying its multi-brand EV portfolio to support greener event operations and reduce transport emissions.
Chief minister of Penang, Chow Kon Yeow, welcomed the partnership, stating that introducing electric vehicles into the business events ecosystem is a “meaningful step in supporting greener mobility solutions while enhancing the overall visitor experience”.
PCEB’s CEO, Ashwin Gunasekeran, emphasised that crossing industry lines to tie business events with the automotive sector opens up new avenues for corporate visibility and innovation. The collaboration is also expected to scale up brand engagement across upcoming regional and international exhibitions, forums, and conventions held in Penang.
