Corporate Travel Management (CTM) has appointed Darren Toohey as chief sales & customer officer.
In this newly-established role, Toohey will focus on advancing CTM’s five-year growth strategy by focusing on driving new customer acquisition and delivering enhanced value to customers.
Toohey has two decades of experience in senior sales and leadership roles, including leading CWT’s global sales and customer retention team.
Corporate travellers are increasingly opting for business class when flying to Asia, with the region leading the world in year-on-year growth for premium travel.
Data by the flagship corporate travel businesses of Flight Centre Travel Group, FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller, revealed that Malaysia (31%), Hong Kong (19%), India (18%), Philippines (9%), and China (8.8%) were growth standouts for 2H2024 versus 2H2023.
From Australia and New Zealand, the top three destinations showing growth in business class bookings are Malaysia, India, and Hong Kong. Travellers from the Americas are also increasingly choosing business class for their Asian journeys, with Singapore, Thailand, and India leading the way in growth. Similarly, from the UK, the top three destinations for business class growth into Asia are Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
“Asia has two massive benefits for business travellers. Not only is trade critical with the likes of China, Hong Kong, and India for companies worldwide, but it also acts as the transit gateway that connects the Northern and Southern Hemisphere,” said Bertrand Saillet, managing director of FCM Travel Asia.
“Through our Meetings & Events business, we’ve also seen an uptick in Asia being the destination of choice for conferences, with the region centrally located for those coming from London, New York, or Sydney – the geographic location is of real benefit.”
He pointed out that Asia is now the world’s second-most integrated trade region, after the European Union, where in 2022, nearly 57% of the value of Asia’s trade originated within the region, up from 54%t in 2000.
According to McKinsey & Company, between 2017 and 2023, trade between the US and China fell, but South-east Asia emerged as a “connector” between these two economies. In this period, Southeast Asian imports from China surged, while Southeast Asian exports increasingly went to the US.
In the case of Vietnam, the value of imports from China doubled – an addition of US$50 billion – and its exports to the US increased by US$60 billion. A similar, although less pronounced, trend can be seen in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
“It’s no coincidence that the growth in business class to these destinations has coincided with the continued return of capacity into Asia region-wide from origins worldwide – choice and competition are the catalysts to greater availability and lower airfares.
“Trade will be in the spotlight in 2025 with a Donald Trump Administration, but the one thing that won’t change is the critical nature of business travel for companies that know it’s a necessity rather than a luxury, and that it’s a key facet to surviving and thriving,” Saillet noted.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is expanding its commitment to the Australian business travel market with the formation of a new country-level Advisory Board and the appointment of a dedicated country manager for Australia and New Zealand.
These initiatives aim to support Australia’s thriving US$26.7 billion business travel market and further growth across the Asia Pacific region.
“Australia is a vital market for business travel, and the new Board brings together diverse expertise from across the region,” said Catherine Logan, GBTA regional senior vice president for EMEA and APAC. “Their insights will help GBTA deliver tailored programmes and offerings in our mission to shape the future together for business travel and across the industry community.”
According to the latest GBTA Business Travel Index (BTI) report, Australia ranked 11th globally in 2024 for business travel spending, representing 12 per cent of the total US$1.5 trillion global spend.
Andy O’Mara, head of travel & expense for Canva, will chair the 18-member GBTA Australia Advisory Board, comprised of leaders from prominent companies and travel organisations. The board members represent a cross-section of the industry, bringing diverse perspectives to the table.
To further strengthen its regional presence, GBTA has appointed business travel industry veteran, Derek Sadubin, as country manager for Australia and New Zealand. Based in Sydney, Sadubin will provide strategic support to members and partners, reporting to Elle Ng-Darmawan, GBTA regional director for APAC.
GBTA also announced the continuation of its event partnership with the Festival of Aviation and Corporate Travel Summits, scheduled for November 25-26. The summit will feature airline and travel management executives discussing key strategic issues in corporate travel.
Additionally, GBTA will host its APAC Conference in Singapore from May 27-28. Co-located with the Worldwide ERC Global Mobility Summit for the third year, the conference will offer networking and educational opportunities for the APAC business travel community.
The Welcome Event for the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) 2025, AIMalfi FESTA, will be held at il Mercato Centrale Melbourne on February 10.
The event will kick off AIME’s 32nd year with an Amalfi Coast theme, from 19.00 to 22.00 at il Mercato Centrale, a 3,000m2 venue in Melbourne’s CBD, a short walk from Southern Cross Station.
Over 2,000 attendees, including hosted buyers, exhibitors, media partners, and industry VIPs, are expected to attend. Attendees are encouraged to embrace the blue, white, and yellow colour scheme, and they can look forward to enjoying Italian-inspired food and drinks from il Mercato Centrale’s artisan food market. The evening will also feature entertainment from special guest artists.
Merging the Italian heritage of food with the experience of a contemporary hospitality hub, Il Mercato Centrale offers bespoke experiences for private and corporate events alike, with the flexibility to host small groups and large functions of more than 2,000 people.
AIME 2025 will run from February 10-12 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Event management platform, EventsAir, and ICCA, have renewed their strategic partnership for another year, celebrating five years of collaboration.
The continued partnership reinforces both organisations’ commitment to innovation and growth within the global association events industry.
EventsAir’s comprehensive platform, used by event planners to streamline operations and enhance event experiences, complements ICCA’s expertise and global network within the international meetings community. The partnership focuses on addressing the evolving challenges faced by association event organisers and raising industry standards.
“EventsAir is thrilled to celebrate five years of partnership with ICCA,” said Chris Ridd, CEO of EventsAir. “This milestone reflects our mutual commitment to empowering association event planners. We look forward to continuing our work with ICCA to provide innovative tools that help create impactful and engaging event experiences.”
CEO of ICCA, Senthil Gopinath, added that ICCA is committed to providing its members with the latest event tech tools and developing partnerships that make a real difference.
The International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by ASM Global, has released its 2025 Menu Collection, building on its sustainably-designed F&B portfolio with new interactive culinary experiences that enhance delegate connection at events.
ICC Sydney’s interactive cooking stations range from the Burrata Bar featuring Vannella burrata, stracciatella wrapped in buffalo mozzarella with ICC Sydney custom-blend ALTO olive oil, and the Dumpling Station comprising assorted dumplings, dim sum, gyoza and pork buns, to the Smoke House experience championing in-house smoked New South Wales beef brisket, and Spice Box that injects the flavours of India and Thailand.
The venue’s award-winning beverage team will also showcase their 100 per cent Local New South Wales wine list at events with interactive Sommelier’s Wine Tasting Bars.
ICC Sydney’s director of culinary services, Lynell Peck said: “This year, we set out to inspire event delegates of all generations by providing unique food and beverage experiences. Our 2025 Menu Collection has the power to connect people through food – not only to each other but to Sydney’s vibrant culture and community.
“Our culinary approach is underpinned by our commitment to make a difference as we support organisers and attendees to not only tread more lightly on the earth by selecting lower carbon menu options, but to enjoy fun dining experiences that remove barriers to engagement.”
The full 2025 Menu Collection includes six core menus that have again undergone a carbon calculation analysis with lower carbon menu items denoted within each. ICC Sydney’s new Interactive Cooking Stations can be found on the Canapes Menu which also features Food Stations and Pop Up Dessert Experiences catering to a broad range of tastes.
The global exhibition industry is gearing up for the 10th annual Global Exhibitions Day (GED), set to take place on June 4, 2025.
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has revealed that Exhibitions unleash potential will be the theme for this event.
Businesses and professionals across the sector are invited to participate in GED by showcasing how exhibitions drive growth across multiple industries, empower professionals, and contribute to economic and social progress worldwide.
To amplify the impact of the theme, UFI has outlined four key messages:
These messages underscore the potential that exhibitions unlock for all stakeholders, from industries and individuals to communities and companies.
UFI has provided resources and tools on the official GED website to help organisations plan their celebrations. Suggestions for participation include hosting local GED activities or campaigns, engaging government officials to recognise the exhibition industry, personalising the GED toolkit, partnering with local media, and promoting initiatives on social media using #GED2025.
The Seed, a newly opened ultra-luxury beachfront estate on Bali’s tranquil east coast, is targeting corporate groups seeking privacy and bespoke experiences through exclusive buyouts.
While individual villa rentals are available, The Seed’s focus is on providing a complete takeover experience, allowing corporate bookers to enjoy the entire estate.
The estate features four one- and two-bedroom villas, alongside amenities such as a fitness and wellness centre, the Bloom Kitchen private restaurant helmed by culinary director Dom Marquez-Hammond, a poolside cinema, and games room. There’s even a private, soundproof nightclub, allowing for unrestricted enjoyment of music and celebrations.
A dedicated concierge service will be on hand to help corporates arrange experiences tailored to the needs of every group, ranging from organising elaborate banquet dinners to bringing in wellness facilitators.
Interested parties should contact The Seed directly for buyout pricing and availability, as these are subject to the specific requirements of each group and the time of year. For an idea, individual villa rentals start from US$3,500 in the low season, and go up to US$6,500 in the high season, inclusive of breakfast.
Global adventure travel company, Intrepid Travel, has chosen Colombo, Sri Lanka as the host city for its Global Summit 2025 – the second time the company will host its annual gathering outside of its Melbourne, Australia headquarters.
Company officials said the decision underlines Sri Lanka’s vital role within Intrepid’s global operations.
Intrepid established an office in Colombo in 2012 and has gone from strength to strength since then. With both a capability centre and a country office managing trips across the country, Sri Lanka has become a key operational centre for the company, supporting technology, revenue management, human resources, product services, finance and customer service.
Scheduled to take place from February 24 to 27, 2025, the Global Summit 2025 will bring together over 200 international participants over 50 nationalities across its 40-plus offices, including Intrepid’s board, co-founders, and core management team, alongside 300 local team members.
The four-day summit will feature strategy discussions, leadership workshops, local community engagements and fam trips.
“Our team in Sri Lanka is such an important part of our company and our customers also love visiting this incredible and vibrant country,” said James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel.
“Our vision for Sri Lanka extends beyond tourism; it’s about driving sustainable growth and creating meaningful, lasting impact. The growing number of Intrepid travellers choosing Sri Lanka highlights its immense potential, and we remain committed to ensuring local communities share in the benefits of this success.”
In 2024, Intrepid welcomed over 4,000 travellers to Sri Lanka, a 206 per cent increase from 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. The company aims to welcome over 15,000 travellers to Sri Lanka by 2030.
UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has welcomed Benjamin Duclos as the association’s new research coordinator.
In his new role, Duclos will work alongside research manager Christian Druart to support UFI’s market research initiatives, providing valuable insights to help the global exhibition industry navigate future challenges and opportunities. He will also contribute to data-driven research projects that support the association’s advocacy initiatives to promote the sector’s impact on a global scale.
Duclos brings over five years of international experience in law, project management, and research, having worked with organisations such as the World Health Organization, HEC Paris Business School, and the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations.
