From left: ABEA’s Melissa Brown; and IAPCO’s Sissi Lignou
The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) and the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) have announced a three-year Strategic Partnership, formalised through a recently-signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Key elements of the strategic alliance will focus on enhancing membership value, fostering knowledge sharing, and producing collaborative industry research.
From left: ABEA’s Melissa Brown; and IAPCO’s Sissi Lignou
Members of both ABEA and IAPCO will gain access to collaborative engagement opportunities, including joint meetups at major industry trade shows like IMEX, IBTM, FIEXPO, and AIME, designed to cultivate new connections and potential business opportunities.
Furthermore, the partnership will prioritise ongoing knowledge sharing through joint industry and online education initiatives, featuring expert panel discussions, co-delivered educational sessions, and discounted professional development courses for members.
To further benefit their respective memberships and the wider business events sector, ABEA and IAPCO will also collaborate on the creation of a White Paper and the sharing of relevant research and studies to deepen industry insights.
Sissi Lignou, president of IAPCO, said the ongoing success and growth of the global meetings and events industry relies on collaboration between like-minded organisations and different stakeholders more than ever before.
“As we navigate an ever-evolving industry landscape, fostering collaboration between organisations who stand for the same values, is crucial for the ongoing success and growth of the global meetings and events industry…” said Lignou.
Melissa Brown, CEO of ABEA, added: “…Our collective efforts will provide our members with exceptional value, critical industry knowledge, and the ability to connect on a global scale. There is so much knowledge to be shared. The more efficiently we can share experience and knowledge across the globe, the easier it will be for our members to keep up to date with the latest developments.”
The Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) announced the election of its 46th Executive Committee at the 45th Annual General Meeting held on April 8, 2025, at Resorts World Sentosa.
46th Executive Committee
The following individuals who will form the new Executive Committee include Anthea Tan, executive director, sales, tradeshow and associations, Marina Bay Sands; Daniel Tjan, managing director, globalsign.in; Dylan Sharma, co-Founder & director, TRICOM Events; Jasmine Ho, founder & managing partner, The MasterPlan; Jay Yeo, co-founder of Variety Communications & CEO of Huone Singapore; Jenny Wang, acting vice president, resort sales, regional marketing, MICE & partnerships, Resorts World Sentosa; Khoo Yew Jin, vice president, brand & customer experience, Constellar Group; and Patricia Cheong, managing director, Comexposium Singapore.
The newly-elected committee members will serve the Association for the term of 2025–2026.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has set an ambitious goal to triple the tourism receipts generated by business events by 2040, aiming for the sector to contribute around 10 per cent of its targeted S$47 billion (US$35.6 billion) to S$50 billion in overall tourism revenue.
This represents a significant increase from the 2019 pre-Covid figure of four per cent, which amounted to S$1.4 billion.
Rendering of the MICE Hub
“MICE visitors spend twice as much as a leisure visitor, making it an exceptionally valuable segment for Singapore,” said Grace Fu, minister for sustainability and the environment and minister-in-charge of trade relations, during her speech at the Tourism Industry Conference 2025 this morning.
To achieve this triple-fold goal, several initiatives to build Singapore’s future pipeline of business events are underway. This includes exploring the feasibility of a MICE Hub in the downtown area, launching a new Business Events Inspired pilot programme with Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS); and enhancing partnerships with Singapore Business Federation (SBF).
Melissa Ow, chief executive, STB, shared that the tourism board is currently “in talks” with various parties about the viability of the MICE Hub.
“With the global MICE industry set to grow, and Singapore already a leader in global MICE events, we want to have a much bigger share of the pie as it expands. The infrastructure we build for the future needs to accommodate different (business events) formats,” she explained.
When asked about the difference between the MICE Hub, and venues such as Marina Bay Sands and Suntec City Convention Centre which already exist next to lifestyle offerings, Ong Huey Hong, assistant chief executive, industry development group, STB, indicated that Singapore “needs to continue to look at expanding its MICE capacity”.
“We want to triple our MICE contribution to tourism receipts, so we definitely need to have the capacity. We have also observed that MICE travellers do not just visit Singapore for a business event. They are also interested in bleisure offerings, such as F&B and lifestyle experiences, hence we are looking into the development of this MICE Hub,” added Ong.
Together with SACEOS, STB will also be introducing a new Business Events Inspired pilot programme to catalyse and grow the pipeline of business events in Singapore. This will be officially launched at the Singapore MICE Forum in July, Ong told TTGmice.
Under this pilot programme, event organisers will have access to mentorship, events consultancy services, and seed funding to develop quality events, with the goal of incubating them into impactful international events.
When queried on how STB will support smaller event players, Ong pointed to the Kickstart Fund.
“We want to identify home-grown events and grow them over time. This fund will help provide marketing and production support for up to four years (up from three). It was mainly used for leisure events previously,” she told TTGmice.
STB also wants to encourage local stakeholders to collaborate more closely as Team Singapore. Ow stated: “To do so, STB will help defray their business development costs to pursue MICE leads under our Business Event in Singapore (BEiS) Build Foundation incentive scheme.”
Finally, STB has signed a two-year MoU with SBF to expand the pool of local hosts for association conferences. This multi-year partnership will see both organisations develop the Trade Associations and Chambers Summit as Asia’s premier business association event; identify and support local trade associations to bid for and host international or home-grown business events; and strengthen the capability of local associations through content collaboration with local and foreign association partners.
In 2024, tourism receipts reached S$29.8 billion, setting a new record, while international visitor arrivals reached 16.5 million. Based on last year’s strong performance, STB is projecting tourism receipts to reach between S$29 billion and S$30.5 billion, while international visitor arrivals are expected to hit 17 million to 18.5 million in 2025.
Embraer has named Patrick Peng as managing director and senior vice president sales and marketing, commercial aviation, Embraer China.
Peng will lead Embraer’s operations in China and report to Martyn Holmes, chief commercial officer of Embraer Commercial Aviation.
With over 20 years of experience, he has held key roles at Airbus, GE Aviation/CFM, Thales, and Safran. His track record includes strategic sales leadership, billion-dollar service contract negotiations, and building long-term partnerships with airlines, OEMs, and regulators in China.
Hong Kong’s business events industry is roaring back to life, fuelled by over 140 major events already booked for 2025.
Among these, the city will host several significant “firsts” for the region. Events that have taken place include Consensus Hong Kong 2025 (February 18-20), and Sports Law Mega Event 2025 (February 20-23), while Connect Marketplace will take place from March 19-21.
The Hong Kong skyline from Victoria Peak
Later in the year, the city will welcome major aviation shows like Routes World 2025 (September 24-26), and Airspace Asia Pacific 2025 (December 9-11), as well as large-scale meetings such as the Asia Pacific Herbalife Extravaganza (June 16-18).
To maintain this growth momentum, Hong Kong is driving a wave of significant hardware developments and upgrades.
For instance, the Kai Tak Sports Park – which opened in March 2025 – will be a key site for the 15th National Games.The newly-opened Go Park Sai Sha, a 120,903m2 complex designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, offers a mix of indoor and outdoor sports, entertainment, dining, and leisure experiences.The East Kowloon Cultural Centre is another significant addition.
Other upcoming venues include the WestK Performing Arts Centre, set to open in 2026 within the West Kowloon Cultural District; and the Skytopia development that will include Phase 2 of AsiaWorld-Expo, set to be Hong Kong’s largest indoor purpose-built performance venue with a capacity of 20,000 spectators.
This optimism extends to Hong Kong’s hotels, which are also experiencing a surge in business-related bookings and enquiries.
Following a successful year for group business, driven by the resurgence of business events, the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong is optimistic about 2025, as it is already seeing strong interest in group bookings.
The property’s commercial director, Anna Wong, plans to leverage citywide events, and the new Kai Tak Sports Park, to attract entertainment and sports-related groups, diversifying the hotel’s target industries beyond banking and finance.
“We plan to broaden our market appeal by reaching out to Indian social groups for weddings and celebrations, entertainment and family groups from South-east Asia, and government delegations from the Middle East,” she explained.
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts has also taken proactive steps to attract key business events, including strategic initiatives to adapt to changing market conditions and a focus on developing opportunities in the sports and entertainment industries.
The spokesperson stated: “Over the next year, our Hong Kong business hotels (Island Shangri-La, Kowloon Shangri-La, and Kerry Hotel Hong Kong) will target key markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, China, India, and the Middle East, to attract corporate clients and business events.
“We will leverage our newly-renovated grand ballroom at Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong, to cater to the sophisticated needs of our clients; as well as Kowloon Shangri-La’s prestigious 5 Crescent Rating (the first in Hong Kong), to cater to the growing Muslim market segment.”
The spokesperson agreed with Wong’s assessment of the opportunities in the sports and entertainment sectors, and is planning to “capitalise on infrastructure developments such as the Kai Tak Sports Park”, and the expansion of Hong Kong International Airport.
“These enhancements will increase Hong Kong’s capacity to host large-scale events and improve international accessibility, making our hotels more attractive to global event organisers and business travellers,” the spokesperson said.
Also keen on targeting the Middle East market is Momentous Asia Travel & Events’ general manager Doris Lam.
Kai Tak Sports Park
“Initial enquiries have been primarily for small meetings, typically involving 10 to 20 attendees. We are also pursuing opportunities with international associations for larger events, targeting gatherings of several hundred participants for 2026 and beyond,” she added.
On the accommodation front, the 1,000-room Hopewell Hotel, which soft-opened in late 2024, has added over 6,500m2 of column-free function space.
“New venues like the Hopewell Hotel really help, bridging the gap of hotel ballrooms not big enough, and when the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre can’t offer any space,” shared Lam.
Lanson Place has also recently reopened its flagship 188-key Causeway Bay property following a 16-month-long refurbishment, catering primarily to corporate and bleisure travellers working in the commercial districts of Causeway Bay, Central, Admiralty, and Quarry Bay.
“The Hong Kong government has been unwavering in its efforts to promote Hong Kong as a leading MICE destination. For example, relocating the Rugby Sevens event to the larger Kai Tak Sports Park will effectively demonstrate Hong Kong’s ability to host high-profile events.
“Through collaborative initiatives between the tourism industry and the government, the city’s reputation as a prominent MICE hub is anticipated to be further solidified,” Danny Tse, area general manager of Lanson Place Causeway Bay, told TTGmice. – additional reporting by Rachel AJ Lee
The 2024 report showcases the resilience and growth potential of the global meetings industry
International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) members collectively delivered 19,469 events across the globe in 2024, contributing an economic impact of over €17.8 billion (US$19.7 billion).
This represents a more than €3.5 billion increase from 2023 (19.8 per cent) according to their 2024 Annual Member Economic Impact and Business Strategy Report.
The 2024 report showcases the resilience and growth potential of the global meetings industry
The growth in economic impact is driven by an increase of 2,425 conferences delivered by the 92 member IAPCO-accredited companies who collectively have 180 IAPCO-registered PCO offices around the world.
The growth in both the number of events and economic impact underscores the essential role PCOs play in driving economic growth, fostering innovation, and enhancing knowledge exchange on a global scale.
Looking forward, IAPCO members estimate strong numbers for the next three years. Currently, there are 1,969 conference contracts signed and confirmed without a designated destination or venue.
On Global Meetings Industry Day on April 3, 2025, Martin Boyle, CEO, IAPCO said each of the 19,469 conferences drove significant economic impact, as well as fostered innovation, facilitated knowledge exchange, and enhanced collaboration on a global scale.
“The growth of our sector remains a constant in our increasingly uncertain world. The drive for people to gather and share knowledge has never been stronger.”
In addition, IAPCO has seen significant growth in its membership.
“To be an IAPCO member is not easy to attain. However, the standard it represents is highly valued by associations, destinations, and organising committees who want to partner with a quality PCO. We believe the growth in our membership represents a commitment to excellence from both PCOs and clients, setting high standards within the industry,” he added.
WSCC and Panthers Precinct combine their offerings to create a one-stop destination for corporate gatherings
The Western Sydney Convention Centre (WSCC) – the region’s largest purpose-built convention centre – has increased its event capacity to over 4,000m2 by integrating services with the Panthers Precinct.
This expansion creates a combined conference destination capable of seating up to 2,800 delegates or accommodating 10,000 in an exhibition format.
WSCC and Panthers Precinct combine their offerings to create a one-stop destination for corporate gatherings
The WSCC, which stands adjacent to the Pullman Sydney Penrith, is a 21-minute drive from the Western Sydney International Airport (WSI); the airport is scheduled to open in 2026. The precinct’s location also offers proximity to Sydney’s CBD (45 minutes), Sydney Zoo (22 minutes), and the Blue Mountains.
The expanded offering incorporates 11 venues, with the WSCC serving as the central facility. The WSCC’s main conference venue features a 1,000-seat capacity and was part of a A$110 million (US$66.2 million) development completed in 2023.
Fukuoka Airport embarks on a new 11-storey project, aimed at expanding retail and hospitality offerings to meet growing demand
Work begins this month on a new large-scale commercial complex at Fukuoka Airport in northern Kyushu, part of the ongoing expansion of the hub amid an increase in passengers.
Fukuoka is Japan’s fourth busiest airport, handling 25 million passengers in fiscal 2023, following Haneda, Narita, and Kansai, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Fukuoka Airport embarks on a new 11-storey project, aimed at expanding retail and hospitality offerings to meet growing demand
The new runway will primarily be used for international flight take-offs. A new airport control tower, along with a renovated international passenger terminal, were also completed last month.
Now, efforts are focused on the new complex, scheduled to open in summer 2027. The 11-storey facility will feature 180 new shops, bringing the total number of shops at the airport to about 270, making it one of the largest retail centres of any airport in Japan.
With the theme of a “travelling airport,” the F&B offerings will showcase Fukuoka’s local delicacies and Asian cuisine, reflecting the city’s role as a gateway to the continent.
The upper floors of the building will house the 165-room Solaria Nishitestu Hotel, a boutique brand focused on business and leisure travel, with direct airport access.
“This will truly be a year of growth,” said Shinji Tagawa, president of Fukuoka International Airport.
Hussain: New offices in Shanghai, Taipei, and Seoul, plus enhanced operations in India and Indonesia, will support rising demand across the region
UK-headquartered travel and events solutions provider ATPI is bolstering its presence in the Asia-Pacific region with the launch of several new offices.
The company is establishing four new locations across India and one in Balikpapan, Indonesia. Further strengthening its regional network, ATPI is also opening new offices in Shanghai, Taipei, and Seoul.
Hussain: New offices in Shanghai, Taipei, and Seoul, plus enhanced operations in India and Indonesia, will support rising demand across the region
In Indonesia, the new office in Balikpapan positions ATPI in the heart of the oil, gas, and mining industries, while Chennai’s expansion taps into southern India’s booming IT sector.
Meanwhile, the company’s insights in tech-driven industries in mainland China, for example, will help boost travel demand in its AI, electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors. Taiwan is a technology-led, export-focused economy, while South Korea is ranked sixth among 133 economies featured in the 2024 Global Innovation Index, making both markets ideal for corporate travel.
Ali Hussain, managing director, ATPI Asia, said: “Our growth underlines ATPI’s longstanding commitment to Asia’s rapidly evolving travel and events landscape. The new markets are of strategic importance as they permit us to fully cater to our regional clients, share our know-how on domestic market essentials and support them with customised, industry-leading solutions”.
The scaling-up supports the company’s long-term vision to better serve both regional and international clients through a robust global network and local partnerships. This comes at a time as the Asian corporate travel market is steady regional growth – valued at US$737.1 billion in 2024 and projected to reach US$848.2 billion by 2025, according to a GBTA report.
“Our expanded presence in Asia enables us to sharpen our objective and ensure our strengths and strategies are in line with any challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. They allow us to be closer to our clients and be ideally positioned to meet regional business travel needs with agility, precision and confidence,” he added.
ATPI operates across a variety of specialist sectors, with core service offerings in corporate travel, marine & energy, and event management.
Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre; photo by Phoebe Mackenzie
Wellington will host the 21st WONCA (World Organisation of Family Doctors) World Rural Health Conference in 2026, the first time the conference is heading to New Zealand.
Themed Whānau Ora: Integrating mātauranga Māori indigenous knowledge with rural health for a thriving future, the event is expected to deliver an economic impact of NZ$2.7 million (US$1.5 million) to Wellington. It will be held at Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre; photo by Phoebe Mackenzie
Fiona Bolden, chairperson of Hauora Taiwhenua, said: “Hosting Rural WONCA 2026 in Wellington provides an unparalleled platform to highlight the innovative and community-driven strategies we’ve developed to support rural and Indigenous health.
“We will be working closely with our rural Māori members and health colleagues to share our success stories and extend this opportunity to our rural health peers across the South Pacific and other first nations peoples around the world, to join these conversations and learning opportunities; it’s about fostering global conversations that drive equity and inclusivity in healthcare systems worldwide.”
The successful conference bid was led by Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network with support from its Te Tiriti partners Te Rōpū Ārahi. Effective advocacy from Business Events Wellington and Tourism New Zealand Business Events, and endorsement from the New Zealand health sector and government ministries, led to a winning proposal.
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With over 20 years of experience, he has held key roles at Airbus, GE Aviation/CFM, Thales, and Safran. His track record includes strategic sales leadership, billion-dollar service contract negotiations, and building long-term partnerships with airlines, OEMs, and regulators in China.
