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Press Room

Cvent Renews Partnership with PCMA to Power Convening APAC 2026

By | 2026, Press Room

The meetings, events and hospitality technology provider has been re‑appointed Official Onsite Registration and Event App Partner for Convening APAC 2026, SIGNAL: Mastering Change. The event to take place from April 12 to 14 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

This marks the second consecutive year that PCMA has selected Cvent to power its flagship regional conference, which is expected to welcome over 350 business event professionals from across the Asia Pacific and other key global markets.

As part of the renewed partnership, Cvent will deploy its OnArrival 360 check-in and badging solution alongside the Cvent Attendee Hub mobile app to streamline onsite registration and speed up badge printing.

At The Business of Events 2025, this combined solution helped PCMA cut manual efforts by an estimated 30 to 40 percent, achieve a 93 percent check-in rate and drive strong app adoption with 161 downloads.

Digitised, QR code-based check‑in and on‑demand badge printing effectively eliminated registration queues and manual errors, while real‑time badge scanning and in‑app analytics provided richer insight into delegate behaviour and programme performance and helped sponsors better measure ROI from visibility and engagement across the event.

“Our continued partnership with PCMA, now in its second year, underscores our commitment to helping event professionals raise the bar for attendee and sponsor experience across the region by combining Cvent’s data‑driven event technology with PCMA’s world‑class content and community,” said Will Kataria, country head, Singapore, Cvent.

While Florence Chua, managing director of APAC, PCMA said: “This deepened mutual understanding significantly reduces implementation lead time while ensuring a seamless, ‘stress-free’ journey for our participants. By streamlining our operations through this trusted partnership, we can focus on delivering the PCMA experience that the community expects.”

Beyond Green Collaborates with Travalyst Coalition as Accommodation Partner

By | 2026, Press Room

A global community of bold leaders advancing sustainable travel, Beyond Green has join forces with Travalyst Coalition as its newest accommodation industry partner. Representing a diverse portfolio of independently owned and operated properties, Beyond Green will strengthen the accommodation sector’s voice within Travalyst by ensuring that emerging tools, data models, and solutions reflect the realities of hotels across scales, regions, and operational context.

Through this partnership, Beyond Green will also participate in Travalyst’s working groups, policy discussions, and knowledge‑sharing forums helping shape industry‑wide solutions while keeping its member hotels, informed of evolving sustainability guidance and regulatory trends.

The timing of this announcement is especially meaningful as Travalyst has recently launched its new Data Hub to bring greater consistency and transparency to sustainability data across the travel and tourism sector. Begining with accommodation, future iterations of the Data Hub will expand to rail, destinations, and data from other verticals in the industry.

Together, Beyond Green and the Travalyst Coalition are advancing the industry’s commitment to responsible tourism, creating pathways for travellers, accommodations, and destinations to contribute meaningfully to people and the planet.

Travalyst is an independent not-for-profit entity working to change the way the world travel founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex in 2019 and, has some of the biggest brands in travel and technology such as Amadeus, Sabre, Google and Expedia Group, Trip.com Group, Skyscanner and Tripadvisor within its global coalition.

 

 

RateHawk Launches Digital Wallet Payment in Asia

By | 2026, Press Room

RateHawk the business-to-business online system for booking hotels, air tickets, and transfers has integrated several digital wallets as a new payment option in Asia. The platform now accepts payments through GCash in the Philippines, TrueMoney in Thailand, TNG in Malaysia, Dana in Indonesia, and AlipayHK for customers in China.

The platform has chosen the most popular service of each country to ensure fast, secure, and convenient transactions tailored to local preferences. Besides digital wallets, the platform offers a wide range of payment options from traditional credit cards, wire transfers, and cash payments at check-in to, innovative solutions such as pay-by-link and PayPal.

“We’ve integrated digital wallets in Asia due to their outstanding popularity among both businesses and consumers. This update enhances payment flexibility, which is essential for travel professionals navigating a fast-moving market and increasingly fragmented customer preferences,” said Erik Akhmetgaliev, regional director for APAC at RateHawk.

Since 2020, digital wallets have emerged as the leading payment method in Asia, particularly within the Asia Pacific region. Recent analysis shows that digital wallets account for nearly 70 percent of all transactions in in the Asia Pacific region, highlighting their rapid adoption and dominance in the regional payments landscape.

RateHawk established its Asian headquarters in Singapore in 2024 with a team of 29 commercial specialists. The platform is available in 33 languages which include Thai, Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese.

 

Connect Marketplace Hong Kong 2026 Establishes Long-Lasting MICE Relationships

By | 2026, Press Room

MICE leaders within the Asia Pacific region can look forward to the next Connect Marketplace Hong which is set to return after its successful inauguration in 2025. This year, it will take place from on March 18 and 19 at AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong.

CMHK will host a series of forum sessions featuring leading MICE industry speakers. Highlights include Day 1 keynote by Greeley Koch, professor of Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality at New York University and managing director of 490 Consulting LLC, and Andrée Jetté, a renowned neuroscientist specialising in stress management through humour and co-founder of Gestion Immobilière Immosoul Inc.

Bringing together sought-after speakers and a wide range of topics, the forum delivers practical insights which keep professionals at the forefront of the industry.

The event also offers curated networking experiences, including a Networking Night on Day 1 and a Gala Dinner on Day 2, uniting industry experts in a lively, engaging networking environment. Following the exhibition, invited business leaders will embark on a familiarisation trip to explore MICE venues and infrastructure firsthand, unveiling the city’s strengths as a leading MICE destination in APAC.

CMHK 2026 is set to go above and beyond, creating an experience that is welcoming, valuable, and empowering for industry professionals. Ranging from curated networking opportunities to thought-provoking forums, every aspect of the event is designed to foster meaningful connections, provide actionable insights, and inspire professionals to thrive in the MICE industry.

The event is open exclusively to trade professionals and accredited media. Visitors must be aged 18 or above. Free admission is available for registrations on or before 22 February.

For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/46Bq2Sf

 

 

JCB Collaborates with Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore

By | 2026, Press Room

Japan’s only international payment brand JCB, announced a new collaboration with Resorts World Sentosa Pte Ltd targeted at Japanese tourists. The partnership with Resorts World Sentosa is designed to enhance the travel experience for Japanese visitors to Singapore.

Singapore’s premier resort island, Resorts World Sentosa is the nation’s leading integrated lifestyle destinations, welcoming millions of local and international visitors annually across its attractions, dining, entertainment and lifestyle offerings. This collaboration aims to curate meaningful experiences that enhance every stage of the visitor journey for Japanese guests.

At the same time, JCB and RWS has launched exclusive privileges for Japan-issued JCB cardmembers visiting Singapore’s leading integrated resort.

Under this collaboration, eligible JCB cardmembers booking online will enjoy up to 20 percent savings on selected attractions, accommodation, dining and retail privileges at participating outlets within the Resorts World Sentosa.

These privileges are designed to enhance every stage of the visit, from iconic attractions to hotel stay, delivering seamless, rewarding experiences for international guests.

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. Its card business was launched in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981.

Its acceptance network includes about 71 million merchants around the world. JCB Cards are issued mainly in Asian countries and territories, with more than 175 million cardmembers.

 

Jason Tan Chin Foo Appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer of BESarawak

By | 2026

BESarawak announced a leadership transition with former chief executive officer, Amelia Roziman departing after 20 years. To ensure continuity and stability, the board of directors of BESarawak has designated Jason Tan Chin Foo, as acting chief executive officer and with immediate effect.

Mr. Tan brings with him 18 years of experience in the hospitality and business events industry, with strengths in strategic development, stakeholder engagement, and organisational growth.

Since joining BESarawak in 2012, he has held senior leadership roles in business development, research, marketing, and communications; building deep institutional knowledge and trusted industry relationships.

Commenting on the appointment, chairman of BESarawak, Datu Hii Chang Kee, who is also Sarawak’s deputy state secretary for operations said that Mr. Tan, is well-position for this role with his strong industry insight and a clear commitment to collaboration and collective impact.

The board is confident that with Mr. Tan’s strategic leadership will strengthen BESarawak and advance the business events industry to new levels of performance and impact.

While Ms. Roziman will take on a new role as chief consultant for a private advisory platform LegacyMade.

The board of directors of Red Robin Events Sdn Bhd and the editorial board and marketing team of MICE in Asia, would like to wish Jason Tan, the very best as acting chief executive officer of BESarawak. To Ms. Roziman whom, we have worked with more than 20 years, all the best in her new post.

Ho Chi Minh City is Asia’s Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards

By | 2025

Once again Ho Chi Minh City was honoured at the World Travel Awards reaffirming, its position, as one of Asia’s leading destinations with four prestigious titles Asia’s Leading Business Travel Destination 2025, Asia’s Leading Festival & Event Destination 2025, Asia’s Leading City Tourist Board 2025, and Asia’s Leading Coastal City Break Destination 2025.

The continuous recognition of Ho Chi Minh City at the “Oscars of the global travel industry” is a powerful testament to the city’s prestige, attractiveness, and sustainable growth potential.

This success reflects not only the city’s ongoing efforts to improve service quality and diversify tourism products, but also highlights its image as a dynamic, modern, and creative metropolis that remains deeply rooted in cultural identity – a unique strength that continues to captivate both domestic and international visitors.

Notably, Vung Tau previously part of Ba Ria, is a province and now under Ho Chi Minh City following recent administrative reorganisation was recognised for the first time as ‘Asia’s Leading Coastal City Break Destination 2025’.

This milestone further enhances, the image of Vietnam’s coastal and island tourism, while expanding the visibility of Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism brand across the region and the world.

Alongside Ho Chi Minh City’s outstanding achievements, Vietnam was also honored with two prestigious titles at the World Travel Awards 2025: Asia’s Leading Destination 2025 for the 7th time and Asia’s Leading Heritage Destination 2025 the 3rd time.

The four prestigious awards not only honour the city’s relentless efforts toward sustainable tourism development, but also mark an important milestone in promoting the ‘Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City’ brand an inviting, friendly, and dynamic destination, confidently moving forward with the global tourism industry’s robust growth.

 

A New Experience Pavilion is Created by ITB Asia and Tripadvisor Singapore

By | 2025

At the opening of the ITB Asia 2025 in Singapore, the show created a new milestone when Messe Berlin Asia Pacific and Tripadvisor Singapore Pte Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding to co-develop the Experience Pavilion, which will debut at ITB Asia 2026.

“We saw over 11 million experiences booked on our sites (including Viator) in the first half of 2025, which is a 15 percent YoY increase and we’re expecting that trend will continue for the remainder of the year and into 2026,” said Mr. Scott Wegener, director of sales (APAC), Tripadvisor.

The Experience Pavilion will highlight the power of experiential travel, spanning adventure, culture, wellness, culinary tourism and more, and will provide a platform for exhibitors to inspire, engage, and connect with buyers and media.

Tripadvisor will co-curate the Pavilion’s theme and content framework, leveraging its global network to bring together selected experience-focused providers, while Messe Berlin Singapore will ensure prime positioning, media visibility, and targeted buyer engagement.

ITB Asia Enters into Strategic Partnership with Singapore Tourism Board

By | 2025

Messe Berlin Asia Pacific has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Singapore Tourism Board to collaborate in the ITB Asia from 2026 to 2028. The strategic partnership aims to jointly develop new content pillars, co-market the event, enhance buyer engagement initiatives, and facilitate more government participation.

Together, Messe Berlin and STB are committed to strengthening ITB Asia’s position as one Asia’s leading travel trade shows and platform for the global tourism industry.

“This strategic partnership with Messe Berlin reinforces Singapore’s position as the World’s Best MICE City and aligns with our Tourism 2040 goals to cultivate stronger MICE visitor demand and create distinctive experiences,” said Mr. Poh Chi Chuan, Executive Director, Exhibitions and Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board.

ITB Asia organised by Messe Berlin Asia Pacific is supported by the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau. The annual business-to-business trade show and convention features exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, covering leisure market, MICE and corporate travel.

IN 2026, it will be held from October 21 to 23 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

ITE HCMC 2025 Paves the Way for Sustainable Tourism Growth

By | 2025

The Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo will officially take place from September 4 to 6 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center, Tan My Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. It marks the 19th edition of the show,

This year’s ITE HCMC will focus not only on economic growth, but also on preserving cultural, social, and environmental values. reaffirming Vietnam’s vision for sustainable tourism development. At the same time, the expo encourages the creation of innovative tourism products and services that respond to the evolving expectations of international travellers, particularly those seeking green, sustainable, and experiential journeys.

Ho Chi Minh City is actively working to attract and welcome over 240 international hosted buyers, including travel companies, tour operators, MICE organisers, and travel agencies from more than 32 countries and territories to participate in ITE HCMC 2025.

According to the organising committee, over 250 exhibiting companies and brands and 240 hosted buyers have confirmed their attendance.

While Ho Chi Minh City’s prominence as a bub for investment and business is growing with its recent administrative expansion to include Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and Binh Duong province. Through this extension, the city is developing a strategic tourism triangle of city break, industrial hub and coastal ecotourism – laying the foundation to become a centre for tourism, investment, and innovation in the region.

Currently ITE HCMC is the only tourism expo in Vietnam with an international buyer program and in 2024, was recognised as ‘Asia’s Best Trade Show’ at the World MICE Awards, affirming the position and quality of the event in the international arena.