Press Room

ICCA Asia Pacific, MPI and IAPCO are supporting partners for the inaugural IBTM Asia Pacific, which will take place from March 19  to 20 in 2025. AsiaWorld-Expo, one of the major convention and exhibition facilities in Hong Kong has been confirmed as the venue for the spring tradeshow.

The show provides a gateway to the Asia Pacific MICE market bringing together a high calibre group of international, APAC regional and local meeting planners and exhibitors for two days of pre-scheduled one-to-one business meetings, education and networking.

An opportunity for global destinations and suppliers to showcase their products and solutions to over 250 pre-qualified buyers and 1,500 visitors from over 20 countries within Asia Pacific.

IBTM Asia Pacific event will be supported by IBTM’s innovative matchmaking technology and pioneering hosted buyer programme, which creates personalised appointment diaries for buyers and exhibitors.

The region’s only double-bill event in MICE and corporate travel returns to Bangkok, Thailand this September 24 to 26. What you can expect from the show are:

Structured On-Site Appointments

Pre-scheduled appointments with buyer profiles of your choice such as  associations, MICE and corporate buyers.

Brand Showcase Presentations

Share your brand’s latest highlights and developments with MICE, Association, Corporate Buyers and Media.

Keynote Lecture

Experts take the stage to present their perspectives on the industry’s most pertinent talking points.

Association Day Forum

Helmed by Association professionals for Association professionals this ever-popular forum curates the current talking points in Association management with interactive discussions.

ASEAN MICE Forum

The only one of its kind in the world that advances ASEAN’s latest MICE development and insights on an international scale through promotion, awareness and conversation between the region’s key players and the global community.

Corporate Travel World Conference

To cultivate travel and entertainment best practices among Asia-Pacific’s corporate travel professionals.

Future Leaders Forum

Organised in strategic partnership between IMEX, Meeting Professionals International  and MCI Group, FLF is a crucial platform to hone the future of the country’s MICE industry by inspiring Thailand’s brightest students studying in the field.

Finally, there is the Asia-Pacific’s prestigious travel industry awards to look forward to. Reputed as the most coveted and influential awards to be won in the region’s travel industry.

Chief Privacy Officer for Asia, Ms. Meida Wong of FCM travel management company, shares ways business travellers can safeguard their data while travelling.

Here are some essential steps you may take to help you keep your personal information safe:

Secure Your Devices and Accounts

Before embarking on your journey, ensure all your devices, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets, are adequately secured. Set up complex passwords, PIN codes, or even better, biometric authentication methods to prevent unauthorised access.

Turn on the encryption features such as device encryption and encrypted messaging apps to protect your data from prying eyes.

Use a unique password for different accounts. This way if one is compromised, the rest are less likely to be affected, limiting the impact of a data breach.

Where possible, biometric authentication method can also prevent password or PIN theft from shoulder surfing.

Treat your password like your toothbrush and keep it private. Do not share it and change it often.

“In today’s digital age, the volume of personal information we share for various activities has exponentially increased. You may be online shopping, ordering food delivery, downloading mobile applications, playing an online game, or simply browsing the web and your personal data is at play. In a world where such information commands high value, it’s vital to secure it, particularly when travelling,” said Ms. Wong.

Use Secure Networks

Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi, such as those in airports, cafes, and hotels, especially so when conducting banking activities, such as checking account balances, making transfers, or entering sensitive financial information.

Instead, use a secure and trusted network, such as a personal mobile data connection, or a virtual private network (VPN).

Ensure the websites you use for banking or payment purposes use HTTPS encryption, indicated by a padlock icon and https:// in the uniform resource locator (URL).

Always log out of your sessions when not in use to prevent session hijacking and only provide passwords and PINs at trusted locations – be aware of social engineering.

Use Caution When Sharing On Social Media

Exercise discretion and limit the personal details you disclose, when sharing photos and updates on social media platforms during your travels.

Avoid posting real-time updates about your location and itinerary, as this information could be used by cybercriminals to target you for theft or surveillance. Wait until you have returned home to share your travel experience to minimise the risk of becoming a target.

Here are some tips to consider when it comes to safe social media use. Review your privacy settings to ensure your social media profiles are private. This makes it easy to directly control who has access to your accounts and posts. This is how you can make sure no strangers can view your content.

Remember that stories and Snapchat do not disappear. Many travellers assume that their stories are only available for twenty-four hours which is not the case.

Even with privacy settings turned on, photos contain information cybercriminals are looking for. For example, if a cybercriminal gets access to a photo’s metadata, it can contain your location information which can let the criminal know that your home is vacant.

To avoid this, share your photos once you return home.

Minimise Location Sharing

It is common for travellers to update their social media accounts when they are travelling. The problem with this type of excessive sharing is that it creates a security threat at home.

By sharing your every location, it allows criminals to determine that you are not in your hotel room or home, leaving both your home and personal property vulnerable.

Disable Bluetooth Connectivity

Similar to your phone’s automatic Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity can present problems as signals can come from anywhere. If your Bluetooth is left on, nearby assailants can connect to your phone and potentially hack into your device hence it is wise to keep Bluetooth disabled as much as possible.

Protecting your personal data is an ongoing process that requires constant vigilance and proactive measures so remember to keep your personal data as you travel.

Showcasing the latest development in the global halal market, the organisers of the exhibition, 1st Arabia Tradeshows and Conferences set the expo date of the second edition to take place from October 28 to 30 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.

The organisers aim to secure and connect more than 200 local and international companies during this three-day event, welcoming over 10,000 visitors from nearly 35 countries worldwide for an opportunity to conduct business meetings, attend lectures and explore new trends in the halal industry and halal certification.

While the expo serves as a platform to present the latest trends of the global halal market and to highlight the challenges the industry face in compliance with halal regulations and standardisation. The expo offers the opportunity to focus on the latest innovations, research, and progress within the halal industry.

At the same time, the expo also aims to spread and expand the awareness about the industry among the visitors by attracting major international bodies to share their knowledge, and to present their research and innovations.

This as well as to attract professionals from around the world, Muslims, and non-Muslims to establish business relationships with local, regional and international businesses.

“We believe that the support of local and international partners in the Halal industry and the food and beverage industry respectively, is very important to us and of great value to the exhibition. Our partners, play a great role in the continuation of the success of our event,” said Mr. Bilal Al Barmawi, chief executive officer and managing director of 1st Arabia Tradeshows & Conferences.

1st Arabia Tradeshows & Conferences is pleased to announce the partnership with MICE in Asia for the second edition, which is believed to be an important partnership and of added value to the Saudi International Halal Expo & Summit.

For more details and information to participate in the Saudi International Halal Expo & Summit, please visit www.saudihalalexpo.com

Specialist business events communications agency, Davies Tanner, has retained the IBTM World account for a further two years following a highly competitive review process.

The new term will see Davies Tanner continuing to elevate IBTM World’s position as the original and leading live event experience for the global business events sector. Activity will focus on increasing brand awareness amongst new audiences and geographical territories, as well as driving an upweighted programme of brand and industry Advocacy, with Davies Tanner leading the implementation and delivery of the enhanced communications strategy.

In addition to its impressive portfolio of clients in the business events sector, Davies Tanner also has a strong advocacy network, through The Business of Events, its advocacy and industry engagement brand, which will also be used as part of the 2024 campaign.

Davies Tanner also recently launched sister agency, The Audience, which provides a dedicated offer for clients operating in the travel and tourism sector.

The agency’s approach puts audiences at the forefront of strategic planning and activations to deliver campaigns that grow awareness and create loyal brand advocates. Core services include public relations, social media, digital content design and creation, media relations, brand partnerships and influencer relations.

The event planning portal was launched by Business Events Sydney to support event organisers to access tools, resources, and funding in hosting their business event in Sydney. Designed in consultation with customers who run small events and agents, to address the challenges they are facing during the event planning process. The portal supports all stages of the event planning process including researching, pitching, planning, budgeting, and marketing the event – all in one place.

Tailored to event sector requirements, users are also able to create custom supplier lists based on unique event preferences. The portal is created to be of benefit to smaller events which may not have an events team behind them. It also provides access to the Sydney Meeting Fund which supports business events between 100 to 500 participants or delegates with offers from AUD 40 per person.

There is also on the site a video guide to explain: navigation across the pitching and bidding process; researching and planning; and promoting the event; as well as boosting delegate attendance. Some of those tools have downloadable event marketing toolkits, video and image galleries, Sydney destination guides and presentation templates.

Conference meeting and incentive event owners can create a free account and access online resources here BESydney Event Planning Platform

The landmark partnership agreement sees ICCA recognised as the UN Tourism partner for business events across all UN Tourism platforms and initiatives. This collaboration recognises the influence and transformative potential of the business events industry and puts it, on the map, as a key driver for socio-economic progress across the world.

ICCA acknowledges that it is imperative to strengthen ties between the two organisations, and has worked tirelessly as an organisation for many years with the goal of creating this partnership, for the pivotal role business events play as an accelerator of economic growth, and legacy initiatives worldwide.

“This collaboration with the UN Tourism has been a long-held strategy of ICCA. This is great news not just for our members but for the whole international associations meetings and events industry. We know how intrinsically linked the world of business events and tourism are, but this formal partnership gives us privileged access to each other’s communities,” said Mr. Senthil Gopinath, chief executive officer of ICCA.

Located on a beachfront, overlooking Long Beach on Vietnam’s scenic Cam Ranh peninsula, the venue is touted to be the largest multi-purpose centre in the region, the Axi Plaza celebrated its grand opening on April 25.

The design of the centre’s building is inspired by the country’s ubiquitous basket boat, with the exterior crisscrossed with wooden lats, expected to last for at least 100 years. By night, the Axi Plaza changes colours in an elaborate lighting display

Among the host of facilities offered by the multi-purpose centre is; a state-of-the-art conference hall, a 360-degree rooftop venue, an outdoor beachfront event space, and about 10,000 square metres dedicated to shopping and dining outlets.

The 1,197 square metre conference hall and ballroom area on Axi Plaza’s third floor can accommodate up to 1,000 people, and the hall features a cutting edge 75 square metre LED screen, with a panoramic view of the ocean.

On the fifth floor is the 360-degree rooftop area totaling 1,077 square metres, designed for receptions and company events, with views of Long Beach’s white sands and turquoise waters.

The outdoor event space situated between the basket boat-shaped building and the beach, is underpinned by the capacious lawn that fronts three picture-perfect swimming pools; one saltwater, one chlorine and a kids’ pool supervised by lifeguards.

Positioned behind Axi Plaza’s vast second floor entrance and reception area, is the 200 square metre Axi Plaza Lounge overlooking the swimming pools, and serving Vietnamese fare.

Axi Plaza has also dedicated the first floor of the multi-purpose centre to 46 shops, ranging in size from 14 square metres to 239 square metres.

While adjacent to the Axi Plaza is the 12-hectare Anam Cam Ranh, set on a private stretch of beach with 213 rooms, suites and villas. The Anam is a five-star property, that combines a colonial era charm with Vietnamese accents, and sits alongside a contemporary beach resort, with a full-service Aman Spa.

To reach the resort it takes a 15-minute ride from the airport, which makes the resort a suitable place to stay for MICE delegates of Axi Plaza.

Leveraging the power of popular searches, digital travel platform Agoda has expanded its partner marketing portfolio and is providing a new way for hotel and accommodation partners to reach consumers through a series of dedicated landing pages to innovatively match with some of travellers’ top themed searches.

Utilising these data insights, Agoda launches the initiative, called ‘Top stays Anywhere’ in Thailand with sixteen distinct themes that resonate with travellers’ preferences.

These themes include a variety of options across travel budgets and traveller interests, including private islands, seaside villas, beach cabanas, family-friendly and pet-friendly accommodations, with each dedicated page offering a carefully selected list of accommodations by Agoda’s specialist teams.

This tailored approach enhances the trip-planning process, delivering a customised experience directly to the doorstep of ready-to-travel consumers and an opportunity for hoteliers and accommodation providers to reach travelers with intent.

“Often travellers are looking for very specific types of holiday experiences, so we curated these landing pages to quickly allow travelers with high intent to travel to connect with properties that excel in delivering those experiences, whether that’s pet friendly spots or rooftop hotels in Bangkok.  For partners, it’s an additional way that Agoda is supporting their ambitions to grow their business and optimise their inventory,” said Pierre Honne, senior country director for Thailand at Agoda.

Agoda’s initiative typifies the company’s data-driven approach to supporting its partners to attract more business, harnessing the intel from today’s customer travel search behaviours.

“The initiative not only aligns with travellers’ specific preferences but also opens up new avenues for hotels and accommodation providers to increase their visibility among potential customers. The thematic landing pages act as a bridge, connecting properties with consumers who have a demonstrated interest in particular experiences. With Agoda at the forefront, leveraging robust search analytics, hotels are well-positioned to capitalize on up-to-the-minute travel trends and stay competitive in a dynamic market landscape,” Mr. Honne added.

HotelREZ, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing hotel representation companies, dedicated to connecting independent properties with bookers worldwide and Sabre Hospitality, has renewed its longstanding technology partnership.

This renewal reaffirms HotelREZ and Sabre’s mutual commitment to leveraging both companies’ strengths – combining Sabre Hospitality’s cutting-edge technology with HotelREZ’s representation services.

The agreement marks the continuation of the partnership, utilising Sabre Hospitality’s comprehensive suite of products, including Sabre Global Distribution System, SynXis Booking Engine, and Channel Connect, to enhance HotelREZ’s extensive range of hospitality solutions across more than 2,500 customers. Both companies’ broad portfolio of hospitality solutions empowers hoteliers to create and deliver a unique and differentiating guest experience based on their specific brand.

By leveraging Sabre’s technology solutions, HotelREZ customers will benefit from Sabre Hospitality’s SynXis Platform and distribution technology to promote their content to hundreds of thousands of travel agents globally.

In addition to this, HotelREZ customers will have access to Sabre’s SynXis Booking Engine, which offers a simple booking process to help hotels convert shoppers into guests while maintaining full control of their customer relationships and upselling with merchandising. This collaboration provides hoteliers with solutions that enable them to maximise revenue and operate more efficiently.

The SynXis Platform not only enhances HotelREZ’s own connectivity, as well as other solutions. It enables hotels to distribute their rates and inventory across more than 600 online channels globally. Built on flexible and reliable technology, it allows hotels to control their brand experience and deliver user experience converting shoppers into guests.