The Meetings Show Asia Pacific, the region’s leading event for the MICE  (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry, launched its highly successful inaugural  edition this week at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. The show  welcomed over 1,000 MICE industry professionals across the Asia Pacific region and from around the  world who gathered to learn, connect and do business over the two-day landmark event on 17 and 18  April 2024.

It is the largest organic event launch ever organised by Northstar Travel Group, featuring over 160  exhibitors from a wide range of destination bureaus, meeting venues, hotels, technology providers and  suppliers; timely and topical education sessions provided by industry influencers, a Technology Campfire  Showcase, networking receptions, and nearly 5,000 curated one-to-one hosted buyer business appointments.

“The Meetings Show Asia Pacific represents a watershed moment for the MICE industry throughout the  region and globally,” said David Blansfield, Executive Vice President and Group Publisher, Northstar  Travel Group. “Never have so many influential MICE industry professionals come together in one place at one time in a leading Asian destination to connect, share best practices, and do business together as  they have this week.”

Many of the world’s leading MICE associations, including the Global MICE Collaborative – comprised of  Meetings Professional International (MPI), the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), and the  International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) – the International Congress and Convention  Association (ICCA), the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), and the Singapore  Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) contributed education  opportunities at the event. In addition, the Events Industry Council (EIC) provided introductory sessions  for their Sustainable Event Professional Certificate Course, offered for the first time in the region at The  Meetings Show Asia Pacific.

Conference attendees also gained valuable insights on the latest in Sustainability, Technology,  Workforce Management, Experience Design, and Wellness in the MICE industry, delving deep into topics such as:

• The great MICE rebound and potential risks in tourism in the global economy  • How the future of business events is impacted by geo-political tensions, titanic shifts in  technology (AR, XR etc.) and the rise of the Gen Z workforce
• Event marketing trends
• Elevating MICE experiences with the power of luxury
• Behavioural learning for sustainable wellness

All of the content shared at The Meetings Show Asia Pacific was summarized and will be made available  globally to the MICE community through the use of Snapsight™, a new AI content analysis and  translation tool developed by Gevme, a leading Singapore-based omni-channel event management  platform.

“The inaugural edition of The Meetings Show Asia Pacific offered a hub of networking and sourcing  opportunities for event planners, bringing together leading MICE partners from meeting destinations  and venues, to hotels and technology solution providers across the Asia Pacific region,” said Ong Wee  Min, Vice President of Sales and MICE, Marina Bay Sands. “With wellness and sustainability being a  growing priority amongst delegates, it was also the perfect platform for us to showcase our new  Wellness in MICE programme and share our best practices.”

The core deliverable of the event was its pre-arranged, curated buyer-seller appointments. Meeting  planners with identified near-term business for the region met with destinations and hoteliers suitable  for their programs throughout the event.

“I love the intimacy of the event and the 20-minute appointment format. It’s fantastic, as it allows you  to really learn about the destinations, companies and individuals that you’re speaking to,” said Timothy  Glanzer, Founder and CEO, Elevated Meetings Solutions. “The quality of appointments is better than  some of the other trade shows I’ve been to. The level of vendors in the appointments is really nice and  I’ve had the opportunity to make some really useful connections at the show.”

“As New Zealand actively pursues association conference business in the Asia Pacific region, we are  happy to share our expertise, events infrastructure and unique culture with key decision makers at The  Meetings Show Asia Pacific,” said Bjoern Spreitzer, General Manager NZ & Business Events, Tourism  New Zealand. “It has proven to be a great platform for us to build on and enhance our relationships  and connections, whilst growing our presence and share of conferences in the region.”

Following its successful debut, The Meetings Show Asia Pacific will return to Singapore and the Marina  Bay Sands Convention Centre on April 23 and 24, 2025.