The Meetings Show Asia Pacific 2025 set a new benchmark for MICE events in the region, co-locating with the Business Travel Show to deliver unmatched ROI and global industry impact.
Badged-up and wide-eyed, I stepped onto the show floor at The Meetings Show Asia Pacific (TMSAP) 2025 and couldn’t help but exclaim “Wow!” The Marina Bay Sands exhibition halls had once again transformed into a buzzing business showcase, this year bigger and bolder than ever before.
Now in its second year, TMSAP delivered on its promise to become the region’s leading MICE industry showcase, drawing 1,800 attendees from over 60 countries, 350 hosted buyers and more than 8,000 meetings scheduled. But this edition came with a twist: the dynamic debut of The Business Travel Show Asia Pacific, co-located for the first time in a powerhouse partnership designed to supercharge networking, drive sales conversations and stimulate business growth across the APAC region and beyond.
The Opening Ceremony came to life in spectacular fashion with not one but two lion dance troupes springing into action, symbolising prosperity and connection through acrobatic flair and thunderous drumming. An apt metaphor, perhaps, for the vibrant, multi-directional business happening on the floor with deals leaping into being and connections roaring into life.
TMS APAC is no ordinary tradeshow. It’s where destinations and industry products and services meets sales opportunities, a place where senior decision-makers from global venues, hotels, destinations and MICE service providers converge to explore business possibilities. A robust Hosted Buyer Programme fuelled the momentum, ensuring that real business got done in pre-scheduled, targeted meetings.
In an age of digital saturation, face-to-face reigns supreme. And this show was proof. From Thailand to New Zealand, and Dubai to Düsseldorf, international exhibitors confirmed their diaries were packed with productive meetings. Buyers from across Asia Pacific, the UK and Europe were enthusiastic about the show’s precision matchmaking system, which streamlined conversations with tangible ROI in mind.
Mr. Puripan Bunnag, Senior Vice President of Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) on the Thailand pavilion with 10 suppliers was upbeat about the trade show’s performance, commenting “It’s been an encouraging two days of full appointments scheduled with quality buyers. We see very good potential for destinations across Thailand and not just Bangkok.” Thai sellers gave their thumbs up and mirrored TCEB’s sentiment.
Richard Dodds, Head of Convention Sales, Auckland Conventions , Venues & Events on the substantial 100% Pure New Zealand pavilion gave his seal of approval, commenting “Being a newcomer to The Meetings Show Asia Pacific provided a significant number of opportunities for our venues in Auckland and other parts of New Zealand.”
In her opening keynote, Ms. Ong Huey Hong, Assistant Chief Executive (Industry Development Group) and Chief Sustainability Officer of the Singapore Tourism Board, captured the mood of ambition and optimism. “The co-location of The Meetings Show Asia Pacific and the inaugural Business Travel Show will form an even stronger gateway to quality connections and insightful sessions tailored to the meetings and corporate travel sectors,” she stated.
Ms. Ong emphasised Singapore’s vision to triple MICE tourism receipts by 2040, riding on the back of a projected 7.2% compound annual growth rate in the global MICE sector. “We’re not just building more, we’re building better,” she said, citing developments such as the future Changi Airport Terminal 5, the potential Downtown MICE Hub, and new hotel launches like Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa and Mama Shelter Singapore.
But it’s not just infrastructure where Singapore shines. With sustainability high on the agenda, Ms. Ong reinforced the city-state’s aim for net-zero emissions for MICE events by 2050. “We focus on creating meaningful experiences that leave a lasting positive impact,” she noted, highlighting partnerships with local social enterprises and urban farms as examples of holistic sustainability in action.
At the exhibition zone
Beyond the exhibition booths and espresso-fuelled business meetings, attendees immersed themselves in an education programme that tackled the big questions facing the business events and travel industries. More than 30 hours of curated education sessions explored the ever-important topic of event ROI, dove into strategies for engaging a new generation of participants, and examined how to plan for the unpredictable in a world where disruption has become a constant companion. Social media’s role in event pre-promotion, delivery and post engagement was put under the microscope, with insights from leading planners and digital strategists.
Meanwhile, the Business Travel Show segment brought corporate travel buyers and suppliers together in conversation about TMC partnerships, data-driven policy making, and the future of business mobility across APAC.
The Meetings Show Asia Pacific 2025 has set the benchmark higher for future editions, solidifying Singapore’s standing as a global MICE powerhouse and an innovation hub for business events.
With international rankings climbing (2nd globally in ICCA’s 2023 city rankings and 1st in Asia Pacific for sustainability), and with future-facing developments like the Singapore Oceanarium and Disney Cruise Line’s Southeast Asia debut on the horizon, Singapore is both the venue and the vision for tomorrow’s events.
But beyond the stats and the spectacle, perhaps the real legacy of this show lies in its energy. As I left the exhibition floor, still hearing the distant echoes of the opening gong and two days of meaningful conversations, it struck me that this wasn’t just another conference. It was a catalyst for the business events industry and corporate travel in Asia Pacific. And that, in business terms, is what real ROI looks like.