Meeting and Event Trends in Asia Pacific

Progress can be difficult, but we have slowly but surely seen a change for the better in Asia Pacific. At times it has felt like we’re in a bit of a tug-of war with COVID-19, managing constantly changing regulations by market where the ability to deliver face-to-face meetings is controlled. Optimism, however, is growing with increased vaccination rates and booster shots. Collaboration between agencies, suppliers and partners has never been better.

Clearly, we are ready to move on—and we are, slowly (read: cautiously) but surely. We continue to be creative and agile in our solutions for customers across the region. Our virtual and hybrid executions amplify the customer message across multiple channels (including social media platforms), as we recently showcased for Michelin and Lexus in Singapore.

What’s trending in 2022 in Asia Pacific

Attendee engagement: Getting back to basics

While there’s an overall feeling of excitement about the return of face-to-face interaction, planners are still erring on the side of extreme caution to avoid putting attendees at risk.

It’s still unclear in this region as to the extent to which safe distancing requirements will hinder engagement at events. Some events are successfully implementing hybrid models, enabling attendees to still interact in a personal manner but through a virtual platform.

Looking ahead, for both hybrid and in-person events, sessions must be delivered in shorter pieces, with less theory and more practical application, and give attendees ample opportunity to interact (i.e., through polls and trivia) and regular breaks.

One-on-one sessions will enable greater sharing of experiences.

This region will also continue home deliveries, such as bento sets or care packages, to extend virtual events into the physical.

Related article: Meeting and Event Technology Trends to Try Today

Building a business case for M&E programs

The C-suite is looking for more confidence to ensure ROO and ROI from M&E programs and are more hands-on with sign-off now compared to pre-pandemic.

They also recognize that the safety of attendees (along with compliance to local regulations) is paramount, with customer risk and safety protocols significantly increased.

It’s imperative that planners develop clear and measurable meeting program goals to understand where the value is. That can be cost savings, but it’s also where they can leverage spend and find efficiencies in connecting events and audiences. However, amidst increasing legal requirements, planners must carefully consider how they are collecting and storing data.

Overall, companies are seeking consistency in spend categories across APAC markets, with M&E a perfect example of this. Meeting programs are increasingly being launched into multiple markets to drive bigger returns and impact.

Strengthening supplier relations

Staying in close contact with suppliers regarding continuously changing rules and regulations has been important, with the pandemic emphasizing the need to evolve together and collaborate to set standards for the new normal in events.

Many suppliers have unfortunately gone out of business in this region, so the stability of suppliers is being examined more closely. Those still around are being evaluated first from a safety and security standpoint; while these criteria existed pre-COVID, it is now at the forefront of the vetting process.

Risk mitigation is fundamental, and most suppliers now will take responsibility within their control. Hotels and venues have held hybrid showcases for planners to demonstrate how first-hand how changes will impact future events as well as highlight safety measures.

CSR and sustainability still play an important role, yet application remains different in each market. Supporting local supply chains and CSR organizations is the obvious choice currently given ongoing limitations in shipping and travel.