As travel bubbles and new hybrid event models spur industry recovery in Asia, leaders from Singapore and Indonesia joined the recent M&C Asia Connections — Global edition to offer insight into how the respective destinations are taking active steps to restore regional MICE.

Following the successful run of M&C Asia Connections (MCAC) — Asia Edition in August, the invitation-only online business exchange stepped up to the world stage, concluding yet another fruitful meet: the all-new Global Edition from 28 to 30 October.

South Korea has lifted its restrictions on meetings and events held in the destination, subject to social distancing measures and strict hygiene regimes put in place.

On a train headed for Hua Hin, the resort town 200 kilometres south of Bangkok, Suphajee Suthumpun has convinced the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau and the Thailand Hotel Association, to get on board — quite literally — to promote sustainable travel alternatives, including Thailand's underused railroads, rather than car travel that produces far more carbon emissions.

To navigate the pandemic's difficult waters, Flight Centre Travel Group's event agency, cievents has announced its merger with the company's TMC arm, FCM Travel Solutions — under the new name of FCM Meetings & Events Australia.

Following our earlier report on PCMA's (Professional Convention Management Association) upcoming Convening Asia Pacific – The Global Recovery Forum happening at ICC Sydney on 10 November, new interactive conversation segments have been added to the hybrid event.

Le Méridien Singapore, Sentosa announced over the weekend that it had ceased operations from 11.59 pm on October 31.

The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has announced details of its annual 'Thailand MICE Startup' Competition, in line with ongoing initiatives to encourage MICE businesses to integrate innovation into their daily operations.

Handshakes, queues for buffet lunches and dinners, networking in a crowded space...these are just some examples of social norms at business events that are being reassessed in light of Covid-19.

As we navigate a new normal, hotels in Asia Pacific are reimagining the concept of venue and space in new ways — whether it be through leveraging virtual meetings technology and creative catering to bring people together from different locations, or repurposing spaces to meet new remote working needs.

Every time you wash your hands, why not wash your airways, too? A new product called Fend from Sensory Cloud, a health-technology start-up, reduces aerosols, including the submicron droplets that are not captured by masks and pose a threat through airborne contaminants that linger in indoor environments.

In a bid to regain a foothold in its once lucrative business events sector, 'It’s got to be Sydney' marks Business Events Sydney's (BESydney) latest campaign to attract delegates back to the harbour city.

The Korea MICE Expo (KME), South Korea's largest trade show for meeting professionals and incentive planners will kick off on 24 November over four days via a hybrid format. Themed ‘Driving Innovation through Challenges’, the focus is on innovative digital solutions to move the MICE industry forward.

The Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) has named Melbourne-based firm, Delegate Connect, as the tech partner responsible for powering the hybrid event's 2021 platform, which includes a new matchmaking algorithm to measure the success of virtual meeting connections.