Sustainable events may seem like a costly endeavour given the current economy, but they can be more pertinent than ever post Covid.

Dynamic events duo, Gary Bender and Donna Kessler, have announced the launch of Get Local, a domestic business events show, which will take place on Friday 30 July 2021 at ICC Sydney.

After a six-month hiatus, Istanbul’s events industry has finally received the green light to reopen, successfully hosting its first international fair this month in the ‘new normal’.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Aquarius International Development are some of the hospitality groups which have unveiled aggressive expansion plans and fresh initiatives in Asia Pacific, signalling their continued confidence in the region’s long-term potential.

The Penang International Travel Exchange (PITE), a programme owned by Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) will adopt a virtual format this year.

Another event hopping onto the hybrid bandwagon is the Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC (ITAP) 2020, happening from 20-22 October. Organiser SingEx Exhibitions cleverly held a pre-show hybrid session to give industry players a taste of what’s to come.

Amid ongoing travel restrictions, hotels are getting creative when it comes to marketing themselves to the business events and incentive sector.

IBTM Events has announced that IBTM World 2020, which was set to take place as a live event on Barcelona in December, will 'transition' to a virtual event.

The Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) recently hosted the Kongres Negara 2020, with more than 4,500 attendees — including prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin — from political parties and government ministries.

Silke Calder joins Talk2 Media & Events as the new event director for AIME 2021 ( (Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event).

Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, recently announced a A$50 million (US$36.46 million) injection to steamroll the country's business events industry, these funds coming out of a $1 billion Covid-19 relief fund for sectors severely affected by the pandemic.

MICE industry stakeholders in Malaysia say they are confident in new health and safety measures that prevent the risk of virus infection at events, but remain unsure about how to respond if a case of Covid-19 is detected on-site.

This Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) this week announced it will host a hybrid event, Convening Asia Pacific – The Global Recovery Forum, at ICC Sydney on 10 November, which will be live streamed across the region to bolster industry recovery efforts.

As China prepares to open borders between Macau and the mainland, Hong Kong Tourism Board is ramping up efforts to re-engage and attract MICE planners from regional source markets.