APAC planners lean Into AI as exhibition sector eyes growth.
The global exhibition industry is expected to grow across several markets, and many companies from the industry are using AI tools on a regular basis.
This is according to the UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry’s latest edition of its Global Exhibition Barometer report, which captures the current status and outlook of the exhibition industry worldwide.
Findings show that globally, 34% of companies expect the space rented in their domestic market to increase by more than 5% in 2025 compared to 2024, and 40% of businesses plan to increase staff numbers in the coming six months, despite concerns around global and national economies, plus geopolitical issues
Responses from across five APAC countries were included in the survey, from Thailand, Malaysia, China, Australia and India. Within the region, 31% of respondents expect the space rented in their domestic market to increase by more than 5% in 2025 compared to 2024. When broken down by country, India and Malaysia foresee an increase of activity of more than 5% in rented space, while respondents in China and Thailand say they plan a decrease of more than 5% and Australian respondents are planning for a stable forecast.
The most important business issue across Asia-Pacific was identified as the ‘state of the economy in the home market’, in line with global findings. Geopolitical challenges and global economic developments were second and third, again in line with global data.
AI adoption
When it comes to AI, 63% of companies indicate that they currently use standard AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or similar) in at least some of their business functions. In addition, 17% have AI-powered tools integrated into their existing systems, and 3% have already developed proprietary algorithms trained on internal data. In parallel, 17% of respondents declare having no or almost no use of AI at this stage.
The survey also ranked countries with the highest proportion of respondents who have implemented their own algorithms trained with company data or AI-powered tools integrated into their platforms. Thailand ranked number one in this category, with 44% of respondents, followed by the UK (39%) and the UAE (38%). Thailand also topped the rankings of those countries with the highest rates of companies declaring either testing or implementing AI solutions, with 88% of companies in the destination saying so, with Malaysia ranked third (70%). China came first in a ranking for ‘improving customer service’
The Barometer also asked companies about their plans in terms of workforce development in the coming six months. Globally, 40% of companies say that they plan to increase their staff numbers, while another 56% say they will keep current staff numbers stable. This compares to 36% and 60% respectively in the Asia-Pacific region. The highest proportion of companies planning to add staff is identified in Saudi Arabia (80%), Malaysia (70%), Spain (62%), the United Arab Emirates (58%), and India (57%).
Across all regions, a large majority of companies intend to develop new activities, either in the classic range of exhibition industry activities (venue/organiser/services), outside of the current product portfolios, or in both areas: 78% in Europe, 79% for both Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa, 83% in Central and South America, and 84% in North America.