The Times Australia
Google AI
News From Asia

.

HKTB Wins Inaugural IBTM Asia Pacific 2025

Marks one of the world’s most established MICE trade shows’ first entry in APAC

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 30 November 2023 - The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced that Hong Kong has won IBTM, the world's leading Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) event brand, to organise its inaugural MICE trade show IBTM Asia Pacific 2025, in Spring 2025 in Hong Kong.

IBTM World 2023, one of the world’s largest and leading MICE trade shows, is held in Barcelona, Spain. General Manager, MICE & Cruise, Regional Director, Europe of Hong Kong Tourism Board, Mr Kenneth Wong (right), and Vasyl Zhygalo, IBTM Portfolio Director (left), announce Hong Kong as the host of IBTM Asia Pacific 2025 at a press conference during the event.
IBTM World 2023, one of the world’s largest and leading MICE trade shows, is held in Barcelona, Spain. General Manager, MICE & Cruise, Regional Director, Europe of Hong Kong Tourism Board, Mr Kenneth Wong (right), and Vasyl Zhygalo, IBTM Portfolio Director (left), announce Hong Kong as the host of IBTM Asia Pacific 2025 at a press conference during the event.


The event is expected to attract more than 1,500 travel trade and MICE professionals from the Mainland, Southeast Asia, India, Japan, South Korea and other markets in the region, and long-haul markets. The event not only provides an ideal platform for Hong Kong, Mainland and overseas travel agents, hotels, MICE venues, attractions, airlines and other industry players to explore business opportunities, but also helps consolidate Hong Kong's position as the World's Meeting Place.

Dr Pang Yiu-kai, HKTB Chairman, said, "IBTM's decision to host its inaugural flagship trade show for the Asia Pacific region in Hong Kong is a strong testament to Hong Kong's international standing and its unique role as a super-connector of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) by the global MICE industry. The event will not only bring more than 1,500 high-yield visitors from the global travel trade and MICE industry to Hong Kong but will also generate positive word-of-mouth with their personal experience. This, in turn, will help bring more MICE events to Hong Kong, creating multiplier effect contributing to the city's economy."

Vasyl Zhygalo, IBTM Portfolio Director, agreed that Hong Kong is an international MICE hub, "Hong Kong comes with various competitive edges, such as its diverse choice of venues, convenient transport facilities and the provision of comprehensive professional support. Geographically, it is well positioned as a gateway between the world and the Mainland, especially cities in the GBA, which makes the city the ideal host of IBTM Asia Pacific. I am confident that this exhibition will help MICE trade members in different markets establish contacts with each other and explore opportunities in the region."

Team Hong Kong celebrates the announcement of IBTM Asia Pacific 2025 at Hong Kong Stand with a lion dance performance.
Team Hong Kong celebrates the announcement of IBTM Asia Pacific 2025 at Hong Kong Stand with a lion dance performance.


Showcasing Hong Kong's unique advantages with the trade and new growth opportunities

In order to bring this APAC flagship event to Hong Kong, the HKTB teamed up with the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Hotels Association, Hong Kong Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, and AsiaWorld-Expo to pitch to the organiser with Hong Kong's latest tourism updates and growth momentum, showcasing the city's unique edges with the strong support of the Mainland while being closely connected to the world, as well as the city's potential in developing multi-destination tourism in GBA.

Hong Kong's new infrastructural developments are also set to take business events to new heights. Excellent accessibility is enabled through state-of-the-art cross-boundary transport infrastructure including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the High-Speed Rail (HSR) (Hong Kong Section) that connects to 73 Mainland stations. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is transforming from a city airport into an Airport City, including the development of SKYCITY and the Three-runway System (3RS). HKIA is capable in handling an annual passenger volume of 120 million when the 3RS operates in full. The developments will further strengthen Hong Kong as an international aviation hub and create a new landmark for Hong Kong.

With strong fundamentals, new growth opportunities coupled with novel tourism offerings and experiences, the HKTB will continue to bid for major MICE events for Hong Kong, adding impetus to the city's MICE sector and taking the industry to a new height!

For more information, visit https://www.ibtmasiapacific.com/

Hashtag: #HKTB

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Times Magazine

With Nvidia’s second-best AI chips headed for China, the US shifts priorities from security to trade

This week, US President Donald Trump approved previously banned exports[1] of Nvidia’s powerful ...

Navman MiVue™ True 4K PRO Surround honest review

If you drive a car, you should have a dashcam. Need convincing? All I ask that you do is search fo...

Australia’s supercomputers are falling behind – and it’s hurting our ability to adapt to climate change

As Earth continues to warm, Australia faces some important decisions. For example, where shou...

Australia’s electric vehicle surge — EVs and hybrids hit record levels

Australians are increasingly embracing electric and hybrid cars, with 2025 shaping up as the str...

Tim Ayres on the AI rollout’s looming ‘bumps and glitches’

The federal government released its National AI Strategy[1] this week, confirming it has dropped...

Seven in Ten Australian Workers Say Employers Are Failing to Prepare Them for AI Future

As artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates across industries, a growing number of Australian work...

The Times Features

Ash Won a Billboard and Accidentally Started a Movement!

When Melbourne commuters stopped mid-scroll and looked up, they weren’t met with a brand slogan or a...

Is there much COVID around? Do I need the new booster shot LP.8.1?

COVID rarely rates a mention in the news these days, yet it hasn’t gone away[1]. SARS-CoV-2, ...

Why Fitstop Is the Gym Australians Are Turning to This Christmas

And How ‘Training with Purpose’ Is Replacing the Festive Fitness Guilt Cycle As the festive season ...

Statement from Mayor of Randwick Dylan Parker on Bondi Beach Terror Attack

Our community is heartbroken by the heinous terrorist attack at neighbouring Bondi Beach last nigh...

Coping With Loneliness, Disconnect and Conflict Over the Christmas and Holiday Season

For many people, Christmas is a time of joy and family get-togethers, but for others, it’s a tim...

No control, no regulation. Why private specialist fees can leave patients with huge medical bills

Seeing a private specialist increasingly comes with massive gap payments. On average, out-of-poc...

Surviving “the wet”: how local tourism and accommodation businesses can sustain cash flow in the off-season

Across northern Australia and many coastal regions, “the wet” is not just a weather pattern — it...

“Go west!” Is housing affordable for a single-income family — and where should they look?

For decades, “Go west!” has been shorthand advice for Australians priced out of Sydney and Melbo...

Housing in Canberra: is affordable housing now just a dream?

Canberra was once seen as an outlier in Australia’s housing story — a planned city with steady e...