IBTM World organiser RX has pulled back from its launch of IBTM Asia Pacific in Hong Kong next year.
The 2025 launch event, announced at IBTM World in Barcelona last year, was due to take place at the AsiaWorld Expo centre,19-20 March. However, exhibitors, hosted buyers and stakeholders have been informed in a statement from the organising team of event director Claudia Hall that:
“The continued global increase in the outbound meeting and business travel market, specifically from the APAC region and the coinciding growth in international representation at IBTM World has led us to announce that IBTM APAC will no longer take place as scheduled in 2025.
“Research findings highlighted that the APAC and especially Chinese outbound business travel planners are becoming increasingly adventurous in their choice of destination, and that spread of choice is at IBTM World. So, we are encouraging all those scheduled to participate in the Hong Kong event to join us in Barcelona (19-21 November) and benefit from the global buyer and audience that makes IBTM the annual choice of the meeting and business travel industry.”
This is the second time that RX Global has attempted to geo-clone IBTM World into APAC. An original show launch was planned for Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore in April 2020 but was ‘postponed’ due to the global pandemic.
According to Allied Market Research, the Asia Pacific MICE market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% to reach $441.1 bn by 2025. The industry's growth is underpinned by investment in infrastructure and new airline routes, making the region more accessible.
