The postponed Asian Games, originally scheduled for September 2022, is just one of many sporting highlights that are taking place in the Asia-Pacific region in 2023. The Games, which will be held in China’s eastern city of Hangzhou this autumn from 23 September to 8 October, is expected to attract around 10,000 athletes from across the region.

The Environmental Protection Administration’s (EPA) newly announced policy requiring hotels to charge extra for disposable toiletries has been met with hotel operators’ skepticism about its effectiveness for reducing plastic waste.

Talk to a corporate meeting planner anywhere in the world and they’ll tell you the same story: ‘We’re busy, we’re challenged, but we’re also loving it.’ From Europe to the Americas and the Asia Pacific, meeting planners are busier than ever before. For many the programmes they have created in 2022 were generally taking place closer to home, hotel prices are a challenge, and sustainability is at the forefront of everybody’s plans.

In the wake of Covid and the proliferation of virtual events, clients and audiences are welcoming an increasing degree of personalisation when interacting with brands. The metaverse is also making its mark, with brands looking to explore how it can be integrated within hybrid events. When applying technology into events, it’s important to ensure the tech doesn’t act as a standalone element for audiences, but as a catalyst to brand storytelling that will excite and build brand loyalty for users.

To assist local MICE suppliers with stepping up their green MICE practices, Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) has published the 2022 Taiwan MICE Sustainability White Paper in collaboration with the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI). The white paper was recently launched on 28 December 2022 at the Taiwan MICE ESG Day, an event organised by the BOFT and which also included a ceremony to issue ISO certifications to MICE suppliers counselled by Taiwan’s MICE Promotion Progra

In this post, we will share some insights from an interview with Charles Lin, the Deputy Mayor of Kaohsiung City Government, who shared his vision and strategy of making Kaohsiung a smart city. Charles Lin was the Deputy Mayor of Taipei City as well, known for his vision with smart cities and is also the person who makes Smart City Summit & Expo (SCSE) possible.

The accommodation sector in Taiwan is experiencing a labor shortage so acute that a general manager of a five-star hotel has had to help with housekeeping. COVID has led to job cuts in the accommodation industry over the past three years and with demand picking up post-pandemic, many are struggling to replenish the lost workforce.

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) will send 96 teams of innovators to Las Vegas to attend the CES technology fair, reports said Wednesday (Dec. 28). The Jan. 5-8 CES bills itself as “the most influential tech event in the world,” presenting breakthrough consumer technologies and innovators from around the globe to an international public, including more than 4,700 reporters.

Nelson Khoo, head of events – Singapore & Indonesia at CWT Meetings & Events says the industry is likely to see similar demand-supply dynamics in 2023, to a certain extent, as it has seen this year. “It’s unclear when China will begin to reopen its borders, but that will definitely result in further demand pressures,” he says. “We expect that our clients’ events in APAC will become 20%-30% bigger once attendees from China can begin to travel internationally.”

Travellers can expect to pay more to travel to Asian destinations from both Europe and North America, with airfares in economy expected to rise by 12% and 9.8% respectively. Business fares from Europe meanwhile are set to rise by 7.6%, while Asia-North America flights will climb by 5.6%. Those taking Australian domestic flights can expect to pay 19.4% in the business cabin.