A positive shift is underway for meetings and events this year. Global trends show a return to in-person gatherings, increased attendees, and increasing budgets. What about the Asia-Pacific region specifically? While this region falls behind others when it comes to in-person meetings and events, positivity about health and safety – as well in other key areas – is strong with a ranking of 8 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10.

Our 13^th annual Global Meetings and Events Forecast provides a comprehensive overview of what to expect over the next twelve months, including a look at regional trends in Asia-Pacific.

Slow and steady growth

Meeting professionals in this region are expecting a steady overall increase in activity in 2024. This steady increase balances growth with cautious optimism in most categories due to a variety of factors.

A few standout trends and findings include:

• Small and simple meetings will be the most common meeting type.
• 46% of meeting professionals say they’re likely or very likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months.
• Health and safety protocols remain a strong factor (at 28%) when selecting meeting locations.
• 67% of respondents said that sustainability has been strongly adopted in their meeting program.

Destination appeal

New to this year’s Forecast, we’re including the Top 5 meetings and events locations as determined by 131 American Express Global Business Travel meetings professionals. The results are based on criteria that include accessibility, local attractions, safety and security, and more.

With its cutting-edge facilities and state-of-the-art infrastructure, Singapore has reemerged as a global hub after enduring several years of restrictions. Tokyo and Bangkok rank second and third, further highlighting the vibrant and dynamic cities in this region. Sydney and Hong Kong occupy the final two positions contributing to the regional landscape of premier event destinations in Asia-Pacific.

This year we’re featuring two special must-read sections:

• 7 actionable insights to elevate your meetings program includes highlights to help kick start your program’s evolution and optimize upcoming trends.
• Event marketing trends: Are you ready to impress your marketing stakeholder, focuses on key trends and insights into what matters to your marketing stakeholders plus questions and tips to help you better align with them.

Download the 2024 Global Meetings and Events Forecast here.