Informa Launches Asia-Pacific MICE Event in Hong Kong in 2025
November 14, 2024
Organized by Informa Markets with Informa Connect as co-organizer, Connect Marketplace Hong Kong is launching March 19-21, 2025, at AsiaWorld-Expo. The inaugural Asia Pacific event for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) community marks the debut of Connect Marketplace in Asia, aiming to elevate experiences and shape the future of the industry.
With the theme “Your Bleisure, Our Pleasure,” the event will serve as a platform for the global meetings industry, tourism authorities, and related stakeholders to connect, collaborate, and build relationships that will redefine MICE networks across Asia Pacific and beyond.
What to expect: Connect Marketplace Hong Kong 2025 will feature hundreds of exhibitors and suppliers across 11,360 square meters of exhibition space. The event is set to welcome more than 600 hosted buyers from around the world and attract 8,000 visitors from 14 countries and regions, including Australia, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and the U.S.
Need to know: Exhibitors will include a wide range of services, such as airlines, AV and entertainment companies, event contractors, hotels and resorts, tourism boards, technology suppliers, and more. Hosted buyers and visitors will come from diverse segments, including associations, corporate organizations, event management companies, and international societies.
How it works: More than an exhibition, Connect Marketplace Hong Kong 2025 will offer a gateway to immersive, purposeful experiences. At the core of our event are pre-scheduled, one-on-one meetings between high-quality hosted buyers and suppliers, ensuring every conversation is meaningful and impactful. Alongside these curated interactions, attendees can enjoy networking parties, keynote speeches from industry thought leaders, and engaging onsite activities, including city tours that showcase the vibrant surroundings of Hong Kong.
Deeper dive: "Connect Marketplace Hong Kong 2025 is committed to fostering impactful connections and empowering the MICE community in Asia," said Margaret Connolly, CEO and president of Informa Markets Asia. "We are thrilled to bring together industry professionals to showcase the latest services and attractions, share knowledge, and forge relationships that will elevate the future of MICE in the Asia Pacific region."
What they are saying: “We are excited to help introduce Connect's signature hosted buyer model to Asia, showcasing a world-class meetings destination and connecting international delegates for impactful business” said Matt Johnson, managing director of Connect Marketplace, which produces a number of meetings, sports and travel events in the U.S. each year.
Strategic partners: Supported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE), the Connect Marketplace Hong Kong strategic partners plan to enhance the event's offerings and ensure an enriched experience for all participants.
Big picture: Dane Cheng, HKTB executive director, commented that “We're thrilled to support Connect Marketplace Hong Kong 2025, a flagship MICE trade show from North America expanding its APAC footprint through Hong Kong. This is a strong testament to our city's status as the world's meeting place and events capital of Asia, and we look forward to providing participants with enriching experiences while fostering the success of this inaugural show.”
The details: “Hosting the inaugural Connect Marketplace Hong Kong 2025 at AsiaWorld-Expo is not only a key highlight of our 20th-anniversary celebrations, it marks a significant milestone for the Asia Pacific MICE industry,” said Irene Chan, CEO of AsiaWorld-Expo. “With AsiaWorld-Expo’s strategic location at the center of the thriving China Greater Bay Area, we are confident that this premier networking event will set the stage for a new era of connections and collaborations across the Asia Pacific region.”
Context: Informa Markets organizes more than 450 B2B events across sectors like healthcare, infrastructure, fashion, and food, facilitating trade, and knowledge exchange worldwide. Informa Connect provides event-driven learning and digital content in fields such as finance and life sciences. Informa also organizes leading MICE events, including Routes, COTTM, and the Corporate Travel Community (CTC).
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.
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