Business Travel Show Asia Pacific debuts to huge success as travel managers heap praise on the two-day event attended by over 150 buyers

“Travel makes business happen,” said Jason Young CEO of Northstar Travel Group as he launched the inaugural Business Travel Show Asia Pacific at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, this week.

More than 55 exhibitors brought global and local business travel innovation to Singapore as they held hundreds of meetings with over 150 travel managers from across the globe, including Singapore, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Macao, India, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UAE and Europe.

Business Travel Show Asia Pacific was packed with exclusive networking opportunities, including the brand new, buyer only BTN Communities sessions, and learning experiences with industry leaders sharing valuable insight into AI, travel technology, sustainability, ground mobility, sourcing and more.

Global Corporate Travel & Admin Leader Pramod Shetty from Mumbai, who has 25 years’ travel management experience, said: “The first Business Travel Show Asia Pacific has been great. APAC is a growing market, and I would recommend this event to all travel managers in this region. The sessions covered lots of interesting topics about the future of travel and what is coming, including generative AI – it's the place to improve your market knowledge.”

At the end of day one, Chris McEvoy, Head of Business Development at Wings Travel, said: “I’m exhibiting at the inaugural Business Travel Show Asia Pacific – in this fabulous setting in Marina Bay Sands - to showcase who Wings are in Singapore and expand our brand presence. I had fantastic footfall today and some really, really good meetings with potential clients and suppliers. So far, fantastic.”

First APAC Travel Buyer of the Year winner announced

Shaik Abid, International Travel Manager at Adobe, was pronounced the first ever winner of the APAC Travel Buyer of the Year Award after beating fellow finalists Bianca Garrad of Perenti Group and Cheryl Anne Neo of London Stock Exchange Group.

The award celebrates outstanding achievement and innovation in managed corporate travel across the Asia Pacific region. Abid was recognized for his groundbreaking work in automating air bookings for meetings and events (M&E) travel, a complex segment traditionally dominated by manual processes. His customised solution within Adobe’s online booking tool significantly improved policy compliance, reduced turnaround time, and delivered measurable cost savings—all while setting a new industry benchmark for automating group travel.

“Shaik Abid's commitment to innovation and his bold approach to solving one of the most persistent pain points in corporate travel—M&E air booking—stood out to our editorial team,” said Elizabeth West, Editorial Director of the BTN Group. “His strategy to fully automate these bookings using Adobe’s existing OBT not only delivered powerful business results but also serves as a blueprint for travel managers across the region.”

The first ever APAC Business Travel Innovation Faceoff winner revealed

And Trip.biz was crowned the first APAC Business Travel Innovation Faceoff winner. Sponsored by Delta Air Lines, the gripping competition features the latest developments in business travel that puts the most forward-thinking companies in front of a panel of expert judges and a live audience.

Founded in 1999 and entering corporate travel in 2006, Trip.biz is a full-service travel management company (TMC) offering all-in-one digital corporate travel. The team beat off stiff competition from Acai Travel, Travog Corporate Travel, WegoPro and Zenmer to take the trophy home.

Asked how it feels to win the first APAC Business Travel Innovation Faceoff award, Trip.Biz product director Terence Eng said: “We feel very fortunate – we’re very grateful to be here and it will make a difference to our business, of course. Though we are not new to the market, winning this award will motivate us to continue, and we encourage other business travel innovators to participate next year.

“BTN and Business Travel Show Asia Pacific are great platforms and we definitely will be back. Advanced technologies in APAC are evolving and contributing to business travel - from business operations to improve booking experience and this event is a great place to meet people.”

Business Travel Show Asia Pacific is co-located with The Meetings Show Asia Pacific at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Both events will return in 2026 on 14-15 April 2026. Please visit www.businesstravelshowapac.com to find out more.