If the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre had a heartbeat last week, it thumped loudest at the Hong Kong stand. Amid the swirl of deals and handshakes that define AIME 2026, the Asia-Pacific’s flagship business events showcase Hong Kong arrived not merely to participate, but to remind the market why it still punches well above its weight in global meetings and incentives.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) reported a surge of interest across the two-day event, with hundreds of delegates filtering through its sprawling stand. It wasn’t just the foot traffic that impressed; it was the depth of conversation. Twenty-nine partner exhibitors, spanning airlines, hotels, venues, attractions, and DMCs, held more than 900 meetings, a clear indicator that the pipeline for inbound business events is filling with intent.
At the centre of the push was the debut of the Hong Kong Incentive Playbook 2.0, a glossy, ideas-rich toolkit featuring more than 200 curated experiences for planners seeking something beyond the standard ballroom-and-buffet formula. From harbourfront dining theatrics to rooftop networking under neon skies, the message was clear: Hong Kong wants planners to think bigger.
And because this is Hong Kong, subtlety was never on the menu. A hosted buyers’ lunch delivered both culinary theatre and cultural flair, capped with a traditional lion dance that drew crowds and cameras from across the show floor. It was part spectacle, part statement: this is a destination that understands the power of experience.
Marilyn Tham, HKTB General Manager, Mega Events, MICE & Cruise, struck an upbeat tone about the road ahead.
“The number of MICE visitors from Australia and New Zealand travelling to Hong Kong has continued to grow, and we are confident this positive momentum will continue,” she said.
“We are pleased to bring the Hong Kong Incentive Playbook 2.0 to AIME this year with over 200 inspiring ideas to enrich business events with Hong Kong’s vibrant energy and charm. Together with our enhanced infrastructure, a year-round calendar of world-class events and world-renowned nightlife and gourmet experiences, I believe Hong Kong is an ideal MICE destination that can help every event to achieve more.”
That confidence was echoed closer to home. Karen Macmillan, HKTB Director for Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific, noted strong buyer quality across the show.
“We noted a lot of interest in our destination. Our stand partners were really pleased with the response and the quality of the buyers,” she said.
“We look forward to welcoming more business visitors to Hong Kong in 2026 for their meetings, incentives, conferences and events, where they’ll experience a premium experience, incredible infrastructure and outstanding hospitality.”
For the Australian and New Zealand markets, both historically reliable feeders into Hong Kong’s MICE economy, the signals are encouraging. Improved air connectivity, revitalised nightlife and an increasingly sophisticated event offering are combining to sharpen Hong Kong’s competitive edge against regional rivals.
In an events landscape still recalibrating after years of disruption, destinations are learning that relevance is earned, not assumed. Hong Kong appears to understand that well. AIME’s showing wasn’t just about filling diaries; it was about reclaiming narrative.
For planners chasing impact, the city is pitching itself as the place where commerce meets theatre, and where business events come with a little extra voltage.
For updates and planning resources, visit https://www.mehongkong.com.
by Sandra Jones – (c) 2026.
Read Time: 3 minutes.
About the Writer.
Sandra has spent a working lifetime quietly rescuing journeys, one itinerary, one anxious caller, one impossible connection at a time. Years in Australia’s finest travel agencies taught her the art of calm, how to find a flight in a fog of cancellations, how to soothe a traveller when luggage wanders, how to turn nine frantic days in Europe into something resembling sense. Qualified, seasoned, endlessly patient, she learned that good travel advice is part logistics, part listening.
But the storyteller in her was always waiting its turn. Writing offered a new map, a way to turn experience into reflection, detail into delight. At Global Travel Media, Sandra now writes the truths only insiders know: the mishaps, the laughter, the grace found between gates and goodbyes. She reminds us that travel, for all its fuss, is still one of life’s better ideas.
