FCM大中华区M&E业务FY26近翻倍，宣布在港设立办公室拓展会奖业务

FCM’s M&E business across Greater China nearly doubled in FY26. What specific event types drove that momentum, and how will your team build on it as you establish the Hong Kong office? What are your priorities?
Much of the momentum came from corporate meetings, incentive travel programmes, regional sales conferences, customer engagement events and product launches.

We saw particularly strong activity from the financial services, technology, pharmaceutical and professional services sectors, where bringing people together remains an important part of building relationships, engaging employees and driving business growth.

What has also changed is how clients approach their events. Increasingly, businesses are looking for more integrated solutions that bring together event planning, travel, accommodation, logistics and attendee management. Rather than coordinating multiple suppliers independently, they want a partner who can manage these different elements while ensuring a consistent experience for participants.

The launch of our M&E services in Hong Kong is an important step in building on this momentum. Having a dedicated local presence allows us to work more closely with clients, better understand their needs and develop solutions that reflect the nuances of the Hong Kong market, while drawing on FCM’s wider regional and global network.

Our focus is on growing our client portfolio, strengthening strategic supplier partnerships and developing more innovative, experience-led programmes. We also see opportunities to support clients with a broader range of solutions, from self-service venue sourcing and group travel management to fully managed meetings and events, supported by technology that simplifies planning and provides greater visibility into event expenditure.

Ultimately, our priority is to help businesses deliver events that are not only memorable, but also achieve meaningful outcomes, whether that is strengthening customer relationships, recognising employees or creating new business opportunities.

Hong Kong welcomed more than 2.5 million MICE visitors in 2025, a seven per cent increase year-on-year. Are you seeing this growth reflected in larger group sizes, or are corporates booking more frequent, targeted gatherings?
We are seeing growth in both areas, although the more noticeable trend is towards smaller, more frequent and highly targeted gatherings rather than a broad return to very large-scale corporate events.

Businesses are becoming more intentional about how they bring people together. Many are organising smaller meetings, incentive programmes and customer engagement activities throughout the year instead of concentrating their engagement activities around one or two major annual events. These gatherings are often designed around specific business objectives, whether that is strengthening relationships with key clients, recognising employees or bringing leadership teams together to align on priorities.

As a result, we are seeing growing interest in executive meetings, leadership summits, client appreciation events and specialist industry forums. While these may involve fewer participants, there is often greater emphasis on the quality of the experience, the relevance of the content and the outcomes that businesses want to achieve.

In terms of inbound demand, Chinese Mainland and South-east Asia remain important source markets for us, alongside selected longhaul markets where companies are looking to reconnect regional teams, business partners and customers.

Having delivered events across five continents – and earned specialist accolades from Switzerland and Taiwan – how are outbound longhaul incentive travel destinations trending for Hong Kong-based corporates? Or are they staying shorthaul?
Incentive travel continues to be an important part of how Hong Kong businesses recognise and reward employees and strengthen engagement, and we are seeing interest in both shorthaul and longhaul destinations.

Shorthaul destinations such as Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Chinese Mainland remain popular, particularly for programmes involving larger groups or shorter travel durations. Their proximity, accessibility and relative cost efficiency allow companies to create rewarding experiences without requiring employees to spend too much time away from work.

At the same time, we are seeing renewed interest in longhaul incentive programmes, especially for top-performing teams, leadership groups and milestone achievement celebrations. European destinations such as Amsterdam, Prague, Paris, London, Rome and Barcelona, as well as Sydney, are among the options being explored by clients looking to offer something more distinctive.

What has also changed is how businesses design their incentive programmes. These are no longer viewed simply as reward trips, but as part of a broader employee recognition and engagement strategy.

Clients increasingly want experiences that feel genuinely special and reflect the achievements of the people being rewarded. That means moving beyond conventional sightseeing itineraries towards more personalised experiences, exclusive activities and opportunities for participants to connect with one another.

The destination certainly plays a role, but it is the overall experience that makes the reward meaningful and memorable. This is why we place emphasis on understanding the objectives of each programme and curating experiences that resonate with participants, while managing the travel arrangements and logistics behind the scenes.

Looking ahead, we expect a balanced mix of shorthaul and longhaul programmes, with destination selection driven primarily by programme objectives, participant profiles and budgets rather than distance alone.

FCM manages the full event lifecycle, from venue sourcing to managed meetings. Where in that chain are Hong Kong clients currently facing the biggest pain points, and how does your tech give them greater spend visibility?
One of the biggest challenges we see among clients is maintaining visibility and control over event expenditure, particularly when meetings and events are managed by different departments, across multiple suppliers and budget categories.

An event may involve separate arrangements for venue sourcing, accommodation, flights, ground transportation and attendee management. When these elements are handled independently, it becomes harder for businesses to understand their total spending, track budgets effectively or identify opportunities to optimise costs. This becomes even more complex for organisations managing multiple events throughout the year.

Technology plays an important role in addressing these challenges. For example, our FCM Venue Finder allows clients to search and compare venues, access availability and pricing information, and evaluate multiple proposals through a single platform. It also provides insights into venue spending, booking lead times and savings, helping clients make more informed sourcing decisions.

Through the FCM Platform, clients can also access M&E reporting and analytics capabilities, including dashboards that provide visibility into spending patterns and activity across their programmes. This gives businesses a clearer understanding of where their budgets are being allocated and helps identify opportunities for better planning, supplier consolidation and cost efficiencies.

Beyond the technology, we also work with clients to bring greater structure to how their meetings and events are managed, from supplier sourcing and budget oversight to reporting and programme planning. This is particularly valuable for businesses managing multiple meetings throughout the year, where a more coordinated approach can improve consistency, procurement compliance and spending oversight.

The objective is not just to reduce costs, but to help businesses make better decisions about where to invest their event budgets. With greater visibility and control, they can focus more on delivering meaningful experiences and achieving the outcomes that matter to their organisations.

FCM covers everything from product launches to awards ceremonies and conferences. Which of these event formats do you expect will see the strongest growth across Greater China in 2027?
Looking ahead to 2027, we expect incentive travel programmes, conferences and strategic customer engagement events to be among the strongest areas of growth across Greater China.

Businesses continue to recognise the value of bringing people together in person, particularly when it comes to building relationships, sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for collaboration. However, we are seeing greater emphasis on events that serve a clear business purpose, rather than simply bringing large numbers of people into the same room.

We anticipate strong interest in industry-specific conferences, leadership forums, executive summits and knowledge-sharing events. These formats allow businesses to engage more directly with their stakeholders, exchange ideas and build stronger professional communities.

Customer engagement events will also remain important as companies look for more meaningful ways to connect with their clients and partners. Incentive travel is another segment we expect to continue growing, as organisations place greater emphasis on employee recognition, retention and engagement. Businesses are increasingly looking beyond conventional reward programmes towards more personalised and experience-led incentives that create lasting memories and strengthen employees’ connection with their organisations.

Technology will also play an important role in how these events are delivered. Rather than simply using technology to enable virtual participation, businesses are looking at how it can enhance the experience before, during and after an event. This includes personalised event communications, digital registration, customised event apps and tools that make it easier for attendees to access information, engage with content and connect with one another. At the same time, post-event reporting and engagement insights help organisers better understand what worked and demonstrate the value of their investment.

Across all these formats, we expect clients to place greater emphasis on measurable business outcomes and sustainability. The challenge for event organisers will be to balance creativity and memorable experiences with practical considerations such as budgets, logistics and environmental impact.

For us, the opportunity lies in bringing these elements together, combining creative event experiences with the technology, insights and expertise needed to deliver meaningful results.