SHOW NEWS

The next frontier of AI and technology solutions for corporate travel will be revealed during the Business Travel Show Asia Pacific Innovation Faceoff 2026 presentations, when the show returns to Marina Bay Sands, Singapore for its second edition on 14 – 15 April 2026. 

The shortlisted entrants - five of the brightest and boldest innovators in the industry - will pitch the latest technology solutions set to shape the future landscape of corporate travel. The presentations will be made in front of a panel of expert judges and live audience of travel and meetings bookers and buyers.  

This year’s entrants include:  

China Smart Mice Group - Delivers end -to-end digital meeting management - integrating proprietary platforms, green resources, and a 40,000-strong execution network. 

David Chen, Founder & CEO of China Smart MICE Group, commented: “APAC is our launchpad and growth engine. Home to the world's fastest-growing business hubs, APAC demands meeting solutions that are innovative and execution-ready. Winning here means proving our model works across diverse markets - then scaling it globally with proven credentials. Winning would validate a decade of building: that true meeting innovation isn't just software – it is software plus execution, plus compliance, plus sustainability. It would tell the world that Asia is not just adopting innovation but defining it.” 

FCM - A leading travel management company with an alternative approach; specialising in providing customer-centric and efficient solutions to corporate travel programmes.  Globally consistent and locally connected. 

Vicki Parris, MD SEA & Japan, FCM, comments: “Winning would further strengthen FCM's position as a service-led technology innovator in APAC business travel - proving that our tech doesn't just automate, it elevates the human touch. It demonstrates that we're solving real travel programme pain points by seamlessly blending intelligent technology with on-the-ground expertise - giving travellers the digital experience they expect, backed by the local support they need when things don't go to plan. Simply put: It positions FCM as the travel management company that's innovating for better outcomes, not just better features.” 

Nowadays – AI-powered meetings and events platform that automates venue sourcing, negotiations, and event management for corporate teams. Also winner of the Business Travel Show America Innovation Faceoff 2025.  

Anna Sun, CEO, Nowadays comments: “Winning would mean a lot. After winning the Innovation Faceoff at the Americas show last year, coming to APAC felt like a natural next step. The competition is strong and the bar is high — and the relationships we built at the Americas show made us even more excited to do it again here. Winning in APAC would be a great signal that the industry globally is ready for AI-powered event and group travel management, and it would help us grow faster in a region we're already really invested in.” 

Thrust Carbon - Helps organisations reduce the cost and emissions of business travel by combining market-leading emissions data with real-time decision support tools to change traveller behaviour.  

Kit Aspen, CEO and Founder, Thrust Carbon comments: “We’re scaling EngageAI across the travel ecosystem. That means deeper integrations with booking tools and TMC platforms, expanding the range of interventions we can support, and continuing to train the AI on real-world travel behaviour so it becomes smarter over time. The ambition is simple: make lower carbon travel the easiest option for travellers and travel managers everywhere. APAC is a huge priority for us. What is particularly interesting is the travel mix. You’ve got major aviation hubs like Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok, but also some of the world’s best high-speed rail networks in places like China and Japan. That creates a real opportunity for modal shift.”  

TruTrip - A digital travel management company dedicated to the world’s most demanding markets, to not just manage travel but also manage the complex workflows behind it.  

Hugh Batley, founder TruTrip comments: “It would be an honour to win the Innovation Faceoff and a great acknowledgement of the team’s work in building TruTrip. More broadly, it would also validate the direction we believe the industry is heading. Innovation in travel has made huge strides in improving booking experiences, and the next opportunity lies in improving how decisions are made around travel - moving beyond booking tools to smarter systems that guide behaviour and deliver measurable outcomes.” 

Judging panel 

The panel of judges includes some of the brightest minds shaping APAC’s business travel and travel technology sectors:   

• Adeline Kang, Director, JCAP Operations, Travel Meetings Card & Fleet – MSD International 

• Priyanka Jakhmola Global Travel Director – Accenture 

• Terence Eng, Product Director – Trip.biz and winner of the Business Travel Show Asia Pacific 2025 Innovation Faceoff  

• Elizabeth West, Vice President Content – The BTN Group  

The Business Travel Show Asia Pacific Innovation Faceoff 2026 presentation session will take place on day one of the show, 14 April 2026, at 09.45am in the Knowledge Arena.  The winner will be announced at the end of day two of the show at 4pm on 15 April, also in the Knowledge Arena. The presentation will also include a People’s Choice award voted for by attending buyers at the end of the session.  

Commenting on the awards, Nelson Khoo, Events Director, Business Travel Show Asia Pacific, said, “The Business Travel Show Asia Pacific Innovation Faceoff launched to great success last year as part of our inaugural show. It is a privilege to host one of the leading events for the brightest minds shaping the future landscape of corporate travel in APAC, one of the region’s fastest growing markets. It promises to be a thought-provoking and inspiring programme of presentations, and I look forward to welcoming these innovators to the stage next month and learning more about the exciting future of our industry.”  

Business Travel Show Asia Pacific takes place on 14 - 15 April 2026 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, alongside The Meetings Show Asia Pacific. The event will bring together 200+ corporate travel buyers from across the Asia Pacific region, the US, the UK and Europe with over 50 top-tier exhibitors expected to attend, including airlines, hotels, TMCs, technology providers and ground transportation services.   

Corporate travel buyers, procurement managers responsible for corporate travel, and meetings planners are invited to attend the event for free, subject to qualifications, while non-exhibiting suppliers may purchase tickets.   

For more information and to register please visit: businesstravelshowapac.com