Strategic Meetings Management, fondly referred to as SMM — might sound immense, but it’s really just about making meetings and events work better.
SMM is a way to bring order to chaos — giving organisations visibility, control, and results across their meetings and events programs. It’s about strategy, sure — but also about practicality: policy, process, platforms, payments, and everything in between. When done well, it’s transformative. When done poorly, it’s just more admin.
It’s complex. 14+ major markets, each with their own pace, culture, compliance quirks, and communication style.
It’s growing. In 2025 alone, APAC contributed over 50% of global business travel growth, home to 60% of the worlds population.
Just three countries — China, India and Japan — together make up more than a third of the world’s population, dwarfing the combined size of many continents.
This demographic force underpins the extraordinary scale of business, travel, and meetings potential across APAC
It’s unpredictable. What’s true in Tokyo won’t land in Jakarta, and what rocks in Australia can fall flat in China. And what looks great on a standardised slide doesn’t always play out well in real life.
It’s often under-resourced. Big expectations, small teams, and programs that feel like a part-time job… on top of a full-time job.
A great strategy means nothing if no one uses it. Adoption, buy-in and cultural nuance are everything here.
Every market is different – APAC needs controlled flexibility.
Relationships move the needle, period.
Fast global rollouts often lose steam in APAC, hitting walls left right and centre. A staggered, thoughtful and highly engaged approach usually goes further.
