In an era where digital connections dominate, the power of face to face conversation proved irreplaceable at Suntec Singapore this month, as the region’s travel storytellers and industry leaders gathered for what has become Asia’s most anticipated media networking event.
The International Media Marketplace (IMM) Asia 2025 brought together more than 150 travel journalists, editors, and content creators with 120 leading tourism brands for two days of intensive collaboration, a meeting of minds that continues to reshape how travel stories are discovered, told, and shared across the Asia Pacific region.
“In-person meetings remain vital to the travel industry’s future,” said Nick Wayland, CEO and Founder of TravMedia. “IMM was born out of a desire to bring travel brands and travel media together to help our industry work smarter, not harder.”
Since its inception in 2012, the IMM series has facilitated thousands of one on one meetings worldwide, with this Singapore edition marking its 84th global event. The format remains deliberately intimate: pre-scheduled conversations that allow media professionals from Greater China, Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, India, and Australia to explore fresh angles, forge partnerships, and uncover the stories that will define tomorrow’s travel landscape.
Celebrating Excellence
The event’s second annual TravMedia Awards Asia, expanded this year from four to eight categories, recognized outstanding contributions to travel journalism and PR across the region. The afternoon ceremony at the awards luncheon on October 14 underscored a community committed to elevating storytelling standards.
As evening descended, guests migrated to perhaps the most fitting venue imaginable for an industry built on inspiring wanderlust: Raffles Hotel Singapore. For 138 years, the legendary property has welcomed world travelers and storytellers through its doors. On this night, it served as the elegant backdrop for connection and conversation, proof that the best networking spaces are those steeped in their own remarkable narratives.
“Few venues can compare with Raffles Hotel Singapore,” Wayland reflected. “Being able to gather in such an extraordinary venue makes the evening even more special.”
The gathering reinforced a simple truth: while technology enables global reach, it’s the human connections, the shared meals, spontaneous insights, and collaborative spirit, that continue to drive the travel industry forward. In a world of endless digital noise, IMM Asia offered something increasingly rare: meaningful dialogue, purposeful connection, and the space for great stories to begin.
