What an incredible week for the Asian accommodation industry! The highly anticipated inaugural NoVacancy Asia, the region’s only trade show fully dedicated to hotel and accommodation innovation, took place at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok (18–19 November 2025). And let me tell you, it was a resounding success!
The event delivered exactly what the industry needed. It brought together hotel owners, hotel operators, brands, and solution providers to collaboratively tackle the biggest opportunities across Technology, Commerce, Design, and Experience.
A New Benchmark for Innovation
As someone who has been closely involved with the original No Vacancy Sydney show for the last seven years, I was eager to see how its Asian counterpart would measure up. My take? It exceeded expectations. The inaugural No Vacancy Asian event was excellent, and the overwhelmingly positive feedback I’ve heard echoes that sentiment.
A huge and heartfelt congratulations goes out to Paul Clark, Laura Binns, and the entire team at Terrapin, the dedicated organisers of the event. They truly pulled off something special!
One thing stood out immediately: the impressive scale of the technology vendors. In fact, it may have even surpassed the Sydney show, which signals the rapid pace of tech adoption in the region.
Deep Dive into Content and Connection
The energy and quality of the educational program was unmatched. I thoroughly enjoyed the stellar lineup of 100+ leading speakers and panellists from global and regional brands. Every session shared invaluable insights across strategy, operations, design, and technology.
With so much incredible content, it was genuinely hard to choose! Here are the panel sessions and presentations that I attended:
- Panel Discussion: The Innovation Agenda: How winning hotels are staying ahead of the game – featuring Lee Lin (Nobu Hospitality) & Dominic Egger (Travel + Leisure Co), moderated by Elliot Gould (Courtyard by Marriott Phuket).
- Presentation: The coming productivity paradigm shift in hospitality – will you be ready? – a fascinating session with Michael Cohen (GAIN Advisors) and Scott Eddy (@MrScottEddy).
- Panel Discussion: Driving commercial excellence – building a unified strategy – led by Bryan Bailey (Minor Hotels), Nida Wongpanlert (137 Pillars Hotels and Resorts), and Alper Serbetcioglu (Accor).
- Fireside Chat: Leveraging new technologies and innovations to take your hotel to the next level? – an insightful discussion with Udomluk Tantbirojn (Centara Hotels & Resorts) & Thiruselvam Tholtan (Minor Hotels), moderated by Krid Kusumawalee (Seibu Prince Hotels and Resorts).
- Panel Discussion: Smarter stays the future of in-room technology and personalisation – featuring Noelia Gonzalez (Salto systems), Michael Hofstetter (Wyndham Hotels and Resorts), and David Skelly (DJ Coalition) and moderated by colleague and fellow GAIN Advisor Silvio Reale (from EGRMS).
Bangkok: The Perfect Host
I believe it was an inspired choice that Bangkok got the opportunity to host NoVacancy Asia. It is truly the home of hospitality in the region. And let’s face it, Singapore already has more than its share of events! Furthermore, the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre is an absolutely fantastic venue. It offers a state-of-the-art space that matches the high-calibre nature of the show.
It was a wonderful two days of learning, networking, and doing what hospitality does best: face-to-face human connection.
The future is bright for accommodation innovation in Asia, and No Vacancy Asia has firmly established itself as the essential meeting place. We can’t wait for next year!
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Frequently Asked Questions
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No Vacancy Asia is the region’s only dedicated trade event focused on hotel and accommodation innovation. Its inaugural show was held in Bangkok at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre on 18–19 November 2025.
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The event brought together hotel owners, operators, brands, and solution providers for two high-value days of learning, networking, and commercial collaboration. Feedback from attendees — including industry veterans — was overwhelmingly positive.
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While Sydney has a long-established reputation, the Asian edition impressed with its strong turnout, high-calibre speakers, and an even larger proportion of technology vendors, highlighting the region’s rapid pace of tech adoption.
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The programme featured leaders from Nobu Hospitality, Travel + Leisure Co, Minor Hotels, Accor, Wyndham, 137 Pillars, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Salto Systems, and many more. The diversity and depth of expertise was a major highlight.
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Key themes included innovation strategy, productivity shifts, commercial excellence, in-room technology, guest personalisation, and the future of hotel operations.