A great conversation this morning at IT&CM Asia & CTW Asia-Pacific 2026 in Bangkok, where I joined Kate Sarasin and PAULA WONG, CEM, CIS, DES,SEPC, and our wonderful moderator Octavio ‘Bobby’ Peralta, to explore:
Why People Still Gather: The Future of Human Connection in the Meetings Industry
Some interesting takeaways from our audience polls and conversation:
- Networking and business opportunities remain key reasons why people gather.
- Human connection and shared experiences cannot be fully replicated digitally.
- Meaningful connections need to be intentionally designed, not left to chance.
- Think beyond ROI to Return on Experience and Return on Impact.
- The next generation wants authenticity, participation and to be heard.
- And one word stood out when we asked what would inspire people to keep gathering in the future: COLLABORATION.
That last one really resonated with me.
One question I posed to the audience was:
“What is one experiance at an event that could NEVER be replicated digitally?”
Perhaps that is why we still gather.
Technology can enable connection, but people give that connection meaning.
Thank you Bobby, Kate, Paula and everyone who joined us for the conversation. And to Lynette Tey TTG Asia Media for coordinating the session and keeping us together. Well done!
And a huge shoutout to my dear tailor, Raju from Rj Fashion Custom Tailor, for getting my new suit ready for this morning’s session in just 3 days! Well done and thanks, Raju!
#ITCMA2026 #CTWAsiaPacific #HumanConnection #Collaboration #AssociationEvents #JonathanLow #EMBXY
