Kota Kinabalu: Indonesia's business events industry must urgently strengthen its talent pipeline to ensure long-term sustainability, said Indonesia Exhibition Companies Association (IECA) Chairman Hosea Andreas Punkat.
Speaking during the “Future Builders: Empowering Talent for Global Industry Transformation” plenary session at the 3rd International Business Events Forum (BE in Sabah 2026) at Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here recently, he said the industry remains heavily dependent on senior professionals, with limited youth participation.
“Look at conferences today and compare them to 10 or 15 years ago. The faces are largely the same. We rarely see young professionals stepping forward to lead,” he said.
According to him, while some international organisations have introduced “future leader” programmes, these initiatives often benefit only a small sample of participants rather than the wider industry.
Hosea highlighted difficulties in recruiting committed and well-prepared human resources, particularly for large-scale exhibitions that require strong operational understanding.
He noted that many graduates enter the sector through internships but lack exposure to the full event lifecycle, from conceptualisation and budgeting to on-site execution and post-event evaluation.
“Many young people join without direction. They may say they want to work in events, but they do not know which role suits them — operations, marketing, venue management or logistics,” he said.
To address this, IECA has been engaging universities to introduce clearer industry orientation and practical exposure before students formally enter the workforce.
He also pointed out that networking in the events industry differs from social networking, requiring professionals to build long-term business relationships rather than casual connections.
Hosea shared insights from managing major venues such as Jakarta International Expo, where large-scale operations demand not only manpower but also service mindset and hospitality awareness.
He said motivating young talent requires more than assigning tasks, adding that exposure to regional and international platforms helps broaden perspectives and build confidence.
“Asia has enormous potential. If we start nurturing young talent seriously, the regional business events ecosystem will be much stronger,” he said.
