Relationship First: What the Asia-Pacific Market Can Teach Us About Selling
The B2B events industry is facing a time of change, innovation and rapid growth. According to a report from the Events Industry Council and Oxford Economics, business events generated a direct spending of $1.3 trillion in 2025, representing a growth of 12.2% compared to pre-pandemic figures in 2019. With growth comes a desire for expansion, with many B2B events companies looking to launch in new markets. Arguably, the market that presents the most opportunity is the Asia-Pacific, with rising government support and increased investment facilitating the expansion of B2B events. But this isn’t an untapped market, with many events businesses having successful, dedicated divisions in the space. One of which is Haymarket, which has built an established multi-brand B2B events presence across Hong Kong and Singapore, running forums and conferences spanning finance, investment, and marketing audiences across the region. However, success in the market isn’t as simple as a copy and paste of your current model, particularly when it comes to selling. We spoke with Andy Matthews, Senior Partnerships Manager at Haymarket Asia, about the intricacies of selling in the Asia-Pacific region, and the importance of adapting to the culture of selling, which differs from that of Europe and the US.
Asia is Not a Market. It’s Many Markets.
When speaking with Andy, he highlighted the nuances that, if overlooked, can negatively impact the success of building a strong sales team in the region. The first and often most costly mistake is treating Asia as a single market, in which the same method of success applies. In fact, the myth of Asia as one market is most often made by companies operating in the US, as the scale of their domestic market can make it easy to underestimate the vast differences between individual regions and cultures. This issue translates into building a sales team, because you don’t simply need good salespeople, you require salespeople who understand the complexities of the market you’re targeting; an individual who knows Singapore does not automatically know Hong Kong. The most significant point Andy touched on was the difference in culture, and its direct impact on the sales dynamic: the Asia-Pacific market is much more relationship-led, so salespeople who have thrived in the more transactional Western market will find that pace and style difficult to sustain.
When Relationship is the Strategy
Andy didn’t just frame relationships as an important factor of sales, but the core. In Western markets, sales teams are typically built on a swift, outcome-driven culture, however, as explained by Andy, in the Asia-Pacific market, the value of in-person relationship building prior to a sale often leads to a slower-paced, speculative method:
“You have to speculate to accumulate. So sometimes you might need to fly to Singapore and do 20 meetings. And that’s just the start.”
The West is Catching Up, But Isn’t There Yet
The long-term labour that goes into closing a deal in the Asia-Pacific market is observed very differently in the Western B2B events market, particularly post-COVID. During the pandemic, the industry had to quickly adjust to the online world, during which the use of Microsoft Teams and Zoom dramatically increased. This online connection was essential in progressing deals and booking sponsors, however, the implementation of platforms like these grew greater than a quick fix and have now become a staple in the way teams operate and connect with sponsors. In Asia, however, that shortcut never took hold in the same way.
Andy highlighted the stark difference in how relationships are built in the Western market compared to how he navigates deals in Hong Kong:
“You might need to go and have multiple in-person meetings to be able to gain that trust. And I think that’s something that perhaps these days with Teams, with Zoom, in Europe and the U.S., it doesn’t seem to be as much of a thing.”
Despite this difference, there’s a growing recognition in the Western B2B events market that in-person connection drives better commercial outcomes. Events businesses are built on the fundamentals of human connection; however, this is the factor that often gets lost in the rush to close a deal.
The thread of human connection is what keeps events alive, not just the events themselves, but the businesses behind them. And so, when thinking about expanding to Asia, you must be prepared to reshape your culture to fit theirs.
“People run events quite differently here, and there’s a lot of different etiquette that needs to be followed in this region.”
Showing up with a rich commercial model that has landed strongly across different markets, a prebuilt culture that suits your teams and a fast-paced commercial mindset is not enough to drive you to success. You must show up in the right way, and as identified by Andy, the right way is about having a presence, adjusting to the culture, learning the etiquette and prioritising that relationship-building nature:
“Asia is the biggest growth area on the planet. There’s so much opportunity here, and all the brands and businesses know that there’s lots of opportunity here. But it’s so important that you come here and you have a presence.”
The Right Market Demands the Right People
The Asia-Pacific market rewards businesses that invest in the right people, with the right cultural fluency; not simply those who are commercially successful, but those who are prepared to continue to adjust, learn and alter their methods. When relationship is the strategy, so too is the hire. And when thinking about building a successful sales team for that market, you must think beyond relocating your best people, and start thinking about finding the right ones.
Visit Jackson Barnes Recruitment’s website www.jbrecruitment.co.uk to learn more about how we connect top commercial talent with world-class media and events organisations.
About Jackson Barnes Recruitment
Jackson Barnes Recruitment delivers international recruitment solutions within the events, media, and publishing sectors. Jackson Barnes recruits Graduate to MD level in the following positions:
• Sales – delegate, sponsorship & Business Development
• Editor
We recruit for organisations in the UK and overseas, with success in London, Dubai, New York, Singapore and Australia.