Interview
How Experia Events continues to chart Singapore’ s events tailwinds for BAAFEx
With the scheduled return of Business Aviation Asia Forum & Expo( BAAFEx), 22 – 24 March 2027, EW asked organiser Experia Events’ managing director Leck Chet Lam about the show plans and what the event signals for Singapore’ s continued growth as a hub for high-value, sector-led business events.
EW: After a strong 2025 debut, BAAFEx will return to Singapore in March 2027. How will you be developing the show? LCL: The response to the inaugural edition in 2025 exceeded our expectations. We welcomed more than 2,000 visitors and over 50 participating companies, representing a broad cross-section of the global business aviation ecosystem – from aircraft manufacturers and operators to MRO( maintenance, repair and overhaul) providers, fixed-based operators, regulators and service companies.
One of the clearest successes was the level of engagement. The conference sessions were well attended across the three days. That told us there is real demand in Asia Pacific for a dedicated platform where the business aviation community can come together to discuss the region’ s growth, challenges and opportunities.
BAAFEx attracted strong interest from Southeast Asia and from across the world. That regional spread is important because business aviation is, by nature, a cross-border industry. A platform like BAAFEx has to serve as a meeting point for the wider Asia Pacific ecosystem, not just one domestic market.
For 2027, the second edition will be larger in scale. We are looking at more than 3,000 industry professionals and trade visitors, more than 75 participating companies, and a broader representation of companies across the business aviation value chain.
As with any first edition, there were also learnings … We need to allow more room for deeper conversations, more targeted networking, and greater participation from fast-growing markets such as India and Southeast Asia. We also see an opportunity to expand the static display and
Above: Leck Chet Lam, managing director, Experia bring in adjacent segments such as helicopters, eVTOLs and emerging aviation technologies.
The key learning for us was that the market is ready for this platform. Now the focus is on scaling it carefully, while ensuring that the quality of engagement remains strong. Below: Changi Exhibition Center( CEC), venue of the biennale Singapore airshow
EW: How integral is BAAFEx to the Experia portfolio? LCL: BAAFEx is an important addition to Experia’ s portfolio because it sits very naturally within our role as a platform builder for strategic growth sectors. Experia has its roots in the Singapore Airshow. Over the years, our portfolio has expanded across aerospace, defence, government, lifestyle and space. BAAFEx builds on that same foundation, but with a focus on business aviation – a segment that is becoming increasingly important in Asia Pacific.
We launched BAAFEx because we saw a clear gap in the market. Asia Pacific is already one of the most important long-term growth regions for business aviation, but the industry did not have a dedicated regional platform that combines an exhibition, conference and aircraft static display in one place. BAAFEx was created to fill that gap.
EW: Experia also manages the Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore. How is business performing there in 2026? LCL: Changi Exhibition Centre( CEC) is an important part of Singapore’ s MICE and aviation events infrastructure. It is home to several large-scale international events, including the Singapore Airshow, IMDEX Asia and BAAFEx, and has built a strong reputation as a venue capable of supporting complex, high-level trade platforms.
What makes CEC unique is its versatility. The venue offers a 40,000sqm column-free indoor exhibition hall, complemented by www. exhibitionworld. co. uk Issue 4 2026 31