International exhibitions and industry events are increasingly serving a purpose beyond showcasing products. Across Asia, they have become platforms for businesses to exchange expertise, establish strategic relationships and explore opportunities across different markets.
For Jasmine Chau, this intersection of business development, brand positioning and professional networking has shaped much of her work in 2026. Through her roles at CjC Marketing Agency, Italian Atelier and The One Atelier, she has been involved in initiatives connecting international businesses with opportunities across the region, particularly in hospitality, food and beverage, luxury design and real estate.
Her professional portfolio brings together several responsibilities. She is Co-Founder of CjC Marketing Agency, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Italian Atelier, and, since June 2026, Business Development Manager for Asia Pacific at The One Atelier. She also announced her appointment as Sales Agent for MAISON&OBJET across Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore in March 2026.
These positions reflect a broader focus on connecting European design expertise and international brands with the commercial realities of Southeast Asian markets.
Exploring the Future of Hospitality in Vietnam
One of the year’s early highlights was Food & Hospitality Vietnam 2026, held from 24 to 26 March at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City.
Through a collaboration between Italian Atelier and CjC Marketing Agency, the exhibition hosted Cracking The Luxury Code: Redefining the Future of Vietnamese Hospitality & Gastronomy. The programme was designed to examine the changing expectations of premium hospitality and the commercial opportunities emerging from the sector.
Its discussions were organised around three themes: The Luxury Standard, The Luxury Machine and The Human Side of Luxury. Together, they explored international quality standards, operational structures, marketing strategies and the human contribution to luxury customer experiences.
The programme also extended beyond the conference setting through The Alpha Node Circle, an invitation-only executive dinner at Hoshiyo Dining Lounge on 24 March. The gathering was intended to translate the day’s discussions into opportunities for relationships between senior business figures and potential partners.
The collaboration demonstrated how an exhibition can provide a setting for more focused industry engagement, connecting business conversations with opportunities for longer-term cooperation.
Connecting International Expertise at AADA 2026
In June, the activities of Italian Atelier and CjC Marketing Agency extended into the architecture, design and hospitality community through the 2026 Asia Architecture Design Awards (AADA) and Asia Hospitality Awards (AHA).
The awards ceremony took place on 26 June at Dragon Pearl Cave in Quang Ninh, Vietnam, bringing together architects, designers, developers and industry professionals from across the region.
The event provided another setting for international networking and professional exchange. Post-event coverage highlighted the contribution of CjC Marketing Agency and Italian Atelier in connecting international experts and supporting guest engagement beyond the awards ceremony itself.
For businesses operating across design and hospitality, these connections can be as important as the recognition given to individual projects. They create opportunities for professionals from different markets to exchange perspectives and develop relationships that may lead to future collaborations.
Bringing Industry Conversations to Vietfood 2026
A particularly significant engagement came at Vietfood & Beverage – ProPack Vietnam 2026, held from 6 to 8 August at SECC in Ho Chi Minh City.
Marking its 30th edition in the city, the exhibition brought together more than 1,000 companies from over 20 countries and territories, with more than 1,400 booths representing different parts of the food, beverage and packaging industries.
Within the exhibition, CjC Marketing Agency developed The Gastronomy Blueprint, with Italian Atelier Asia-Pacific serving as Official Content Partner and VINEXAD collaborating on the programme.
One of its featured seminars, Building Premium Value in F&B: From Brand Identity to Distribution Channels and Packaging, addressed three important areas of business development.
The discussions covered brand identity and ingredient preservation technology, the expectations of premium buyers in modern retail, and the role of packaging and supply chain optimisation in creating product value.
The programme reflected the growing importance of looking at food and beverage businesses as interconnected operations. Product quality, brand positioning, distribution and packaging all contribute to how a company competes and responds to changing market expectations.
For Jasmine, whose work at CjC and Italian Atelier involves business relationships and curated industry platforms, the programme represented an opportunity to bring different perspectives into a shared discussion about the future of F&B.
Bringing European Design into Southeast Asian Real Estate
In September, the focus shifted from food and hospitality to luxury design and real estate in Indonesia.
At IFFINA+ 2026, held from 24 to 27 September at the Nusantara International Convention Exhibition (NICE), PIK 2, Jakarta, Italian Atelier and CjC Marketing Agency served as content partners for a panel discussion titled The Branded Residence Blueprint.
Led by Jasmine Chau, the session took place on 24 September and examined how European luxury design and bespoke furniture, fixtures and equipment procurement can be integrated into contemporary hospitality and branded residential developments.
The discussion addressed the balance between international design standards and local identity, as well as practical considerations such as procurement lead times, logistics, material specifications and suitability for tropical conditions.
Jasmine described the importance of balancing international craftsmanship with local understanding:
“True luxury in modern hospitality is born where world-class European craftsmanship meets deep respect for local context. Our goal is to provide developers with a seamless blueprint from design vision to execution.”
The perspective reflects a wider challenge in Southeast Asia’s luxury property sector: creating developments that meet international expectations while maintaining a distinctive connection to their local surroundings.
Continuing the Conversation in Vietnam
The regional programme continued in November with Vietfood & Beverage – ProPack Hanoi 2026.
On 4 November, VINEXAD, Italian Atelier and CjC Marketing Agency collaborated on the seminar Decoding the New Consumer & The Evolution of F&B, held at the International Centre for Exhibition (I.C.E) in Hanoi.
The discussion considered how businesses can respond to changing consumer preferences and the increasing importance of product experience, quality and design. Vietnamese agarwood lifestyle brand Tinh Mộc participated as a gift sponsor and contributor to the programme, offering a perspective on how traditional materials and cultural heritage can be presented through contemporary products.
The Hanoi programme continued the wider theme running through the year’s industry engagements: bringing brands, professionals and business communities together through conversations that connect commercial opportunities with cultural and market understanding.
Looking Across Regional Markets
For Australian businesses considering opportunities in Southeast Asia, the importance of these cross-border connections is increasingly relevant. The Australian Government’s Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 identifies the region as a major opportunity for expanding trade and investment, including across agriculture and food, the visitor economy, infrastructure and creative industries.
Within this environment, industry events can provide more than visibility. They offer opportunities to understand market expectations, build relationships and identify potential partners.
Jasmine’s work across hospitality, F&B, architecture, luxury design and real estate reflects the interconnected nature of these industries. Across the events and initiatives of 2026, her professional focus has remained on bringing businesses and industry professionals into conversations that can support wider regional collaboration.
