In an era defined by rapid shifts in behaviour, technology, and expectations, 2026 stands to be a year where industries reset with greater clarity and purpose.
Across hospitality, wellness, luxury retail, education, design, entertainment, and more, industry leaders are moving beyond short-term trends toward deeper, more considered approaches rooted in human needs. Travellers are seeking meaning and connection, consumers want authenticity and substance, and businesses are rethinking how they serve communities with responsibility and imagination.
In this edition of the annual Portfolio Forecast, we bring together a diverse group of voices who are navigating evolving landscapes with insight and optimism. While their fields vary widely, a shared thread runs through their perspectives. Personalisation guided by technology. Wellness woven into everyday life. Cultural resonance taking precedence over uniformity. A shift from transactions to relationships.
These leaders are not only responding to change, they are defining what progress looks like across Asia and beyond. Their visions offer a glimpse into a future shaped by clarity, humanity, and a renewed sense of possibility.
STEPHAN KAPEK
Vice President Operations, Singapore & General Manager, Shangri-La Singapore
What industry insights and trends do you see shaping 2026, and which of these hold the greatest opportunities in your field?
As we look toward 2026, the hospitality industry is being redefined by travellers’ pursuit of connection, authenticity, and wellness. Guests today seek experiences that go beyond accommodation. They want to feel transformed, inspired, and part of something meaningful. This evolution is reshaping how hotels design spaces, curate experiences, and deliver service, moving from transactions to emotional engagement.
Technology will continue to elevate personalisation, using data and insights to anticipate preferences and craft seamless, intuitive guest journeys. Sustainability will also remain a driving force, as today’s travellers increasingly choose brands that align with their values and care for the planet and community.
Within this landscape, wellness represents one of the most powerful opportunities ahead. Guests are seeking balance and restoration, whether through mindful design, nourishing cuisine, or immersive experiences that help them reconnect with themselves and their surroundings. The hotels that can weave wellbeing into every touchpoint – from the check-in experience to sleep, dining, and recreation, will define the next era of luxury travel, where comfort meets consciousness and hospitality becomes a true catalyst for renewal.
How do you see yourself/your organization leading the way in turning these forecasts into reality?At Shangri-La Singapore, our vision is to be the best loved hospitality group by hosting our guests to the colourful joys of life in a sustainable manner. We see ourselves as curators of meaningful guest experiences, elevating every encounter through the art and joy of Asian hosting. As guests increasingly seek experiences that nourishes both body and mind, we’re embedding wellness and mindfulness into the heart of the guest journey – from the design of our spaces to the experiences we create.
A recent example is The Five Elements Wellness Concert, Singapore’s first immersive lie-down sound healing concert held in our hotel in September. Rooted in the natural elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, it invites guests to recline, listen, and realign their inner rhythm through sound and vibration. This initiative embodies how we blend artistry, innovation, and wellbeing to create new forms of hospitality that speak to the modern traveler’s desire for renewal.
Beyond singular experiences, our goal is to make wellbeing a lifestyle within the hotel – where menus are curated holistically, rest restores deeply, and nature is ever-present in our lush tropical sanctuary for our guests to enjoy.
MADDY BARBER
Founder, MADLY
What industry insights and trends do you see shaping 2026, and which of these hold the greatest opportunities in your field?
I think the brands that will stand out in the next phase of global luxury are the ones that don’t try to replicate the old guard, but offer something different – something rooted in a true story or need. As the market becomes less Eurocentric, there’s a real opportunity for brands from places like Singapore (and Southeast Asia) to step confidently into the spotlight. For us at MADLY, that means leaning into the richness of our roots. Being based in Singapore, tradition and modernity live side by side, while our multi-racial and multicultural landscape gives us a lens that’s naturally global. Our clients are diverse. Our stories are layered. And our aesthetic isn’t just influenced by one tradition, but many. That cultural mix, paired with a younger, bolder design ethos, brings a fresh perspective that I think the world is more ready than ever for.
For me, it’s incredibly exciting that the future of luxury isn’t about mimicking the heritage houses of the West or meeting those expectations. It’s about offering something distinctly our own: Colourful, characterful, and deeply personal.
How do you see yourself/your organization leading the way in turning these forecasts into reality?Unlike generational jewellers, I didn’t have a legacy to boast of, just my unconventional view of jewellery. We’ve never tried to follow the traditional luxury playbook, because it didn’t feel true to us. We built MADLY from the ground up with a very different foundation – going beyond the usual and challenging what’s expected. So, as the global market shifts away from Eurocentric norms and begins to embrace a more diverse model of luxury, I see us not just adapting to that future but already living it.
We’ve built a loyal following not just in Singapore, but across the region and beyond, not by pretending to be something we’re not, but by staying true to our voice. As new markets open to us, we hope to bring that same unapologetically personal, design-first approach to international audiences.
DR HARVEY HO
Founder, Skinscape Clinic
What industry insights and trends do you see shaping 2026, and which of these hold the greatest opportunities in your field?
The wellness and aesthetics industry is rapidly evolving, and the greatest opportunity lies in bridging medical aesthetics with health intelligence. As people seek to measure, track, and optimise how they feel, sleep, age, and perform, these internal metrics are becoming the foundation of how they look. With the rise of wearables, AI skin analytics, and personalised biomarkers, clinics can now deliver evidence-based, data-driven care that truly connects beauty with wellbeing.
How do you see yourself/your organization leading the way in turning these forecasts into reality? At Skinscape Clinic, we have always believed that the future of aesthetics lies in a more integrated and intelligent approach to wellness. Our focus for the future is on bridging medical precision with holistic wellbeing. Our programmes are designed not only to enhance appearance, but also optimise what’s happening within the body’s underlying systems.
We intend to develop aesthetic and wellness protocols that unite wellness data, advanced skin imaging, and scientific therapies, ultimately giving patients access to their own metrics. By tracking measurable indicators of skin health, stress, and vitality, our goal is to help patients become active participants in their own transformation. This data-driven approach will deepen their understanding of how lifestyle and bodily functions influence the skin, strengthening the connection between science and self-awareness.
Skinscape aims to evolve with the industry, staying at the forefront of evidence-based, data-informed aesthetic wellness, while preserving the human touch that defines true care.
WENNY LIM
Chief Operating Officer, HomePay
What industry insights and trends do you see shaping 2026, and which of these hold the greatest opportunities in your field?
The renovation industry is at a turning point. Homeowners are becoming more discerning and digitally savvy, demanding greater transparency, reliability, and protection when managing large renovation payments. In 2026, we expect to see technology-driven trust solutions play a bigger role in bridging the gap between homeowners and service providers. Adoption of fintech solutions in renovation payments will gain momentum as consumer understanding improves, regulatory support for digital transactions strengthens, and escrow-based payment structures become mainstream.
For HomePay, this presents a tremendous opportunity. As a renovation escrow payment platform, we focus on strengthening trust within the renovation ecosystem – facilitating safer transactions while enhancing accountability and operational efficiency for design firms. By linking payments to verified project milestones and providing clear visibility into work progress, we ensure that designers deliver on their commitments and homeowners can engage with confidence. This approach not only reduces disputes and delays, but also builds a more professional, transparent renovation landscape.
How do you see yourself/your organization leading the way in turning these forecasts into reality?
At HomePay, we see ourselves leading this shift by combining strong execution, user-focused design, and secure financial technology – building a future where every renovation payment is transparent, secure, and stress-free.
POOJA PATODIA
Chief Operating Officer, Little Paddington Preschool
What industry insights and trends do you see shaping 2026, and which of these hold the greatest opportunities your field?
By 2026, artificial intelligence will redefine how children learn, teachers teach, and parents engage. Technology will be seamlessly integrated into early education from adaptive learning tools to AI-assisted observations. But the greatest opportunity for preschools lies beyond technology itself. It is cultivating the human strengths that machines can never replicate: Emotional intelligence, adaptability, confidence, and creativity.
As automation reshapes the future workforce, children who can think critically, communicate empathetically, and adapt with courage will be the ones who thrive. The early years, therefore, must focus not only on academic skills but also on confidence mastery – nurturing self-belief, curiosity, and resilience.
At Little Paddington Preschool, we see this as the next evolution in education. Our mission is to develop children who are self-assured, agile, and ready to lead in an unpredictable world. Through inquiry-led learning, bilingual communication, and character-building experiences, we are preparing a generation that can harness technology without losing the heart of humanity – confident, creative thinkers who will not just coexist with AI, but rise above it as compassionate leaders of tomorrow.
How do you see yourself/your organization leading the way in turning these forecasts into reality?Little Paddington Preschool is paving the way by embedding confidence-building and character development through research-backed philosophies in early childhood education. Research from the University of Washington shows that children’s self-esteem is already established by age five, underscoring the need to nurture confidence and character from the very start.
At Little Paddington, we integrate the four foundational building blocks of confidence – nurturing attachments, self-expression, mastery experiences, and positive reinforcement – across every aspect of our curriculum. These principles guide how our teachers connect emotionally with children, creating secure attachments that empower them to explore and take initiative.
Through daily bilingual storytelling, hands-on inquiry projects, and collaborative play, children learn to communicate clearly, think critically, and persevere through challenges. Character-building is central to our mission – cultivating confidence, agility, adaptability, and resilience so that each child grows not only academically but also emotionally and socially.
DR KELVIN CHUA
Senior Medical Director & Founder, PROLOGUE
What industry insights and trends do you see shaping 2026, and which of these hold the greatest opportunities in your field?
In 2026, I believe we’ll see a continued convergence of medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle, with “food as medicine” taking centrestage. Personalised nutrition will move beyond trends to become a medical mainstay, with individuals fuelling their bodies according to their unique biology rather than one-size-fits-all diets. There’s also growing recognition of the importance of preventive and lifestyle medicine – being proactive about health rather than reacting to illness.
The most powerful shift, however, is happening among women. They’re more in tune with their bodies, whether through cycle syncing, understanding perimenopause, or recognising when to rest. Mothers, especially, are learning that self-care is an essential part of caring for their families. The opportunity ahead lies in supporting this mindset change: Helping women honour their needs without guilt, and giving them access to care that feels personal, informed, and compassionate.
How do you see yourself/your organization leading the way in turning these forecasts into reality?
At PROLOGUE, we’re already building this future. We're deeply invested in preventive health and early intervention, particularly in areas like metabolic wellness, menopause support, and brain health. The goal is simple: To empower individuals, especially women, to take charge of their health before something goes wrong, and to do so with confidence.
LIM KER HAN
Director, Estetica
What industry insights and trends do you see shaping 2026, and which of these hold the greatest opportunities in your field?
I think that the convergence of technology (especially AI, which has resulted in an unprecedented and almost universal access to information), beauty, and health is going to shape not just 2026, but the future of wellness. Already, we see consumers increasingly expecting individual diagnoses and solutions that cater specifically for them (and their unique skin biology), alongside treatments and formulations that need to support overall wellness.
Therefore, we are expecting hyper-personalisation, tech-enabled experiences, and an increasing confluence of skincare-wellness solutions that are both external-topical, and internal-oral.
How do you see yourself/your organization leading the way in turning these forecasts into reality?
The truth is that Singapore’s infrastructure – advanced regulatory environment and easy access to complementary tech partners, agencies, and solutions – already provides an intersection between personalised care, clinical-grade innovation, and credible science and technology.
For the Estetica Group of brands, we have already started creating a data-backed personalisation ecosystem – combining comprehensive skin analysis, bespoke product-treatment prescriptions, and app-based follow-ups to deliver measurable results for every customer. We are also positioning ourselves to capture the “beauty-meets-wellness” segment by working both scientific and TCM approaches with the largest agencies (A*STAR, NTU, and NUS) to effect a more holistic skin wellness programme for our customers. Lastly, we will be training our staff and therapists to become "skin coaches" and leverage AI-assisted tools and insights to recommend personalised regimens and consequently redefine the experiences.
JORGE RODRIGUEZ
Group Managing Director, Influential Brands
What industry insights and trends do you see shaping 2026, and which of these hold the greatest opportunities in your field?
As we project toward 2026, the ASEAN business landscape will be fundamentally reshaped by regulatory accountability, evolving talent dynamics and the strategic application of AI. In sustainability, we are moving beyond voluntary pledges into an era of verified circularity and compliance, with markets such as Singapore leading through mandatory climate reporting from 2025. The greatest opportunity lies in brands that proactively build transparent, closed-loop systems which anticipate regulation while appealing to increasingly discerning consumers who reject superficial ESG claims.
The job market across Asia reflects what experts describe as a “Great Reshuffle”, with uneven recovery across regions and growing demand for flexible, values-driven work environments. Companies that evolve into holistic talent ecosystems, focusing on well-being, skills mobility, and long-term stability, will attract and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive market.
In marketing, APAC’s projected increase in advertising spend underscores the region’s dynamism. However, the winners will be those using AI for empathetic personalisation and brand purpose rather than mass automation. The ultimate strategic advantage will belong to brands that seamlessly integrate these three elements, becoming authentically responsible, deeply human in culture, and intelligently adaptive to Asia’s rapidly shifting social and regulatory context.
How do you see yourself/your organization leading the way in turning these forecasts into reality? At Influential Brands, our mission is to serve as a catalyst connecting foresight with tangible achievement across ASEAN. Headquartered in Singapore, we transform emerging trends into actionable leadership through our trusted accreditations and campaigns which includes Top Brands, Top Employers, and Top Sustainability Awards and Campaigns. As the region navigates new ESG regulations and workforce transformation, Influential Brands is uniquely positioned to spotlight and empower the pioneers defining tomorrow’s benchmarks.
Through our exclusive digital platforms, we enable business leaders to share insights and best practices related to Sustainability, Human Capital and Corporate Reputation. Our prestigious awards will increasingly focus on measurable progress by evolving the “Top Sustainability” accolade to assess circular performance and the “Top Employer” recognition to evaluate holistic talent development and workplace well-being.
We also leverage our gala nights, regional summits, and editorial storytelling to amplify brands mastering AI-powered, purpose-driven marketing, a trend that is redefining consumer trust across Asia. By connecting this vanguard of CEOs, CSOs, CMOs, and HR leaders, Influential Brands is not merely reflecting change, but orchestrating it, curating the influential community driving a more responsible, resilient, and prosperous ASEAN business landscape.
Outfit by Giorgio Armani, watch and jewellery by Jacob & Co
KATE LIM
Regional General Manager, Sincere Watch Limited
What industry insights and trends do you see shaping 2026, and which of these hold the greatest opportunities in your field?
After exceptional growth in 2022 and 2023, driven by post-pandemic enthusiasm, the watch industry began to settle into a more balanced rhythm by 2025. This shift marks the start of a new phase – one defined by stability, discernment, and a more thoughtful approach to collecting. Collectors are becoming more selective and the mindset has moved from volume to discernment, with clients seeking substance over speculation. Demand for well-crafted timepieces remains strong, while interest in independent and niche brands reflects a growing desire for individuality and deeper appreciation of craftsmanship. At the same time, clients expect higher standards of service and engagement, pushing retailers to raise both expertise and experience.
As we look ahead to 2026, growth will be driven less by exuberance and more by sustained client relationships, thoughtful innovation, and personalisation. Technology will continue to play a supportive role – helping retailers understand clients better while preserving the human connection that defines true luxury.
For Sincere Watch, this evolution opens clear opportunities to deepen relationships, refine client experiences, and strengthen our position as a trusted curator of fine watchmaking across the region.
How do you see yourself and your organization leading the way in turning these forecasts into reality?
As the industry becomes more discerning and relationship-driven, Sincere Watch is focused on leading this next phase by elevating how collectors experience luxury. With one of the largest brand portfolios in the region, we have the unique advantage to curate across heritage maisons and independent watchmakers – offering clients true perspective and discovery.
Our strategy centres on personalisation, expertise, and experience. We use insights to tailor recommendations, design meaningful encounters, and foster deeper appreciation for craftsmanship through private previews and collector events.
At the same time, we continue to invest in our people and strengthen our advisory role, ensuring every interaction reflects sincerity, product mastery, and trust. By combining our scale as a multi-brand curator with a client-first mindset, Sincere Watch aims to define what modern luxury retail means today: Authentic, connected, and built for lasting value.
Outfit by Giorgio Armani
LEONARD LIM
Chief Executive Officer & Founder, WILD
What industry insights and trends do you see shaping 2026, and which of these hold the greatest opportunities in your field?
The entertainment landscape in 2026 will be defined by the fusion of technology, authenticity, and cultural cross-pollination. We’re entering an era where audiences no longer separate music, creators, and digital experiences – they expect them to coexist seamlessly. The rise of hyper-personalised fandoms, virtual performances, and the creator-led economy will reshape how culture is made and monetized.
I believe the greatest opportunities lie in three areas:
Creator-led IP and music ownership: Artists and creators are no longer just talent; they’re building brands, universes, and equity. The future belongs to those who can turn influence into sustainable intellectual property.
Immersive and experiential entertainment: Live experiences will evolve into multi-sensory, cross-disciplinary moments that blend fashion, art, and music with digital interactivity.
Regional collaboration across Asia: Southeast Asia is becoming a cultural export hub. We’ll see more cross-border collaborations between artists, brands, and tech platforms, creating globally resonant Asian stories.
How do you see yourself/your organization leading the way in turning these forecasts into reality?
At WILD, we’re positioning ourselves at the intersection of all three. Our ecosystem connects artists, creators, and brands to co-create culturally relevant moments – from record releases and brand partnerships to large-scale live experiences. We’re investing heavily in creator development, digital IP, and emerging entertainment formats to turn these forecasts into tangible reality.
Our goal is to lead by example and to show that Southeast Asia’s creative economy isn’t just catching up; it’s setting the pace for what entertainment can look like globally.
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