APCER & Hotspot 2025

Designing a Truly Circular Experience — Where Every Action Counts

“A conference designed to circulate ideas, resources, and impact.”

The Asia Pacific Circular Economy Roundtable & Hotspot 2025 (APCER & Hotspot 2025) marked the first time the global Circular Economy Hotspot was hosted in Asia, with Asia Concentrate Corporation (ACC) serving as the overall curator and executive organizing team. Guided by the principle of zero waste, ACC coordinated 4 host organizers, 23 program partner, and 3 executive teams, designing an event where circular economy was not only discussed but seen, experienced, and practiced.

Challenge

The four-day program spanned forums, site visits, exhibitions, and networking events – including 19 thematic sessions, 6 industry site visit routes, a business matchmaking event, and two evening gatherings. How could these numerous components go beyond coexistence to create resonance? How could every participant become not just an audience member, but a co-creator? And how could circularity be embedded in every detail instead of staying a slogan? These were the challenges — and the starting point — for the team.

Approach

ACC introduced the Meeting Design methodology into the overall conference structure, framing the experience around the metaphor of a mountain journey — warming up, ascending together, and looking back to reflect on what was achieved. Each session featured interactive discussions and real-time feedback, generating concrete policy insights, industrial actions, and cross-border collaboration ideas. The entire planning was guided by a zero-waste approach — connecting concept and execution through every layer:

• Regenerative design｜ Electronic paper replaced printed signage; modular displays were reused; and all installations were made from recycled materials.
• Sustainable dining｜ Menus featured local, low-carbon ingredients and fully adopted reusable tableware and recyclable packaging.
• Carbon management｜ In accordance with ISO 14067, the total carbon footprint was measured at 0.805 kgCO₂e per person-hour.
• Digital engagement｜ A mobile web platform integrated real-time agendas, digital name cards, and live feedback, reducing print materials and closing information gaps.

From the co-created art installation “Woven Mountain”, to intergenerational dialogue sparked by students’ handwritten wishes for the future, to the cross-border collaborations that emerged between sessions — the conference became a living example of circular practice, both tangible and intangible.

Outcome

The event drew 791 registered participants from 50 countries, spanning government agencies, enterprises, think tanks, and NGOs. Every session produced actionable outcomes; every site visit delivered valuable learning; and many collaborations continued beyond the forum — from policy roadmap alignment to business partnerships and cross-national project development.

APCER & Hotspot 2025 was not just a conference, but a sustainability experiment through design — proving that circularity can be intentionally designed, experienced collectively, and transformed into real, lasting action.

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