Why Attending BYUMS Asia Pacific Is Worth It Beyond Competing
The 2019 BYU Management Society Asia Pacific Conference in Mongolia draws delegates from across the region, and the spotlight often falls on the Believe & Achieve business plan competition. Yet sitting in the audience as a non-competitor offers a different kind of return that many professionals overlook. For Australians weighing the trip, the value extends well beyond submitting a pitch.
A 14-hour flight from Sydney or Melbourne to Ulaanbaatar is a serious commitment, and the decision to attend usually comes down to one question: what is the practical upside when there is no trophy on the line? The answer lies in the conference's layered programming, which mixes keynote sessions, breakout discussions, and informal gatherings that reward the curious observer as much as the prepared finalist.
Travelling from cities like Brisbane, Perth, or Adelaide, attendees arrive in a country undergoing rapid economic transformation, and the chance to witness that change firsthand adds depth to any professional's worldview. The Mongolia setting also creates a neutral ground where Australian business leaders can engage with peers from Singapore, Seoul, and Manila without the usual home-market distractions.
This piece walks through the reasons why skipping the competition does not mean skipping the rewards, drawing on the conference structure, speaker quality, and networking opportunities available to every registered guest.
What competitors and observers each take away
| Competitor Path | Non-Competitor Path |
|---|---|
| Prepares a written business plan and pitch deck | Attends every session and absorbs case studies |
| Receives feedback from a panel of judges | Joins smaller breakout discussions with peers |
| Eligible for cash prizes and recognition | Eligible for a broader range of conversations |
| Focused on winning a category | Focused on long-term professional growth |
| Time spent in formal presentation rooms | Time split between sessions, meals, and side events |
| Outcome measured on a specific day | Outcome measured in months of follow-up opportunities |
Competitors arrive with a defined deliverable and a deadline, working under pressure to refine their model in front of judges. Observers arrive without that pressure, which frees them to move between rooms, follow their curiosity, and engage with speakers on their own terms. Both roles contribute to a healthy conference ecosystem, and neither experience cancels out the other.
The Believe & Achieve competition showcases a small group of finalists, but the broader programming is designed to serve every delegate in the room. Non-competitors often leave with more diverse insights simply because they have the bandwidth to absorb everything on offer.
Listening to voices you rarely hear at home
The speaker lineup at the Asia Pacific conference brings together executives, founders, and educators from economies that behave very differently from Australia's. Hearing how a Mongolian fintech founder scales through partnerships with Chinese investors, or how a Filipino supply chain leader navigates typhoon-season logistics, offers a frame of reference that rarely surfaces in Sydney boardrooms.
For Australians accustomed to Western case studies in business schools, the exposure to Central Asian and Southeast Asian operating environments can be eye-opening. Mining executives from Perth often find common ground with Mongolia's resource sector, while service-based entrepreneurs from Melbourne discover fresh go-to-market tactics from regional counterparts.
A useful guide on aligning speaker talks with leadership development underscores the importance of choosing events where each presentation fits into a larger growth arc, and the BYUMS Asia Pacific program follows that principle closely.
Networking that lasts beyond the conference floor
Australians tend to value the "fair go" approach to professional introductions, and the BYUMS conference mirrors that culture through its open seating and shared meal times. Morning tea breaks, in particular, often produce the most candid exchanges, since attendees from different chapters find themselves in conversation without the formality of scheduled meetings.
Local chapters of the BYU Management Society already exist in Sydney and Melbourne, which means the Mongolia trip can serve as a springboard for stronger connections back home. Meeting someone from Manila or Kuala Lumpur over lunch in Ulaanbaatar can lead to a regional partnership months later, especially when both parties share a common professional framework.
The "tall poppy" instinct might discourage some Australian professionals from introducing themselves to senior figures, but conference organisers actively work against that hesitation. Side events and chapter dinners are designed to mix seniority levels, making it easier for mid-career attendees to build relationships that would otherwise take years to develop.
A working holiday in a new market
Attending a business conference abroad doubles as market research, and Mongolia offers perspectives that Australian executives rarely encounter. The country's growing mining exports, its young entrepreneurial population, and its strategic position between Russia and China make it a useful case study for anyone involved in cross-border trade from Australia.
Australian businesses with interests in agriculture, education services, and infrastructure can gather informal intelligence simply by walking through the conference venue and chatting with local hosts. Conversations over dinner often reveal more about a market than any published report, and Ulaanbaatar's hospitality culture rewards the patient listener.
There is also a personal dimension. Taking a week away from the relentless pace of Sydney or Brisbane offices allows professionals to step back from quarterly pressures and think strategically. Many past attendees describe the trip as a reset that informs their decision-making for the rest of the financial year.
Practical reasons Australia-based professionals should make the trip
The conference's breakout sessions are structured so that non-competitors can move freely between topics, picking the ones most relevant to their industries. This flexibility suits Australian professionals who want to tailor their learning without committing to a single track.
Cost is often a sticking point, but shared accommodation options and group travel rates from Australia make the journey more accessible than a solo itinerary. Several BYUMS Australia chapters coordinate travel, which reduces the logistical lift for first-time visitors to Mongolia.
Finally, the conference certificate and continuing professional development hours count toward many Australian industry bodies' annual requirements, adding a tangible credential to the experience. Combined with the relationships built and the global perspective gained, the case for attending without competing becomes straightforward for anyone willing to plan their trip with the same care that the speaker programme deserves.