Singapore commits S$170 million to win and secure new MICE business.

The Mole fondly describes Singapore as “Asia that works” and according to Michelle Alice Thoo of Singapore Tourist Board there are now many new and very exciting reasons and developments why MICE operators must consider Singapore as a future destination for their events.

Speaking at the launch yesterday in Sydney, fittingly overlooking the Harbour, a prime destination attraction of Sydney as a competing MICE destination to Singapore, Michelle, pictured left with colleague Carol Lian, revealed STB’s exciting and highly innovative three point plan to attract an even greater share of the highly profitable BTMICE – Business, Travel, Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Events industry.

With the BTMICE sector accounting for 30% of all tourism receipts in Singapore, STB aims to see this reach 35% and S$30billion by 2015.

Michelle told Sydney’s trade media, pictured left perhaps enjoying a Singapore Sling yesterday, “We need to move beyond your description of “Asia that works”, which of course is critically important to organisers and attendees as an efficient and effective venture, but we want to become the catalyst for business success and our goal is to become a very top BTMICE destination, offering a wide range of opportunities to exchange ideas, network, explore business prospects and develop human capital, but also having a great deal of fun at Singapore’s very exciting new attractions and venues.”

She added, “Organisers and attendees expect that mature destinations such as Singapore have all the required excellent infrastructure and facilities, but now expect much more and we are the prefect destination to provide all those additional facilities and excitement to ensure a really great and highly successful event”.

STB’s three point plan includes:

Leveraging off key economic clusters, including biomedical sciences, ICT and digital media, environment and water technologies, banking and finance, transportation and logistics and tourism;

A highly competitive incentive scheme for BTMICE organisers, with S$170 million committed to finance the development of business events over the next five years; and

A global marketing and advertising campaign promoting Singapore as the “must visit” BTMICE destination, with the sub branding “Singapore, Where Great Things Happen” working as a under the branding “Uniquely Singapore”, aimed at entrenching Singapore as a top of mind destination for business events as an integral part of STB’s international marketing and communication.

New developments in Singapore are very impressive including the transformation of reclaimed Marina Bay through the development of the Marina Bay Integrated Resort opening in 2009 with 200,000 sq metres of MICE space and 10,000 hotel rooms through the development of the three tower Marina Bay Sands, with theatres, casino, museum and a sky park atop the three towers.

Michelle and Carole told Australia’s trade media that The Banking and Financial District is being shifted, even greater improvements in Singapore’s excellent transportation and logistics are being made, Vivo City a retail and lifestyle complex across from Sentosa is being built, the St James River Power Station a 60,000 sq metre nine venue live entertainment centre is under development, the DHL Balloon gives an unique view of this ever-growing city and the very exciting redevelopment of Clarke Quay which now even has a very clever ventilated roof to make it cooler in what can be the hot and humid Singapore weather!

Imagine being able to undertake some of these developments in Australia!  It is clear though that Singapore is determined to succeed through providing leading edge facilities and incentives that will attract significant high value BTMICE business, which not only ensures great events for hosts, delegates and attendees, but also provides economic success to Singapore residents, while also providing them with great facilities. 

For further information on these exciting developments, please contact Singapore Tourism Board on 02 9290 2888 or visit www.visitsingapore.com/businessevents

Report by a very impressed Mole!