Nearly 50 Mice events held here since last July: STB
Success of the meetings pave way for larger events in the months ahead, says STB chief Keith Tan
A business meeting by an American organisation was conducted in Singapore in January, one of close to 50 events which the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) sector has held since a framework to safely host such meetings here was announced in July last year.
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Convening Leaders event was attended by about 3,000 participants online and 300 at Marina Bay Sands.
It featured prominent speakers, including former prime minister of Australia Julia Gillard.
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) chief executive Keith Tan yesterday said it was the first time in PCMA's 64-year history that the event was held outside of North America.
Mr Tan also cited the TravelRevive event held here in November last year, an international trade show that drew close to 1,000 physical local and international attendees.
TravelRevive, which took on a hybrid format, is also the biggest event held here since last July .
"These successful event pilots have allowed us to learn and prepare (for) larger Mice events in the months ahead," said Mr Tan.
The events held here had taken on different formats, such as hybrid, physical, or virtual.
Mr Tan was speaking at the opening of the inaugural SingapoReimagine Mice Virtual Show, a two-day virtual trade show to catalyse the industry's recovery and generate business opportunities for industry players.
Under the Safe Business Event framework, event organisers must achieve five key outcomes, including infection control measures before, during, and after the event, as well as limit overall crowd density.
The number of people in each zone cannot be more than 50 people at any one time, with a 1m safe distance required between individuals at all times.
In March last year, all physical business-to-business events, including meetings, conventions, exhibitions and trade shows, were put on hold in Singapore as part of the measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.
The Mice sector sprang back to life in October when organisers were given the go-ahead to pilot events with up to 250 attendees, from a previous limit of up to 50 attendees.
By November, at least 20 pilot events were approved.
According to a survey commissioned by STB in 2019, the Mice industry supports more than 34,000 jobs with an economic value-add of $3.8 billion, or nearly 1 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product.
Mr Tan also noted how Singapore's population is on track to be fully vaccinated by this year.
"These signs give me optimism about the future of the Mice business.
"While virtual and digital tools will replace some of our more mundane interactions, nothing beats the energy and excitement that comes from fruitful face-to-face meetings."
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