Singapore’s MICE Industry Set to Post a Strong Recovery

Positive outlook on the back of travel re-opening, strong pipeline of large-scale events and launch of INSPIRE Global 2.0 programme, sustainability emerges as dominant trend.

By Singapore Tourism Board on June 2, 20227 minutes read

Singapore/Frankfurt– The Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry in Singapore is expected to recover strongly, following the city’s reopening to fully-vaccinated visitors with no quarantine and testing requirements.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is riding on that momentum by launching an enhanced incentive programme for international MICE groups, and with a strong pipeline of events in 2022 and beyond, a full recovery for the MICE industry is expected in two to three years.

There are indications that industry recovery is picking up pace. Singapore hosted over 200 events attended by an estimated 49,000 delegates in 2021. In the first three months of this year (Jan – Mar 2022) alone, Singapore hosted more than 150 events attended by over 37,000 delegates.^[1] This number is set to increase, with at least 66 international events secured for the rest of 2022.

Please refer to Annex A for a list of upcoming events in 2022. The list is not exhaustive and is subject to revision.

“The business community is eager for opportunities to meet and network in-person again. This desire, as well as the recent easing of our border restrictions, puts the MICE industry in good stead to recover strongly,” said Yap Chin Siang, Deputy Chief Executive, STB. “We look forward to welcoming more business travellers and delegates back to our shores over the next few years, and we hope that the curated experiences under INSPIRE Global 2.0 will encourage visitors to enjoy all that Singapore has to offer.”

Under the In Singapore Incentives & Rewards (INSPIRE Global 2.0) programme by STB, qualified MICE groups can look forward to new experiences from dining and attractions to thematic tours and team building. They can choose from a selection of close to 80 complementary experiences that delegates can enjoy in Singapore – an increase from 54 experiences that were introduced under INSPIRE Global 1.0.

New INSPIRE Global 2.0 partners include Sentosa’s latest perfumery attraction, Scentopia; 1Group, a lifestyle group offering a range of dining experiences; and Urban Yogis, a yoga wellness centre providing wellness team building experiences. A new retail category has also been added to cater to shopping fans, particularly groups from Greater China, Oceania, South Asia and South-east Asia. Such experiences include exclusive shopping sprees at Design Orchard^[2], as well as back-of-house shopping tours with meet-and-greet sessions with designers.

STB will also continue to offer various assistance schemes to attract MICE events to Singapore. One example is the Business Events in Singapore (BEiS) scheme, which encourages the business events industry to innovate and anchor quality events in Singapore.

A Conducive Environment for Recovery

The positive outlook for MICE follows the recent relaxation of COVID-19 measures in Singapore, such as removing group size and event capacity limits . Since April 2022, Singapore has welcomed all vaccinated travellers , with no quarantine and testing requirements. These changes have made it more convenient for the world to meet in Singapore and stage larger events with greater opportunities for networking and other interactions.

“The reopening of our borders without quarantine and removal of event capacity and zoning requirements were truly the game changers that the industry has been looking forward to,” said Richard Ireland, President, Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS). “With the robust event pipeline and launch of new meeting experiences, we are optimistic that we are on the right track towards the return of a vibrant and viable MICE scene in Singapore. SACEOS will continue working closely with the industry and Government to further strengthen Singapore’s long-standing position as an attractive and leading global MICE hub.”

A Leading MICE Destination

Singapore continues to be recognised as the preferred destination for business events, even amid intensified global competition. In January 2022, Singapore received the 2022 Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Chair’s Award for its contributions to the business events industry in 2021. PCMA highlighted STB’s work and agility in supporting Singapore’s safe reopening of business events. Besides supporting the development of an industry resilience roadmap to provide guidance on safety management measures and best practices, STB provided training grants to upskill industry professionals and kept the destination top of mind as the preferred international business events destination through various marketing campaigns.

Other accolades Singapore clinched during the pandemic include:

Best Business City in Asia and Best Business City in the World, Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards 2021
Top International Meetings Country and City, Union of International Associations 62^nd International Meetings Statistics Report 2020
Best MICE Destination (Asia), M&C Asia Stella Awards 2021

A Robust Pipeline of Events

This year marks the much-anticipated return of marquee international events, including Food and Hotel Asia – Food & Beverage (5–8 Sept) and Food and Hotel Asia – Food & Beverage and Food and Hotel Asia – HoReCa (25-28 Oct). The events are expected to attract more than 30,000 physical attendees each. Singapore will also welcome a slew of new events this year, including Global Health Security Conference 2022 (28 Jun-1 Jul) and Cosmoprof + Cosmopack Asia (16-18 Nov).

The robust pipeline of MICE events reflects event organisers’ confidence in Singapore’s fundamentals – its vibrant business culture, excellent infrastructure, stable government, and stellar track record in delivering high-quality events.

“With over 40 years of delivering successful business with strong support from the Food and Hospitality industry in Asia, Food Hotel Asia (FHA) is recognised as the best international platform for branding opportunities to connect with business partners around the world. The recent relaxations in both Safe Management Measures (SMMs) and travel requirements into Singapore have seen a very positive response, and we strongly believe that FHA is set to cater to the growing demand in the food and hospitality industry. FHA welcomes the world to visit the events in Singapore,” said Ian Roberts, Vice President – Asia, Informa Markets.

“Singapore’s position as a global transport hub and its demonstrated regional leadership in strengthening preparedness and collaboration made it an obvious choice to host Global Health Security Conference 2022. We are thrilled to be working closely with the Singapore Government to ensure this event will inspire both current leaders and an entirely new generation to make the world safer, healthier and more inclusive,” said Professor Adam Kamradt-Scott, Chair of Global Public Health, European University Institute and Convenor of the GHS Conferences.

Beyond 2022, events taking place in Singapore include:

inter airport South East Asia (IASEA), 2023
Sea Asia 2023
International Trademark Association (INTA)’s 2023 Annual Meeting Live+
Gastech Exhibition & Conference, 2023
SILMO Singapore, 2023 – 2025
FIND – Design Fair Asia, 2023 – 2024
transport logistic and air cargo South East Asia 2023
Asia CEO Summit @ Singapore, 2023 – 2024
Worldchefs Congress and Expo, 2024
Rotary International Convention, 2024
110^th Lions Clubs International Convention, 2028

The newly announced International Trademark Association (INTA)’s 2023 Annual Meeting Live+ will also be held in Singapore from 16 to 20 May 2023. Known as the world’s largest trademark event, thousands of brand owners and intellectual property (IP) professionals from more than 100 countries will gather in Singapore to learn, network and discuss issues of interest to IP professionals, government officials, consumers, and society at large. The Singapore edition in 2023 marks the second time INTA is bringing its Annual Meeting to Asia, and the first time the event is being hosted in Southeast Asia.

Global Professional Exhibition Organisers (PEOs) are also expanding their teams in Singapore, as they deepen their presence in the region and anchor new events in the city-state. For example, MMI Asia and dmg events Asia increased their staff strength to handle the anticipated growth in new events across physical, digital and hybrid formats.

“Throughout 2020 and 2021, our strategy has been to continue forging valuable connections for our communities and audiences through digital and hybrid events. Our customers, audiences and stakeholders have given us their full support and commitment as we return to operating our growing portfolio of events in Singapore and Asia. In Singapore, we are very much looking forward to hosting FIND – Design Fair Asia in September 2022 and Gastech 2023. With the positive sentiment, the return to the operation of live in-person events and dmg’s portfolio growth, we are really pleased to be able to grow our teams based in our regional HQ here in Singapore,” said Mel Shah, Vice President, dmg events Asia.

A Sustainable Way to Meet

As consumers become more aware of the impact of their purchases, travel and meetings professionals are demanding more sustainable options when planning business events. Ready, get set, go green! – a new white paper released by STB and American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) – looks at key trends of green meetings and events, the role a destination plays and how travel and meetings planners can measure a destination’s sustainability.

According to findings from a study that was carried out by Amex GBT’s Global Business Consulting group, travel and meetings professionals encourage travellers to practise 8 ecologically responsible behaviours (listed in the following order):

Choose energy-efficient hotels and event venues (76%)
Prioritise routes with smallest CO2 footprint (73%)
Reduce frequency of travel (71%)
Prioritise electric vehicles over hybrid or conventional cars (67%)
Prioritise flights using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (65%)
Give preference to sustainable food options (62%)
Prioritise public transportation (60%)
Offset emissions by investing in environmental projects (60%)

A sustainable supply chain is also a major consideration, with 70% of travel and meetings professionals placing high or medium importance on green certifications and credentials when selecting a supplier.

As organisations strategise to reduce their environmental impact, the white paper also offers practical tips on how they can make their meetings and events more sustainable, underlining various milestones along the sustainability journey.

Road to Sustainability

STB will continue to help the industry adopt sustainability certification and green practices through the BEiS scheme.

To encourage sustainable travel, the Singapore MICE Advantage Programme (SMAP) 3.0 also includes a new sustainability focus. In partnership with key tourism partners including Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport Group, JetQuay, Sentosa Development Corporation, StarHub, Grab and NETS, the refreshed scheme offers delegates and event organisers the choice to travel sustainably through green transportation options, environmentally conscious tours, and discounted public transportation on trains and buses, among other initiatives.

Singapore’s sustainability journey is also underscored by the country’s recent participation in the GDS –Index ^[3], which builds on Singapore’s sustainability efforts under Singapore Green Plan 2030; as well as Singapore’s hosting of sustainability events such as Ecosperity, which returns for its 8th run in 2022. The upcoming edition, themed “Accelerating Action at Scale”, will tackle issues raised at the recent United Nations Climate Change conference, and catalyse discussions on real solutions and key levers to help accelerate the energy revolution, decarbonise transport and heavy industries, and finance Asia’s green transition.