MIGHTY MICE SINGAPORE
THE SOUTH-EAST ASIAN CITY STATE IS CEMENTING ITS REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING HI-TECH MEETINGS DESTINATIONS
WORLD LEADERS PAID THEIR RESPECTS to Singapore’s founding father and first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, when he died in March this year. In his lifetime, Yew witnessed remarkable changes to this city-state since its creation in 1959. The island nation had an unusual start in
life. After gaining autonomy from Britain, Singapore joined the Federation of Malaya in 1963. However, the country was expelled in 1965 and started out on its own – with a forward-thinking, long-term attitude from the beginning, which has seen it become a highly successful global trading post, with one of the world’s busiest seaports. This dynamic outlook becomes apparent
when you land at Changi airport. With a profusion of lush green foliage, glass and marble, award-winning Changi is almost palatial compared to many international airports. Built on reclaimed land at the furthermost eastern point of the diamond- shaped island, it can operate 24/7 without disturbing residents, and has helped make Changi a leading global aviation hub – particularly for Singapore Airlines. As the carrier’s regional vice-president
for Europe, Subhas Menon, puts it: “Sin- gapore has an incredibly limited home market, meaning our only recourse has been to develop an extensive, efficient and
114 BBT MAY/JUNE 2015
expanding network through the world- class hub that is Changi,with the result that the airport is integral to our business. We’ve worked very closely with them over the years to jointly develop passenger traffic.” Vivian Choo is the Singapore managing
director for travel management company ATPI. She, too, cites the key role played by the airport. “With the investment in Changi, a third runway, and the opening of terminal four in 2017 plus terminal five in the mid 2020s, Singapore is becoming known for its easy access and modern air transportation. The geographical location of Singapore has played a significant role in terms of driving international business travel to the region.”
HI-TECH VENUES A short drive – around 25 minutes, traffic permitting – along the pretty tree-lined East Coast Parkway brings you to the impressive skyline of the city centre, and another key factor in Singapore’s progress: a choice of industry-leading hi-tech venues, and a plethora of upscale international hotels. One of the most iconic images of modern Singapore is the glittering 57-storey three- legged table that is Marina Bay Sands. The Las Vegas Sands Corp development includes the Expo and Convention Centre, and the numbers here are as spectacular as
the view from the 150m table-top infinity pool: 120,000sqm of space, 250 flexible meeting rooms, expo capacity for 2,000 exhibitor booths, a ballroom for up to 11,000 delegates theatre style, 2,500 guestrooms… you get the picture. Depending on availabil- ity, up to 1,600 rooms can be block booked as part of a meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) package deal. And far above the expo halls and meeting rooms are spectacular events spaces on the table- top Skypark, from private dining to recep- tions for up to 500 on the observation deck. ATPI’s Choo says world-leading design and technology at Singapore’s venues help bolster its “strong reputation in the MICE sector”. Evidence of this can be seen at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibi- tion Centre. On my visit, the first thing to catch my eye is a personal greeting: the BBT logo appears over swirling graphics on the 664-screen high-definition video wall – the world’s largest. Then I notice that when visi- tors ride the escalators flanking this, they’re accompanied by cartoon images that glide up the screens alongside them – triggered by sensors. These can be bespoke to your brand or event. Intelligent tech permeates Suntec’s six levels and more than 40,000 sqm of events space: the latest in stage lighting and sound; programmable LED
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