DESTINATION REPORT BY PAUL REVEL
ceilings that can display moving logos; rich digital signage to guide delegates; and free wifi that the venue claims can handle up to 6,000 devices at once. Full-size articulated lorries can drive directly into the expo halls – even on the sixth floor – enabling faster, more cost-efficient set-ups and get-outs.
WORLD-CLASS FACILITIES At Singapore Airlines, Menon says the carrier has seen a significant increase in MICE traffic in the past decade, driven by factors including world-class facilities, a “pro-business approach” and Singapore’s emergence as a leading financial centre. He cites some interesting figures. “In
2013, Singapore was voted Asia’s Top Con- vention City for the 12th consecutive year by ICCA [the International Congress and Convention Association],” he says. “And
“World-leading design and technology at Singapore’s venues help bolster its strong reputation in the MICE sector”
according to SECB [the Singapore Exhibi- tion and Convention Bureau], 2013 saw business travel and MICE visitor arrivals hit 3.5 million, with an estimated expenditure of S$5.5 billion [£2.73 billion].”
Singapore update
• Singapore Airlines is rolling out its new premium economy product on the London LHR route in August and from Manchester in September.
singaporeair.com
• Gardens by the Bay Opened in 2012, this 101-hectare horticultural attraction has a range of spectacular indoor and outdoor events spaces and activities, including the 38m-high climate- controlled glass Flower Dome.
gardensbythebay.com
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
• Capella This Foster and Partners- designed luxury boutique hotel on Sentosa Island overlooks the South China Sea and has a range of stylish events spaces for up 500 theatre-style.
capellahotels.com
• Swissotel has two properties in Singapore: the Stamford, which includes a convention centre with 27 events spaces totalling 6,500 sqm; and the smaller, 476-room Merchant Court.
swissotel.com
Menon says Singapore Airlines is also
proactive in encouraging MICE traffic, of- fering benefits including special MICE fares and freight rates, complimentary tickets for organisers, and extra baggage allow- ances. He adds that the airline is currently running, in partnership with the Changi Airport Group, a cash incentive of S$35 (£17) per MICE passenger travelling via Changi until September 2016. ATPI’s Choo draws attention to the Business Events in Singapore scheme, supported by the Tourism Board: eligible MICE bookers can get funding for up to 70 per cent of ‘qualifying costs’, which include third-party professional services, content development and marketing.
SCALE AND SUCCESS Founding father Yew’s brand of what The Guardian termed “authoritarian pragma- tism” attracted criticism during his decades in power, for restrictions on the media, free speech and political opposition. But no-one denies his epic achievement in building a nation.
The title of one of his books perhaps best sums up the scale and success of his tiny country’s ambitions as a global player: From Third World to First: The Singapore Story, 1965-2000. At Yew’s funeral in March, his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, told mourners that in London, celebrated architect Christopher Wren is buried in his own masterpiece, St Paul’s Cathedral. “Mr Lee Kuan Yew built Singapore,” said Loong. “To those who seek his monument, Singaporeans can reply proudly: ‘Look around you’.”
BBT MAY/JUNE 2015 115
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