THINGS are looking up for the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) industry, with 10 major shows attracting more than 5,000 foreign delegates each signed for next year – twice as many as there were this year.
Together with the two integrated resorts’ plans to host more than 60 events in the next few years – a fifth of them new to Singapore – they are painting a rosier picture for business tourism.
Most of the shows are returning annual or biennial events, such as the Singapore Airshow in February.
The mega show, which is Asia’s largest aerospace and defence event, is expected to pull in about 40,000 trade visitors next year, of which about 13,500 will be international visitors.
Another show making its return is Food and Hotel Asia, which will attract 21,000 visitors.
But on the list is also one new event: The Youth Olympic Games, which is expected to draw more than 5,000 athletes and officials, 1,200 media representatives and 20,000 volunteers.
Meanwhile, Marina Bay Sands announced yesterday that it will host more than 30 events from its opening in the first quarter of next year until 2012, attracting more than 150,000 delegates.
Resorts World Sentosa has lined up 30 events from next year till 2011, with an unknown number of delegates.
New events at the integrated resorts include Dye+Chem Asia International Expo for the dye and chemical industries and Live! Singapore, an event for the performing arts industry.
Business tourism, which contributed 40 per cent to tourism receipts last year, suffered an estimated 20 per cent to 30 per cent slump this year.
Last year, three million business visitors came to Singapore, spending nearly $6 billion.
Industry players are pinning their hopes on a good year ahead.
‘2010 will definitely be better than 2009 for us. The industry has been picking up already, but the IRs will be a contributing factor,’ said Mr Stephen Tan, chief executive of exhibition organiser Singapore Exhibition Services.
He said he expected at least a 20 per cent improvement, ‘if not even higher’.
There are other reasons for Mice industry players to be upbeat.
A number of events in the biomedical sciences and medical cluster have been secured, such as the International Congress on Aviation and Space Medicine next year, and the third World Congress of the International Academy of Oral Oncology in 2011.
Not to be outdone by the integrated resorts, other venues have also been working hard in anticipation of losing some shows to the new boys in town.
For instance, out of the 35 major events that Suntec City Convention Centre will host next year, about 14 are new. They include the Robocup 2010 event and the International Conference on Emergency Medicine.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) was unable yesterday to give figures for next year’s events, but expressed optimism.
‘With a robust line-up of events, Singapore’s Mice industry looks set to ride on the recovery in key economies and the opening of new tourism developments in Singapore,’ said Ms Melissa Ow, the STB’s assistant chief executive of the business travel and Mice group.
This is good news to other industry players, who are looking forward to a boost for their businesses as well.
Restaurateur Michel Lu, for instance, is planning to smarten up his casual fine dining restaurant Prive early next year.
He said: ‘Business clients are an integral part of what we do. Sentiment is improving a lot, and things are looking good.’
Major events
EVENTS next year that are expected to attract more than 5,000 foreign delegates each:
Singapore Airshow (February)
International Furniture Fair Singapore, held in conjunction with the 27th Asean Furniture Show (March)
Food and Hotel Asia (April)
CommunicAsia (June)
BroadcastAsia (June)
Youth Olympic Games (August)
ITB Asia (October)
Ufi Congress (November)
Anime Festival Asia (November)
18th International Oil and Gas Industry Exhibition and Conference (Osea) (November)
Source : Straits Times – 8 Dec 2009
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