Hybrid meetings the future for association events

Members of Singapore’s elite Conference Ambassador Programme (CAP), set up by the Singapore Tourism Board to bring association events to the city-state, have raised the possibility of creating “hybridised” meetings that cross-pollinate industries.

The panellists who spoke on the topic Keeping Up The Pace: What’s Next For Association Events? during CAP’s 10th anniversary celebration last week, represented the environment, medical, scientific and agriculture fields.


(From left) Janet Tan-Collis, moderator, with panellists Anamah Tan, Chan Yew Weng, Perry Shum and Kenny Eng

Kenny Eng, president of the Kranji Countryside Association and deputy president of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth, said the Singapore brand was synonymous with “talent, knowledge and finding solutions for the world… people see Singapore as the future”.

“Singapore has managed to find agriculture solutions and I see the possibility of doing something with health. We can start with agriculture, link it with health and that goes with medicine and science,” Eng pointed out.

Moderator Janet Tan-Collis, president of SACEOS and CEO of East West Planners, agreed that Singapore, which made a success of concepts such as hosting the F1 night race and the building two casinos which many did not want, can provide the inspiration, aspiration and thought leadership.

In Singapore’s favour were critical factors like accessibility, said Chan Yew Weng, council member and scribe of the Academy of Medicine Singapore and council member (Education Committee) of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists. Meanwhile, Perry Shum, chair, Optical Society of America (Singapore Section) and associate vice president, IEEE Photonics Society, membership council, highlighted Singapore’s safety and pro-visitor visa regime to attract participants within a six-hour flight radius.

Supporting the proposal, Anamah Tan, founding member and executive committee member of the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers and advisor of the ASEAN Confederation of Women’s Organisations, said a hybrid event focusing on women and climate change was workable.

Moving forward, the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau is providing stronger support for these ambassadors and other local associations when bidding for events to come to Singapore.

The Business Events in Singapore fund, which helps to defray costs when organising conferences here, has been enhanced to support local association members in attending relevant global business events to start their lobbying activities earlier and increase their chances of winning hosting rights for Singapore.

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