Herbalife pulls off one of the largest corporate meetings ever to be held in Singapore with an attendance of more than 22,000 delegates. By Paige Lee Pei Qi
When Herbalife International decided to throw its largest ever Extravaganza in Singapore in May earlier this year, it needed a space that could accommodate 22,000 delegates from more than 10 countries.
The global multi-level marketing company eventually chose the Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Explaining the choice, Shobie King, vice president of Herbalife APAC sales, marketing & distributor services, said: “Due to the sheer number of attendees we were expecting this year, Singapore EXPO was a natural choice of venue.
“Not only because of its ability to accommodate the large group, but also the efficient service that the venue has consistently been providing.”
Organised by the Singapore division of Herbalife International, the event’s space requirement included a large coach area to support transportation for the large number of attendees.
According to James Ong, senior manager marketing & communications of SingEx Holdings, which manages the venue in Singapore’s east, the coach area had to be large enough to hold more than 100 buses at one time.
To address this need, Singapore EXPO converted one of its carparks into a pick-up and drop-off point for coaches.
A last minute challenge came when attendee registration for Herbalife Fit Hour surged from an expected 1,000 pax to a whopping 3,000 two days before the event was due to take place. As the event was a new segment at Herbalife Extravaganza Asia Pacific, the organiser wanted to “get it right” and not turn away the excess participants, revealed Ong.
With only a quarter of a hall catered initially for Herbalife Fit Hour, staff at Singapore EXPO had to scramble to expand the space. It posed an operational challenge too, due to the last minute change in drape and stage orientation. Still, the team was able to make the change in time, said Ong.
“Fortunately the exhibition halls were large enough to cope with this crisis,” Ong added.
In addition, the massive Herbalife Extravaganza Asia Pacific was supported by MAX Atria’s 32 Wi-Fi-enabled meeting rooms which allowed for multiple breakout sessions, seminars and meetings. MAX Atria’s spaces also served as dining halls for delegates to have their meals in.
As MAX Atria is physically linked to the Singapore EXPO, delegates were able to move seamlessly from one activity to another.
Herbalife Extravaganza Asia Pacific’s programme also included an exclusive party for all delegates. The venue was fully decorated and participants came in their traditional costumes, a move that reflected the cultural diversity of the global company.
Adding more flavour to the party was an array of attractive food stalls that served up local favourites.
