Singapore elevates MICE advantage with world’s first safe events certification

March 23, 2022

Gamescom Asia jpg — One of SG SafeEvent-certified organisers, Unearthed Productions, assisted trade fair organiser Koelnmesse for gamescom asia 2021, billed as the region’s first hybrid convention for video games since the start of the pandemic (Credit: Koelnmesse)

One of SG SafeEvent-certified organisers, Unearthed Productions, assisted trade fair organiser Koelnmesse for gamescom asia 2021, billed as the region’s first hybrid convention for video games since the start of the pandemic (Credit: Koelnmesse)

Brought to you by the Singapore Tourism Board

Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) launched the world’s first safe events certification last year to assure event organisers and attendees that stakeholders in the MICE industry observe and uphold hygiene benchmarks and safe distancing best practices.

The SG SafeEvent Certification is based on the Technical Reference 84 (TR 84), which provides best practices for conducting events in a safe and responsible manner beyond what is covered under the government-mandated Safe Management Measures (SMM) and complements the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) Safe Business Events (SBE) framework.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, the first-of-its-kind programme creates a competitive edge for Singapore as an events destination, as it enables enterprises in the MICE sector to re-calibrate their business operations to pivot, strengthen resilience and source opportunities for recovery.

TR 84 lays out industry guidelines and best practices in hygiene and sanitisation, safe distancing and emergency management for event organisers, venue owners and other suppliers.

For instance, organisers are required to have a risk management plan and document identified hazards and the necessary control measures that have been implemented before and during events. Venue operators also have to ensure that a routine disinfection plan for periodic cleaning is developed. Where feasible, the MICE specialists are also encouraged to deploy contactless technology.

As of March this year, nearly 70 organisations have been SG SafeEvent-certified and 3,800 SG SafeEvent Ambassadors have been trained

STB has also been working closely with SACEOS to support the industry-led accreditation programme, where more than 90 organisations have already registered interest. As of March this year, nearly 70 organisations have been certified and 3,800 SG SafeEvent Ambassadors have been trained.

One of SG SafeEvent-certified organisers, Unearthed Productions, assisted prominent trade fair organiser Koelnmesse in providing event support services, such as the hybrid set-up, stage and production management for gamescom asia 2021.

Billed as the region’s first hybrid convention for video games since the start of the pandemic, more than 2,000 in-person and virtual attendees from over 60 countries graced the event.

Adam Esoof Piperdy, chief experience officer, Unearthed Productions, said: “I think gamescom asia 2021 was pretty symbolic, not just in terms of the positive response of the audience, but also in terms of the sheer amount of exposure Singapore got just from being the host of this event. This highlights the robustness of TR 84 and the attractiveness of Singapore as a MICE event destination.”

In October 2021, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore also hosted the first-ever physical gathering of global leaders and event organisers at the Joint Leadership Summit 2021 co-organised by SACEOS, Association of Event Organisers (AEO), Society for Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.

Both The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and The Fullerton Bay Hotel are SG SafeEvent-certified venues.

SG SafeEvent-certified venue, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, hosted the first-ever physical gathering of global leaders and event organisers at the Joint Leadership Summit 2021

Gino Tan, country general manager of The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts, said: “In the current environment where safety and hygiene continue to be top of mind, the SG SafeEvent Certification is a valuable mark of assurance that our guests’ safety and well-being are our top priority, especially as international and business travel start to resume.”

He also told TTGmice that the hospitality player has witnessed a welcoming level from clients who are keen to organise events in both hotels.

Ong Wee Min, vice president of conventions and exhibitions, Marina Bay Sands (MBS) which is also a SG SafeEvent-certified venue, said: “The successful hosting of pilot events in Singapore since October 2020, from the initial 50 pax to 250 then to 1,000 pax and larger, is a good showcase of the scalability of the safe management measures in a business events meeting setting.”

MBS’ innovative Sands Expo and Convention Centre’s hybrid event broadcast studio, complete with broadcast-quality live-streaming capabilities and hologram functionalities, staged the PCMA Convening Leaders 2021 to a physical turnout of close to 300 delegates.

Marina Bay Sands, a SG SafeEvent-certified venue, staged the PCMA Convening Leaders 2021 to a physical turnout of close to 300 delegates (Credit: PCMA/CPJ)

“This is crucial in positioning Singapore as a safe MICE destination to host international events, thus regaining the trust and confidence of the global MICE community,” he added.

Interested companies who wish to be certified or enquire about the SG SafeEvent Certification can register their interest for the industry briefing with SACEOS at secretariat@saceos.org.sg.

For more information on TR 84, visit SACEOS.

To learn how Singapore can support your next business event, visit Singapore Tourism Board.

AIME welcomes the return of international delegates

By Adelaine Ng

March 22, 2022

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AIME_Day_1_Knowledge_Program_5 — From left: Bolinger Consulting's Karen Bolinger; American Express Meeting & Events' Kaori Pereyra Lago; and Jeunesse Global's Louise Corran; presenting at AIME's Day 1 Knowledge Program

Confidence for business events has returned to Australia as Asia Pacific’s largest business events gathering began yesterday, with recovery rates expected to be faster than initially projected.

This is according to stakeholders at the Asia Pacific Incentive and Meetings Event (AIME), which kicked off yesterday with a pre-show day of workshops for the first time since Covid-19 hit two years ago.

From left: Bolinger Consulting’s Karen Bolinger; American Express Meeting & Events’ Kaori Pereyra Lago; and Jeunesse Global’s Louise Corran; presenting at AIME’s Day 1 Knowledge Program

“We’re making up for lost time this year,” AIME events director and CEO of Talk2 Media & Events, Matt Pearce, told TTGmice. “There’s a lot to do (and) we’re looking to make sure that we drive commercial outcomes for both our exhibitors and our buyers. It seems to me that there is an overarching and increasingly confident corporate market coming back.”

This year’s event brings in 342 hosted buyers and 225 exhibitors, compared to 266 hosted buyers when AIME last gathered in February 2020, after delegates from China were unable to travel. There are 30 international buyers at AIME 2022 including from South-east Asian countries Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, plus 52 virtual.

Half the buyers are new to AIME and the fact that the vast majority of delegates are from the domestic market is seen as crucial to providing a more immediate kickstart to the sector’s urgent recovery.

With Australia’s recent border opening, lifting of many restrictions – including the wearing of masks at events – and social distancing now a “recommended” suggestion rather than mandatory in most major cities, everything seems to be pointed in the right direction for the industry’s return.

“I think (recovery this year will be higher than 30 per cent of pre-Covid levels),” said Pearce. “The industry is no longer talking about (whether) we will be back but it’s how we’ll be back because the biggest challenge now is that we can’t find the staff. They’ve left the events industry because they saw it as an uncertain and unstable industry, and we now have to work hard to prove that that was Covid-related, not industry-related,” he continued.

As part of AIME’s opening, a global snapshot survey was also announced revealing that one in two in the industry considered face-to-face meetings the leading factor driving business growth, with the primary reason being that it cements vital relationships. When it came to the most exciting opportunities for business events, more than half of respondents cited creative events, followed by innovative technology.

“We’re also really pleased that in the survey 96 per cent cited (AIME) as being an important event for event recovery, with 68 per cent of those people saying it’s critical,” added Pearce.

The format of the show has also been modified to add a five-day virtual version within days of the in-person event concluding, bringing the total number of participants to 1,500.

This year’s show will also feature activations by SongDivision, which returns to AIME for the first time in ten years.

“Over the next three days, AIME will facilitate around 14,000 meetings, matching buyers’ needs with destinations and services on offer from over 300 exhibitors,” said Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s chief executive Peter King.

“An average of 440,000 business events (were) delivered annually in Australia, and it’s just great to be getting them back into action again,” he added.

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands picks new chief

By TTGmice

March 22, 2022

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Renato De Oliveira has joined The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands as general manager.

Armed with more than 17 years of luxury hospitality experience, De Oliveira has been with The Ritz-Carlton brand since 2004.

He joins from The St Regis Kuala Lumpur.

Tencent Cloud moves into the MICE space

By TTGmice

March 21, 2022

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Event management tool — TCC is billed as an all-in-one event management solution

Tencent Cloud, the cloud business of global technology company Tencent, has rolled out a Tencent Cloud Conference (TCC), a virtual/hybrid event management solution for event organisers to better digitalise their events.

Powered by Tencent Cloud’s technology, TCC boosts the digitalisation of traditional offline events, allowing more room for virtual means to support or supplement traditional practices such as building physical exhibitions and booths, as well as roadshows and the setting up of conferences and forums for transfer through online event portals, promotions, and registrations.

TCC is billed as an all-in-one event management solution

The event management SaaS solution allows enterprises to create their own official portals through the Weixin Mini Programs, PC websites and H5 websites, as well as enables companies to hold various virtual events such as branding events, annual meetings, webinars and business matchmaking.

The product is also integrated with some of Tencent’s products like WeChat/Weixin and VooV Meeting, meaning users do not have to jump out of the main platform and into other third party-programmes.

TCC’s other core features include a website building tool that allows customers to upload and modify website content in real-time, and build and manage mobile web content and Weixin mini-programmes. It also supports multi-mode live streaming that carries relayed live streaming, pseudo live streaming and pull live streaming – to which audiences can subscribe before it starts, comment during the presentation and watch the replay video.

Another core feature allows organisers to build and manage their own exhibition booths, as well as communicate with visitors via instant messaging or online video meeting rooms. Furthermore, TCC’s matching system allows attendees to schedule meetings with each other and automatically create online meeting rooms, and also possesses the capability to learn about attendee industries and interests before recommending people to meet.

TCC also features a data dashboard that displays key data and event charts for organisers to monitor the event.

Recent successful events held with the use of TCC include the large-scale 128th Canton Fair, where the B2B exhibition was held virtually with tens of thousands of exhibitors, and millions of one-on-one online meeting rooms; and the World Intelligence Congress which featured more than 100 live streaming events within three days, with one-on-one business matching system and a VR exhibition hall and booths.

TCC was also deployed to assist the Singapore Business Federation to develop a 2.5D exhibition hall with 45 exhibition booths, live broadcast of a hybrid forum, livestreaming and business matching, as part of the Singapore Virtual Pavillion Digital Solution @ China International Import Expo 2021.

This announcement from Tencent comes as the global online events market continues to boom. According to recent research, the virtual events market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 23.2 per cent during the forecast year from 2021 to 2027. Furthermore, Future Market Insights foresees that global virtual event platforms market may surge at 16.3 per cent CAGR through 2030, especially with SMEs that make heightened usage of virtual event platforms across the forecast period.

Hong Kong to ease steel grip on Covid restrictions

By TTGmice

March 21, 2022

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A-couple-walk-on-Avenue-of-Stars-with-the-Hong-Kong-island-skyline-on-the-background — Hong Kong will ease inbound restrictions from April 1

A flight ban on services to Hong Kong from nine countries, including the US and the UK, will be lifted from April 1, while mandatory quarantine will be halved for travellers who test negative on arrival, announced Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam this morning.

Hong Kong will ease inbound restrictions from April 1

Hong Kong’s plans to begin easing out of her Covid travel restrictions – recognised as some of the most stringent in the world – will come with progressive relaxation on social distancing regulations. The latter is expected to begin from April 21, provided there is no rebound in infections.

According to a Bloomberg report, Lam shared plans to allow as many as four people to dine out at restaurants for dinner, and to reopen gyms, massage parlours and public entertainment centres.

Business travel to play a central role in the future of work

By TTGmice

March 21, 2022

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Business-traveller — The whitepaper explores culture-driven paradigm shifts moving business travel from transactional to transformational

American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) and cultural analysis firm CULTIQUE, have teamed up to pen a whitepaper detailing why travel is essential for cultivating winning cultures and achieving business goals in the post-pandemic era.

In Business Travel is the Center of the New Company Culture, Amex GBT and CULTIQUE help businesses decipher change, refocus business goals and identify opportunities to reinvigorate a fragmented company culture through travel.

The whitepaper explores culture-driven paradigm shifts moving business travel from transactional to transformational

The whitepaper posits that corporate leaders should adopt a Chief Journey Officer mindset as we enter a new era of work and travel. This will help organisations seize opportunities arising from the evolution of work with a travel programme that aligns with company culture. With their executive oversight and leadership, the Chief Journey Officer can reframe how the company views travel: no longer as a commodity but instead as an investment in long-term prosperity and culture.

David Reimer, executive vice president, global clients and general manager, Amex GBT, said: “Companies are working to solve the challenge of building company culture and tackling the feeling of isolation within their dispersed workforces. Culture isn’t built in isolation. It’s driven by the ability for teams to interact and get connected to an organisation’s purpose and vision. By elevating the role of travel in strategy and decision-making, and revisiting travel policies designed to support pre-pandemic operating models, organisations can use travel as a catalyst for progress.”

Sarah Unger, partner and co-founder, CULTIQUE, said: “Thinking like a Chief Journey Officer underscores the integral role travel should play in a distributed workforce. It’s a powerful way to differentiate. To better relate to new employee desires and societal expectations, companies need to shift their business travel mindset from automated to intentional.”

The whitepaper also explores how getting clear on how, where and why a company is investing in travel can help showcase its values and bring it closer to its employees and customers. For example, industry leaders are already assessing how they can amplify their sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion goals through their travel programme, helping achieve strategic objectives and empowering employees to make travel choices that align with their own values.

Mark Cuschieri, global head of travel, UBS, said: “These days, we are more conscious about what we do and how we do it. It’s our responsibility to provide the right information at the right time in order to make more informed choices – choices that are better in terms of sustainability will be key. We are already seeing that sustainability will be an essential component of our programme. It will drive a change in mindset as to the purpose and reasons for why we need to travel. The ROI conversation about travel will be different. We need to work out how culture will figure in the future ROI conversation.”

Building on the Chief Journey Officer mentality, Business Travel is the Center of the New Company Culture also provides insight into how travel can be a tool for businesses to respond to essential workplace needs across five key spaces: company culture, worker wellbeing, professional development, employee empowerment and corporate values. The whitepaper includes actionable takeaways to guide corporate decision-makers and travel managers in repositioning their organisation’s approach to travel, meetings and mobility.

The full whitepaper can be found here.

Celebrate Global Exhibitions Day on June 1

By TTGmice

March 21, 2022

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GEDlogosquaredate_640 — GED 2022 celebrates the role of exhibitions in accelerating the pace of economic recovery

The seventh annual Global Exhibitions Day is slated to take place on June 1 this year, recognising the important role that trade exhibitions play in driving economies throughout the world.

The 2022 GED campaign will focus on the irreplaceable value of physical exhibitions and face-to-face business events in creating platforms for economic growth and recovery, as well as being the perfect occasion to network and meet new people.

GED 2022 celebrates the role of exhibitions in accelerating the pace of economic recovery

While the event is facilitated by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, UFI, all businesses and professionals in the sector are encouraged to join the GED celebrations on June 1.

Activities can range from meetings with policymakers and learning videos, to webinars and hybrid events, with the aim of highlighting the impact of exhibitions on local economies – both in building businesses and connecting people from around the world, through activities.

SMX Convention Center Clark to open in May

By TTGmice

March 21, 2022

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Manila-headquartered SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) will be adding the SMX Convention Center Clark to its portfolio this coming May.

SMX Convention Center Clark will be SMHCC’s second standalone convention centre after SMX Manila. The venue will be able to hold multi-scale events with a gross leasable space of more than 4,000m², comprising event venues spread over two storeys and a mezzanine floor for offices. Function spaces include three trade halls, three function rooms, and 14 smaller meeting rooms.

SMX Convention Center Clark is built adjacent to Park Inn by Radisson Clark, and a 20-minute drive to Clark International Airport.

“These developments in Northern Luzon underline SMHCC’s confidence in this bustling economic hub. According to the Philippine Board of Investments, Central Luzon was the most invested region in 2020, amounting to over Php1 trillion (US$19.1 billion) worth of approved investments. Clark continues to be at the forefront of all these, with Clark Development Corporation’s business recovery efforts,” said Peggy E. Angeles, SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. executive vice president.

SMHCC is currently the Philippines’ largest MICE operator with seven convention centres and nine hotels.

AIME selects Cvent to provide contactless registration

By TTGmice

March 21, 2022

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AIME_Day_1_Knowledge_Program_2 — A file photo of this year's Day 1 Knowledge Program at AIME

Events technology company Cvent has partnered Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) this year, and is supporting the first hybrid event that starts today until March 23 in Melbourne, as well as the online version from March 28 to April 1.

As a primary technology partner of the event, AIME will leverage Cvent’s event management platform for their visitor’s registration and onsite solutions including check-in & badging to ensure a seamless and contactless experience for in-person attendees.

A photo of this year’s Day 1 Knowledge Program at AIME

According to Cvent’s most recent Planner Sourcing Report – Australia Edition, nearly half of the planners (45 per cent) are organising hybrid events, indicating the growing confidence in this new digital event landscape.

Cvent’s OnArrival onsite attendee management app will also be showcased at AIME 2022, enabling organisers to welcome back their attendees safely and confidently.

Getting back to business

By TTGmice

March 21, 2022

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World Congress of Nephrology 2022

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Event brief
World Congress of Nephrology 2022 (WCN’22) brought together the world’s leading experts in kidney health and the wider healthcare community to exchange the latest science and clinical applications in improving kidney care and preventing kidney disease worldwide.

The congress, held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from February 24-27, was jointly organised by the International Society of Nephrology, Malaysian Society of Nephrology and Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology, and supported by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre).

WCN’22 attracted close to 4,000 delegates, with more than 3,000 attending virtually and over 900 in-person, making this event one the highest turnouts in Malaysia for a medical congress since the pandemic began.

Event highlights
In addition to the scientific themes on kidney failure, chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury, WCN’22 also featured sessions on green nephrology and gamified-symposiums to entice greater participation from younger professionals.

Complementing the broad scientific program, there were also short videos profiling challenging but inspirational accounts of people affected by kidney diseases, told with compassion and courage. This was part of the ISN Community Film Event, a unique initiative to raise awareness of the reality of living with kidney diseases.

As a hybrid event, participants from around the world were able to follow the virtual congress’ livestreamed sessions. The sessions were also recorded and made available on-demand directly after the livestream ended.

The virtual element was also supplemented by an in-person programme at the Centre for over 900 delegates, where 100 out of the 1,000 abstract submissions that came from local medical professionals and organisations were discussed face-to-face and virtually with international experts.

Challenges
Organisers had originally planned for a fully virtual congress. However, in November 2021, the government relaxed Covid-19 restrictions in Malaysia and allowed for the resumption of in-person events which had to adhere to strict standard operating procedures. A decision was then made to adapt the event to a hybrid format.

“With only four months to plan for the event, this presented various challenges tied to reorganising the entire programme to cater for both virtual and in-person participants. Our planning had to result in a smooth and seamless virtual and in-person congress,” recalled professor Abdul Halim Gafor, president, Malaysian Society of Nephrology.

According to Abdul, the decision to hold a hybrid version was because “delegates had the benefit of networking with doctors from the region”, as well as “some delegates from neighbouring countries who attended in-person”.

Discussions and exchange of insights and research projects between doctors, he added, were also more fruitful when done face-to-face.

To ensure a smooth and seamless virtual and in-person congress, two main teams, an on-ground team and a virtual team in Belgium, worked closely with the Centre’s in-house information technology team.

Alan Pryor, general manager, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, shared: “Everything onsite, which mainly comprised of hardware was handled by the on-ground and Centre’s teams. All the video and audio were collated and sent to the virtual team, which was then in charge of securing it and broadcasting it to the delegates all around the world.

“Our team also worked closely with the organising committee to advise on the best solution to ensure a seamless and uninterrupted hybrid event. This involved partnering with two Internet service providers to have a mainline and backup in place so the virtual and face-to-face elements could be delivered securely and reliably.”

Event World Congress of Nephrology 2022
Organisers International Society of Nephrology, Malaysian Society of Nephrology and Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology
Venue Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
Dates February 24-27, 2022
Attendance Close to 4,000 delegates of which 900 attended in-person

Singapore elevates MICE advantage with world’s first safe events certification

AIME welcomes the return of international delegates

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands picks new chief

Tencent Cloud moves into the MICE space

Hong Kong to ease steel grip on Covid restrictions

Business travel to play a central role in the future of work

Celebrate Global Exhibitions Day on June 1

SMX Convention Center Clark to open in May

AIME selects Cvent to provide contactless registration

Getting back to business

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