Readers' Choice Awards

Readers of CEI Asia Pacific voted Singapore as the city Offering the Best Overall MICE Experience and Facilities. Hong Kong came second and Bangkok third. "We are heartened to have won this accolade for a second consecutive year, which reaffirms Singapore's positioning as a premier MICE destination," says Aloysius Arlando, assistant chief executive (Business Travel & MICE group), Singapore Tourism Board. Arlando says that Singapore offers tremendous opportunities for the exchange of ideas and business opportunities with local and international experts, researchers and executives. "Singapore is a great destination to meet other buyers and sellers from across the region," he says. It is easy to understand why Singapore received this accolade for the second year running. Its multilingual environment, safety, skilled workforce, world-class meetings and exhibition infrastructure and quality of life are renowned globally, not just in Asia. The accolades have been coming thick and fast for Singapore this year, with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranking Singapore as the best convention city in Asia and the second-best convention city in the world in its 2005 global city rankings (Barcelona was ranked first). "Event organisers planning to hold their events in Singapore can rest assured that the city-state's professional, efficient and reliable business and meetings industry partners will provide value to ensure success for their events," says Arlando. Our readers voted Singapore Tourism Board as the Best Convention Bureau/National Tourist Office thanks to its mix of attractive and comprehensive business tourism initiatives and offerings. STB faced stiff competition from the Hong Kong Tourism Board but its regional appeal shone through in the end. "We provide the platform for the exchange of ideas, networking and business prospects," says Aloysius Arlando, assistant chief executive (Business Travel & MICE group), STB. As proof of this, in 2006 STB launched its US$108 million 'BE in Singapore campaign', designed to attract more business events to the city-state by offering special funding to anchor more conventions, meetings, incentives and exhibitions in Singapore over a period of three years. Hotel developments in the pipeline include the St Regis Hotel and Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Hotel, and other hotels on Sentosa Island such as Amara Sanctuary Resort Hotel. Over 1,000 hotel rooms are expected to be built over the next two years. There will also be hotels built at the two Integrated Resorts, which will add to the variety of rooms in the next three to four years. With the Marina Bay Sands and other future MICE developments, Singapore will have a combined meeting space of 200,000 sqm with an inventory of 10,000 hotel rooms and entertainment, retail and F&B offerings. Key events held in Singapore last year include the CNN Future Summit, IMF/World Bank meetings and the Forbes CEO Conference. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) followed up its 2006 success by again being voted as the Best Convention and Exhibition Centre in Asia. "Each year, HKCEC hosts more than 50 major regional and international trade fairs, headed by the world's biggest for watches and clocks, and second biggest for electronics," says Cliff Wallace, managing director of HKCEC. "HKCEC was well planned and designed by industry professionals. This has resulted in one of the most functional and comfortable purpose-built venues in the world." Wallace also cites HKCEC's 18-year record of successful exhibitions, conferences and other events at the HKCEC. "The centre's priority segment of exhibitions continues to grow. Buyers' participation also continues to increase." Last May, the organisers of Vinexpo Asia-Pacific, the largest wine expo in Asia, used the HKCEC for the second time in eight years. Christie's and Sotheby's each staged their spring auctions at the centre. Both events achieved record sales, affirming Hong Kong's position as a leading auction centre in Asia. HKCEC is now involved in an expansion project that will be completed in early 2009. The centre will benefit greatly from the additional 19,400 sqm that will be added to three of HKCEC's halls. This will bring the centre's total rentable area to nearly 90,000 sqm in early 2009.