Singapore awarded second place in ICCA world rankings

Singapore came second in the annual poll of Best Convention Cities in the World, which compares worldwide destinations based on the volume of association meetings held there. Aloysius Arlando, assistant chief executive, Business Travel and MICE Group, Singapore Tourism Board, said: "We are honoured to be ranked the number-two Convention City in the World by ICCAand to retain our top position in Asia. "This is a strong testimony of Singapore's competitiveness as a MICE city in the global arena and reinforces Singapore's position as a pre-eminent BTMICE destination." Vienna finished in first place and Barcelona was in third place. Other good results for Asia in the same category were Hong Kong in fifth place and Seoul in eight place, while Australia finished eighth in the 'Best Country' category. The rankings cover meetings organised by international associations which take place on a regular basis and which rotate between a minimum of three countries. One-off events and single-location events are not included. Singapore also maintained its position as Asia's Top Convention City for the seventh time since 1995 when the Amsterdam-based ICCA launched its annual global rankings. Last year Singapore hosted 125 international conferences, representing an increase of 20 per cent over 2004. To ramp up its efforts to entrench awareness of Singapore as a premier MICE destination, STB will launch an aggressive marketing campaign in the second half of 2006. This will include direct marketing and publicity campaigns, roadshows and MICE seminars organised together with industry partners and regional offices in key markets. The campaign launch will coincide with the announcement of a new suite of BTMICE incentive schemes. The new incentive scheme will support the evolving events development needs of CEI business while enhancing existing benefits under Make It Singapore Plus.