Singapore sets pace

For a tiny island of just four million people, Singapore can be justly proud of its ranking in our Annual Industry Survey. The Lion City's tourism board and national flag carrier outpolled their regional rivals and the island won the nomination for the best city destination for CEI events. Suntec Singapore International Conference and Exhibition Centre came second in the readers' choice of top purpose-built venues and Singapore Expo ran a creditable third. The strength of Singapore Tourism Board's (STB) promotions over the years, such as the current 'Uniquely Singapore' campaign, has certainly paid off. The island's profile has been cemented as a world-class CEI hub. This is hardly surprising given that there are more than 7,000 multinational companies in Singapore of which more than 4,000 have headquarter operations according to the STB's own figures. This is because no other regional destination combines business and travel in quite the same way. No surprise either that almost 25 per cent of our survey respondents are based in Singapore, while more than 30 per cent of our corporate buyers are based there. The Singaporean government's commitment to business events has certainly paid off with 28.3 per cent of corporate buyers rating the STB as the best national tourism organisation (NTO) in the region. Singapore Airlines was one of the first Asian carriers to establish itself as a world player and the airline has rarely left the topthree rankings of world airlines in any number of different polls. Its position as top airline for the CEI industry is therefore hardly surprising. Another plus factor for Singapore is its superb international airport at Changi. The Singaporean government has also seen the establishment of low-cost carriers (LCCs) as an opportunity and although LCCs do not always feature as a CEI component, the shorthaul market to neighbouring tropical resorts within the two-hour time frame is certainly opening up again. Given the fact that 48.85 per cent of respondents cited security concerns as the single most important threat to the industry and more than 86 per cent placed it among their top three concerns, Singapore's reputation for safety is a major selling point. When it comes to hardware, Singapore's raft of luxury properties is a major advantage for the city. However, as is not always the case elsewhere, service levels match the high expectations. Bob Guy, managing director Pacific World Singapore, says: "Alot of positive forces have merged in the last year including a newly reinvigorated Business Travel & MICE unit at the Singapore Tourism Board, plus a broadbased rise in large meeting projects booked and operated. Venue choice "Adding to this are strengthening product offerings with more attractive venues — both historic and modern — and more great restaurants and exciting nightlife operating at extended hours. "Last of all, key operators in different sectors are working better together. These include PCOs, convention centres and hotels, but also extends to members of the industry working together." Customers are choosing Singapore for a wide variety of reasons: a new excitement, a feeling of safety, more to do, a great reception and great value measured against Europe or even other Asian destinations like Shanghai and Hong Kong." This year our respondents nominated the Ritz-Carlton as the top hotel property for the CEI industry in the city, with the Shangri-La brand second. Anton Kilayko, director of public relations, the Ritz-Carlton, Millennia Singapore, says: "Singapore is one of the most efficient, safest and diverse cities in the region. Having events and meetings in the island city-state allows well organised, productive and exciting activities. "While being in the most strategic location and centre of Southeast Asia, the city also has some of the most sophisticated infrastructure to support world-class events." Suntec skills On the exhibition side, although beaten for top spot by the Hong Kong Conference and Exhibition Centre, Suntec Singapore International Conference and Exhibition Centre came second with just over 17 per cent. Suntec has shown great flair over the past few years. It developed initiatives with neighbouring hotels and has helped maintain Singapore's reputation as a major international trade-fair centre. Overall, Singapore must look at this year's results with enormous satisfaction, although there is no reason to believe that the STB will become complacent. Aloysius Arlando, acting assistant chief executive (Business Travel and MICE Group), STB says: "In the mid- to long-term, we have set ourselves the target of growing the BTMICE industry at an average annual rate of 15 per cent over the next ten years. We expect the sector to be contributing 35 per cent of Singapore's total tourism receipts by 2015. These targets are in line with the STB's ambitious long-term growth targets of doubling total visitor arrivals to 17 million and tripling tourism receipts by 2015. Strategic partnerships "In order to achieve these targets for the BTMICE segment, Singapore will need to work hard to maintain its leadership position as a leading CEI destination in the region. In this regard, STB's BTMICE Group will step up its partnerships with the industry to aggressively attract more strategic business events to Singapore and grow the city-state's current stable of exhibitions and conventions. "We will look into introducing new incentive schemes to support this aggressive growth strategy. We will also focus on addressing critical product and industry development issues that will impact on the BTMICE segment's growth potential. Principally, we will look into effectively managing the hotel room supply and renewing the appeal of our CEI products. He continues: "Singapore currently has an inventory of about 36,500 hotel rooms. More are needed to ensure that we are able to meet future demands. We will also be ramping up our efforts to raise awareness of Singapore as a premier CEI destination. "We will be doing this through an integrated marketing communications campaign involving direct marketing and publicity efforts, roadshows and CEI seminars organised together with industry partners and our regional offices in key markets. The industry can look forward to this new marketing campaign in early 2006." Pacific World's Guy says the delivered product is of much higher quality than many expect. "A major IT corporate brought their 1,000-person Asia Pacific annual incentive to 'groans' from attendees, not to mention the Singapore regional office. On delivery, the programme at Sentosa Island was rated 'one of the best ever' by participants. And we have the same story to tell over and over again. "Singapore as a CEI destination remains a great all-round city with more venues than other locations, great hotels, still at great value rates and close-by facilities. For instance, Singapore is one of the very few places in the world where there are more than 5,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of two great convention centres, Suntec and Raffles City," Guy says.