Singapore Gears up for S2006 The largest international economic summit to come to town marks an important milestone for Singapore as a MICE destination. Singapore 2006, a series of large-scale meetings and events which will culminate in the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group, will raise Singapore’s profile as a global business exchange capital, the Singapore Tourism Board said. Scheduled to run from 13-20 September, S2006 is expected to attract about 16,000 delegates. It will be the largest international meeting Singapore has ever hosted, according to chairpersons of the S2006 organising committee, BG Ravinder Singh and Mr Goh Chye Boon. The STB called it an “important milestone in our calendar of events that showcases Singapore as a premier MICE destination”. Hosting S2006 will also re-affirm Singapore’s strategic positioning as a gateway to the Asian region. This will be the first Annual Meetings in Asia since 1997, where it was held in Hong Kong. While Singapore has hosted mega events before such as the 117th Session of the International Olympic Committee (1,800 media professionals and 2,100 foreign delegates) last year, the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings constitute the biggest business summit to be held in Singapore. It will attract roughly 5 times the number of visitors who attended the World Trade Organisation inaugural conference in 1996. The event is expected to generate tourism receipts of at least S$50 million while the total value add to the economy is estimated to be worth $95 million. On its part, the STB is managing/co-managing the 5 official social events and functions, namely: • Cultural Program at Esplanade (18 Sep) • Opening Reception & Cultural Program at Esplanade (19 Sep) • Welcome High Tea Reception for Spouses at Mount Faber (17 Sep) • Luncheon for Spouses of Governors at Indochine (18 Sep) • Dinner for Governors and Spouses at The Istana (18 Sep) Since December 2005, 40 people in the S2006 secretariat have been working full time. Besides the full time staff, there are close to 8,000 officers from various government agencies being deployed to ensure all goes smoothly. Some 11,000 rooms in 44 hotels, located in close proximity to key financial centres and Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre (SSICEC) have been block booked for the delegates. These range from top-tier to mid-tier. The STB said that S2006 delegates and visitors would have no lack of accommodation options as Singapore has an inventory of about 36,000 rooms, ranging from top-tier to budget hotel categories. The official hotels are: Conrad Centennial Singapore, Carlton Hotel, Marina Mandarin, Raffles The Plaza, Raffles Hotel, Pan Pacific Singapore, Peninsula Excelsior Hotel, Swissotel the Stamford, The Oriental Singapore and The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore. “The majority of the hotels will be operating at high capacity during the event period. Leisure and business travellers are advised to book their accommodation well in advance whilst tour operators may alternatively reschedule their leisure tour groups to a non-peak period, possibly considering pre and post event periods. This will help manage the room supply situation during the event period,” advised the STB. To ensure delegates to S2006 enjoy top quality service and hospitality, the Organising Committee is working closely with GEMS (Go the Extra Mile for Service), a national movement aimed at improving service levels in Singapore. The STB is working with the Workforce Development Agency to identify the key groups of service providers, i.e. airport, hotel, retail, transport, etc. to be trained and equipped with the necessary skill sets, service aptitude and attitude to demonstrate Singapore's service excellence to S2006 delegates. Said BG Singh and Mr Goh, “As the host, our role is to provide a conducive environment that will facilitate smooth and hassle free meetings alongside fruitful engagements for all the delegates and visitors when they are here. “We are determined to make sure that our delegates feel at home when they are here, provide them with platforms and opportunities to fulfill their objectives – whether it is to discuss global issues on development and finance; to secure projects that will improve the quality of life of their citizens; or simply to network with overseas counterparts and strategic partners. “More importantly, we also want our guests to enjoy and return home with an unforgettable Singapore experience.”