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STB Voices
'We want you to to BE in Singapore'
Aloysius Arlando, Assistant Chief Executive, BTMICE, gets into the specifics of how you can benefit from the ‘BE in Singapore’ (Business Events in Singapore) Scheme and shares the bigger vision for Singapore that goes beyond being a destination to a place that catalyses business success.
Q: It must have been a lot of work putting together the ‘BE in Singapore’ Scheme. How was it put together? Whose input did you seek?
A: The STB worked very closely with the industry, gathering feedback on their varied needs and requests. We undertook a full and thorough analysis of the competitive nature of the MICE industry in order to come up with this new scheme.
We actively solicited views from leading MICE players (Professional Exhibition Organisers, Professional Conference Organisers etc) as well as our regional offices on the ground worldwide.
As such, we are confident of meeting industry needs, but proof of measurable success will be manifest when our industry partners tap into ‘BE In Singapore’ to win new business events for Singapore.
Q: So say if I were an industry member wanting to qualify for funding, I’d need to understand how you tier the events. How do you determine the level of support provided?
A: We tier business events according to the number of visitor arrivals and/or the number of visitor nights they generate.
For exhibitions, however, the size of the show (in sqm) as well as the number of foreign exhibitions is taken into account.
For example, a convention classified as ‘mega’ is expected to generate more than 15,000 visitor nights (VN). Likewise, a mega Meeting and Incentive Travel event would generate more than 3,000 VN. An exhibition that falls in the mega category would attract more than 10,000 visitor arrivals.
The size of the business event would determine the level of support.
Q: What are the qualifying costs that will be supported under the schemes?
A: The three main cost components covered include:
• event enhancement – experiential cost
• overseas marketing costs – cost that is incurred when organisers market the business event overseas, roadshows, etc
• guest keynote speakers’ costs – airfare, accommodation, honorariums
Q: Tell us about the overall BTMICE Group’s business strategy for attracting, creating and growing business events.
A: The strategy used to build a strong pipeline of business events adopts a pro-active and dynamic business model aligned with Singapore’s economic drivers.
The Strategic Cluster approach seeks to leverage on Singapore’s key economic drivers and initiatives in order to develop a strong ecosystem of business events within each of Singapore’s priority industry clusters, complementing the development plan of these sectors, creating buzz and strengthening the strategic position of Singapore as an exchange capital for each cluster that will enhance Singapore’s positioning in the various industry sectors.
STB aims to achieve this in two ways:
• By leveraging on Singapore’s key industry clusters to develop business events, these business events will, in turn, become enablers to help foster the development of these clusters. We aim to create a symbiotic relationship between business events and key industry clusters such as biomedical sciences, ICT and digital media; environment and water technologies; banking and finance, transportation and logistics, and tourism.
• By attracting and developing flagship MICE events of an international standing that will serve to elevate Singapore’s leadership position in the sector.
Q: How is the STB going about this strategy?
A: To realise the Strategic Cluster vision, STB recognises that we need to work closely with the other lead government agencies and industry stakeholders, of the various industry clusters. This partnership is important as the success of business events depends on strong support from local industries and aligning agencies with key initiatives and development plans for the key sectors.
Q: What is Singapore’s new value proposition?
A: Singapore’s new value proposition is that we are a catalyst to business success.
This new value proposition goes beyond being an efficient and exciting destination, in order to bring value to business events through leveraging our key industries, pro-business environment and global connectivity. Singapore aims to be the place where business delegates can derive great value, and where there is a robust exchange of ideas and a fertile ground for business prospects, networking opportunities and the development of human capital. The focus is on the precipitation of an event, or how Singapore accelerates the process to success.
Key cornerstones of this value proposition are Singapore’s hub status leading to a convergence of ideas, technology and people, and, it being a gateway to Asia and the world, intellectual stimulation, energy and inspiration.
We hope to brand and position Singapore to go beyond being just a destination to being regarded as a place where the business delegates can derive great value in terms of the lively exchange of ideas, business prospects and networking opportunities.
More articles on Business Travel and MICE in this issue
‘BE in Singapore’, STB says to business events organisers
The STB's Business Travel and MICE division launches a new initiative to help keep Singapore ahead of competition.
Industry Voices: 10 ways to be a MICE winner
A MICE focus group suggests how Singapore can remain a winner | 
