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‘BE in Singapore’, STB says to business events organisers
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is calling on all business events organisers to ‘BE in Singapore’ with a new S$170 million incentive scheme aimed at making the city a compelling choice for meetings, incentive travel, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).
Under the ‘BE in Singapore’ Scheme, which stands for ‘Business Events in Singapore’, the S$170 million worth of funds will be made available over five years from 2006 to 2010.
The funding comes out of the S$2 billion Tourism Development Fund which was announced by the government as part of its Tourism 2015 targets to increase visitor arrivals to 17 million and raise tourism receipts to S$30 billion.
Mr Aloysius Arlando, Assistant Chief Executive of STB's Business Travel and MICE division, said ‘BE in Singapore’ aims to catalyse the industry to attract, create and grow strategic MICE events.
‘This will propel the growth of the MICE industry and ensure sustainable growth of the industry to meet our Tourism 2015 targets,’ said Mr Arlando.
‘BE in Singapore’ is more aggressive and holistic than previous schemes in terms of attracting new business events to be staged in Singapore and encouraging existing business events anchored here to grow.
‘BE In Singapore’ focuses on the following areas of growth:
1. Encourage new and strategic events
In the exhibitions sector, the criteria has been adjusted to encourage industry to start new exhibitions, while in the conventions sector, the scheme has been expanded to encourage players to start strategic trade conferences.
2. Focus on long term anchoring and growing of events
For meetings and incentive travel groups, the scheme provides special funding to anchor more corporate meetings and incentive travel events to be held in Singapore over a period of three years. For conventions, special funding will be provided for new strategic conferences anchored in Singapore for at least three presentations and for exhibitions, the scheme provides support to encourage the growth of exhibitions in areas such as overseas marketing activities as well as the introduction of new and innovative components or programmes.
3. Support for all global players
‘BE in Singapore’ will apply to both local and foreign entities. In the past, funding was only applicable if the event organiser had a local registered entity in Singapore. This has been relaxed to facilitate more international event organisers to bring global business events to Singapore. This is also in line with world-wide MICE industry practice.
To further complement the initiatives on the business events front, the STB will also embark on channel development efforts as well as devise a programme to encourage International Organisations (IOs) to set up their Asia-Pacific base in Singapore
4. Channel development efforts
This would entail encouraging the development of new channels through Singapore-registered industry partners’ setting up of industry alliances overseas in order to promote Singapore as a premier business events hub. This will augment the STB’s aim to collaborate with Singapore industry partners to develop a strong business events pipeline in key industry clusters and geographical markets.
5. Encourage International Organisations to set up base here
Singapore is currently home to 43 major international organisations (IOs) and the STB will encourage more IOs to establish their Asia-Pacific base in Singapore. With a greater number of IOs in Singapore, this will create greater sector vibrancy, increase the presence of Singapore in the international arena and generate business events, employment and other economic spin-offs.
According to Mr Arlando, the objectives of ‘BE in Singapore’ are threefold.
‘Firstly, we want to enable the industry to competitively bid for and attract a critical mass of rotational business events to sustain a substantial business pipeline.
‘Secondly, we want 'BE in Singapore' to be a catalyst for the industry to create, anchor and grow strategic events towards sustainable long-term development of the MICE sector and support the development of key clusters that make up our economic base.
‘And thirdly, we want to target high-visibility business events both in the signature and mega tiers as well as events with a strong brand profile.’
‘In essence, ‘BE in Singapore’ is a critical enabler to empower us to reach our Tourism 2015 goals,’ said Mr Arlando.
The BTMICE team has set itself the target of growing the BTMICE industry at an average annual rate of 15% over the next 10 years. It expects the sector to be contributing to at least 35% of Singapore’s total tourism receipts by 2015.
More articles on Business Travel and MICE in this issue
STB Voices: 'We want you to BE in Singapore'
An interview with Mr Aloysius Arlando, Assistant Chief Executive of BTMICE at STB about the future of Business Travel and MICE in Singapore.
Industry Voices: 10 ways to be a MICE winner
A MICE focus group suggests how Singapore can remain a winner | 
