• Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions industry supported more than 34,000 jobs with an economic value-add of S$3.8 billion
• Organisers will need to get approval of their plans from Ministry of Trade and Industry
• Among other things, they must demonstrate their ability to implement safe management measures to meet a set of health and safety outcomes

SINGAPORE — Organisers of business events can start applying for permission to hold events with up to 250 attendees from Oct 1 under a trial, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced on Monday (Sept 7).

At present, such events being piloted are limited to 50 attendees.

The move to start accepting applications for bigger events takes into account the importance of the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (Mice) industry, as well as the strong industry interest in and demand for business events, STB said in a statement.

It cited a Mice economic impact assessment that it commissioned last year, which found that the industry supported more than 34,000 jobs with an economic value-add of S$3.8 billion, or nearly 1 per cent of Singapore’s gross domestic product (GDP).

STB also said that business travelers spend almost double that of leisure travelers, making them high-yield visitors.

“The gradual resumption of business events will help maintain Singapore’s position as a leading Mice hub and retain critical capabilities, while safeguarding jobs and livelihoods in the industry and other related sectors,” it added.

CRITERIA

Under the trial, organisers which apply to hold events with up to 250 attendees may only proceed with their plans upon getting approval from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which will review all Mice event proposals alongside the STB.

One such event that will take place under this arrangement will be the Singapore International Energy Week conference, which is set to be held in October.

Organisers must also demonstrate their ability to implement safe management measures to meet a set of health and safety outcomes, STB said.

These include implementing infection control measures before and after the event; limiting the overall density of attendees, especially in enclosed places; and limiting opportunities for and the number of close contacts between individuals.

Infection control measures include holding a pre-departure briefing for foreign attendees approved under green or fast lane or air travel pass arrangements, and ensuring that all attendees use the TraceTogether mobile application.

After the event, they must submit two reports, one due a day after the event and the other due 15 days after the event, to monitor for Covid-19 symptoms.

During the events, they must ensure at least 1m spacing between individuals at all times and ensure an operating capacity of 10sqm per attendee for event spaces with an area of more than 930sqm.

They are also to limit the persons in each zone to 50 people or under at any one time, with a maximum of 20 people allowed from any one cohort. On top of that, there should not be any intermingling between cohorts.

STB said more details on the application will be released later. 

The decision to accept applications to pilot Mice events of up to 250 attendees comes on the back of STB’s safe business events framework for business events of up to 50 attendees. 

The framework, which was introduced in July, was operationalised under two pilots from which it would gain “more insights and data”, STB said. 

One of them successfully concluded in August, while plans for the second pilot, which will take place in late September, are underway, it added.

Following the pilots, STB will work with the Mice industry to adapt and adjust its protocols for safe business events.

Speaking to the media, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing noted that the Mice industry in Singapore is unlike those in bigger countries, which may be able to survive on their own domestic market alone. 

He was speaking after a visit to Marina Bay Sands, where he toured the convention centre’s new hybrid event broadcast studio and tradeshow prototypes, including exhibition booths, contactless registration kiosks and meeting pods, which showcased new event formats and business models.

“We envisage a seamless and safe journey for people coming into Singapore, doing preparation, even before they arrive in Singapore, have a safe bubble for them from airport to hotel to the Mice meeting event itself, and even to the recreation (activities),” Mr Chan said.

“Thereafter, also to provide them with the assurance that when they depart Singapore, they are in the best of health. That is our vision of how our end-to-end service for the mice industry will come about.”