CMW ’ S EDITOR SPEAKS TO

POH CHI CHUAN , THE EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR FOR EXHIBITIONS AND

CONFERENCES AT SINGAPORE

TOURISM BOARD ( STB )

he UK ’ s Birmingham NEC was the venue recently for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Singapore Tourism Board ( STB ) and global event organiser Nineteen Group .

Poh Chi Chuan , executive director for exhibitions and conferences at STB , who helped set up the deal , explains to CMW that he first met with the Nineteen Group leaders at last year ’ s AEO CEO Summit in Brighton . “ They had a great show in the emergency services and security side and , looking at the event calendar , this was a white space for Singapore ,” he says .

Alison Jackson , Nineteen Group MD , took up Chi Chuan ’ s suggestion to come to Singapore and plans for a show followed . Less than a year later , the MoU was signed .

Nineteen Group will also set up office in Singapore to help drive the event , which will open at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in November .

Nineteen ’ s Safety & Security Event Series and The Emergency Services Show boast over 1,500 + exhibitors and 58,000 + visitors in its European editions and group director Tristan Norman says : “ Recognising a gap in the market , our event series presents a unique proposition . By building on our expertise and insights gained from our European events , we believe that the Asia-Pacific edition will play an equally significant role in driving advancements in our safety and security .”

In Singapore they clearly have a knack for creating events in such calendar gaps as the exponential growth of International Water Week testifies .

Chi Chuan emphasises that the magic sauce is being able to find the right partner and mentions work also in progress with Italian Exhibition Group which is bringing its unique

Above : Poh Chi Chuan

Made in Singapore The current campaign pitch for international organisers uses the catchline ‘ Made in Singapore ’, an extension of the existing Passion Made Possible campaign – “ although a bit more focused on what business events is ,” explains Chi Chuan .

The national CVB celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and Chi Chuan believes half a century of efforts have allowed Singapore , “ to better appreciate what business events can do ”. Legacy is one corner pillar of STB ’ s marketing strategy , and the STB team offers a legacy toolkit to enable event planners so they can create positive impacts in Singapore . The bureau , Chi Chuan says , also can advise on how any of Singapore ’ s event funding can be utilised – and it is not just about covering costs and venue hire , but can involve a range of initiatives . Chi Chuan is keen to stress the power of using data to get clear insights and monetise those insights . Technology can be a great enabler here . Checking the results of switching menu choices , how much carbon saving is actually made and how much food waste is generated are examples he gives of this . “ Using data smartly has to be something that ’ s woven into the event planning and technology allows us to do that ,” he says . STB is working closely with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council ( GSTC ) on accreditation and now has the entire destination certified .

Chi Chuan shares that March saw Singapore achieve 1.48m arrivals , about 95 % of the pre-Covid numbers and Singapore has now also achieved visa-free status with China . “ Spend is up the arrivals are coming back ,” he concludes .”. n