Singapore . Singapore welcomed 607,000 visitors from the UK and 380,000 visitors from Germany in 2019 .

Is there a long-term strategy to attract more MICE events ? With the last remaining travel restrictions lifted in April 2022 , and no further requirements for testing nor quarantine for vaccinated travellers , Singapore ’ s MICE industry is firmly on the recovery trajectory , and the easing of Covid-19 Safe Management Measures ( SMMs ) will provide momentum for the events Singapore is hosting in the year ahead . STB ’ s projection of a full recovery for MICE is in two to three years , and we have secured a strong pipeline of events this year and beyond across sectors that are of Singapore ’ s key priority industries and that have increased in importance following the pandemic ( i . e . food security , logistics ).

Some of the upcoming events in 2022 include the Global Health Security Conference 2022 ( 28 June-1 July ), Seafood Expo Asia 2022 ( 14-16 September ), FIND : Design Fair Asia

( 22-24 September ), and Cosmoprof + Cosmopack Asia ( 16-18 November ).

Beyond just resuming events , we are also looking at what is next for the industry . We must encourage and partner the industry to transform and innovate to ensure MICE remains future ready , agile and relevant for tomorrow . Therefore , we are embarking on our I3 ( I Cube ) strategy , which is a three-pronged approach aimed to transform the industry through fresh ideas , innovative solutions , digital transformation and reviewing business models to generate greater value .

We want to inspire the industry to generate fresh ideas for the future . This could be new offerings , content and event formats that change how things are done today . Next , we want to partner our industry stakeholders , by providing support to incubate and testbed new solutions , especially as digitalisation becomes increasingly important . Last , but not least , we encourage our industry to innovate new ways to generate revenue and business opportunities .

Far left : Singapore

business district

Left : Carrie Kwik

Does STB have a strategy to facilitate environmentally sustainable events in Singapore ? In alignment with the Singapore Green Plan 2030 , STB has launched the Tourism Sustainability Programme ( TSP ) to achieve the goal of becoming a sustainable urban destination – a City in Nature , where large experiences come with small footprints . The TSP aims to support tourism businesses at all stages of their sustainability journey , from building workforce capabilities , to leveraging technology and test-bedding sustainable solutions . The TSP has three focus areas – capability development and growth , innovation , as well as education and awareness .

On the industry development front , we will work with tourism associations to create roadmaps and industry-specific standards for clear directions toward sustainability outcomes , where required measures can also be supported by our grants . For example , together with the Singapore Hotel Association , we launched the Hotel Sustainability Roadmap in March 2022 . The roadmap sets out two targets for the industry : 60 % of hotel rooms in Singapore to attain internationally recognised hotel sustainability certification by 2025 ; for hotels in Singapore to commence tracking of emissions by 2023 and reduce emissions by 2030 , with a view to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 .

On the MICE sustainability front , STB is working closely with the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers ( SACEOS ) on three main areas – benchmarking , standardisation and certification , and education and innovation .

All these efforts are testament to Singapore ’ s long-standing position as a Global-Asia node for MICE events and go towards our ambition of positioning Singapore as the region ’ s top sustainable MICE destination .