OPENING ADDRESS BY MR LIM HNG KIANG, MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, AT THE SINGAPORE BUSINESS EVENTS AWARDS ON THURSDAY, 2 AUGUST 2007 AT 7.25 PM, AT THE RITZ-CARLTON MILLENIA SINGAPORE

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to be here this evening at the inaugural Singapore Business Events Awards to honour the exemplary players in Singapore’s Business Travel and Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions or BTMICE industry.

BTMICE As A Key Driver Of Tourism In Singapore

The BTMICE industry is a key driver of tourism in Singapore.Last year, the industry contributed close to 3 million or 28% of total visitor arrivals, and $4 billion or about 35% of total tourism receipts (TR).

Under the Tourism 2015 blueprint, the STB aims to raise the tourism receipts contribution of the BTMICE sector to $10.5 billion while maintaining its overall proportionate share of the total TR. To achieve these targets, the Singapore MICE industry needs to sharpen its edge in the face of rising competition from the region and the world. Let me explore three areas.

Collaboration Between MICE Players

First, is the growing collaboration taking place in recent times amongst MICE players. Singapore has seen leading foreign MICE companies such as Messe Berlin setting up their Asia Pacific office here recently. Foreign MICE companies are also acquiring local companies to capitalise on the growing potential of the MICE industry in this region. The acquisition deals between Agility and Translink, First Choice and Pacific World as well as IIR and HQ Link are just some examples of this development.

At the same time, home-grown organisations such as Kingsmen are finding their place in the global market by building a strong network of strategic alliances to service their international clientele. These collaborations spell good news for us, as they are an indication that Singapore’s MICE industry is moving to compete in the international marketplace

Instilling A Culture Of Capability Development

Second, for Singapore to continue to build on its success as a MICE destination, we have to place greater emphasis on increasing the industry’s level of professionalism and competency through training and education. MICE employers have to set aside time and resources for their staff to undergo training.

Institutions offering MICE training programmes must continue to collaborate with the industry to ensure that the content and curriculum stay relevant to the needs of the industry. These programmes play an important role by preparing new generations of workforce for the industry. SACEOS, as the local association leading the MICE industry, can help to bridge the gap between the industry and education institutions by ensuring the courses address the industry’s evolving needs.SACEOS will also be reviewing its role in the pre-employment training and continuing education of our MICE workforce.These efforts are aligned with our objective of growing our MICE market in the global arena, raising the professionalism and knowledge base of Singapore’s MICE industry, and ultimately contributing to our Tourism 2015 goal.

Public-Private Partnership To Maintain Leadership Position

Third, the public-private partnership is a cornerstone of our competitive advantage and this has yielded significant results for the MICE industry. Just in April this year, Singapore was rated Asia’s TopConventionCity for the eighth time by ICCA Global Rankings.One of the success factors is the close public-private sector collaboration that exists in the MICE industry here.

Take for example the Singapore International Water Week, or SIWW.The SIWW is the first flagship event in the water and environment cluster and was developed in close partnership amongst STB, PUB and the Environment and Water Industry Development Council. Their joint efforts in turn will enable the event to create many opportunities for private sector participation.

Through the combined efforts of the STB and MICE industry partners, Singapore has also successfully secured other high-profile international events such as SIGGRAPH and the FDI World Dental Congress.Collectively, these events will further elevate Singapore’s profile as a premium destination for hosting business events in Asia.

Singapore Business Events Awards Raises the MICE Industry Profile

The Singapore Business Events Awards, which are being given out for the first time tonight, is also timely. This is an initiative by the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau or SECB, a group of the Singapore Tourism Board, which champions the interests of the BTMICE industry. The Awards aim to spur the growth and development of the Singapore MICE industry through recognising industry players that are innovative in organising business events and whose expertise and service levels meet global standards.

The Awards are also a showcase of best practices, encouraging the MICE industry to raise the bar for service excellence and successfully stage more high-profile events. The Awards will provide a mark of distinction, giving award-winning companies an edge over their competition when bidding for or launching new events

Conclusion

I would like to congratulate and extend my best wishes to all the finalists and winners of the inaugural Singapore Business Events Awards. I am sure that your outstanding achievements will serve as good examples for the rest of the industry to emulate. Thank you and have an enjoyable evening.