This month, Singapore welcomes more than 350 exhibition industry professionals from across the globe as they gather for the 77th UFI Congress for four days of networking, discussion and debate. This year’s congress will follow the theme of ‘Successful Business in a Changing World’, and features speakers from Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland and China.
The event, moderated by Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) board director, Pojai Pookakupt, runs from 10 to 13 November at the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore. As with previous events, a variety of regional chapter meetings will run alongside the UFI General Assembly.
Kishore Mahbubani, from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, will discuss why the shift in power to Asia is happening now and what factors are driving this shift, while professor Michael Enright from the University of Hong Kong asks what this shift will mean for global patterns of production and consumption, given that exhibitions mirror market conditions.
Also on the agenda will be Michael Luehrs from the MCI Group (Switzerland) discussing green initiatives, David Wei from Alibaba.com (China) on the future of doing business, and Jochen Witt from JWC (Germany) providing regional analysis of the industry alongside findings from the UFI Think Tank sessions.
“We chose this year’s general congress theme, ‘Successful Business in a Changing World’, because we feel that our exhibition world is changing faster than ever,” said Rowena Arzt, director of business development at UFI.
“Modern communication technologies facilitate new ways of doing business. Powerful markets are evolving and business is shifting geographically. We are more and more aware that financial resources are tightly controlled. Following on from the economic crisis, companies are rethinking the way they want to invest their marketing budgets.
“All this influences the exhibition industry,” she continues. “As a business medium, we must examine how we can stay at the top of the marketing mix in this changing business environment. How can we take advantage of these new situations? What threats and challenges can we turn into exciting exhibition business opportunities?”
.....................................
Thomas Arasi
Singapore, with its pedigree as a host destination for international events, is a timely host for this year’s UFI Congress courtesy of the new and hugely impressive Marina Bay Sands resort, one of the world’s foremost exhibition and convention centres.
President and chief executive at Marina Bay Sands, Thomas Arasi, spoke to EW about the prominence of Singapore in South East Asia, and what the UFI Congress means to the new venue.
What does the event mean for Marina Bay Sands?
UFI Congress is back to Singapore for the first time in 16 years. It was last held in Singapore in 1994. This was a win not just for the country but for us too as this was the first major deal we announced. It is both significant in the number of leads that we expect to generate, and symbolic as the industry’s recognition of our promise.
Why should the international exhibition industry be focusing on South East Asia right now?
South East Asia is increasingly viewed as a new economic force with its growing affluence. The region is being tapped by multinational companies, from banks to manufacturing firms and the biotech industry in order to grow their operations. So it makes sense for exhibitors to follow suit and hold their events here.
What do you hope to achieve by hosting/organising the event?
Hosting the UFI Congress will allow MBS to showcase our capability and flexibility to this international group of decision makers in the exhibition and conference industry. Beyond the conference and tradeshow facilities that we offer, the ‘under one roof’ concept of our integrated resort means that delegates don’t have to travel too far to enjoy world-class gourmet, entertainment, retail, gaming and accommodation choices.
The Marina Bay area has now attained a new buzz and allure among international visitors. It’s becoming a must-visit for any visitor and we are happy to play a key role in this transformation. This buzz is an X-factor that cannot be easily replicated, and we believe mega events will continue to be drawn to this area.
What are your biggest goals for 2011?
To-date, MBS has sealed over 550 deals which will bring over 355,000 participants to the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, demonstrating its ability to draw both marquee events and smaller intimate meetings, conferences and weddings. The bulk of the activities are taking place this year and in 2011, with a handful slated for 2012.
Over 300 events have been successfully concluded, drawing a crowd of 177,000 participants to the venue since we opened in late April 2010.
In five months, we have already hosted several high-profile events at Sands Expo and Convention Centre and the Sands SkyPark. These include the building industry tradeshow Bex Asia 2010, music event Avalon Go! and the month-long Youth Olympic Games.
Singapore is already a leading destination for meetings and conventions and MBS will boost Singapore’s profile even more. In addition to developing Singapore’s biggest meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) facility, we have been working hard to bring in new shows to Singapore.
For instance, new shows such as the Industrial Fabrics Association International Expo Asia 2011 are debuting with us. Other firsts include the Art Stage Singapore 2011 and 2012; Dye+Chem Asia International Expo 2010 and 2012; Sound Light Visual (SLV) Expo 2010 and Offshore Asia 2011. Other marquee events include Cruise Shipping Asia 2011, another new show for Singapore.
In 2011, our mission remains the same – to bring more events to MBS and boost the tourist arrivals into Singapore. We remain committed to adding more depth and breadth to the MICE offerings for conference organisers and delegates doing business in Singapore.”
.......................................
Why South East Asia?
Edward Liu, president of the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers, organiser of this year’s UFI Congress, on the benefits of exhibiting in South East Asia.
“Economically South East Asia is experiencing its strongest growth in recent years, with Singapore expecting a double-digit hike for this year and Indonesia, Malaysia and even Thailand registering robust development, despite the latter’s recent political hiccups.
"With the availability of two new world-class facilities such as the Marina Bay Sands and the Resorts World at Sentosa, Singapore has re-emerged as a favourite venue for international meetings, incentive travels, conventions and exhibitions for the Asian region. The 77th UFI Congress, with its record-breaking attendance, bears testimony to the enhanced attractiveness and vibrancy of Singapore as the regional hub for the MICE industry, in the years to come.”
