SingEx Exhibition Ventures

THE inaugural Internet of Things Asia conference was held in Singapore last year and for having done a great job in organising it, SingEx Exhibition Ventures won the Trade Conference Organiser of the Year award.

IoT Asia 2014 was held at MAX Atria @ Singapore EXPO, the first MICE venue in Singapore to be awarded the Green Mark Platinum standard by the Building and Construction Authority.

Thanks to the good facilities at the venue 1,630 IoT Asia 2014 delegates were successfully hosted. The attendees comprised government representatives and business leaders from the technology, healthcare, manufacturing, building, transport and logistics, retail, and other sectors, with 86 per cent of the delegates being in middle to senior management.

It was an event ahead of its time and unique as IoT Asia 2014 was the first dedicated conference and exhibition in Asia to address the enormous potential of the IoT revolution, says Adrian Sng, project management director, SingEx Exhibitions.

Seen as a transformational platform for addressing challenges and identifying real opportunities within the industry, the conference was attended by global change makers and provided insights across the entire IoT value chain.

"The conference was able to deliver on its promise in its first year with the 1,630 attendees coming from 33 countries and mostly being decision makers. It also generated some S$4.62 million worth of business transactions," says Mr Sng. The event received widespread endorsement from the industry, with over 90 per cent attendee satisfaction level achieved in terms of the content quality and event objectives met.

With IoT Asia anchored in Singapore the event strategically positions the country at the frontline of the IoT revolution. It continues to chart the future for IoT in Asia by anticipating the needs and concerns of the industry.

"In 2016, IoT Asia is once again going to be paving the way by helping to close the gap between vision and reality to evaluate the state of IoT and prospects ahead, current challenges and how to address these real needs with real solutions," says Mr Sng.

As a key platform IoT is also closely aligned with the broader ICT and strategic initiatives that Singapore government agencies such as the InfoComm Development Authority are driving. With IoT Asia anchored in Singapore, this first-of-its-kind business platform for IoT strategically positions Singapore at the frontline of the IoT revolution.

"IoT Asia 2014 was successful because it was timely and the first of its kind in Asia to fulfil the need for a business platform for what is becoming a growing industry of strategic relevance to the world. The platform enabled businesses and governments in Asia and globally to connect, identify opportunities and share knowledge," says Mr Sng.

To demonstrate in real time the potential of IoT technologies during the event, the venue MAX Atria @ Singapore EXPO was used as a test bed site for IoT deployment. Sensors were installed to detect the ammonia levels in toilets, activating cleaners to locations where the levels exceed an acceptable range. This ensured that the facilities were kept clean at all times.

IoT sensor-based technology was also used to monitor the availability of car park lots at Singapore EXPO. Onsite TV screens at the exhibition showed attendees how the whole process was managed and deployed.

Mr Sng says that technology was also harnessed to create networking and business opportunities by using the QR code on attendee badges to facilitate data acquisition by sponsors and exhibitors. Similarly, a mobile app was used for business matching services to facilitate meetings.