Significant MICE events in Singapore

SINGAPORE'S position as an attractive meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) destination has been cemented through various MICE events over the years. The Business Times traces some of the most significant MICE events that have occurred in Singapore.

The Singapore Fintech Festival was held from Nov 11-15, 2019, making it one of the largest MICE events to take place in the Republic. Drawing about 45,000 attendees from over 130 countries in 2018, the event held at the Singapore Expo was jointly led by Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) and the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), capitalising on synergies they create when working together in the fintech and deeptech spheres.

Four main themes set the agenda for the festival:

Bringing together 22 venture capital, corporate venture capital and family office investors, the Global Investor Summit held during SFF spurred in-depth debate on topics such as fintech growth in 2020 and investing for sustainable impacts.

Through panel discussions led by well-known industry leaders such as Sequoia (India) Singapore and Eight Roads Ventures, the sessions addressed common touchpoints in investment trends and growth opportunities.

Also held in Singapore last year was the 26th Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress from Oct 21-25. With over 14,000 participants, the event entailed congress sessions, demonstrations, exhibitions and technical tours that were open to a wide spectrum of delegates, including academics, government officials and business executives.

Centred around eight broader themes, the event sought to address hot topics surrounding efficient transportation and technology. Some broad themed topics that were discussed included intelligent, connected and automated vehicles, sustainable smart cities and cybersecurity and data privacy.

Technical tours allowed visitors to gain fresh perspectives on the various elements of Singapore's transportation systems. Some of these tours included visiting Singapore's taxi operator ComfortDelGro's Driver Recruitment Centre and a taxi maintenance workshop.

A SHOWCASE FOR ORGANISATIONS

To learn more about the seamless integration of automated vehicles (AV) prior to operating on roads, visitors were able to visit CETRAN AV test centre where AVs could be tested on their ability to navigate correctly in the real-world setting. The centre is equipped with different elements of Singapore's roads namely common traffic schemes, road infrastructure and traffic rules.

Demonstrations during the convention allowed various organisations and actors to showcase their developmental vehicles, systems and concepts which are either on trial or test-bedded in Singapore.

Ai Robotics, which focuses on providing technological solutions for the automobile sector, presented its technology during the convention last year, which enables vehicles to transform into an autonomous robot. By allowing the retrofitted vehicle to confront obstacle scenarios, they displayed the technology's ability to avoid hazards.

The Energy Research Institute at the National University of Technology (NTU) also showcased the world's first electric autonomous bus presented as a joint venture/collaboration by NTU, Volvo and SMRT.

In addition to these segments, there were also side events which participants could attend.

Ranging from forums to workshops, these sessions provided a fitting accompaniment to the main event. One notable session was the C-level forum on Mobility Solutions for Smart Cities. Led by various executives from different industry leaders, it was seen as a platform for participants to share and discuss solutions which can enhance the quality of cities to better improve the wellness of residents working or living there.