The Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry in Singapore is recovering quickly, following the city’s reopening to fully-vaccinated visitors and the removal of event capacity limits. Riding on this momentum, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is launching an enhanced In Singapore Incentives & Rewards (INSPIRE) Global 2.0 program for international MICE groups. Together with a strong pipeline of events in 2022 and beyond, and STB’s continuing efforts to encourage the industry to adopt sustainability practices, Singapore’s MICE industry is expected to recover fully in the next few years.

Under the INSPIRE Global 2.0 program by STB, qualified MICE groups can look forward to new experiences from dining and attractions to thematic tours and team building. They can choose from a selection of close to 80 complementary experiences that delegates can enjoy in Singapore – an increase from 54 experiences that were introduced under INSPIRE Global 1.0.

Singapore hosted over 200 events attended by an estimated 49,000 delegates in 2021. Just in the first three months of 2022, Singapore hosted more than 150 events attended by over 37,000 delegates. With the removal of COVID-19 related restrictions since April 2022, over 66 international events have been secured for the rest of 2022, and this number is set to increase. Some of the much-anticipated international events for this year include the return of Food and Hotel Asia – Food & Beverage (5–8 Sep) and Food and Hotel Asia – HoReCa(25-28 Oct), which are each expected to attract over 30,000 physical attendees, along with new events such as the Global Health Security Conference 2022 (28 Jun-1 Jul) and Cosmoprof + Cosmopack Asia (16-18 Nov).

“The business community is eager for opportunities to meet and network in-person again. This desire, as well as the recent easing of our border restrictions, puts the MICE industry in good stead to recover strongly,” said Yap Chin Siang, Deputy Chief Executive, STB. “We look forward to welcoming more business travellers and delegates back to our shores over the next few years, and we hope that the curated experiences under INSPIRE Global 2.0 will encourage visitors to enjoy all that Singapore has to offer.”

Road to sustainability

STB will continue to help the industry adopt sustainability certification and green practices through the Business Events in Singapore (BEiS) assistance scheme. To encourage sustainable MICE travel, the Singapore MICE Advantage Programme (SMAP) 3.0 also includes a new sustainability focus. In partnership with key tourism partners including Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport Group, JetQuay, Sentosa Development Corporation, StarHub, Grab and NETS, the refreshed scheme offers delegates and event organisers the choice to travel sustainably through green transportation options, environmentally conscious tours, and discounted public transportation on trains and buses, among other initiatives.

Singapore’s sustainability journey is also underscored by the country’s recent participation in the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index [2], which builds on Singapore’s sustainability efforts under Singapore Green Plan 2030; as well as Singapore’s hosting of sustainability events such as Ecosperity, which returns for its 8th run in 2022. Themed “Accelerating Action at Scale”, the event will tackle issues raised at the recent United Nations Climate Change conference and catalyse discussions on real solutions and key levers to help accelerate the energy revolution, decarbonise transport and heavy industries, and finance Asia’s green transition.