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The Singapore Tourism Board’s corporate travel and business events sector has sharpened its focus and is seeking trade co-operation to grab a bigger slice of the pie. WRISNEY TAN finds out more.
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The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has a whole slew of new initiatives and plans to grow the corporate travel and business events sector following a recent organisational change to its BTMICE division.
BTMICE is the board’s acronym for the business travel, meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions sector and it was previously a division of the BTMICE & Services Group. The group has been split into two – BTMICE and Services.
Heading the BTMICE group since December 1 is Mr Aloysius Arlando, who had been appointed acting assistant CEO (BTMICE), in addition to his role as regional director ASEAN (islands), overseeing the marketing of Singapore in Brunei, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Explaining the reason behind the change, Mr Arlando said: “The BTMICE division in STB was recently spun off from the previous BTMICE & Services Group to operate as a single and focused cluster.
“The formation of the BTMICE group allows for greater focus and resources to be channelled towards the development of the increasingly important and high potential BTMICE segment.
“The group now comprises four key departments which look into the specific areas of business travel, conventions, exhibitions and meetings, and incentive travel.
“Each department plays the leading role in spearheading development plans for each of the specific segments, and works closely with the respective industry players to source and bid for major events.”
The group is aiming for 1.8 million BTMICE visitors and S$3 billion (US$1.84 billion) in tourism receipts by 2005 – a target that had already been set when the S$15 million tactical BTMICE campaign, Make It Singapore, was launched in November 2003 after the SARS epidemic.
Singapore welcomed 1.25 million BTMICE visitors in 2003.
The campaign offered a basket of incentives to BTMICE planners who confirm an event, including a business meeting, incentive group, exhibition or convention, before December 31, 2004.
The good news is the campaign and the deadline for confirming events has been extended to “sometime” in 2005.
Mr Arlando said: “The campaign is currently being reviewed so we can further sharpen our marketing support to meet the needs of our clients.
“Event organisers can still leverage on the basket of incentives offered by the campaign such as free rooms from participating hotels, special discounts on f&b for functions and special rates from Singapore Airlines.”
Make It Singapore has already achieved some measure of success.
Mr Remy Choo, assistant director, meetings & incentives of STB’s Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau, said: “The campaign was tactical and fairly effective in reaching out to targeted groups.
“It was never meant to be a mass-market bag of goodies.
“I think it has met its objectives in awareness building.”
STB has been meeting members of the trade to brainstorm for a new plan that would be more market specific and aimed at convincing decisionmakers to hold their events in Singapore.
Mr Arlando said: “We will continue to work closely with the trade and update them regularly on our initiatives and strategic directions, as these are key to their own business plans.
“Such collaboration takes place through regular industry briefings where we discuss with key industry players, ways to drive the BTMICE traffic into Singapore.
“We also share information informally and provide updates of our plans so they can align their initiatives with our strategic priorities for the sector and to leverage on the board’s resources.”
Mr Arlando added: “We will continue to focus on developing the industry and aggressively seek out and secure major events in line with the objectives of the Make It Singapore campaign.
“We will also be spearheading infrastructure developments and enhancements in the BTMICE sector, and raising the professional and service quality standards of the local BTMICE industry to exceed the expectations of organisers and business travellers.
“Many of our Asian markets have recently opened up and trade volume from these countries have been on the surge.
“Thus we see the opportunity to tap these growing and emerging economies, especially China and India to further grow the businesses and MICE traffic from these countries.”
Other longer haul “unchartered territories” being considered include those in Eastern Europe.
The board plans to “intensify” its various in-market initiatives including roadshows, seminars, regular product updates or industry engagements.
The exhibition space available at Singapore Expo is being expanded from 60,000m2 to 100,000m2 to host more mega exhibitions, but the longterm plan of the board is to introduce more meeting facilities, f&b, retail and commercial establishments within the area.
Mr Arlando revealed a new campaign was in the works.
“There are also plans to reinforce and communicate Singapore’s appeal as a business destination by developing a brand that would be aligned with our destination brand – Uniquely Singapore.”
