Speaking at the 15th edition of the Singapore MICE Forum (SMF) at Resorts World Sentosa, the country’s minister of state for trade and industry Gan Siow Huang urged the business events sector to maintain its transformative momentum, outlining key national strategies across digital innovation, workforce development, and strategic infrastructure.
The address follows a landmark year for Singapore’s tourism economy, which achieved record tourism receipts of US$24.5 billion, driven by a 35 percent year-on-year surge in MICE revenue to S$2.3 billion.
The city-state also secured its position as Asia Pacific’s top meeting city in the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) rankings for the 23rd consecutive year.
Driving current competitiveness
To help event organisers scale delegate growth, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has introduced the Singapore Attendance Building Consultants (ABC) programme.
The scheme connects organisers with trusted in-market specialists, starting with five partners in China before expanding globally, to build delegate turnout across emerging markets.
In tandem, STB launched the Singapore Hotels Incentives for Business Events (SHINE) initiative.
Uniting 22 business-focused hotels, SHINE offers delegates preferential room rates, exclusive perks, and curated local experiences designed to encourage extended stays and deepen regional engagement.
Accelerating digitisation and talent development
Addressing capability building, Gan highlighted the newly developed MICE Industry Digital Plan (IDP), created jointly by STB and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
The framework provides event stakeholders with actionable guidance on deploying artificial intelligence planning tools and customer engagement platforms.
Host venue Resorts World Sentosa demonstrated the plan’s real-world impact, reporting a 36 percent increase in sales conversion rates and a tripling of its overseas MICE business after implementing an integrated CRM platform.
Beyond technology, workforce upskilling remains paramount. Industry association SACEOS trained nearly 600 professionals last year through executive certifications alongside partners such as Singapore University of Social Sciences and NTUC LearningHub.
Homegrown innovation is also gaining traction through the BEInspired accelerator programme; participant Sgcarmart recently launched Beyond Motion, Singapore’s first B2B2C future mobility showcase, attracting 18,000 visitors in March 2026.
Looking to the future
Looking ahead, Singapore is advancing plans for its proposed Downtown MICE Hub, an integrated precinct combining exhibition space, hospitality, retail, and dining adjacent to a potential new cruise terminal.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) for the development is slated for launch next year.
Furthermore, following the milestone achievement of securing sustainability certifications across all six purpose-built MICE venues, STB and SACEOS are preparing the next phase of the MICE Sustainability Roadmap.
The updated framework will expand beyond environmental metrics to encompass social and economic targets, supporting Singapore’s long-term Tourism 2040 vision
