SINGAPORE: Singapore is stepping up its push to attract more meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) as part of its long-term tourism roadmap.
Also among the upcoming initiatives is practical support for local trade groups and chambers to help them plan and host events here.
Singapore’s Tourism 2040 plan – unveiled in 2025 – aims to grow tourism receipts to between S$47 billion (US$37 billion) and S$50 billion by 2040, up from a record S$29.8 billion in 2024, as the country shifts its focus on higher value tourism.
Business events are expected to be a key contributor to this growth.
Travellers attending MICE events typically spend around twice as much as leisure visitors, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
Under its plan, STB aims to triple MICE tourism receipts from current levels by 2040.
Singapore recorded S$1.7 billion in tourism receipts from business events in 2024, surpassing 2019’s S$1.4 billion before the COVID-19 pandemic, said Mr Poh Chi Chuan, STB’s executive director of exhibitions and conferences.
The MICE sector saw strong momentum in 2025, and key events are set to further bolster this growth, Mr Poh told CNA.
Among the highlights last year were events such as the Singapore FinTech Festival in November, Mr Poh said. The finance industry showcase drew more than 70,000 participants from 142 countries and regions.
ITMA ASIA + CITME, a large-scale textile machinery exhibition held in October at the Singapore Expo, reportedly attracted more than 26,600 delegates.
Looking ahead to 2026, the Singapore Airshow – which takes place from next Tuesday (Feb 3) to Sunday – will kick off the year’s calendar, with close to 60,000 attendees expected for the biennial event’s 10th edition, Mr Poh said.
Visitors at the Singapore Airshow in 2024.
Singapore has also secured newer shows such as the Passenger Terminal Expo Asia, an airport industry trade show in September. Another is Breakbulk Asia, focused on the logistics and maritime sectors, slated for November.
On the conventions front, the country will host the Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza in June. The health and wellness event is expected to draw 25,000 visitors, STB previously said.
This year will also see the return of biennial shows such as the International Dental Exhibition and Meeting in April and Medical Fair Asia in September.
“This year is going to be a very busy year for us,” said Mr Poh.
Beyond the headline events, STB is also focusing on building local capabilities and diversifying Singapore’s MICE offerings.
Under a two-year memorandum of understanding signed in 2025, the board is partnering the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) to equip local trade associations with the skills to bid for and host association meetings.
This includes coming up with new content for SBF’s Trade Associations and Chambers Summit this year, aimed at helping associations better understand the challenges of hosting international meetings.
The summit, which was held for the first time last year, brings together leaders and professionals in the sector to network and share best practices.
Also in the works is a playbook to help associations better host meetings, Mr Poh said.
These initiatives will help bring global thought leadership into Singapore and connect local enterprises with global expertise, he added.
The push to build local capabilities is also driven by the scale of Singapore’s tourism roadmap.
“We set ourselves a very stretched target of tripling our MICE tourism receipts by 2040. If we were to do things the same way as we are doing today, then that means everything needs to grow by three times, which is a big challenge by itself,” Mr Poh said.
“So we have to learn how to do more with less.”
He added that this means finding new ways “to enable the same level of workforce to do more”, including by tapping technology such as artificial intelligence and automation to raise productivity across the events ecosystem.
More business events are already using Gardens by the Bay as a setting for gala dinners and product launches.
Event organisers in Singapore previously told CNA that there was a scarcity of unique venues here, with audiences increasingly seeking distinctive spaces to enhance event experiences.
As the MICE sector grows, Mr Poh noted that there is a need to rethink how spaces are used and to look beyond traditional convention halls.
“How do we make use of unconventional venues such as Gardens by the Bay to be able to host MICE groups when they are here in Singapore?” he said, adding that more business events are already using the tourist attraction as a setting for gala dinners and product launches.
Poh also pointed to lifestyle venues such as New Bahru, as well as hotels and ballrooms, that organisers can use as alternative options.
Lifestyle venue New Bahru.
Singapore is also studying the development of a downtown MICE hub – a facility intended to complement existing convention space.
Asked about Singapore’s progress towards meeting its Tourism 2040 targets, Mr Poh said the outlook remains positive.
“Looking at how Asia is a strong growth region, we are very optimistic that we stand a good chance,” he added.
“But of course, we still have to put in a lot of effort and work together with our stakeholders to get there.”
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Also among the upcoming initiatives is practical support for local trade groups and chambers to help them plan and host events here.
Singapore’s Tourism 2040 plan – unveiled in 2025 – aims to grow tourism receipts to between S$47 billion (US$37 billion) and S$50 billion by 2040, up from a record S$29.8 billion in 2024, as the country shifts its focus on higher value tourism.
Business events are expected to be a key contributor to this growth.
Travellers attending MICE events typically spend around twice as much as leisure visitors, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
Under its plan, STB aims to triple MICE tourism receipts from current levels by 2040.
STRONG PIPELINE OF EVENTS
Singapore recorded S$1.7 billion in tourism receipts from business events in 2024, surpassing 2019’s S$1.4 billion before the COVID-19 pandemic, said Mr Poh Chi Chuan, STB’s executive director of exhibitions and conferences.
The MICE sector saw strong momentum in 2025, and key events are set to further bolster this growth, Mr Poh told CNA.
Among the highlights last year were events such as the Singapore FinTech Festival in November, Mr Poh said. The finance industry showcase drew more than 70,000 participants from 142 countries and regions.
ITMA ASIA + CITME, a large-scale textile machinery exhibition held in October at the Singapore Expo, reportedly attracted more than 26,600 delegates.
Looking ahead to 2026, the Singapore Airshow – which takes place from next Tuesday (Feb 3) to Sunday – will kick off the year’s calendar, with close to 60,000 attendees expected for the biennial event’s 10th edition, Mr Poh said.
Visitors at the Singapore Airshow in 2024.
Singapore has also secured newer shows such as the Passenger Terminal Expo Asia, an airport industry trade show in September. Another is Breakbulk Asia, focused on the logistics and maritime sectors, slated for November.
On the conventions front, the country will host the Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza in June. The health and wellness event is expected to draw 25,000 visitors, STB previously said.
This year will also see the return of biennial shows such as the International Dental Exhibition and Meeting in April and Medical Fair Asia in September.
“This year is going to be a very busy year for us,” said Mr Poh.
BUILDING LOCAL CAPABILITIES
Beyond the headline events, STB is also focusing on building local capabilities and diversifying Singapore’s MICE offerings.
Under a two-year memorandum of understanding signed in 2025, the board is partnering the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) to equip local trade associations with the skills to bid for and host association meetings.
This includes coming up with new content for SBF’s Trade Associations and Chambers Summit this year, aimed at helping associations better understand the challenges of hosting international meetings.
The summit, which was held for the first time last year, brings together leaders and professionals in the sector to network and share best practices.
Also in the works is a playbook to help associations better host meetings, Mr Poh said.
These initiatives will help bring global thought leadership into Singapore and connect local enterprises with global expertise, he added.
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The push to build local capabilities is also driven by the scale of Singapore’s tourism roadmap.
“We set ourselves a very stretched target of tripling our MICE tourism receipts by 2040. If we were to do things the same way as we are doing today, then that means everything needs to grow by three times, which is a big challenge by itself,” Mr Poh said.
“So we have to learn how to do more with less.”
He added that this means finding new ways “to enable the same level of workforce to do more”, including by tapping technology such as artificial intelligence and automation to raise productivity across the events ecosystem.
More business events are already using Gardens by the Bay as a setting for gala dinners and product launches.
EXPLORING NEW SPACES
Event organisers in Singapore previously told CNA that there was a scarcity of unique venues here, with audiences increasingly seeking distinctive spaces to enhance event experiences.
As the MICE sector grows, Mr Poh noted that there is a need to rethink how spaces are used and to look beyond traditional convention halls.
“How do we make use of unconventional venues such as Gardens by the Bay to be able to host MICE groups when they are here in Singapore?” he said, adding that more business events are already using the tourist attraction as a setting for gala dinners and product launches.
Poh also pointed to lifestyle venues such as New Bahru, as well as hotels and ballrooms, that organisers can use as alternative options.
Lifestyle venue New Bahru.
Singapore is also studying the development of a downtown MICE hub – a facility intended to complement existing convention space.
Asked about Singapore’s progress towards meeting its Tourism 2040 targets, Mr Poh said the outlook remains positive.
“Looking at how Asia is a strong growth region, we are very optimistic that we stand a good chance,” he added.
“But of course, we still have to put in a lot of effort and work together with our stakeholders to get there.”
Continue reading...