What’s new with Singapore’s mega venues

Singapore’s mega venues for conventions and exhibitions are reinventing the event playbook to meet changing customer expectations amidst an increasingly competitive climate. We share the latest updates from Sands Expo & Convention Centre and Singapore EXPO.

Sands Expo & Convention Centre

AI savvy - Sands Expo & Convention Centre works with industry partners to create AI-generated agendas to support event planners, or AI-powered chatbot to address delegates’ queries, among others. Sands Expo also offers check-in using registration kiosks and QR codes, speeding up the entry process for large-scale events.

Bay Precinct Strategy - Beyond technology, the venue continues to expand its Bay Precinct Strategy, which has grown to offer delegates a more enriching experience across the entire Marina Bay precinct. In January 2024, it announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board and UOB to enliven the precinct where over 50 exclusive experiences across hotels, attractions, retailers and dining establishments were curated, in partnership with precinct stakeholders.

Building on a strong track record - With Singapore offering world-leading infrastructure, superior connectivity, and a safe environment for business travellers, Sands Expo has benefitted by being in the heart of the city. Its extensive and versatile spaces of more than 120,000 sqm hosts up to 45,000 delegates, with the Expo having capacity for 2,000 exhibition booths and 250 meeting rooms.

Ong Wee Min, VP of sales & MICE, Marina Bay Sands, said: “In 2023, Sands Expo achieved a record performance, led by a suite of over 2,400 events. Trade shows have been seeing similarly strong results, from last year till now, with ITB Asia reporting a 35% record jump in international exhibitor numbers in October 2023 and ART SG receiving a record of more than 45,000 visitors in January 2024. These strong results speak volumes of the confidence that event planners and delegates have in Singapore and Sands Expo.”

The venue has a proven track record of hosting iconic trade shows, such as the debut of Vinexpo Asia in May 2023 and the return of Asia TV Forum & Market, and Singapore Comic Con in December 2023.

In the coming months, Sands Expo will stage the inaugural The Meetings Show Asia Pacific in April, the return of Rotary International Convention to Singapore after a 20-year absence in May, and the continuation of major events such as Singapore International Water Week in June, ILTM Asia Pacific in July and ITB Asia in October.

“These events, among others, strengthen Singapore’s reputation as the leading MICE hub in Asia in what is shaping up to be a busy year for Sands Expo,” said Ong.

Singapore EXPO

As Singapore’s largest purpose-built MICE venue, Singapore EXPO is now 25 years old, and is evolving to meet diverse customer needs. For the upcoming Food & Hotel Asia, it will see an almost 63% increase in hall usage. In its 10th edition, PetExpo, returned this month with a 50% increase in event space and a 40% jump in exhibitors from 2023.

Integrating festivalisation - the venue offers ancillary services such as curated pop-up experiences, themed food truck festivals, interactive games and live entertainment to elevate events.

Hall 1 also houses a plenary, Apex @ EXPO, where planners have access to a configurable 54 x 5m LED screen and a grand stage to create unobstructed, visually and acoustically powerful audience experiences. Hall 7 is newly refurbished with a high-end AV system, offering a plug-and-play concert hall with a capacity of over 6,500 pax.

Its new Festivalisation-as-a-Service product has a dedicated team elevating customers’ events by expanding their scope and reimagining the visitor experience, with ancillary services designed for interactivity, and heightened engagement.

Last year, Singapore EXPO worked with Food&HotelAsia – Food & Beverage 2023 (FHA-FnB) to create a first-of-its-kind Beer Yard @ FHA, an outdoor beer and networking zone in the outdoor atrium which served as a space where delegates could connect whilst enjoying craft beers from local taprooms, food truck menus, daily live music, and nostalgic games.

Khoo Yew Jin, VP, marketing, brand & customer experience, Constellar said: “Beer Yard @ FHA added value for delegates by offering a more engaging networking environment outside the confines of traditional meeting rooms, thereby enhancing the overall vibrancy of the show and visitor experience.”

The newly built SBH East Coast @ EXPO has 25 badminton courts, private suites, showers, and event spaces.

Sustainable consumption - its rooftop solar PV system is Singapore’s largest single-site solar rooftop installation, bigger than eight football pitches, generating 12GWh of renewable electricity, and avoiding 5,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

Its Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Hub has 20 EV charging lots. With smart cooling systems and energy efficient lifts and escalators, its energy saving commitment extends to restrooms where motion sensors control lights and fans. A new food digestor that converts solid food water into grey water before discharging into the sewer line is being installed.

Unique culinary experiences - besides working with local caterers and suppliers who champion sustainability, the venue has three herb gardens. It will soon launch an aquaponic urban farming to produce vegetables and fish onsite as an additional food source, providing a closed loop system where fish wastewater will be used to water its plants.

A new partnership with BMP Food Concept has seen it launch a “hawkerpreneur” dining experience at MarketPlace @ EXPO. The new food park is also home to live sports, music and performances.