The Lion City roars back with a vengeance

Flights are coming back. The airport is bustling again. And Singapore’s downtown has acquired a buzz of late, with business and leisure visitors filling hotel rooms, meeting venues, restaurants and bars.

In the months since Singapore’s official reopening on 1 April, visitors are returning to Singapore at a fast and furious pace, so much so that the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has revised upwards its 2022 projection of tourist arrivals to 4-6 million.

Much like the swift return of visitors, Singapore’s B2B MICE events are also roaring back with live formats. Several high-profile events such as Asia Tech x Singapore and Geo Connect Asia have already taken place in 1H2022, while coming up are Food and Hotel Asia Food & Beverage (5-8 September), the Asia CEO Summit (5-7 October), Food and Hotel Asia HoReCa (25-28 October), and the Bloomberg New Economy Forum (14-17 November).

All eyes are now on the F1 Singapore Grand Prix’s return in 2022 after a two-year absence. Formula 1 has also confirmed a seven-year deal with the Singapore authorities to keep the Grand Prix night race on the calendar until 2028.

The return of F1 and our strong line-up of events for 2022 and beyond demonstrates Singapore’s attractiveness as a location for business and leisure events.

Yap Chin Siang, deputy chief executive, Singapore Tourism Board

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The return of such landmark destination events as the Singapore GP underscores the strength of the city’s fundamentals as a MICE destination, said Yap Chin Siang, STB’s deputy chief executive.

According to Yap, these include “a vibrant business culture, excellent infrastructure, stable government, and stellar track record in delivering high-quality events safely”.

In the 12 consecutive years from 2008 until 2019 that Singapore has hosted the GP, the race has generated more than S$1.5 billion (US$1.1 billion) in incremental tourism receipts, Yap revealed. Hosting the race has also translated to tourism dividends for Singapore – more than 40% of race spectators came from overseas, comprising more than 550,000 unique international visitors.

The benefits of hosting the F1 races are aplenty for Singapore’s business events sector, Yap stresses, as the GP “acts as a strong focal point for global MICE events and business meetings”.

A number of in-person MICE events will be taking place in the week prior to the Singapore GP this year, such as the Forbes Global CEO Conference, the Milken Institute Asia Summit, as well as the Asia VE-PC Summit.

In the resurgence of large-scale events, Yap underlines that STB will work closely with organisers in aligning crowd safe management measures to protect the wellbeing of attendees.

Revving up for business events

Industry stakeholders, energised by the GP’s return to its nighttime urban street race format in 2022, are gearing up for the high-powered race. The enthusiasm has clearly spilled over to the crop of hotels located around the Marina Bay Circuit, which includes 23 corners and where many iconic F1 moments had been witnessed.

Over at Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, general manager Melvin Lim reveals his hotel is hosting one of the F1 teams and, in addition, has been selected to spearhead catering services for trackside hospitality suites.

His hotel is experiencing “a very strong demand for the GP”, Lim observes, adding that all six of the hotel’s function rooms boasting full views of the track were already sold out, along with accompanying F&B packages, to local corporates organising events and parties for clients and employees.
The hotel also offers packages for a number of its racetrack-facing guestrooms and suites which, likewise, have been experiencing brisk business months ahead of the race day.

At neighbouring properties Conrad Centennial Singapore and Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, demand has similarly been robust. 

Mike Williamson, general manager of Conrad Centennial Singapore, reveals he and his team are focusing on enhancing guests’ experiences in response to “strong demand for stays during the F1”. For instance, he reveals that “special amenities tied with the occasion” have been planned and timings at his hotel’s F&B operations will be adjusted. “Our Oscar’s restaurant will operate 24 hours to accommodate guests who return late from the race,” he says.

Also capitalising on its enviable trackside location is Mandarin Oriental, Singapore. General manager Phillip Kneupfer says that from the vantage point of his hotel, with its “selection of track facing rooms and suites equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows, guests can look forward to uninterrupted views of the race from the comfort of their rooms”.

For those who prefer to lubricate their race enjoyment with choice libations, Kneupfer notes that at the hotel’s MO Bar, guests can enjoy cocktails while “getting a glimpse of the action on the track.”

Clearly, the return of a high-profile event like the GP is a major endorsement for Singapore – and the business events sector. Not only does it signal to the world that Singapore has good Covid-19 protocols established, it also sends a message that the city remains a destination for high-octane action, iconic experiences and grand festivities.

While major business events seldom take place during Singapore’s Grand Prix Season for obvious reasons of costs and room availability, industry players are adamant that the benefits of hosting the event are paramount – and last way beyond the races.

“The renewal of F1 Singapore garners an increasing interest in Singapore as a potential MICE destination. This added confidence in Singapore to host major and large-scale events will attract more business travellers and MICE organisers to Singapore,” Kneupfer rationalises.

Williamson agrees: “It is the perfect opportunity for us to showcase that we are ready to welcome the groups business as well as our capabilities to host large events and catering.”

Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay’s Lim sums it up: “The F1 is a good reminder to the world, ‘Hey, we’re back. Our borders are open. Singapore is open for business.’”