MCAC 2022's sense-sational comeback wins hearts of meeting planners

In a robust exchange of insights, the 'Meet Around the World' panel discussion – led by Northstar Meetings Group's David Blansfield – shed light on the hot issues and opportunities currently faced by MICE professionals around the world.

Hearty rounds of applause were sounded when M&C Asia Stella Awards feted and honoured the best of the best in Asia’s MICE industry in an award ceremony at Marina Bay Sands' state-of-the-art Hybrid Broadcast Studio.

When the prescheduled one-on-one appointments got underway at Marina Bay Sands on 24 August, a familiar hum — the unique blend of conversations and overlapping voices — soon filled the showfloor and reflect everyone's eagerness to get back to business.

Sight

The opening cocktail and networking reception at the S.E.A. Aquarium was a wondrous sight to behold when delegates mingled and chatted among themselves, all the while surrounded by 40,000 majestic sea creatures which swam and soared in the venue's mighty blue depths.

A half-day city tour, including a walk through the colourful Chinatown and boat ride down Singapore River, also gave the international meetings and incentives professionals the chance to take in some of the city's most iconic sights.

Smell

Delegates at M&C Asia Connections literally had to turn up their noses at Scentopia, a newly opened attraction on Sentosa that allows corporate groups to create customised scents based on their personalities through its perfume-making workshops.

Touch

From experiencing an open-air panoramic ride at SkyHelix and checking out adrenaline-inducing activities at Skypark Sentosa by AJ Hackett to a teambuilding exercise at St. John's Island (a short ferry ride from Sentosa), these meeting professionals had plenty of opportunities to revel and immerse themselves amid Sentosa's top sensorial attractions.

Taste

The cocktail dinner and reception at Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay not only showcased the hotel’s culinary finesse and exciting performances, it was also a testimony of its operations team's event management skills when the function, originally planned by the outdoor pool, had to be swiftly swopped to the indoor Atrium Ballroom due to bad weather.

Meanwhile, lunch was an immensely delightful affair at the Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, where the group tucked into delectable with fresh produce and authentic flavours at The Cliff. The resort's culinary team aside, peacocks were also seen strutting their stuff during the lunch function at this tranquil property on the southern edge of Sentosa Island.

Finally, M&C Asia Connections 2022 capped off with a fantastic evening at 1-Altitude Coast atop The Outpost Hotel Sentosa, where the group enjoyed cocktails at the pool deck and caught the fireworks from Wings Of Time, before tucking into a delicious three-course dinner accompanied by good wines and great conversations.

Lasting impressions

With all senses stimulated, M&C Asia Connections was truly a memorable event for these international MICE buyers, delivering inspiration for their next impactful event in Asia.

Timothy Glanzer, founder and CEO of Elevated Meeting Solutions based in Las Vegas, said he had "an incredible week in Singapore" attending M&C Asia Connections, which included education and site experiences for future business opportunities. He remarked: "This is one of those industry events that you never want to leave."

Zaritha Van Wyngaardt, who owns The Obvious Choice in Johannesburg, is particularly impressed by professionalism shown by the M&C Asia team as well as quality of sellers at M&C Asia Connections, not to mention the "amazing food offerings" that kept her satiated through the week.

Meanwhile, Yakub Khan, Abbott's regional procurement manager for the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan gives his two thumbs up the niche event and appreciates the opportunity to discover top offerings in Asia's leading MICE destinations.