Sands Expo & Convention Centre at Marina Bay Sands taps the collective potential of Singapore’s Marina Bay precinct to create bespoke experiences.
As the winner of the Best Convention Centre (Southeast Asia) title at M&C Asia Stella Awards 2024, Sands Expo & Convention Centre at Marina Bay Sands continues to set the benchmark for innovation and excellence in the MICE industry. In this Q&A interview, Ong Wee Min, vice president of sales & MICE, shares how Sands Expo consistently pushes the boundaries of event design, fosters community partnerships, and leads the charge in creating sustainable, immersive experiences for delegates.
What standout features have positioned Sands Expo & Convention Centre as the leading convention venue in Southeast Asia?
As a leading venue, we constantly push boundaries in the events industry with a strong spirit of innovation and a commitment to event design excellence. Most recently, we showcased our celebrity chef restaurants and heritage hawker dishes in our menus.
Meanwhile, our first-of-its-kind Bay Precinct Strategy harnesses the collective potential of the Marina Bay precinct, bringing together various partners to create bespoke experiences which will allow event organisers to better engage their delegates.
How has Sands Expo & Convention Centre successfully integrated advanced technology with sustainability practices to elevate the event experience?
Sands Expo is built to be sustainable, with an Intelligent Building Management System tracking critical data such as lighting, heating, air conditioning and water supplies, allowing us to monitor our usage and implement solutions to manage our environmental footprint.
Not all solutions are high tech; Sometimes it comes down to simple solutions which go a long way. We have done away with paper menus and worked with local partner ChopValue to upcycle chopsticks into innovative menu cubes that delegates can scan to view the menu of the day, often featuring locally and regionally sourced ingredients with a lower carbon footprint.
We constantly push boundaries in the industry with a strong spirit of innovation and a commitment to event design excellence.
Ong Wee Min, Vice President of Sales & MICE, Marina Bay Sands
How does Sands Expo & Convention Centre foster collaborations with local businesses and the wider community to enhance the overall event experience?
Our Bay Precinct Strategy involves 11 hotel brands, 10 attractions and restaurants with a collective 18 Michelin stars. We also have a partnership with National Arts Council to promote local arts and culture, launching a playlist earlier this year featuring over 50 homegrown artists to help delegates develop a greater appreciation for local talents.
Looking ahead, what new developments can we expect from Sands Expo & Convention Centre?
This year, we launched THRIVE, a wellness programme for MICE delegates that comprises physical, mental and intellectual wellbeing sessions. Beyond wellness, we are also exploring other innovative approaches to enhance the events experience. We are piloting a gamification application with Gevme to encourage exploration of the Marina Bay precinct. While the app is still in development phase, the aim is to enable event organisers to incorporate activities and challenges tied to key attractions, restaurants and even fitness trails around the area.
This article first appeared in the October-December 2024 issue of M&C Asia as part of the “Trailblazing stars: In celebration of Asia’s top MICE winners” feature. Click here to read more from this issue.