ASEAN Leaders and Global Exhibitions Organisers gather in Singapore to set stage for the reopening of regional business events

The Joint Leadership Summit (JLS) of AEO / SACEOS / SISO / UFI - Singapore taking place from 5th to 7th October at the Fullerton Hotel, will see the first face-to-face meeting, since the pandemic began, of ASEAN government ministers, major global organisers, trade association leaders and tourism bureau chiefs to reinvigorate the region's business events industry and reboot inter- and intra-regional business travel.

Supported by Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and co-organised by Singapore Association for Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS), Association of Event Organisers (AEO), Society for Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, the event will underscore the value of exhibitions as vital economic drivers and a sustainable way of promoting and accelerating global commerce.

As the first international business event with fully vaccinated participants to be held in Singapore, the JLS will put forward a clear action plan to restart business events in the region. During the summit, industry executives and association leaders will exchange insights and perspectives on global reopening experiences and sector developments.

To prime the industry's evolution through a new operating environment, the event will also witness the launch of the Asia CEO Summit @ Singapore, an annual dialogue for the regional exhibition industry taking place over three years from 2022 to 2024 in Singapore.

Singapore has long been renowned as a safe and trusted Global Asia hub for business events. And with the safety and wellbeing of all invited delegates the top priority at the Joint Leadership Summit of AEO / SACEOS / SISO / UFI Singapore, operators of the event are accredited with the SG SafeEvent Certification - a mark of assurance for event organisers in Singapore in upholding the highest standards of hygiene and safety management measures and best practices.

Aloysius Arlando, President, SACEOS said: As the global exhibition industry embarks on our next phase of recovery, there is a critical need for industry players and governments in the region to work together to restart business events in an endemic COVID-19 world. With exhibitions and business events brought to a standstill the past 18 months due to the pandemic, it is now time for the region to rebuild global connectivity and reopen inter- and intra-regional business travel. On that note, Singapore is adopting a calibrated and practical reopening strategy, with the Joint Leadership Summit of AEO / SACEOS / SISO / UFI Singapore paving the way for the restart of exhibitions and business events not just locally, but regionally.

Anbu Varathan, President, UFI said: "UFI's mission is to bring together the exhibition industry, those who build, maintain, and support the world's market places. For too long, we have not been able to meet face-to-face to do what we do best - bring people together. The upcoming Joint Leadership Summit in Singapore is a significant milestone on the road to pandemic recovery. It demonstrates that through cooperation, we can safely and productively restart business events.

Herv Sedky, SISO Chair, President & CEO of Emerald said: SISO represents the leading for-profit show organising businesses around the world and as such has taken a major role in working with key partner organizations in advocating for the safe reopening of the exhibitions industry across the globe. This meeting of the leading industry associations is an important part of this ongoing advocacy mission. The SISO CEO Summit is known as an influential annual gathering in North America of the leaders of our industry. We now are planning to replicate this leading event for an Asia-Pacific region focused event. The partnership of AEO, SACEOS, SISO and UFI, together with the support of Singapore and the STB, will guarantee that the Asia CEO Summit will quickly become an important event in the region bringing the industry's leaders together.

Carina Bauer, AEO Chair, and CEO of IMEX Group said: The UK is home to many of the largest independent exhibition and event organisers who operate across the world. One of our key functions is to provide these industry players with the perfect platform which brings them together to exchange ideas. For some time we have been seeking to build knowledge and develop relationships with leading exhibition and event organisers, and other stakeholders in the ASEAN region and have a unique opportunity to start this journey at the Joint Leadership Summit. It is our honour to be part of the reopening journey for the region. The event will also see the launch of the inaugural Asia CEO Summit, due to take place in October 2022.

Yap Chin Siang, Deputy Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board said: As Singapore journeys towards COVID-resilience, we will continue to facilitate the safe and gradual resumption of MICE events. The Joint Leadership Summit and the launch of the Asia CEO Summit reflects Singapore's strong standing as a Global-Asia Node for MICE and business. While the pandemic has changed the way we work and travel, Singapore remains committed to strengthening existing partnerships while forging new ones.

Giovanni Viterale, General Manager, The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts said: We are delighted to host the first-ever gathering of global leaders and global event organisers at the upcoming SACEOS Joint Leadership Summit 2021 at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. As a SG SafeEvent certified venue, we are committed to providing event attendees the assurance that their safety and well-being are our top priority through rigorous measures which adhere to best practices in safety and hygiene. This will be instrumental in setting the stage for the re-opening of exhibitions and business events, both locally and regionally.

Janice Swee, Co-Founder and Director, TRICOM Events said: TRICOM is honoured to be amongst the pioneer event agencies in Singapore to be SG SafeEvent Certified. This is an important milestone for the safe and calibrated reopening of the MICE industry, as we give clients and event participants the confidence and assurance that events are a safe controlled environment. We encourage our peers in the industry to join us in becoming SG SafeEvent certified, raising the standards industry wide as the economy reopens."