Shipping conferences could be back on the agenda after Singapore announced plans to allow events to take place with up to 250 people.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said it will start accepting applications for organisers to pilot meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) events from 1 October 2020.
STB said it and Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) will "review all event proposals", and that they will only be allowed to proceed on obtaining the ministry’s approval.
There will be pilot events taking place under this arrangement, such as the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) Conference in October 2020.
Ship-finance conference organiser Marine Money said it was “welcoming news that the STB will be gradually and safely lifting restrictions” on industry events in Singapore.
“At Marine Money, the safety and well-being of our clients is our top priority, so to see restrictions gradually being lifted in a way that we can slowly but surely resume hosting our shipping finance conferences in person, in Singapore and around the world, is a promising step in the right direction,” a spokesman told TradeWinds.
“However, until such times that Singapore opens up to international travel, participation in industry conferences will likely be limited.”
STB said the decision to approve large events comes on the back of recent trials of business events of up to 50 attendees, which was first announced in July 2020.
“As more insights and data are obtained through these pilot events, STB will work with the MICE industry to adapt and adjust our protocols for safe business events,” it said.
Chan Chun Sing, Singapore’s trade and industry minister, said the city-state was “committed to maintaining its position” in the MICE industry and build on its “strong reputation as the top business events destination in Asia-Pacific”.
“We have studied the ongoing situation carefully and are ready to gradually reopen our MICE sector,” he said in a posting on Facebook.
Covid-19 has led to the cancellation of almost all ship conferences around the world, with some opting to hold events in other formats.
Gastech, the annual LNG industry get-together that was due to be held in Singapore this week, is currently taking place 'virtually'.
Similarly, the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference will take place next week using a similar arrangement.
