AIPC – the International Association of Convention Centres – brought together over 50 participants from 8 countries for the AIPC Asia Pacific Summit, a specialized regional training and professional development program that took place in Singapore on October 22, 2015 as part of addressing its core mission of encouraging, supporting and recognizing excellence in convention centre management worldwide.
Like its predecessor the AIPC Africa Summit held in Johannesburg this past February, the AIPC Asia Pacific Summit assembled a wide range of industry experience and expertise to focus on key elements of the convention centre development, management and marketing processes. The overall objectives for the session were to identify how the industry in this region compares with global competitors and how its position within the overall market could be further enhanced.
“Education and exchange are two of the most important things we do as an organization, so it only makes sense that this is where we are focusing in our regional development” said AIPC President Geoff Donaghy. “By tapping into both global insights as well as that of top regional representatives, we created a good sense of context that is important to centres and destinations seeking to grow their business presence in the most effective way”.
The AIPC Asia Pacific Summit is being held in partnership with the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organizers & Suppliers (SACEOS) and took place at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre during the TravelRave trade show that brought together many elements of the broader industry community.
Weemin Ong, Chair of Education and Professional Development for SACEOS, said “The concept of the AIPC Asia Summit is aligned with SACEOS’s professional development vision for the industry as it brings together the regional professional community to co-create content that is not only relevant to Asia but also set within a global context. We believe in a ‘For the Industry, By the Industry’ approach to professional development and we are sure that every single attendee of the AIPC Asia Pacific Summit benefited in this knowledge exchange, first of its kind for the industry within Asia.
The Summit was organized as a full day event that included a wide range of participants and topics, including an overview of global industry conditions, a CEO perspective on industry development, a look at international centre standards and expectations and the latest sales and marketing tactics for addressing a challenging marketplace. An additional important feature was a panel of regional and international clients who shared their perspectives on current event-related challenges and the ways that centres can best attract and support their business.
Aloysius Arlando, CEO of Singex and AIPC Vice President, and who was highly instrumental in pulling together all the program elements said “Events like this one help our members better organize themselves to prevail amongst that global competition, and by doing so, to more effectively support their respective communities in meeting their overall economic aspirations.”
