Dear Members and Industry friends,

2023 is set to be a year of revival and growth for the MICE industry in Singapore.

Since the reopening of borders and lifting of Covid-19 measures last year, the MICE industry has experienced a remarkable recovery – fuelled by a pent-up demand from both customers and attendees to meet face-to-face again.

The demand for physical events was evident through the return and success of large scale and high profile events such as Food & Hotel Asia, Singapore Fintech Festival, ITAP, Bloomberg New Economy Forum – just to name a few. It has also further validated the confidence in Singapore as a safe and leading global MICE destination. Bolstered by a high rate of vaccination, strong economic fundamentals, a stellar reputation as a global MICE hub and a robust line-up of MICE events, I’m confident that the industry is primed for an even stronger recovery in 2023 and beyond. Check out our MICE Events Calendar Listing here.

While there is much cause for optimism among the industry, we are still very much on the path towards pre-pandemic recovery. Therefore, it is imperative that as an industry, we continue to stay resilient and vigilant to overcome future challenges ahead together. Safety and health of all attendees must remain our utmost priority even as we continue to welcome the return of large scale events. Therefore, I would like to urge the industry to continue equipping itself with capabilities in organising safe events through our SG SafeEvent Certification programme.

Beyond safety and health, one of the biggest challenges facing the industry is in Manpower and Talent. The pandemic has left a massive talent gap in our sector. As businesses scale up in 2023 and beyond, SACEOS is committed to working with our community and relevant agencies to bridge the gap. At the same time, we recognise that there is an urgent need to train both existing and new manpower with capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our audiences and customers. SACEOS, being the leading training provider for the MICE industry in Singapore and the region, has curated an exciting line-up of courses to equip industry professionals – both old and new – with the necessary skillsets to thrive in the post-Covid world. Download our 2023 Course Calendar here.

We are also looking forward to the return of the Singapore MICE Forum (SMF) in 2023. The industry’s leading networking and thought leadership event is set to bring together the MICE community from Singapore and the region after a two-year hiatus. Besides a strong focus on sustainability, attendees can look forward to glean expert insights on key industry topics such as Talent, Data, Innovation – just to name a few. More importantly, SMF 2023 will set the stage for a more collaborative and vibrant industry as we look to build back stronger in the new year.

Another key event happening in 2023 is the Asia CEO Summit. The region’s leading definitive networking and thought-leadership event will bring together global industry leaders to chart the way forward for the region’s MICE industry in a post-Covid world. 

Last but not least, Sustainability will be high on the agenda for the industry in 2023. And with the launch of the Singapore MICE Sustainability Roadmap on 1 December 2022, we are confident that it will set our industry on the right path towards a more sustainable and greener future – and position Singapore as one of the most sustainable MICE destinations in Asia Pacific. Find out more about upcoming initiatives and programmes to support the industry’s sustainability journey here.

As we forge ahead towards an exciting phase of recovery this year and beyond, SACEOS is more committed than ever to being the voice of the industry, empower businesses and equipping professionals. We look forward to working closely with our members and MICE community in making 2023 the best year yet for the industry! If you have any feedback on how we can better support you and the industry, please reach out to us at [email protected].

From all of us at SACEOS, we would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and a successful 2023 ahead!

Richard Ireland
President, SACEOS