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INSIGHTS | EVENT HIGHLIGHT JAN-FEB 2018 45 meetings & conventions • mcmag-asia.com IN BRIEF Now in its second edition, Singapore FinTech Festival saw the largest attendance of more than 30,000 delegates from more than 100 countries. The week- long event included a three-day FinTech Conference and Exhibition. PROGRAMMING & PLANNING With maximising attendee engagement high on the list of priorities, SingEx moved away from a 'one-size-fits-all' approach, favouring instead an omni- channel engagement where various components of the festival delivered content from different domains. Planning began last February, and took place over nine to 10 months. The 'festivalisation' approach saw the linking of the themes of commerce and creativity while integrating education and entertainment content. Event highlights include the festival's opening ceremony, opening bash and awards segments. Staged over a 30,000sqm space, the festival hosted 258 exhibitors, an all- day dining concept, showcase and lounge areas, four plenary stages and open-mic presentation spaces. A SEAMLESS EXPERIENCE From dedicated welcome desks at Changi airport to receive and register delegates to digital screens flashing festival posters at each of the official hotels, SingEx ensured that guests were familiarised at many touch-points. At the venue, creating the right first impression and stories to bring back to their home countries were key. The spatial design in the Conference and Exhibition area was a multi-sensorial feast created by local creative curator Daniel Boey alongside a "nostalgia- meets-future" theme. An all-day dining experience saw delegates tucking into a fusion of Singapore's local favourites and international cuisines prepared by celebrity Chef Edmund Toh and Culinary Olympics double Gold Medallist Executive Chef Teo Yeow Siang. TALKING POINT Rest areas on the show floor were given a creative spin, drawing from Singapore-inspired design architecture such as the iconic dragon-shaped playground and neighbourhoods Tiong Bahru and East Coast Park. Futuristic 'Matrix-like' features such as animation on multimedia walls made for a fully immersive experience. Injecting extra pizzazz and glamour was the FinTech Awards ceremony. The awards, anchored by local host Yasmine Cheng, featured winners' delivering acceptance speeches and entertainment segments. SingEx pulled out all the stops to create an academy-awards- style ceremony graced by Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of MAS Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The main stage at Singapore FinTech Festival 2017 Singapore FinTech Festival 2017 Words Meetings & Conventions Asia Delegates enjoyed cutting-edge talking points made memorable by a week-long festival of nostalgic and futuristic experiences AT A GLANCE: EVENT: Singapore FinTech Festival 2017 VENUE: Singapore EXPO Halls 1 - 3 DATE: 14 - 16 November 2017 EVENT SIZE: More than 30,000 participants ORGANISER: SingEx Exhibitions Pte Ltd CONTACT: Adrian Sng, general manager, adrian.sng@singex.com