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www.travelweekly-asia.com 6 | ITB ASIA OFFICIAL DAILIES destination ///Singapore Even as Singapore continues to be ranked a top international meeting city and leading MICE destination in Asia by the Union of International Associations (UIA), International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), and most recently, by Cvent in its inaugural 2016 Asia Pacific ranking, it is not resting on its laurels. In April, the Singapore Tourism Board extended its In Singapore Incentives & Rewards (INSPIRE) programme – originally for corporate meetings and incentive groups from China and India – to those from Europe and North America. The programme features curated itineraries centred on the best of Singapore's dining, entertainment and attractions, and includes unique cocktail experiences at iconic venues (Long Bar at Raffles Singapore, Smokes & Mirrors at National Gallery Singapore) and thematic business tours around Singapore such as a visit to a public housing estate where No signs of slowing down it welcomes industry heavyweights Google and Priceline Group to helm its opening keynote. Stretching across three days, the sessions will explore pertinent topics like the impact of mobile and digital disruption in travel. And for the first time, ITB Asia has collaborated with leading medical and travel security services firm International SOS to educate delegates on medical and travel security trends. Said Katrina Leung, executive director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), organiser of ITB Asia, "Singapore is the safest nation in the world to do business, according to the Pinkerton Risk Index Report. This is a key factor in contributing to Singapore's appeal as a top MICE destination." Two upcoming IT events include the ISACA Cybersecurity Nexus (CSX) Asia Pacific and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) 100 meeting, which will be held in November 2016 and 2017 respectively. Both events are expected to receive 2,500 IT engineers and developers for discussions on cyber security. In 2015, the city drew three million BTMICE visitors and generated S$4.5 billion (US$3.28 billion) in BTMICE tourism receipts. Clockwise from top: OCBC Skyway Rhapsody party at Gardens by the Bay; MICE delegates try their hand at making the SIngapore Sling; a visit to the Urban Redevelopment Authority office. By Lee Xin Hui The city continues to embark on new MICE initiatives and celebrate business wins, especially in the field of IT. most Singaporeans live. INSPIRE has received positive feedback so far with ongoing discussions with a few groups, according to STB. Singapore has also been making strides in the info-tech sector as it aims to build up its reputation as an industry thought leader. In the past few months, the country has played host to multiple first-in-Southeast Asia events such as the Millennial 20/20 APAC Summit in September and the 14th International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications and Services (Mobisys) in June. Calling it a "natural choice" to launch Millennial 20/20 for the first time in Asia Pacific, Rupa Ganatra, founding partner of Millennial 20/20, espoused the benefits of Singapore "with its robust infrastructure, communities and innovation capabilities." At ITB Asia 2016, the show looks set to be "the biggest and best" as "Singapore is the safest nation in the world to do business, according to the Pinkerton Risk Index Report." – KATRINA LEUNG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MESSE BERLIN (SINGAPORE)