Singapore Suntec City, one of the country’s most used convention and exhibition venues is undergoing a radical facelift 17 years after its opening.
SINGAPORE- Singapore will temporarily lose a large amount of space for hosting events when Suntec Singapore’s convention centre shuts for a major overhaul.The six-month closure, which begins in October, aims to bring the 17-year-old venue up to date. As the centre’s first major renovation since it opened in 1997, the S$180 million revamp will include repairs for all seven floors and the addition of a grand entrance on level three. Shops and restaurants will also be added on levels one and two, while the number of meeting rooms will increase from 31 to 46, all with Wi-Fi connection. The adjacent Suntec City Mall is also due for a major overhaul. “We are mindful that cities around us are really upping the stakes,” said Ong Wee Min, Chief Commercial Officer at Suntec Singapore to local journalists when highlighting the renovation project. ITB Asia will be one of the last events to be hosted from October 17 to 19 at Suntec City.
Some industry insiders expect that the closure will also mean less space for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions and might increase prices to rent spaces at other exhibition venues. However, event organiser Singapore Exhibition Services rejected this assessment, saying that Suntec’s temporary closure is not a problem as other venues can make up for its inactivity.
Last year, Suntec hosted 1,602 events, of which 40 per cent were international events. Together with the three other major venues – Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Expo and Resorts World Sentosa – the four hosted more than 5,000 conventions last year.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
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