Meeting Professionals International
has announced the opening of an Asia office in Singapore.Scheduled
to officially open on Oct. 25 2007, the office is part of MPI’s new vision
and global strategy that was revealed in March at the Professional
Education Conference-Europe, Copenhagen. The announcement was made jointly
by MPI and the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau (SECB) at a press
conference during the 2007 World Education Congress a la Montreal in front
of a crowd of global meetings and events professionals.
  “The expansion of MPI into Asia-Pacific is a deliberate response to
supporting the outstanding meetings and travel growth in that region,” said
Bruce MacMillan, MPI president and CEO. “With the continuous development of
its meetings and events industry infrastructure, its role as a regional hub
for Asia and its appeal as a brand, Singapore is the ideal choice as the
place for our fourth office.”
  As part of its new vision, to build a rich global meetings and events
community, the strategy positions MPI as a truly global community for its
members and sustains its industry leadership role. MPI’s strategy to use
the Singapore office to add the Asian dimension to MPI’s global body of
knowledge and industry networks is synergistic with Singapore’s vision to
be the key Exchange Capital of Asia, connecting knowledge with business.
  “The opening of this office fits in with Singapore’s vision to develop
a vibrant ecosystem of world-class Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and
Exhibitions (MICE) International Organizations (IO’s) which play an
instrumental role in the professional development of the Singapore MICE
industry. This also reinforces Singapore’s position as an exchange capital
of the world, where there is a robust exchange of ideas and a fertile
ground for business prospects, networking opportunities and the development
of human capital,” said Aloysius Arlando, assistant chief executive, SECB.
“Through their international networks as well as their ability to build
relationships and marketplaces around the world for all members, MPI’s
presence in Singapore will provide meetings industry members with
opportunities to further develop their expertise and tap into a global
community of meeting industry professionals. Singapore looks forward to
solidifying this relationship with MPI.”
  As a reflection of Singapore’s appeal as the definitive hub for IO’s in
the Asia Pacific region, an increasing number of IO’s are setting up
regional offices in Singapore. Among the nearly 60 are Habitat for Humanity
International (HFHI), International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO),
International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF). These IO’s span a spectrum of industries, including Singapore’s key
economic sectors such as biomedical sciences, logistics and transportation,
and banking and finance.
  “A strong presence in Singapore will provide a community platform that
will support our members who have an interest or desire to expand their
business into or from this region of the world,” said Angie Pfeifer,
chairwoman of the MPI board. “We are thrilled to partner with Singapore to
elevate the knowledge and experiences of the meetings and events
community.”
  MPI anticipates hosting a Professional Education Conference-Asia
(PEC-Asia) in Singapore, fall 2008. PEC-Asia will be a highly creative
conference showcasing new concepts, educational delivery systems and
marketplaces.
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