Publication Type

Magazine Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

3-2016

Abstract

When business ground to a pandemic-induced halt in February 2020, the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) immediately got to work to keep the country’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry afloat. In the first month, it worked with the authorities to triage the situation. Within eight months, they produced a roadmap for a new hybrid business model which the rest of the industry could adopt. Less than two months later, they witnessed the new model being deployed on the global stage at the 2020 Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) in December, which was broadcast live to 60,000 attendees and around the clock for over five days.

Is there a secret to the successful turnaround, one that is exclusive to the personalities that make up this industry? Perhaps a propensity for change, or a hardened resilience from living day-to-day under Murphy’s Law? While that could be true for many MICE professionals, we also pay heed to the tireless efforts of many, as well as the unfortunate casualties, including event businesses that were shuttered when they could neither partake in the digital transformation nor outlast the pandemic.

In this article, we discuss the lessons learned from the MICE industry in the context of managing change, mobilising talent, and building resilience.

Keywords

digital transformation, Singapore, digital space

Discipline

Asian Studies | Business Administration, Management, and Operations

Publication

Asian Management Insights (Singapore Management University)

Volume

10

Issue

1

First Page

66

Last Page

72

ISSN

2315-4284

Publisher

Singapore Management University, Centre for Management Practice

City or Country

Singapore

Embargo Period

10-26-2023

Copyright Owner and License

Singapore Management University

Additional URL

https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/ami/article/20230316/don%E2%80%99t-fear-reaper

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