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SINGAPORE, Oct. 25 (Bloomberg): Singapore will hold its first large-scale business conference this week since the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to such activities in the city-state, amid ongoing efforts to revive its economy.
Singapore International Energy Week kicks off Monday with 250 participants and staff on site, with hundreds more expected to join virtually.
Singapore has become a hub for oil and natural gas traders, and in a typical year it hosts dozens of lectures, panel discussions and happy hours for company officials to mingle and negotiate deals.
While places like China and Taiwan have rebooted trade events from auto shows to technology conferences with hundreds of participants, the Singapore event will be the city-state’s first step in reopening a key sector.
Those attending the conference at Marina Bay Sands must take a Covid-19 test, with results in 30 minutes, and must download a contact tracing app.
The Singapore government has put in place strict measures to stop the spread of the virus, such as implementing a partial lockdown for two months, the mandatory use of masks and limiting outdoor gatherings to just five people. The economy has gradually reopened since mid-June, and new local daily cases have dropped to low or zero digits in recent weeks.
Authorities view the conference as a pilot to see if their measures can help create a safe environment to allow for other major events, after other high-profile ones such as the Formula One race and the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference were ruled out or they went online this year. .
The keynote speaker at Singapore International Energy Week will be Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman, though the prince will be joining virtually. Some executives, such as Jochen Eickholt, a member of the board of the Germany-based Siemens AG, will travel to Singapore to attend the event.
This energetic event is ahead of the fintech festival in December, which will also adopt the online and physical model. The conference, which drew about 60,000 participants last year, will feature speakers including Citigroup Inc. CEO-Appointed Jane Fraser, Standard Chartered Plc CEO Bill Winters, and Microsoft Corp. CEO Satya. Nadella. – Bloomberg
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