Singapore, the world's top fifth convention city and Asia's top convention city, will attend Chicago's Incentive Travel & Meetings Executives tradeshow between October 9 and 11. With the world still reeling from the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist strikes on New York's World Trade Center and Washington DC's Pentagon, IT&ME's organizers have given a resounding confirmation that the show will go on.

The Singapore delegation, led by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB), a division of STB, will be tuning their marketing stance to respond to the rapidly changing scenario on the world economic stage.  

Mr. M. Chew, STB's Senior Vice President to Americas, who is leading the delegation, said: ``The attacks on the US are terribly tragic, and the effects are still unfolding across all business sectors. Nonetheless like our partners and associates in the US, we in Singapore are doing what we can to function as business-as-normal. There is even a greater need now to strengthen relationships and partnership ties.

``The STB, SECB and the Singapore Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) industry are here at IT&ME with one message:

• That we will work with our North American counterparts to find ways to rejuvenate the market. The continued success of the MICE industry worldwide will hinge on our ability, as individuals and national organizations, to meet challenges head-on and to adapt to a changing environment altogether.

'' Indeed, Singapore's success as a MICE destination is captured in the combination of superb infrastructure, security, world-class venues, facilities and an efficient, experienced support industry. Singapore's portfolio this year includes prestigious events such as the Forbes Global CEO Conference (19 to 20 September), SWIFT World Forum (15 to 19 October) and ITMA Asia 2001 (15 to 19 October).

The biennial Asian Aerospace -- the region's premier Air Show -- has been confirmed for 26 February to 3 March 2002 in Singapore. At IT&ME, the Singapore Pavilion at the McCormick Place Complex will fascinate incentive planners with live demonstrations of Chinese opera mask making and calligraphy, as a mini showcase of Singapore's colorful cultural scene.

In addition, incentive and meeting planners can visit the SECB's website at www.meet-in-singapore.com, a dedicated site for meetings and incentive planners that is packed with useful information and supplier listings that will help them in planning their events in Singapore.

Last year, US incentive visitors to Singapore made up 10.6 percent of total market share. This year, the Singapore delegation also comprised Singapore's destination management companies such as East West Executive Travellers, Pacific World Destination Management and Tour East Singapore.

Also present were hoteliers from Raffles Hotel, Pan Pacific Singapore, Westin Stamford & Westin Plaza, and the national carrier, Singapore Airlines.