SACEOS, Carving Out a New Future
This year is a landmark one for the Singapore Association for Conventions Exhibitions Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS). It is celebrating its 40th year in operation and has appointed a new president. Aloysius Arlando – a prolific figurehead in the business events industry in Singapore – took over the reigns in February. Arlando has helmed various leadership positions in Singapore's public sector. He currently serves as the CEO of SingEx Holdings and is on the boards of several associations, institutions and high-level committees around the world, including the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) of which he is also president. He shares his vision for SACEOS and explains why it is imperative associations are 'future-ready'.
How does SACEOS position itself within the global associations market?
MICE-commerce is a global and borderless business world with distributed networks. In this super-connected global world of associations, SACEOS remains a key and committed player in this sphere of relationships, distinguishing itself as a thought-leader for its focus on sustainable business growth and merits it brings to the community.
How will your personal experience in the industry help advance SACEOS?
I have had the privilege of working in both the public and private sectors of the meetings industry over the past two decades. Through these domains, I will draw on the expertise and experience of my networks in this global industry to forge successful partnerships to make this industry a choice for all, where passion can truly be made possible.
What is your vision for SACEOS?
To harness the power of communities and establish new levels of collaboration for the growth of the industry. In today's world of digitally-enabled communities, cross-industry collaborations and global market connectedness, SACEOS will need to forge purpose-driven partnerships near and far to make our meetings industry future-ready and strengthen Singapore's leading position in the global meetings space. It is therefore imperative for SACEOS to work with key local associations, institutions and global industry associations to address the capability and capacity challenges head on and create new and exciting opportunities for the betterment of the business community, people it serves and the workforce it employs.
What developments can we expect to see?
SACEOS has dedicated its strategy to the educational needs of the meetings industry for many years. The milestones and achievements that have been made provide a prime foundation from which my executive committee will draw strength and confidently enter into the next phase of growth. At the 2018 Singapore MICE Forum, SACEOS created the Asia Pacific Community Building Manifesto, a bold and courageous mandate towards the future meetings industry in 2030. The Manifesto outlined seven key pillars including people, technology, business models and new ecosystem, to promote sustainable business progress in the Asia-Pacific region.
How is SACEOS driving change in the industry?
SACEOS is raising awareness that standing still is not an option. We are driving the transformative change and fostering the collaborative wisdom of relevant stakeholders to create new business models. We believe the meetings industry needs to be generation-ready. The demographics and motivations of the four generations (Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z) are all different and increasingly making an impact in the market. We are gathering understanding to provide a platform for members to prepare for generation readiness, so they can tap into the wave of opportunities this presents.
This interview was conducted by Boardroom editor Chantelle Dietz.