Dedicated transport, testing stations part of strict protocols

One of the most-watched global events to be held in Singapore since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic was under way yesterday in meticulously planned fashion, as the Republic took another step towards business as usual as a leading events hub.

The Bloomberg New Economy Forum (NEF) saw Covid-19 testing and safety measures implemented with no hiccups for about 300 international business and government leaders who descended on Sentosa island's ritzy Capella hotel.

As part of a pilot scheme by Singapore starting this week, the NEF is helping to create a blueprint for how such events can be conducted, Bloomberg Media's global communications head Brian Strong told The Straits Times.

"The protocols are stringent in the best way possible - to keep people safe," he added.

All participants - international and local - must be fully vaccinated and take a daily antigen rapid test (ART) provided free by organisers at seven testing stations around the island.

With a negative result, which is also recorded in the TraceTogether app, a participant gets a "Daily Pin", which will be in a different colour for each of the NEF days, from yesterday to tomorrow.

There were no positive Covid-19 test results returned by delegates by the end of the first day.

The Daily Pin allows a participant to board a shuttle and enter the event premises at Capella.

Shuttles are the only way to get to the NEF, as car or taxi drop-offs are not allowed for security reasons.

Media personnel are sequestered in one of the hotel's two-storey manors, or bungalow-style accommodation, which has been repurposed as a press centre.

They can access the main ballroom venue only if escorted by staff, and if capacity considerations allow.

Delegates whom ST managed to speak to praised the management of the event, and said they appreciated the daily testing regime and strict safety protocols.

"The process has been extremely efficient and easy, with no problems at all," said Mr Simon Chamorro, co-founder of Valiu, an app that performs blockchain-based international remittance.

He added that the first day went by flawlessly, from the logistics to the hospitality and the venue. "Singapore has everything to be a global events hub," he said.

The delegates - with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo among some of the bigger names on the roll - are constantly reminded to keep their masks on and to stay 1m apart, through signs, posters and the presence of safe distancing ambassadors, who are not dressed in red T-shirts as they usually are.

About a thousand staff and volunteers from Bloomberg and other vendors are involved in the NEF, although not all are on site at any one time.

As the event falls under a pilot initiative announced by the Government on Monday, zoning restrictions have been lifted and groups of up to five are allowed to dine together at designated restaurants.

There are six of these, with two at Capella and the rest spread among four other designated hotels in the city area.

News of the dining group size sparked backlash when it was first reported in ST last month, with some perceiving inconsistency in rules for forum delegates and people in Singapore - who were then limited to a maximum of two when dining out.

Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong explained then that the larger group size would facilitate business networking, one of the key objectives of the NEF.

He stressed that the requirements to be fully vaccinated and to undergo daily pre-event testing were stricter than those for events such as wedding receptions, where attendees are already allowed to dine in groups of five.

Mr Gan has spoken of the importance of events such as the NEF in affirming Singapore's role as a global business capital and node for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice).

Although the Shangri-La Dialogue scheduled for June and World Economic Forum in August were both called off, with organisers citing the uncertain and deteriorating Covid-19 situation then, recent events such as Gamescom Asia and the Joint Leadership Summit of the top Mice associations, both of which took place last month, were held successfully.

The Singapore Tourism Board has announced a pipeline of Mice events next year, including the Singapore Airshow in February and Global Health Security Conference in June.

The inaugural NEF in 2018 was also hosted by Singapore after a last-minute switch from Beijing amid frosty Sino-US ties. It was held virtually last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.