Coronavirus Singapore

Movement-tracking wristbands to be trialled at hybrid Mice event

Wristbands to track movements and partitioned meeting pods with microphones will be trialled as Singapore looks to revive its battered meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) sector.

Almost 1,000 business visitors, delegates and speakers, comprising mostly locals, will try out these new measures at the Geo Connect Asia 2021 event to be held at Marina Bay Sands on March 24 and 25.

Geo Connect Asia is the first large-scale hybrid Mice event this year and the second one - after the TravelRevive trade show in November - since the Covid-19 pandemic decimated international air travel.

About 1,200 virtual attendees are expected at the event, which will focus on geospatial technology, or location-based data technology.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said yesterday that it will continue to reimagine Mice events as it gears up to host the World Economic Forum in August.

Mr Andrew Phua, the STB's executive director of exhibitions and conferences, said Geo Connect Asia underlines Singapore's role as a key hub for international trade events.

"It also pushes new boundaries in innovation and safe events, marking an important next step for Singapore as we continue to test and scale such hybrid formats," he said.

One of the new initiatives to be tested will be the Safe Event platform, which will use geospatial technology to monitor a person's movements during the event through an app and a wristband.

Participants must submit a photograph of themselves to facilitate facial recognition and download the Safe Event mobile app, which alerts them if they violate safe management measures.

As for meeting pods installed with plexiglass to separate participants, the STB said these were tested at the TravelRevive trade show.

But the STB has now introduced larger pods to accommodate four people, and microphones have been installed.

Mr Rupert Owen, co-founder of Geo Connect Asia, said the safety measures will allow participants to have a good experience in a safe environment.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 10, 2021, with the headline Movement-tracking wristbands to be trialled at hybrid Mice event. Subscribe