A travel event next month will be the first trade show here to pilot new safety measures for Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) events, such as automated registration kiosks, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The TravelRevive trade show will also trial contactless technology following the easing of rules for Mice events announced last month.

For instance, by scanning QR codes, attendees will be able to register for the event and download booth materials of exhibitors to minimise contact between them, Messe Berlin (Singapore), which is organising the TravelRevive event with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), said yesterday.

The two-day show runs from Nov 25 to 26 and will be held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

Other safety measures that will be in place for TravelRevive include plexiglass shields in exhibition booths and meeting pods, which will allow for private meetings between exhibitors and buyers.

These meeting pods will ensure the safety of those at the event, since they reduce the transmission of droplets, which are known to spread the coronavirus, said Messe Berlin (Singapore).

In addition, social distancing ambassadors will be deployed on-site, the conference room floor plan will be reconfigured to allow social distancing, and contact tracing will be done.

The event is expected to host 250 people from various Asian countries, and the measures it is trialling come after STB last month announced relaxed rules for Mice events that had been in place to limit the spread of Covid-19.

STB said then that event organisers could apply to pilot bigger Mice events with up to 250 participants from Oct 1.

This is an increase from the previous maximum number of 50 attendees and is in line with the gradual resumption of economic activities in Singapore.

The Mice industry plays an important role in Singapore, supporting more than 34,000 jobs with an economic value-add of $3.8 billion, or nearly 1 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP), according to a survey commissioned by the STB last year.

But the Mice industry is among the sectors most severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new Mice event safety measures to be tested at next month's TravelRevive were developed by the Alliance for Action on Enabling Safe and Innovative Visitor Experiences.

The alliance is one of those formed under the Emerging Stronger Taskforce.

These alliances are industry-led and government-supported coalitions that test ideas in key strategic areas for Singapore during the pandemic.

The alliance has also designed itineraries, comprising a selection of leisure activities that comply with prevailing safe management guidelines, which will be trialled with the attendees of TravelRevive.

These itineraries could serve as a model for small groups of international visitors when international travel resumes eventually, Messe Berlin (Singapore) said.

Last Thursday, STB called a tender to appoint two to three destination management companies to design and pilot these itineraries for TravelRevive participants.

In their proposals, firms should allow for data collection of delegate preferences, which will go towards developing and refining future itineraries.

They should also gather feedback on the capabilities and skill sets that the itineraries require.

Besides testing new safety measures, TravelRevive will have virtual elements, such as a live telecast of conferences and an online exhibitor directory.

STB's assistant chief executive Yap Chin Siang said: "Together with our industry, we want to set Singapore apart as the world's leading destination for safe, trusted and innovative business events.