Singapore: Constellation of stars in the galaxy

In early February 2021, SingEx Holdings merged with Sphere Exhibits. And so a company was born and christened only five months later: Constellar.

Expectations are high: “The merger brought together two leading MICE players with an ambition to become an industry champion of growth for the Asia-Pacific region," argues Jean-François Quentin. “In doing so, we want to seize new opportunities,” explains the Constellar Group’s CEO. “By tapping into each other's expertise, resources and networks.” The two firms have over five decades of combined experience and an established track record in organising and hosting diverse trade and consumer shows in the region. The new name Constellar unifies the two companies and stands for the merged entity’s vision - nomen est omen: “Like a constellation of stars in the galaxy, we want to connect people and businesses with the future,” says Jean-François Quentin.

Constellar operates the city state’s largest exhibition centre: Singapore Expo. “We are making pivotal changes to our business strategy,” points out Wee Phong Chua. “We’ll be activating more spaces within Singapore Expo,” says Constellar's Chief Executive Venues. “Customers and visitors will be offered an expanded repertoire of services.” For visitors this will mean more reasons to visit Singapore Expo all year round beyond attending a MICE event. For customers this helps to create more opportunities for deeper audience engagement. Green activities play a central role, sustainability is key for the business. “Back in 2011, Singapore Expo was the first MICE facility in Singapore to receive the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Standard certification for its meeting rooms,” reflects Wee Phong Chua. In the same breath, he describes a goal that is to be met before long: “We want to become an entirely carbon-neutral venue by 2024.”

Upcoming activities include the implementation of a systematic energy efficiency plan. Measures include urban farming and the use of renewable energy sources like solar panel installations and water consumption management. Wee Phong Chua also points out existing waste management initiatives. “This includes reducing single-use plastics and deploying sustainable and environmentally friendly meal packaging and water bottles.” The concept also includes processes and practices to ensure long-term business sustainability such as supporting local communities, for example by sourcing products and services from local suppliers - and working with partners who incorporate environmentally friendly practices into their business operations.

The booking situation at Singapore Expo for the second half of 2022 is good. “We are seeing a robust event calendar,” enthuses Jean-François Quentin. He points to major trade events such as the two editions of Food & Hotel Asia and Jewellery & Gem World Singapore. The latter, like Cosmoprof Asia, was relocated from Hong Kong. Constellar itself will be organising some of its largest exhibitions and conferences this autumn. Quentin cites Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific and the Singapore FinTech Festival as examples (www.constellar.co).

Jean-François Quentin, CEO of Constellar Group, talks about adjusting the business model, reinvention and collaboration.

What are the success factors of the future?
Our industry is fast becoming a digitally-enabled intellectual property business. Our success depends on how quickly we can adapt to and capitalise on opportunities for hybrid activities. Covid has provided great impetus to transform our business model. That means investing in talent, digital and green infrastructure.

Constellar is breaking new ground and talking about reinvention and collaboration. How are you reinventing yourself?
Take Singapore Expo, which we have been managing for over 20 years. We offer a full suite of digital, culinary and venue management services to help clients achieve their event objectives with confidence. In doing so, we go beyond traditional MICE events. Families, individuals or small business owners can enjoy an 800-seat urban food park, casual bistro and Singapore's largest fun kart circuit.

And what about collaboration?
Exhibitors today value visitor quality over quantity. And we are committed to providing them greater ROI with stronger customer insights. This allows them to curate meaningful interactions and cultivate collaborative relationships. We now work with partners such as Gevme and Jublia for events such as Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific and Singapore FinTech Festival. This is how we are augmenting our capabilities in providing data intelligence to support registration and business matching services. This is part of a seamless event flow.