The chief executive officer of SingEx, the management company of Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre, Aloysius Arlando, says that the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) is a “choice platform” for Asia centres as the continent rises in prominence within the global meetings industry.
Arlando was elected to the vice-president’s post at the AIPC annual conference in Boston in July. He becomes the first Asian to be nominated to the AIPC Board, reflecting the increasing influence of the Asian region, which is expanding its share in the global marketplace.
Arlando also serves as the vice-chairman of the Asia-Pacific Chapter of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) since his nomination in November 2014.
In his first major comment in his new role on the importance of AIPC for Asian centres, Arlando said: “I am honoured to be elected by my peers of this global association and I look forward to working with president Geoff Donaghy, chief executive of the International Convention Centre Sydney, and board members to contribute to AIPC as it deepens its commitment to centre excellence in the key regions of the world through education, networking and advocacy programmes.
“Asian centres are rising in prominence as the region is seeing a steady growth of meetings and trade events for companies and associations to expand business networks, forge new partnerships and deepen understanding of the region’s marketplace.
“At the same time, centres are working hard to become competitive in terms of service, value, design and technology solutions to meet the demanding needs of their clients.
“AIPC is therefore a choice platform for Asian centres to exchange experiences and glean new insights from their global peers in their effort to address these challenges.
“I am excited to be playing a role in shaping AIPC’s efforts to achieve its goals and bring value to its members so that they can harness the collective expertise and knowledge of the world’s convention centres to enhance their value in the cities and communities they serve.”
AIPC represents a global network of 170 leading centres in 54 countries with the active involvement of more than 900 management-level professionals worldwide.
SingEx is wholly owned by Temasek Holdings and oversees a group of subsidiary companies that specialises in providing a range of solutions for venue management and consultancy, as well as organising trade exhibitions and conferences.
