By adopting a hybrid format that provides both interactivity and a robust level of safety, organisers of Geo Connect Asia 2021 are heralding the resumption of major events in Singapore.
Montgomery Asia’s two-day event runs 24-25 March at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre and both organiser and the Singapore Tourism Board are hoping it will signal a turning point for the region’s MICE industry as it recovers from the impact of the pandemic.
This keystone event for the ASEAN geospatial community, Geo Connect Asia (GCA), will offer a prototype hybrid format and comprise both a physical event at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, as well as a virtual Geo Connect Asia 2021 option for delegates to meet online.
Organisers expect to welcome close to 1,000 business visitors, delegates and speakers onsite, and up to 1,200 additional virtual attendees.
Geo Connect Asia 2021 will also be the first large-scale hybrid event of the year in Singapore, following the successful pilot of TravelRevive in November 2020. GCA 2021 is piloting the ‘hybrid event’ prototype developed by the Singapore Together Alliance for Action (AfA) on Enabling Safe and Innovative Visitor Experiences under the Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST).
The Geo Connect Asia 2021 Conference themed ‘Mapping the data-driven future economy’, will be led by high-level speakers and thought leaders from across the global geospatial industry. The event will provide a strategic and collaborative platform for industry professionals, government agencies, start-ups and more, through a diverse agenda of keynote addresses, plenary sessions, and roundtables.
The first plenary session of the Geo Connect Asia 2021 Conference will examine how geospatial solutions can support ASEAN economies in mounting a sustainable recovery from the pandemic.
Key topics at the GCA 2021 Conference include:
- On the Move: Smart Transportation for Asia’s Dynamic Urban Landscapes
- Digital Twins: Transforming the Dynamics of Connected Infrastructure Planning
- Easily Accessible Data for the Future of Geospatial Planning
- Building resilience and sustainability into ASEAN geospatial planning
- Harnessing the power of satellite imagery for a sustainable future
- Smarter Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities
- Sustainable and Liveable Cities
- Putting 5G to Work: Intelligent Use Cases for ASEAN
Geo Connect Asia has entered two new Trade Partnerships with the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES) and the Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES), as well as a partnership with SGTech for the Singapore Pavilion at GCA 2021.
Rupert Owen, Montgomery Asia - Geo Connect Asia Co-founder, said: “With more than 40 leading speakers and panellists, the conference provides anexciting mix of thought leadership, industry insights and educational opportunities for membership associations.
“The co-operation of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Singapore Land Authority has been critical to the staging of the event and we look forward to creating an annual event with a global impact to reflect the dynamism of the Asian geospatial ecosystem.”
Montgomery Asia has been working closely with the STB to ensure the health and safety of attendees at Geo Connect Asia 2021 through the implementation of Safe Management Measures (SMM) such as safe distancing, crowd density control and the use of TraceTogether to facilitate contact tracing for international visitors.
GCA 2021 will feature Geo Suites which are ballrooms converted into ‘exhibition booths’. Each Geo Suite will cater to a single exhibitor who can display their products and provide demonstrations on a stage, and hold business meetings in pods located within the Suite.
Geo Suites will replace a typical tradeshow floor as the main mode of interaction and help to minimise intermingling between cohorts of attendees. There will also be meeting pods to enable 1-to-1 meetings between exhibitors and attendees, as well as some larger ones. Both virtual and in-person attendees can schedule business meetings prior to the event, and continue their engagements after the show.
Andrew Phua, executive director of exhibitions and conferences at the STB, said: “As Singapore’s first large-scale hybrid event of the year, Geo Connect Asia 2021 underlines our continued 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. We look forward to hosting more of such events in Singapore, and to provide a safe and fulfilling experience for all our visitors.”
The full Geo Connect Asia 2021 Conference Agenda is now available here, and delegates and visitors may register here.
Geo Connect Asia is also a participant under the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework. Industry professionals may claim CPD Points for attending Geo Connect Asia 2021. For more details, visit https://www.geoconnectasia.com/conference#second-section.
