SGUnited, in partnership with Singapore Tourism Board
“Stressful but strangely exciting” is how Ong Wee Min, who leads the MICE business at Marina Bay Sands, describes this period.
As Covid devastated the lucrative sector the executive, who’s been in the industry for more than 20 years, found himself having to think quickly and creatively on his feet, and to lead his team through a massive sea of change in their business that is requiring them to develop new skills almost overnight.
In this podcast, he shares his fondest memories of his career, the thinking behind its much-talked-about Hybrid Broadcasting Studio, his views about conferences and exhibitions for the future as well as advice for the next generation of talent entering a very changed industry from the one they studied and prepared for.
And towards the end, he throws in an anecdote about how he surprised his parents with the decision that changed his life.
Have a listen.
Why this period is “strangely exciting”
“It’s exciting because we stand at a time now where the industry collectively has a chance to redefine this future. The break that we all had allowed us to take a step back from the rat race and reimagine what the future of the industry would hold – how people connect, how people drive information, why do we exist?”
The thinking behind the Hybrid Broadcasting Studio
“We asked ourselves, how would we, as a group, how would we as an industry, then transact knowledge because this is an industry that’s built on the three needs – the need to transact knowledge, the need to transact business and the need to transact networks. So in the situation that we were in, those needs did not diminish but the willingness and ability to travel did. That’s how the concept of the studio first came up.
“We looked at three different parallel industries … broadcasting, sports industry and e-gaming.
“And so the studio was born, a live hybrid broadcast studio, enabling live broadcasts, great immersive screens, mixed reality enabled, as well as a holographic presence enabled.”
Holograms are not new, but we are being forced to use them now
“Holograms have been in about the industry for about 10-15 years, but has never taken root. Because people could fly. And if people couldn’t fly to a place for a meeting we simply forgot about the person, and got another speaker instead. This situation that we find ourselves in allows us to reimagine what hologram would do for all of us.”
Critical to invest in talent
“No two studios should be the same, they should meet the requirements of the community that you serve. And the second biggest investment is in developing the talent. It’s no use having a physical studio, it is just four walls to do, and having no talent to run it.”
Selling air space on top of square metres
“It still works the same way. We are the palate, we are the white screen whereby our clients would fill the space with their content and storyboard. We are the platform where people feel connected. That hasn’t changed. So what has changed, the technology part has changed.
“Previously, we were all just concerned with face to face. And now suddenly, the opportunity of engaging a wider audience is upon us.”
The future of virtual exhibitions
“My view is that if it’s a standalone product by itself, it will go away and disappear, the moment the skies reopen, because it serves no purpose. It’s like browsing through a client website … the future would be bright if they form part of an omni channel approach.”