Vision

In 1978, the exhibitions industry reached its first milestone infrastructure boost when the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB, known as Singapore Tourist Promotion Board then) converted two warehouses into exhibition halls. These warehouses formed the first official exhibition complex – World Trade Centre (WTC) Exhibition Complex – commonly regarded as the predecessor of the Singapore EXPO & Max Atria.

The exhibition division in PSA began managing WTC. The Centre was to serve as the location of choice for trading firms, banks, foreign trade commissions, and government bodies involved in trade and industry. Besides facilitating international trade, the centre aimed to combine commercial, recreational and marine terminal facilities under one roof.

This was the beginning of a nascent MICE scene in Singapore. What was known as the Expo Gateway and WTC then saw the likes of trade conferences from the medical, economic, and cultural sectors that brought together partners from the region for collaboration. These shows include CommunicAsia, one of the largest events for the region’s ICT industry; Machineasia, a machinery and engineering equipment show for South East Asia; Security Asia, an international security equipment exhibition and conference; and City Trans Asia, one of the first events in an exhibition and seminar format showcasing technology and developments in urban planning and transportation.

By 1997, the exhibition space at the WTC was slated for redevelopment and a hunt for a replacement venue that could exceed the 34,000 square metres of indoor space began. A location was confirmed in the East, and the venue was named Singapore EXPO.

The divestment of the exhibitions arm from PSA Corp led to the establishment of SingEx Venues in 1999, a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings. SingEx Venues subsequently won the bid to manage Singapore EXPO’s first six exhibition halls built in the East. As a testament to the demand for such spaces, Singapore EXPO hosted over 90 trade and consumer exhibitions in 2000, of which 75 were international. These events attracted an estimated total of over 1 million visitors.

Singapore EXPO expands with 4 more halls, bringing the total indoor and outdoor exhibition space to 123,000 square metres.

As Singapore continued to grow its reputation as a regional hub capitalising on the strength of South East Asian economies, the demand for regional and international trade conferences and business meetings rose rapidly. To cater to the influx, the meeting rooms wing of Singapore EXPO was launched, offering 12,000 sqm of additional meeting space featuring 32 column-free, configurable rooms with spacious foyers, a garden courtyard, and ample space for diverse event formats.

Singapore EXPO won Best International Venue award at the 10th Exhibition News (EN) Awards in 2016.

Singapore EXPO won Best Business Event Venue (2018) and Best Business Event Venue Experience (2019) at the Singapore Tourism Awards.

Singapore EXPO became a pioneer awardee of the prestigious Platinum Certification under the MICE Sustainability Certification (MSC) framework developed by the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS).​