Singapore and Resorts World at Sentosa to Host Asia Pacific Retailers Convention & Exhibition in 2011

Asia's largest convention and exhibition for the retail industry returns to Southeast Asia

Singapore, Oct 16, 2009 - (ACN Newswire) - The next Asia Pacific Retailers Convention & Exhibition (APRCE) will be held in Singapore from 10 - 13 October 2011. Themed "Discover, Differentiate, Deliver!", the 15th edition of Asia's largest retail convention and exhibition aims to discover new approaches to the latest issues facing the region's retailers and highlight innovative solutions that can help retailers differentiate themselves from competitors, to deliver greater value to consumers in Asia.

Also known as APRCE 2011, the event was last held in Southeast Asia in 2001, when Jakarta hosted the tenth edition. Since then, it has been hosted in Christchurch, Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul. An estimated 2,500 participants from across the 17 member countries/areas of the Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA) are expected to attend the convention and exhibition. FAPRA members' selection of Singapore as the host city will bring this key regional event closer to the Southeast Asian retail hubs which have seen phenomenal growth in the past decade. Retailers in this region are expected to grasp this opportunity and make up the majority of the delegates at the event in Singapore.

APRCE 2011 is hosted in association with FAPRA and jointly organised by The Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) and Singapore Exhibition Services (SES).

Key Developments in the Singapore Retail Scene

APRCE 2011 will be the second time that Singapore is hosting the regional convention and exhibition. The Lion City last hosted the event in 1989. The milestone 15th edition of the event will arrive in the wake of large-scale developments in the city's retail landscape.

The iconic Orchard Road shopping belt has received a US$1.1 billion facelift, with investments from the private and public sectors increasing shopping options and diversity of retail concepts. Brand new malls along the stretch will add 100,000 square metres of retail space to the shopping belt. Two integrated resorts, Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands will also be completed in 2010, adding to the mix by bringing flagship concept stores featuring top global brands.

In the next two years, over 500,000 square metres of retail space will be added to the market in Singapore, which is 25 per cent more than the total space added over the last 15 years. This is a reflection of the extraordinary expansion of the retail sector in the island state in recent years.

Choice Convention and Exhibition Destination

Delegates to the convention and exhibition will be visiting a leading Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibition (MICE) city offering a wide, vibrant range of entertainment, nightlife, culture, shopping and food. Singapore received, for the second consecutive year, the title of "Top International Meeting City" in the Union of International Associations (UIA) 2008 Global Rankings and also retained pole position for 25 years running as Asia's "Top Country and City for Meetings" in the International Congress Convention Association (ICCA) Global Rankings 2007.

APRCE 2011 will be held at Resorts World at Sentosa, a US$4.7 billion mega-resort that will be home to Southeast Asia's first and only Universal Studios theme park, the world's largest oceanarium and a myriad of world-class MICE facilities. To be opened in early 2010, the spanking development is located on the resort island of Sentosa. Sentosa is connected to mainland Singapore by road and is a mere 25 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from the commercial and shopping districts.

"We are truly honoured to be chosen to host APRCE 2011. The event will introduce best practices and innovative use of technologies to the growing retail industry in Asia, which is projected to see total retail sales reach US$5.3 trillion by 2013. It will continue to play a critical role in providing members with the competitive advantage in the increasingly globalised retail market place," said Dato' Dr Jannie Tay, APRCE 2011 Convention Chairperson and President of Singapore Retail Association.

APRCE 2011 is supported by The Singapore Tourism Board. For the latest updates, please visit www.aprce2011.org.

The 15th APRCE 2011 is held at Resorts World @ Sentosa, Singapore

To pre-register or reserve a copy of the convention programme, please email aprce@sra.org.sg. Early Bird Registration opens in 2010.