Singapore Expo (stylised as Singapore EXPO) is the largest convention and exhibition venue in Singapore with over 100,000 square metres of column-free, indoor space spread over 10 halls. The center was designed by Cox Richardson Rayner, built by PSA International, and funded by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The S$220 million building (excluding the cost of the 40,000 m² expansion) is located in Tampines, Singapore. Singapore Expo was officially opened on 4 March 1999. It has since been managed by Constellar Venues Private Limited (formerly known as SingEx Venues Private Limited), a fully owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings and Singapore Press Holdings.
Facilities Singapore Expo Convention and Exhibition Center is the largest meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions (MICE) venue in Singapore and is one of the largest and most completely equipped centre in the whole of Asia. There are ten large multipurpose halls, each being 10,000 square metres in size, giving a total floor space of over 100,000 square metres. All available spaces are interconnected, column-free and on the ground level. Ten conference halls are also available, ranging in size from 89 to 844 square metres, suitable for accommodating 150 to 1,000 people. In addition, there are meeting rooms which can seat 15 to 125 members. The original Singapore Expo building comprised six interconnected halls of 10,000 square metres each, with column free-spaces and ceiling heights of up to 16 metres. Each hall is self-contained and is linked to the other halls by air-conditioned walkways. An additional 40,000 square metres (four new halls) were completed on 15 September 2005 and linked to the original building across Expo Drive via a sheltered walkway. In addition, the MAX Atria @ Singapore Expo opened on 22 March 2012 as part of Singapore Expo's expansion. It caters for changing needs of meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions participants and is an environmentally-friendly building. In addition, it is the first venue to provide free WiFi for participants. A carpark for 2,200 vehicles is also available, which can be converted into 25,000 square metres of outdoor exhibition space. It is connected to the MRT train network through the nearby Expo MRT station, allowing access via East West MRT line and Downtown MRT line. In 2026, Singapore Expo introduced Apex @ Expo, a multipurpose event venue located in Hall 1. It can accommodate up to 9,000 people and includes a permanent stage, tiered seating configurations, audiovisual systems and a pre-function area. The venue was designed for concerts, conferences and large-scale plenary events.
History With the exhibition space at the World Trade Centre slated for redevelopment, a replacement venue that could exceed the 34,000 square metres of indoor space was needed. The initial phase of the construction on the building thereby commenced on 30 May 1997, in spite of the impact the Asian financial crisis had on the economy, and it was completed two years later when the building was officially opened on 4 March 1999. Critics predicted that the halls would be under-utilised and further worsened by its relatively remote location, compared to the old World Trade Centre, or the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre which had opened earlier in 1995. Bus (Services 12 and 24) and taxi services were the primary mode of transportation commuters took to reach Singapore Expo, both of which were overwhelmed during peak hours. This led to a pressing need for an MRT station connecting to the MRT route to both Changi Airport and the town, together with the merger of bus service 220 and 290 to form 38, running from Tampines to Bedok. The initial years almost proved the critics right, although the venue made a quick turnaround within a few years. The opening of the Expo MRT station on 10 January 2001 was a boost to the venue, which was experiencing increasing usage for functions including conventions, exhibitions, rock concerts, New Year parties, beauty pageants, musicals, and even as examination halls for educational institutions. By 2003, demand for ever bigger exhibition space prompted the Singapore Expo to proceed with its expansion plans, especially in response to the needs of IMTA Asia, which was slated to be held from 17 to 21 October 2005. With the inaugural show already occupying the full 60,000 square metres of space, pressure was on the venue to expand, or the prestigious event may have to move somewhere else since there is no other bigger venue available in Singapore. In response, a new 40,000 square metre expansion comprising a further four halls was constructed adjacent to the existing halls across Expo Drive in double quick time to meet the expected exhibition period, and was completed on 15 September that year. Since 2001, the Bethesda Community church has been renting the Singapore Expo Meeting Rooms for weekly services. Since December 2005, the largest church in Singapore, City Harvest Church, used Hall 8 of the Singapore Expo on a weekly basis, while the 10,000-member Faith Community Baptist Church used Hall 10 (The Max Pavilion) till the Urban Redevelopment Authority imposed their terms of religious organisations leasing venues of not more than 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) in February 2011. Another expansion was done to cater for the changing needs of MICE participants with the MAX Atria @ Singapore Expo, which opened on 22 March 2012. The building has environmentally-friendly features and provides free WiFi for participants, the first in Asia to do so.
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