MEET THE TEAM: Genevieve Lim, Assistant Director of Sales, Marina Bay Sands
1. Tell us about yourself and your role at Marina Bay Sands.
I lead the team that handles all Association Meeting (AM) requirements within the integrated resort’s Sales department. Together with my team, I work closely with local associations and the Singapore Tourism Board to bid for international events to take place in Singapore and at Marina Bay Sands. Part of this process includes ‘matchmaking’ local associations from similar industries with that of their international counterparts and to jointly organise these high-level events at our integrated resort. This requires a deep understanding of various industry associations and their needs, so as to offer them a tailored solution at our venue.
2. From a venue perspective, what are some of the key elements that are essential for hosting Association Meetings?
When selling a venue, many would typically name space, room size and quantity of breakout rooms as essential requirements for a successful AM. However, in today’s global market, such options are plentiful.
For Marina Bay Sands, these technical requirements are already a given. Instead, we emphasise on our ability to deliver consistent and exceptional service. Marina Bay Sands’ greatest asset and key to delivering successful events is our people, which is why we invest heavily and support in training to equip our staff with the necessary skills and professional certifications to better serve our clients. In fact, we have the largest number of 17 CMP- and CEM-certified staff compared to other venues in Singapore. Our attrition rate is also low, with more than 50 per cent of Marina Bay Sands’ Team Members having worked at the company for more than five years. This means that most of our Sales Team Members have been around to see our clients through from the initial site inspection visit to final event execution, a process which can take a few years. This has helped us maintain trust and build long-term relationships with key global AM clients and secure repeat business at Marina Bay Sands.
3. What is your most memorable Association Meeting at Marina Bay Sands and why?
It would definitely be the 28th World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, organised by the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology (ISUOG). The event was held for the first time in Asia in October 2018 at Marina Bay Sands, but the process of working together with the team began since 2014.
In order to secure this event, our team diligently studied past ISUOG congresses to understand the patterns in their event organisation, delegate attendance, as well as event objectives. Leveraging on these in-depth insights gathered, we were then able to offer the client a highly customised proposal that leveraged on our capabilities as a venue to meet their event goals.
Not only was the 28th World Congress a huge success, a very strong friendship was also forged between myself and Sarah, the Chief Executive Officer of ISUOG. It made the whole partnership a lot more memorable and enjoyable.
4. In one sentence, tell us why Marina Bay Sands is the choice venue for Association Meetings.
Customisation is key at Marina Bay Sands – when clients hold their AMs with us, they can be assured of a carefully curated event solution that leverages on the vast suite of meeting services and facilities within Asia’s leading integrated resort.
