Singapore has long been an easy choice for Australian corporate groups. But what if you used it as the starting point, rather than the destination?
For conferences, incentives and team events, sometimes the biggest challenge is finding somewhere that feels genuinely different without making the journey unnecessarily complicated.
Orbit Groups & Events Team Leader Hannah Schenk recently explored two options that offer exactly that: Sofitel Singapore Sentosa and Club Med Bintan Island.
Both take groups away from the traditional city conference environment and into a resort setting, while still offering the meeting facilities, accommodation and experiences needed to build an entire programme around one destination.
For groups that want the convenience of Singapore without staying in the middle of the CBD, Sofitel Singapore Sentosa offers a very different experience.
Set across 27 acres on Sentosa Island, the resort has direct access to Tanjong Beach and is close to two award-winning golf courses, creating a genuine resort atmosphere within easy reach of the city.
For the business side, there are six dedicated event spaces across 1,300 square metres, accommodating everything from intimate meetings and breakout sessions to events of up to 320 guests, depending on the configuration. The offering includes light-filled, pillarless meeting spaces, along with terraces, lawns and outdoor areas that allow groups to move beyond the traditional conference room.
Bespoke dining and wellness programmes can also be incorporated into an event, alongside team-building experiences such as mixology masterclasses.
Best suited to: leadership retreats, executive groups and conferences that want the convenience of Singapore with more of a resort feel.
For groups looking to combine conferencing with team building and incentive-style experiences, Club Med Bintan Island changes the dynamic completely.
The Premium All-Inclusive model can make planning simpler, bringing accommodation, dining, drinks and a wide range of activities together in one resort. Club Med also specifically caters for meetings and events, with programmes that can incorporate team-building sessions, multi-sport events, social functions and celebrations.
And there’s plenty to do once everyone leaves the meeting room. Flying trapeze, aerial yoga, golf, snorkelling, padel, pickleball and team sports are among the options, while Hannah also explored experiences beyond the resort including Ria Bintan Golf Club, mangrove tours and Treasure Bay.
It means the time outside the conference room becomes part of the programme, rather than simply downtime between sessions.
Best suited to: incentives, team retreats and conferences with a strong experiential or team-building component.
Bintan Island is in Indonesia and reached via a short ferry journey from Singapore. Club Med currently advises approximately 55 minutes from Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, followed by around a 20-minute transfer to the resort.
For corporate groups, it adds a sense of escape without requiring another flight, while still using Singapore as the international gateway.
Of course, taking a group across an international border adds another layer of logistics. Transfers, ferry arrangements and entry requirements all need to be considered, which is where experienced group planning becomes particularly important.
A successful corporate event doesn’t always need another bigger ballroom or busier itinerary.
Sometimes what a group needs is a change of environment. Somewhere people can focus during the meeting, then step outside and actually spend time together.
Sentosa and Bintan offer two very different ways to achieve that, both using Singapore as the gateway.
Looking for somewhere different for your next conference, incentive or corporate group?
Our Groups & Events team can help you find the right destination, venue and experiences, and manage the programme from planning through to delivery.
Talk to Orbit Groups & Events
1800 067 819 | gr****@*********el.au
