International Industry Leaders Showcase Latest Innovations at GES 2007

The Enterprise exchange kicks off today with 350 exhibiting companies.

Singapore (Issues Wire / PRWEB) November 15, 2007 -- Global Entrepolis @ Singapore (GES) 2007 today opened its doors to visitors attending The Enterprise Exchange Exhibition, featuring 350 companies from 30 countries. GES 2007 brings the international business community together to Singapore for the fifth year in a row. Focused around the themes of Global Gathering, Growth Opportunities and Green Initiatives, the premiere business networking event is being held at Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre till 15th November 2007.

Enterprise Exchange Exhibition

The Enterprise Exchange Exhibition was officially inaugurated by Minister for Trade and Industry, Lim Hng Kiang, and showcases the latest technologies and innovations from around the world to potential investors, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.

"Around the world, businesses need alliances to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive and globalised world. Singapore provides the perfect platform to enable businesses to overcome these," said Mr Lim, at the Opening of The Enterprise Exchange Exhibition. He added, "Besides the favourable business climate here, government bodies such as the Singapore Economic Development Board, SPRING Singapore and International Enterprise Singapore actively promote and facilitate companies at various stages of growth. On top of that, there are more than 175 venture capital firms in Singapore, providing access to over S$19 billion worth of funds."

"GES 2007 has been a useful springboard for making new contacts and friends which will help the Chamber further our goals to build networks, connect business and create opportunities," said Sebastien Barnard, Marketing & Communications Manager, British Chamber of Commerce.

Captains of Industry Conference

Today also marked the start of GES 2007's flagship conference, Captains of Industry (COI). COI is a networking conference, where leading practitioners, thought-leaders, and business gurus share their perspectives on what businesses require to lead and compete in a time of dynamic change. Opening the event was the keynote speaker, Mr Robert B. Tucker, President of The Innovation Resource who said, "Companies that master systematic innovation will inherit the future. We need to start shaping a systematic approach to innovation and to involve everyone from customers to stakeholders."

COI also featured high profile speakers from FedEx, Motorola and Philips who discussed how impending changes and demands in areas of organisational growth, innovation and climate change will affect and shape the global business landscape. Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Vice President, Asia Pacific & Latin America, Google Inc, shared the company's strategy, "The current reality is that competitive advantages are no longer sustainable over long periods of time. The rapid pace of change in our world means that success is now driven by continuous innovation. Moving fast, then iterating is a hugely powerful way to innovate."

e-Government Summit

Another highlight at GES 2007 was the e-Government Summit. Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports and Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, commented on the roadmap for Singapore's vision for iGov2010 and shared the critical success factors for achieving a World-Class e-Government, "We are entering a new phase of our e-Government journey. Our vision has not changed. We remain committed to serving our citizens and connecting our citizens through the use of infocomm technology. Today, 98% of our Government services are available online: we need to close the gap and ensure that it's 100% soon. We will have to ensure that the public administration becomes more citizen-centric than ever before. Going forward, we would be reconstructing our internal public administration processes to achieve our vision of an Integrated Government by 2010."

Leading e-Government consultancies and technology providers like IBM, Accenture and CrimsonLogic shared expert views on the rising trends in the industry and challenges faced today to an audience that consisted of over 50 regional senior government officials.

International Business Meets

One of the International Business Meets at GES was also focused on Indonesia. Titled Business Outlook and Financing Opportunities for Investors in Indonesia, the event provided an overview of the economic climate in Indonesia and available investment opportunities with focus on the Batam, Bintan and Karimun (BBK) Special Economic Zones (SEZs). This ties in closely with Singapore and Indonesia's joint effort to work closely together on the BBK SEZs to attract more foreign investments into Indonesia and create more jobs for Indonesians. Business Outlook and Financing Opportunities for Investors in Indonesia was organised by Singapore Business Federation.

"What the Global Entrepolis seeks to achieve reflects our broader mission -- to make Singapore a cosmopolitan metropolis for international trade, enterprise and talent. Singapore has long thrived as a node in the global marketplace. We aspire to be a leading Asian hub, connected to other hubs and creating value for the world," said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, to an audience of business leaders at the GES 2007 Opening Ceremony, on 12 November. He added, "Hence, we are growing with the whole of Asia, and not just based on what we have in Singapore."

The 2007 Global Entrepolis @ Singapore Award was presented to UFO Moviez Limited at the Opening Ceremony. The company was awarded for its contribution in compressing films and beaming it via satellite to theatres across India to cut down on piracy. The Awards recognizes Asia's emerging technopreneur for an invention that best applies technology to a strong business model and has the potential to become a global market leader.

GES 2007 is jointly presented by the Singapore Business Federation and the Singapore Economic Development Board, and organised by Zenith Events Management.

About GES 2007:
GES 2007 is a unique festival of events: Cutting across industries, from nurturing and promoting entrepreneurship to facilitating investments, and business opportunities and collaboration, as well as providing a myriad of business networking, exhibition and conference platforms for a truly global audience.

GES 2007 will see a gathering of a series of major events: from strategic conference and industry seminars to venture capitalist summits and business workshops; from an emerging technology exposition - The Enterprise Exchange, to winning innovations and effective business matching platforms.

Understanding the importance of connecting for success, GES is the one big networking event where it all happens!

For more information, please visit www.globalentrepolis.com.

About Zenith Events Management Pte Ltd:
Zenith Events Management Pte Ltd's forte lies in organising and managing trade exhibitions and conferences, providing a compelling platform for businesses to converge and for buyers and sellers to connect face-to-face, facilitating business, investment and partnerships. Leveraging on its global network and expertise with affiliate offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, coupled with an integrated marketing communications approach in its business model, Zenith Events Management is poised to create value in helping businesses and entrepreneurs gain market share and acquire business insights. As a member of Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS), Zenith Events Management also collaborates with industry players, government bodies and trade associations to act as a catalyst for business success.

For more information, please visit www.zenithevents.com.sg

About Economic Development Board:
The Economic Development Board is the lead government agency responsible for planning and executing economic strategies to enhance Singapore's position as a global hub for business and investment. We are the one-stop agency that facilitates and supports local and foreign investors in both the manufacturing and services sectors as they seek more value-creating operations, higher sustainable returns and new business opportunities.

Singapore commands global leadership positions in many areas. EDB is expanding and extending existing industry clusters, as well as exploring new growth areas to create good jobs and secure Singapore's future competitiveness. Our emphasis is on capital-intensive, knowledge-intensive and innovation-intensive activities.

For more information on how EDB can help in your business and investment, please visit www.sedb.com.

About Singapore Business Federation:
The Singapore Business Federation is the apex business chamber in Singapore. SBF aims to advance and promote business opportunities and networking within the business community both in Singapore and abroad. At the national level, SBF works closely with the government and labour organisations in a tripartite relationship to create a conducive business environment in Singapore. At the international arena, SBF represents the Singapore business community in multilateral, regional and bilateral business organisations to advance and promote their interest in trade expansion.

For more information, please visit www.sbf.org.sg.

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