A dedicated business meeting facility at Singapore Expo is open and has received its first visitors from as far as Germany, France, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.

Connect@Changi said on March 9 that its suite of specially designed meeting rooms have airtight glass panels that allow guests to meet both their Singapore-based counterparts and guests from other countries safely.

Connect@Changi declined to reveal for now the number of guests who have made reservations.

The facility was officially launched on Feb. 18 with 150 guest rooms.

If it is fully operational, Connect@Changi has said it will be able to host up to 1,300 business travellers at any one time later this year.

The room rate starts at S$384 for a 24-hour stay.

Guests are provided three meals, the use of a mini-bar, toiletries, two-way airport transfers and Covid-19 tests.

Connect@Changi said contact between guests and front-line staff is minimised.

Guests can also order local and international cuisines from Changi Eats, Changi Airport's food delivery service.

First-of-its-kind

Singapore is finding ways to capitalise on opportunities that allow people to meet.

The facility is the first-of-its-kind in the world and positioning itself as a safe space to allow international business meetings to resume under prevailing conditions.

The facility will act as a bubble with regular testing for Covid-19 in lieu of a quarantine, which is the biggest deterrent for both business and leisure travel.

By restricting business travellers to the bubble of the facility, Singapore's reputation as a global business hub will be boosted.

Under the scheme, travellers will be shuttled from the airport to Connect@Changi.

They must remain within the facility throughout their stay.

The project is developed by a Singapore consortium led by Temasek.

The consortium includes The Ascott, Changi Airport Group, Sheares Healthcare Group, SingEx-Sphere Holdings and Surbana Jurong.

Top photos via Connect@Changi & MCI