Suntec Singapore establishes Scholarship Fund for MICE Industry

Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre has established the 'Rilla & Warren J. Buckley Meetings Industry Scholarship' Fund.

The scholarship fund is set up to honour Warren J. Buckley, Chief Executive Officer of Suntec Singapore. Mr Buckley will step down as its CEO in December 2007, having helmed the organisation for the past seven years. The fund was established to signify Mr. Buckley's continued commitment to shaping the MICE industry both locally and internationally. The fund is for the benefit of students of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Singapore) who offers several hospitality degree programmes including an Advanced Certificate for the MICE industry.

"This initiative of establishing a scholarship fund was embraced by many as a way of continuing Warren's commitment to the growing MICE industry and in giving back to the community in which we operate. Suntec Singapore is pleased to support this effort and we hope to extend access to the meetings sector by providing opportunities to individuals planning a career in this industry," said Pieter Idenburg, Chief Operating Officer of Suntec Singapore. "We are grateful to those who have contributed so far, and we hope to see many more friends and industry partners supporting this initiative."

The scholarship fund which has raised $60,000 to date, will focus on any of the three programmes at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Singapore): Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration, Masters in Hospitality and the Advanced Certification in a MICE programme. As this is the first educational scholarship that is being set up at UNLV (Singapore), the University will kick start the fund with a contribution of $10,000 towards the recipients’ tuition fee.

"Singapore's MICE industry is growing and the demand for educated MICE professionals is rapidly increasing. It is vital for our industry's continued success to support those students who are interested in becoming future leaders in the MICE industry. Suntec Singapore's position as the premier convention facility in the region is a testament to Warren Buckley's leadership and commitment to excellence," said Dr Andy Nazarechuk, Dean of University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Singapore). "UNLV is proud to have been selected to benefit the "Rilla & Warren J. Buckley Meetings Industry Scholarship Fund" and we will do our best to select quality students who will benefit the most from this generous scholarship."

Warren James Buckley, who became Chief Executive Officer of Suntec Singapore in 2001, will return to his hometown of Vancouver, Canada, to assume the position of CEO at PAVCO (BC Pavilion Corporation), the corporation responsible for the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre (VCEC) and BC Place Stadium. Mr. Buckley held various senior level executive positions at both BC Place and the VCEC prior to joining Suntec Singapore. During his term at Suntec Singapore, his achievements included having helped diversify the centre beyond one that is focused on exhibitions; embarking on a marketing strategy geared towards conventions.

He has also been instrumental in leading the team in hosting many successful events - from various large scale corporate meetings and high level global summits to world-class conventions; the most recent being the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings 2006. Under his leadership, the venue has also won countless awards and accolades. He will be succeeded by Pieter Idenburg, who is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Suntec Singapore. Mr Idenburg will take over the position of Chief Executive Officer on 1 January 2008.

The MICE market is one of Singapore’s fastest growing industries in business tourism and the hospitality sectors. The island state has been ranked among the world's top three cities for meetings and conventions and has been voted top convention city in Asia for 23 consecutive years.

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