Speech - Opening Address by Mr Suresh Natarajan Principal of ITE College Central at LOC Signing between ITE Partners from Sports Event Management and Technology Sector on 1 November 2023

Dr Mohamad Malik Bin Osman

Second Minister for Education & Second Minister for Foreign Affairs

Mr Chua Wee Pong

Group Chief Executive Officer

Constellar

Ms Florence Chua

Managing Director

Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)

Mr Johnny Ong

COO

UnUsUaL Productions Pte Ltd

Mr Lawrence Leow

President

Singapore Badminton Association

Mr Ron Koh

Event Director

Esports Entertainment Asia

Mr Sky Chen

Regional Director

Garmin (ASEAN)

Mr Veemal Gungadin

CEO

GlobalSign.in

My ITE Colleagues

Friends

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. With immense pleasure, I welcome all of you to this gathering of industry collaborators. Your presence here and the signing happening today is a testament to our shared vision and commitment we hold towards advancing our respective fields and driving innovation forward.

2. While this gathering seems diverse, it is a testament of today's industry landscape of diversity and interconnectedness. While the sectors may appear distinct, we are intricately connected through supply chains, innovation, and shared resources. An instance of an unlikely partnership – Constellar (a MICE venue owner) facilitated by Singapore Badminton Association (National Sports Association), providing a creative collaboration in creating Singapore's largest badminton hall (of 22 courts) to relieve the high demand for badminton courts in Singapore. An obvious partnership within the sector where GlobalSign.in (an event technology company) partnered with Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA, a professional association) and ITE in experimenting and establishing possible used case utilises technology such as generative AI for content curation and 3D mapping for immersive experiences.

3. Collaboration is the cornerstone of progress. Through the exchange of ideas, the pooling of expertise, and the merging of diverse perspectives, we enrich our ideas and enable us to push the boundaries of what is possible. The LOC came from the confidence and excitement of possibilities and opportunities that surfaced through our past collaborations and discussions: Singapore Open with Singapore Badminton, Olympics Esports Week @ ITE College Central with Garmin, SparkAI with GlobalSign.In and PCMA, Placemaking with Constellar, Live Event Productions with UsUnUaL Productions, and ESports production and management with ESports Entertainment Asia. These are the possibilities, but after today, who knows what else are possible. So, today's event is the start of an exciting journey. Today formalises the journey where we, as industry collaborators, embark on a path of mutual growth, mutual benefit and development.

4. In a constantly evolving world, the challenges we face are multifaceted and complex. However, I am confident that the combined strength of our organisations and the collective brilliance of our minds will lead us to solutions that can redefine industries, workforce training and development. Once again, I extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you. May this event mark the beginning of a fruitful and enduring collaboration that transforms industries and students' learning and sets new standards for innovation and excellence.

Thank you.