Crypto bosses, CEOs and F1: Singapore's business events boom gathers pace

Billionaires, global CEOs and crypto executives descended on Singapore last week as a growing number of high-profile conferences coincided with the country's Formula 1 Grand Prix.

More than 40 business events were held around this year's Grand Prix period, up from over 25 in 2025 and over 30 in 2024, according to the Singapore Tourism Board. The events included the Milken Institute Asia Summit, TOKEN2049, the Forbes Global CEO Conference, Solana Summit APAC and the Global-Asia Family Office Summit.

Formula 1 has generated more than 2.2 billion Singapore dollars ($1.72 billion) in incremental tourism receipts between its debut in 2008 and 2024, according to Singapore's Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry, which equates to an average of S$150 million each. The race itself costs approximately S$140 million a year to organize, METI said, though noted it isn't directly comparable with the revenue generated.

Singapore GP said the 2026 race drew 301,294 spectators, the second-highest attendance in the event's history.

Business events themselves are becoming a larger source of tourism revenue. Receipts from meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) rose 35% to S$2.3 billion in 2025, outpacing the 10% growth in Singapore's overall tourism receipts to a record S$32.8 billion, data from STB showed.

Singapore's Tourism Board noted that MICE visitors typically spend significantly more than leisure travelers.

Organizers are increasingly capitalizing on the excitement surrounding Formula 1 to extend delegates' stays, according to Poh Chi Chuan, executive director of exhibitions and conferences at STB.

"This creates a natural gravitational pull, when the city is buzzing and the right target audience is already flying in, savvy planners build on that momentum," Poh said.

At TOKEN2049, one of the world's major cryptocurrency conferences, overseas attendees accounted for 85.6% of participants this year, up from 82.7% in 2025, according to figures provided by the event organizer. The figures classify overseas attendees as those who are not Singaporean nationals.

Chinese attendees accounted for 11.8% of participants, nearly double the 6% share recorded last year, overtaking Americans as the largest group.

The influx of business travelers also coincided with strong demand at Singapore's luxury hotels.

Marina Bay Sands said its hotel, the iconic three-towered building often featured in photos of the Singapore skyline, operated at near-full occupancy during the Formula 1 period.

The integrated resort also hosted TOKEN2049 at its Expo & Convention Centre, underscoring how major business conferences and sporting events are increasingly overlapping.

For the hotel industry overall, the clustering of MICE events and Formula 1 helped propel rates to record levels last year.

In October 2025, average room rates rose 19.5% from a year earlier to S$384.15, according to hospitality data provider CoStar. On the opening day of that race weekend, hotel occupancy reached 95.9% and the average room rate jumped to S$757.62.