SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and TikTok chief executive officer Shou Zi Chew are just some of the high-profile guests who will attend the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in person in Singapore from Nov 16 to 19.

The elite forum, which gathers top businessmen and government leaders to discuss global challenges, went virtual last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Launched by US media mogul Michael Bloomberg in 2018, the forum was relocated to Singapore from Beijing that year amid the fallout from the United States-China trade war. China hosted the forum in 2019.

More than 300 current and former heads of state, public sector leaders and global CEOs from 51 countries are expected to turn up at this year’s event.

Other guests include: Former US treasury secretary Lawrence Summers, former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Medtronic chief Geoffrey Martha, Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, ExxonMobil chief Darren Woods, NYSE Group president Stacey Cunningham, Hyundai Motor Group chairman Euisun Chung, and Panama President Laurentino Cortizo, among others.

Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong said the forum is an important event for Singapore and that the country is pleased to host it here physically despite the pandemic.

He added that it affirms Singapore’s role as a leading business events capital and a global node for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) and businesses.

“The Government will continue to support the Mice industry as it adapts and transforms to unlock new value and business opportunities,” he said. “We are working with the Bloomberg team to ensure a safe and fruitful forum.”

This year’s forum is built around the themes of Rebuilding the Global Economy, Innovating Out of Crisis, and Navigating a Divided World; as well as the five pillars of finance, climate, trade, cities and health.

The organisers are working closely with the Government on protocols to provide a safe environment for delegates, said Bloomberg Media in a statement released on Tuesday (Oct 12) announcing updates to the programme and participants.

In-person delegates will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and undergo mandatory daily pre-event testing.

Other measures include TraceTogether-only SafeEntry check-ins, and mandatory mask wearing while maintaining 1m safe distancing between individuals.

Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith said the forum will provide a platform for action, while also modelling a blueprint for “safe, yet highly networked, in-person convening”.

“We’ve never seen such a sense of urgency among global leaders to get together and mobilise solutions. This spirit of collaboration crosses all business segments and, most encouragingly, governments from both developed and developing economies.”

This will be the first gathering involving global private sector leaders after the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), to be held in Glasgow from Oct 31 to Nov 12.

Mr Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, who will also attend this year’s forum, said: “The global economic challenges deepened by the pandemic bring a special level of urgency to this year’s New Economy Forum.

“The transition from COP26 to the forum… gives us a unique window of opportunity – and we plan to seize it, by working together to accelerate our recovery in ways that build a stronger, healthier and sustainable economy.”

Last modified: October 12, 2021