More buses to ferry visitors to IT show

SINGAPORE - Singapore's first major consumer electronics fair of the year, the IT Show, kicked off on Thursday, and it is set to attract tens of thousands more visitors and $15 million more in spending than last year.

The chance to see the latest mobile gadgets, plus more shuttle bus services and traffic wardens being laid on, could result in the number of visitors to the annual four-day event at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) soaring by 50,000 to hit 600,000, said organiser Exhibits Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings.

Eventgoers are projected to splash out $65 million, up from the $49.5 million spent last year.

Getting to the event has never been easier, as there will be seven free shuttle buses to ferry visitors between Suntec Singapore and MBS, three more than last year.

About 200 traffic wardens, 50 more than last year, will also help better manage vehicles and foot traffic at the fair, which is in its 13th year.

Exhibits Inc general manager Melvin Koh noted that smartphones and tablets are expected to sell well this year. "Everything is getting more mobile these days and that's where consumers' demands are," he said.

New mobile gadgets at the IT Show include Chinese handset maker Xiaomi's Redmi budget quad-core processor smartphone that went on sale in Singapore only last Friday.

Limited stocks of the 4.7-inch Redmi retail at the telcos at no cost, with a contract, in most cases. The smartphone can also be bought at $169 without a contract. At StarHub, the phone can be bought at $169 with a prepaid bundle, such as with two $18 top-up cards.

Samsung's Galaxy Note Pro 12.2-inch tablet, available since last Saturday, retails at $1,198 for the 4G version with nearly $400 worth of freebies.

kennyc@sph.com.sg

Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.