The organisers of the third Singapore International Water Week today expressed confidence that the next edition of the event will see an increase in the number of participating companies, sponsors and visitors, especially in light of the recovering global economy. 

Widely recognised as one of the most important water solutions platform in the world, Singapore International Water Week 2010, together with the co-located World Cities Summit, will occupy 18,000m2 of covered exhibition space to showcase the latest water and urban solutions as well as best practices, compared to 12,000m2 last year. To date, more than 80% of the space has been sold.

The Singapore International Water Week will be held from 28 June to 2 July 2010 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Themed “Sustainable Cities – Clean and Affordable Water”, Water Week 2010 focuses on the need for efficiency in water solutions, and will host more than 450 participating companies from around the world, an increase of 10 percent over the 2009 event.

During the week, these companies are expected to unveil eagerly anticipated flagship technologies, products and services that underscore the immense business potential of the water industry and draw the attention of the water world. With the World Cities Summit held in conjunction with the Water Week, the overall number of visitors is estimated to hit the 12,000 mark, an increase from the 10,000 visitors in the 2009 event.

“We believe the improved market sentiments will help to accelerate and create greater incentives for industry players to participate in this year’s Singapore International Water Week, and have thus built a bigger event with more business and networking opportunities to meet the increased demand from water companies,” said Michael Toh, Managing Director of Singapore International Water Week. “Beyond functioning as an ideal meeting point for suppliers and buyers of new water solutions and technologies, the Singapore International Water Week ultimately serves as a thrust for sustainable water management around the world and we look forward to the many water solutions which will be presented and inspired at this unique platform.”

This year’s Water Week has also received strong support from 16 Founding Sponsors, including three powerhouses in the water industry who will be lending their weight to the event as first-time sponsors. The confidence and support of the Founding Sponsors further boosts the Water Week’s stature as the global platform to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements across the entire spectrum of the water industry.  The Founding Sponsors, who are all global leaders in the water industry, are:

• Acwa Power International (new)
• Asahi Kasei
• Black & Veatch
• Boustead Salcon Water Solutions Pte Ltd
• CDM
• CH2MHILL
• Dayen Environment
• Hyflux
• ITT Corporation (new)
• Keppel Corporation
• Nitto Denko Corporation (new)
• Sembcorp Industries Ltd
• Siemens Water
• Suez Environment
• United Engineers Ltd
• Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies (SEA) Pte Ltd

Recognising an imminent need to create urban water markets and a holistic approach towards water management, the Water Week not only brings together water companies but also like-minded academics and public sector decision-makers. Comprising five flagship programmes, namely the Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention, Water Expo, Water Business Forums and Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, the Water Week provides targeted opportunities for industry leaders and professionals to engage in dialogue on imperatives such as sustainable water solutions, water efficiency, governance, finance and health.

The impact that the Water Week has on the global water industry is evident from the fact that some leading companies have chosen to leverage on the Water Week to grow their brand. A good example would be ITT Corporation, who started off as an exhibitor at the Water Expo during the inaugural event in 2008 and has now come on board as a Founding Sponsor for the 2010 event.

"As a global leader in water and fluid technology, we see the Singapore International Water Week as a critical venue for us to connect with our key customers in the region, and welcome the opportunity to showcase our energy efficient water transport and treatment technology, as well as our applications for HVAC and industrial uses.  We've grown our presence at SIWW over the last few years, and we're proud to be a global sponsor in 2010," said Mr Tom Glover, the Vice President of Communications, Fluid and Motion Control, of ITT Corporation.

In synergising Singapore’s efforts to encourage sustainable growth for urban communities, the 2010 Singapore International Water Week will be held in conjunction with the World Cities Summit, a premier event that brings together practitioners and policy makers with leading experts in their field to identify innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing cities today.

A key highlight of the two events is the announcement of the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Prizes, which includes the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, in addition to the annual Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize. The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for 2010 received a record number of 50 nominations from more than 20 countries this year, including first-time submissions from Brazil, Italy, Kuwait and Norway. (See appended fact sheet for more details on the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize)