It is 2 years away from the 22nd FAPA Congress to be hosted by Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore. Activities and efforts to boost overseas participation has already started in Yokohama.

What comes to your mind when one Singapore is mentioned?  Is it the yummy food, lush greenery or our “fine” law and order?

We were tasked to set up a booth at FAPA 2006 (Yokohama) to attract the delegates to join us for the next congress held in Singapore in 2008.  Our team decided to woo our foreign counterparts with our rich and diverse culture. 

PSS booth is being decorated.

With the help from our colleagues and friends, we gathered children’s traditional costumes of the main ethnic groups and displayed them prominently on the booth panels.  We decorated the booth with batik cloth, colourful orchids, screened a video featuring Singapore’s people, culture and tourist highlights.

...these smiling folks are quite happy and prepared for the tasks ahead....

Finally, the booth is quite complete. Only the visitors are missing.

The end result: a vibrant, “happening” booth!  PSS’s booth was certainly one of the most visited ones in the exhibition hall.

..now the booth is buzzing with visitors and activities!

Dr Lou Huei-xin helping delegates fill in the survey form on Singapore.

To add to the fun element, we brought some traditional games like five-stones, marbles and chapteh; it certainly brought us down memory’s lane.  We were overwhelmed by the sporting nature of the delegates who gamely tried kicking the chapteh or hitting the marbles for the first time.  For those who managed to hit the marble out of the circle, they were rewarded with a mini-chapteh.

A delegate trying the Chapteh at the Singapore booth.

Certainly, the event would not have been complete without any freebies!  The participants were requested to complete a simple quiz related to Singapore and their contact details gathered for future correspondence.  For each completed form, the delegate received a gold-plated orchid brooch, pendant or Merlion tie-pin.  Over the 2 days, we gathered over 300 responses whom we will get in touch with details of FAPA 2008.

It has been a wonderful experience: meeting up of old contacts, forging of new friendships and exchange of experiences with pharmacists from various countries and different walks of practice.

We look forward to seeing all of you at the coming FAPA 2008 held in our own ground!

Special Thanks to all who have helped in booth setup and running:
• Edira and Grace (Logistics and administrative support)
• Errol (Creation of our very own screening video)
• Our friends and colleagues ( loan of traditional costumes)
• Singapore Tourism Board ( publicity materials support)
• Siew Chong and Siew Gek ( running of booth)

See Yen Theng (Ms)
Council Member, PSS

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