Singapore, 10 January 2012 – The Mileage Communications Group (Mileage), Singapore’s largest homegrown marketing communications and public relations consultancy, has been appointed by Terrapinn Pte Ltd to be its official public relations agency for Asia’s largest smart cards and payments exhibition, Cards & Payments Asia 2012* and its co-located events.

Into its 17th edition, Cards & Payments Asia 2012* is the longest-standing smart cards & payments trade event. It will be held at Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 25th – 27th April 2012. Last year, over 6,800 attendees and 200 exhibitors from 50 countries participated in the event. This year, it will showcase the latest technological innovations in areas such as near field communication (NFC) and other forms of contactless technologies. The event will be co-located with 7 other events –Prepaid Cards Asia, Near Field Communication World Asia, Digital ID World Asia, R.F.I.D. World Asia 2012, Retail World Asia 2012, Online Retail World Asia and Digital Signage World Asia 2012.

Incorporated in Singapore since 1992, the Mileage Group comprises 11 overseas offices across seven countries in Asia which gives it a strong regional presence. It has considerable experience in the cards and payment industry. Mileage was previously the retainer agency for NETS and launched the NETS cash card. It also launched the first payment gateway for Singapore (NETS & VISA) and the first point-of-sale (paperless) system for NERA.

Mr Richard Ireland, Chief Executive, Terrapinn Asia Pacific said, “We believe that Mileage’s expertise and experience in serving clients in the cards and payments industry will generate a strong synergy for Cards & Payments Asia 2012 and its co-located events. I am confident that Mileage’s wide and established network of offices, partners and affiliates will boost our publicity efforts.”

“We are using our overseas offices to draw media interest through hosting journalists during the show and co-ordinating media interviews for Terrapinn’s management in key Asian cities,” said Mr Yap Boh Tiong, Chairman of The Mileage Communications Group.

*It was known as Cards Asia for the past 16 editions.

Filed under: News by admin January 10, 2012
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November 21, 2011 Singapore:  – Brendan Wood International and Mileage Group today announced a strategic partnership to serve corporate clients in Asia.  The new venture combines global investor intelligence with local investor relations strategy and communications expertise.  This unique combination effectively transforms traditional investor relations value propositions in the region.

Brendan Wood International (BWI), a leading capital markets intelligence agency since 1970, founded the global Shareholder Confidence Index some 33 years ago.  Today, there are more than 2,000 major investors and a similar number of market research and sales/trading professionals expressing their ownership convictions as part of the worldwide Brendan Wood Panel.  This group represents several trillion dollars in equity investments.  Through the Shareholder Confidence Index, Directors and Officers of Public Corporations worldwide now have access to all levels of investor purchasing and divestment intentions towards their companies.

The Mileage Group (MG) is Singapore’s largest home-grown, full-service strategic marketing communications and PR consultancy. Headquartered in Singapore, the Group comprises eleven offices across seven Asian countries. This exclusive partnership with BWI breaks down geographic barriers to transform traditional investor relations. Specifically, it allows MG to leverage on BWI’s professional network and quantitative toolkit to provide local consulting and advisory services, enhanced with global shareholder intelligence, to Asia’s leading public companies.

Mr Brendan Wood, Chairman of Brendan Wood International, said: “We live in a world where leading local companies are increasingly finding that their customer as well as shareholder bases are broadening. To the extent that this is true across regional and global boundaries, we want to be there to help local companies by providing worldwide investor feedback and local advice and execution through our Mileage partners.  Global shareholder intelligence that pinpoints weaknesses and strengths of a corporation and its competitors combined with strategic on-the-ground expertise, will be a game-changer for investor relations in the region.”

About Brendan Wood International

Founded in 1970, Brendan Wood and partners have established a Worldwide Panel comprising directors and executives of the world’s largest and most transactionally active corporations, investment bankers, research, sales, trading professionals, and major investors in 40 countries. As such, it has become the leading capital markets intelligence provider in the world. The firm is best known for the influence of this global panel in identifying TopGun performance. Brendan Wood’s TopGun designations represent the top 10% of professional performance in industry and finance. TopGun designations are awarded to directors, executives, bankers, secondary markets professionals and asset managers who represent the top standards of outperformance. Because the TopGun designations are based upon the nominations of shareholders, clients, and counter-parties, as opposed to committees, they are absolutely unique, the most factual attestation of achievement in the world. The new partners will soon jointly announce the Asia Pacific TopGun Investment Mind Designations for 2011-2012.  These are the most coveted awards in the global asset management community. For more information, please visit www.brendanwood.com.

Filed under: News by admin November 21, 2011
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SINGAPORE, 25 January 2011 – Mileage IPRO Communications (Vietnam), the latest office opened by Singapore’s largest homegrown public relations agency Mileage Communications, was recently appointed by Water Buffalo Productions to publicise the Vietnam leg of The Backstreet Boys’ “This Is Us” World Tour in March.

The concert in Vietnam will be designed according to the band’s World Tour format, making it Vietnam’s most anticipated music event in 2011. The Backstreet Boys will perform for two nights, at Quan Khu 7 Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, and My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi, on 24 and 26 March respectively.

Ms. Van Le, Chief Executive Officer of Mileage IPRO Communications, said: “Noted as one of the biggest boy band in history, The Backstreet Boys is well-loved by the local fans. Although Vietnam hasn’t had a band perform a show of such magnitude before, we are confident that it will be a roaring success.”

Since fall 2009, The Backstreet Boys’ “This Is Us” World Tour has delivered more than 120 well-applauded shows around the world. Vietnam will be The Backstreet Boys’ last stop before they return to the United States and begin their NKOTBSB tour with the legendary 80’s band, New Kids on the Block.

Filed under: News by admin January 25, 2011
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­­­­­­15^th November 2010 – Mr Yap Boh Tiong, Chairman of Mileage Communications Pte Ltd, was one of the thirty Honourees at the Spirit of Enterprise Awards 2010 to receive the accolade of being an outstanding entrepreneur. At the gala dinner, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Manpower, presented the award to Mr Yap.

The Spirit of Enterprise is in its eighth year and is a private non-profit organisation with a mission to promote and develop the entrepreneurial spirit in Singapore through a variety of efforts honouring local self-reliant entrepreneurs operating small and medium-sized businesses. The awards ceremony is dedicated to recognise the achievements of these local entrepreneurs and also, as an appreciation of their efforts.

Filed under: News by admin November 15, 2010
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Group now operates from 11 offices across seven countries

18 October 2010, Singapore – Singapore’s largest homegrown public relations
agency Mileage Communications today extended its footprint into Vietnam by
forming a joint venture in Hanoi.

Known as Mileage IPRO Communications, the joint venture is formed with IPRO
Communications, a leading Vietnamese integrated marketing communications
agency. The agency is headed by Mdm Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, who has 20 years of
experience in public and government affairs. She has also previously worked for
more than 10 years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vietnam.

Mileage IPRO Communications is located along Phan Dinh Phung Street, in the
heart of Hanoi’s well-known Ba Dinh District. The joint venture also has a
representative office in Ho Chi Minh City.

With the joint venture, the Mileage Communications Group now operates in 11
offices across seven countries. The Group is headquartered in Singapore and also
operates in China (Shanghai), India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai),
Indonesia (Jakarta), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Thailand (Bangkok).

Mr Yap Boh Tiong, Chairman of the Mileage Group, said: “Vietnam’s economy has
bounced back from the global downturn. The government has set a target of eight
per cent GDP growth per annum for the next few years. This is an opportune moment
for our company to serve the many foreign companies investing or expanding their
businesses in Vietnam.”

Mdm Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, Chairman of Mileage IPRO Communications, said: “We
are delighted to partner the Mileage Communications Group because we can draw
on its expertise in financial public relations and crisis management to better serve our
Vietnamese clients. In addition, its regional footprint will greatly benefit Vietnamese
companies seeking exposure overseas.”

To commemorate the joint venture, Mileage IPRO Communications, the State
Securities Commission and Bloomberg jointly organised a seminar on ‘achieving a
successful IPO’ in Hanoi last month, where Mr Yap was a speaker.

In another seminar organised by the Vietnam Economic Times in Hoi An, Mr Yap (the
only foreign guest speaker) spoke on Crisis Management.

Filed under: News by admin October 18, 2010
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Mileage Communications Inks Strategic Business Partnership with Tencent Inc. Finance Channel

SINGAPORE & SHANGHAI, 09 April 2010 – Singapore’s largest home grown public relations agency, Mileage Communications, has joined forces with Tencent Inc (www.qq.com) Finance Channel, to promote the vast Chinese market to foreign investors. Tencent Inc is the exclusive on-line media partner for Expo 2010 Shanghai China, which takes place from 1 May to 31 October 2010.

The strategic business partnership offers excellent opportunities for foreign investors to effectively use the media and marketing channels to gain in-roads into China, a global economic powerhouse; and builds upon the complementary strengths in marketing communications of both partners.

Tencent Inc will tap into Mileage’s expertise in strategic marketing and public/media relations and its footprint of nine offices in six countries; to execute marketing communications activities that will contribute to greater business expansion and corporate awareness for both organisations in China and overseas.

Among the line-up of collaborative activities for foreign investors are:

• An introductory feature centring on how foreign investors can share their corporate branding, product and service experiences with China
• Creating interview opportunities with top Chinese media for visiting CEOs
• Editorial placement of a series of insightful news reports featuring participating foreign enterprises at Expo 2010 Shanghai China
• On-site media exposure provided by Tencent Inc Finance Channel within the Shanghai Expo grounds/ as well as broadcast feed from its correspondents in Shanghai:
  • conduct 20 – 25 minute video interviews with foreign investor companies in China to capture opinions and viewpoints on doing business in China
  • engaging netizens in on-line discussions about Expo 2010 Shanghai China hence gaining instantaneous and first-hand understanding of the responses of Chinese netizens

Being headquartered in Singapore, the Mileage Group will kick-off with a bid to better assist Singapore enterprises in their expansion plans in China by providing comprehensive and professional public relations services. This will extend to India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, where Mileage has a presence.

According to an International Online (Beijing)* report; Ms Liane Ong, the East Asia regional director for International Enterprise Singapore, was quoted as saying that Singapore companies from the retail, tourism F&B and service management industries were already in China, ready to prove their capabilities. Currently, IE Singapore is actively promoting Singapore’s F&B and fashion industries to the Chinese market.

“As Expo 2010 Shanghai China enters into the countdown stage, this important international event is not only much-anticipated by people around the world, but also by Singapore and other foreign enterprises eager to use this as a springboard into the Chinese market.  The Mileage Group is honoured to offer our expertise to work with Tencent Inc to bring China to the world and the world to the Shanghai World Expo,” said Mr. YAP Boh Tiong, Chairman, Mileage Group.

* Source: International Online (Beijing), 5 April 2010: http://news.163.com/10/0405/11/63GL93A1000146BD.html

About Tencent Inc (www.qq.com)

Tencent Inc (www.qq.com) is China’s largest Internet service provider and the Internet firm with the largest number of users in China.  It is the only Internet service senior sponsor of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China.  Tencent Inc operates and maintains the sole official website of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China www.expo2010china.com, which is managed by the Bureau of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

The Website is the source of authoritative, accurate and timely information relating to the development of World Expo 2010. It acts as an information centre and a working platform for the running of the Expo in four versions: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English and Japanese. The French version was also launched on July 13, 2008.

Filed under: News by admin April 9, 2010
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The Editor of Millionaireasia invited me to contribute an article on Crisis Management some weeks back. The article has appeared in the Malaysian edition (Issues 8 Volune 2 2009) in December. It will also be reproduced in the Singapore edition next month. Enjoy the article.

Please click here to download the high resolution article

Filed under: News by admin December 29, 2009
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Mileage Communications Extends Footprint into China with New Branch in Shanghai – Group now operates from nine offices across six countries

SINGAPORE, 24th November 2009 – Singapore’s largest homegrown public relations agency Mileage Communications today extended its footprint into mainland China by opening its newest branch in Shanghai.

Known as Mileage Communications (China), the branch is located along West Nanjing Road in the heart of China’s premier business and financial city.

With this latest branch, the Mileage Communications Group now operates nine offices across six countries. The Group is headquartered in Singapore and also operates in India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai), Indonesia (Jakarta), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Thailand (Bangkok).

Mileage Communications (China) is a joint venture between Mileage Communications and Ms Ye Hairong, formerly the Asia correspondent for 21st Century Business Herald, one of China’s most influential business media. Ms Ye, who will head the operations of the joint venture, brings to the company several years of journalistic experience which also includes stints with China’s Xinhua News Agency, as a freelancer for Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao and other media. Her extensive working experience in China’s media industry has helped her gain an in-depth understanding of the Chinese business environment, and build a wide range of contacts with the government, media and business enterprises.

Mr Yap Boh Tiong, Chairman of the Mileage Group, said: “The Chinese economy has stayed resilient despite the global business slowdown as companies are still expanding and investing in China. With our Shanghai office, the Mileage Group has now penetrated the Chinese market at an opportune moment, as the region presently sits on the cusp of a long-awaited economic recovery.”

In addition, Mileage last month signed a Memorandum of Understanding with 21st Century Business Herald. The memorandum represents a win-win-arrangement for both parties as they collaborate on seminars, conferences and other high-profile activities in future.

Filed under: News by admin November 24, 2009
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Mileage Communications Signs MOU With 21st Century News Group -  A Strategic Boost for Its New Shanghai Office

SINGAPORE, 13th September 2009 – Singapore’s largest home grown public relations agency, Mileage Communications, signed a MOU with 21st Century News Group in Guangzhou to collaborate on activities that will contribute to greater business expansion and corporate awareness for both organisations in China and overseas.

Under the MOU, Mileage will help 21st Century News Group in organising workshops and seminars, sourcing for speakers and handle advertising enquiries. On its part, 21st Century News Group will assist Mileage to raise its profile for its China office.

The MOU was signed by Mr Shen Hao, publisher and Mr Chen Dong Yeng, General Manager of 21st Century News Group and Mr Yap Boh Tiong, Chairman of Mileage Communications (China) Pte Ltd.

“This MOU is an important strategic initiative for Mileage.  It is a huge boost for our new Shanghai office as it will help to accelerate our entry into the booming China market,” said Mr Yap Boh Tiong.

The 21st Century News Group is a subsidiary of the Nanfang Daily Media Group.  Its flagship publication is the 21st Century Business Herald which is one of China’s leading business dailies.  Its other media publications include Money Week, 21st Century Business Review, Business Travel, 21st CBH.COM and China Business Radio.

Filed under: News by admin September 13, 2009
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