The verdict in three sentences
For a Singapore PCO running 14 medical congresses a year and 6,000 delegates, the website must replace PDF forms and manual bank reconciliation with online registration, payment and automatic invoicing. As a 2026 ballpark, budget SGD 35,000 to 60,000, plus SGD 10,000 to 18,000 for abstract submission with blind scientific review. Plan 10 weeks, ideally delivered six months before the first congress on the new platform.
Where time and money go today
With PDF registration, every delegate follows the same path: email received, data typed into a spreadsheet, bank details sent, transfer awaited, payment matched, invoice and badge issued. Across 6,000 delegates at about 12 minutes each, that is 1,200 hours a year, close to eight months of one person's time. Add chasing unpaid fees, wrong rates (member, non-member, trainee, early bird) and hospitals asking for invoices in their own name.
The site needs four modules: medical ticketing with rate grids and group codes, abstract management, a bookable exhibition floor plan for pharma and medtech sponsors, and a filterable scientific programme by hall, topic and speaker.
| Module | What it automates | 2026 ballpark (SGD) | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core site and per-congress template | 14 event microsites under one brand | 11,000 to 18,000 | Clone an event in 1 hour |
| Registration, card payment, invoices | Rates, GST, invoices to institutions | 10,000 to 17,000 | Hospital purchase orders |
| Bookable floor plan | Booth choice, deposit, contract | 6,000 to 11,000 | Sync with venue plan at MBS or Suntec |
| Filterable scientific programme | Sessions, speakers, halls, calendar export | 5,000 to 9,000 | Updates until the night before |
| Accessibility and extra languages | Regional delegates | 3,000 to 5,000 | Languages are set in the quote |
| Total site | SGD 35,000 to 60,000 | ||
| Abstract submission (option) | Upload, blind review, scoring | 10,000 to 18,000 | Replaces a yearly licence |
Exhibitors and industry: the hidden revenue line
For many organisers, booths and industry sponsorships make up 35 to 50 % of a congress budget. An interactive floor plan shows free, reserved and sold booths with size, location and price. The sponsor picks a booth, signs online and pays the deposit. Industry engagement with healthcare professionals in Singapore and across APAC follows codes such as the SAPI code and the APACMed code of ethical conduct, so the site should keep sponsored sessions clearly labelled.
| Metric | Before | After (target) | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processing time per registration | 12 minutes | 2 minutes | 1,000 hours a year |
| Average payment delay | 24 days | Instant, or 30 days on PO | Cash flow |
| Unpaid fees at congress close | 4 % | Under 1 % | About SGD 45,000 recovered |
| Booths sold 3 months out | 60 % | 80 % | Fewer late discounts |
| Abstracts handled per congress | 400 by email | 400 online, scored in 3 weeks | Relief for the committee |
| Invoice correction requests | 300 a year | Under 50 | Lighter finance workload |
Payments, PDPA and medical data
Card payments go through a licensed payment provider, with bank transfer and purchase orders for public hospitals. Invoices need sequential numbers and GST at the current 9 % rate where applicable. Delegate data (specialty, registration number, institution) falls under Singapore's PDPA: explicit consent for sponsor sharing, a stated retention period and a list of processors. No patient data should ever go through abstract uploads, a rule to restate to authors.
The schedule: weeks 1 and 2 to scope rates and journeys, weeks 3 and 4 for design, weeks 5 to 8 to build modules, week 9 for testing with a pilot congress, week 10 for team training and launch.
Mini case study
Rachel, managing director of a medical PCO in Singapore, compares current and future costs.
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- Current manual processing: 1,200 hours at SGD 45 loaded, so SGD 54,000 a year.
- Future cost: 6,000 registrations at 2 minutes, 200 hours at SGD 45, SGD 9,000 a year.
- Time savings: SGD 45,000 a year, plus around SGD 45,000 in recovered unpaid fees.
- Investment: site at SGD 50,000 plus abstracts at SGD 14,000, so SGD 64,000, while a SGD 12,000 yearly abstract licence disappears.
Payback comes in under 8 months of operation.
FAQ
Can one site handle 14 congresses?
Yes, with an event template cloned for each meeting: every congress has its own rates, programme and floor plan, while back office and contacts are shared. Setting up a new event takes about 1 hour.
How do we handle registrations paid by hospitals?
The site offers purchase order payment with a pro forma invoice, usually settled in 30 to 60 days. The badge is released once the signed PO arrives.
Does the abstract module support blind review?
Yes: author names are hidden from reviewers, each abstract gets at least 2 scores and the committee exports the ranking. For 400 abstracts, allow 3 weeks of review.
What happens on congress day?
The site issues QR badges; the registration desk scans in 3 seconds and onsite registrations pay by card. Attendance certificates for CME points are emailed automatically afterwards.
Do we need a mobile app?
Rarely in year one: a mobile-friendly filterable programme with calendar export is enough for most meetings. A dedicated app makes sense from 3,000 delegates per event with networking features.
Let's scope your project. We map registration, exhibitors, abstracts and the programme with you, with a pilot congress inside 10 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
