The verdict in three sentences
For a Singapore MICE agency handling 140 meetings and incentives a year and 25,000 attendees, two serious options exist in 2026: an event SaaS at SGD 700 to 2,200 per month or custom software at SGD 100,000 to 200,000. Custom software makes sense when the agency wants registrations, rooming lists, transfers and budget vs actual in a single job file, with margin visible in real time. The target saving is 2 project manager days per event, or 280 days a year.
What each component costs in 2026
The typical scope for a MICE agency covers the full cycle, from proposal to final invoice. Here is the breakdown of a custom project delivered in 4 to 6 months.
| Module | Features | 2026 estimate (SGD) |
|---|---|---|
| Event site and registration | Mini-site per event, conditional forms, badges, PDPA consent | 16,000 to 30,000 |
| Rooming list | Room allocation, sharing, hotel allotments, export in each hotel's format | 15,000 to 28,000 |
| Transfers and logistics | Flights, coaches, arrival times, driver lists | 13,000 to 24,000 |
| Budget vs actual | Supplier quotes, purchase orders, invoices, variance per line | 18,000 to 36,000 |
| Margin per job | Actual cost, selling price, hotel commission, real-time gross margin | 11,000 to 22,000 |
| Attendee app | Agenda, notifications, QR check-in | 14,000 to 34,000 |
| Connectors | Accounting (Xero, QuickBooks), CRM, online payment | 13,000 to 26,000 |
| Total | 100,000 to 200,000 |
Add SGD 900 to 1,800 per month for hosting in Singapore, maintenance and support during peak seasons.
Event SaaS or custom build: the comparison
Market SaaS tools (registration platforms, event project tools) cover the attendee side well. They cover poorly the financial side specific to agency work: margin per job, hotel commissions, cost rebilling.
| Criterion | Event SaaS | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | SGD 0 to 7,500 setup | SGD 100,000 to 200,000 |
| Annual cost | SGD 8,400 to 26,400, often plus SGD 1.50 to 4.50 per registrant | SGD 10,800 to 21,600 |
| 5-year cost | SGD 42,000 to 132,000 plus per-registrant fees (up to SGD 110,000 a year for 25,000 registrants) | SGD 154,000 to 308,000 |
| Rooming list in hotel format | Generic export | Yes, per hotel group |
| Budget vs actual | Rare or basic | Complete, per line |
| Real-time margin per job | No | Yes |
| Agency white label | Paid option | Included |
The maths flips with per-registrant pricing. At 25,000 attendees a year, a SaaS at SGD 3 per registrant costs an extra SGD 75,000 every year, making custom software cheaper from year two or three.
Where the 2 days per event come from
On a 180-attendee conference, time is lost on four tasks: re-keying registrations into the rooming file (5 h), matching flight times with coaches (4 h), reconciling supplier invoices against budget (4 h), producing the margin report for management (3 h). That is 16 hours, two project manager days, which a unified tool cuts to under an hour of checks.
Mini case study
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Rachel, managing director of a 14-person MICE agency in Tanjong Pagar, runs 140 events a year. A project manager costs her SGD 650 per day fully loaded. Two days saved per event equals 280 days, or SGD 182,000 a year of freed capacity. She chooses custom software at SGD 150,000 plus SGD 16,000 a year for maintenance. She absorbs 20 extra events without hiring, at an average margin of SGD 10,000 each, or SGD 200,000 of additional margin. Even counting only half the time saved, the project pays back in under 12 months. Thanks to margin per job, she also found that incentives under 40 people were costing her 3 points of margin.
FAQ
How long does delivery take?
Allow 4 to 6 months for everything, with a first registration and rooming list version usable after 10 weeks. It is best to start in a quieter period of the year.
Can we keep our current registration tool?
Yes. The software can pull registrations by API and handle only rooming, transfers and budget. That reduces the budget by SGD 16,000 to 30,000.
How is attendee data handled?
Data is hosted in Singapore, with PDPA consent on every form and automatic purge 24 months after the event. Dietary and accessibility needs stay visible only to authorised staff.
Does the software calculate hotel commissions?
Yes. It applies the negotiated rate per property, often 8 to 10%, and flags commissions not received 60 days after the event.
What is the minimum budget to start?
A first phase with rooming list, transfers and budget vs actual costs about SGD 55,000 to 75,000. The other modules follow later.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your event volume and current tools: we scope the project, between SGD 100,000 and 200,000, with a 4 to 6 month plan. 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.
