Singapore, 13 September 2006 - Leading media group Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) will be hosting an exclusive 'S2006 Media Networking Nite’ on 14 September 2006, Thursday.

The event is to welcome all international media who are here to cover Singapore 2006 Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, as well as for the local media to network with their overseas counterparts.

Held at the world-renowned Ministry of Sound at Clarke Quay, the party is expected to be the media event of the year.

Dr Tan Chin Nam, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts and Mr Alan Chan, Chief Executive Officer of SPH will be the two Guests-of-Honour.

The party will kick off with a grand opening act that was specially commissioned for the event. Entitled “Singapore Carnival”, it will be an extravaganza infused with ethnic music and contemporary dance. Add to the measure, local percussionist group, Soul Ethnicity, will hype up the energy with a combination of modern funk, and traditional Chinese and Indian drumbeats.

Besides the evening’s showstopper, there will be fringe acts such as parrot fortune telling, snake charmer, chinese calligraphy and batik painting. Ms Zaleha Ismail, an accomplished vocalist will deliver a versatile performance with songs in 10 different languages.

Guests will be treated to a buffet spread of local delights such as nonya kueh pie-tee, satay and traditional hainanese chicken rice. Also, expect nothing short of humour as Joe Augustin from Radio 91.3, a subsidiary of SPH, entertains as the emcee.

Said Mr Alan Chan, CEO of SPH, “SPH is happy to be the host of such a large scale event as this is a perfect opportunity for the different media to network. We are also proud to be able to showcase Singapore’s rich cultural diversity to the international media through this event.”

Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Co. Regn. No: 198402868E

For more information, please contact:
Ms Carole Chow
Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications
Singapore Press Holdings
DID: 6319 1586
Fax: 6319 8150
Email: cchow@sph.com.sg

About Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Main board listed Singapore Press Holdings Limited is the leading media company in Singapore, in the print, Internet and broadcasting platforms. It publishes 14 newspapers in the four official languages, including Singapore's first free Chinese newspaper, My Paper, and over 80 magazine titles. Everyday, 2.7 million individuals, or 83 per cent of the people above 15 years old, read one of the SPH publications. Its Internet Business Unit manages the online editions of SPH's major newspapers, which enjoy over 100 million pageviews from 6 million unique visitors every month. More recent online additions are the classified website, ST701, and STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print), a portal that connects, engages and interacts with readers on the Internet and via mobile messaging.

SPH owns and operates Paragon, the prime shopping and office building in the heart of Orchard Road. Paragon features international brands and luxury goods, restaurants serving wide-ranging cuisines and lifestyle facilities such as spas and a fitness club.

SPH also owns a 20% stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which operates free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and TV Mobile, and a 40% stake in MediaCorp Press Pte Ltd, which publishes free sheet Today. SPH has a 70% stake in UnionWorks, which operates two entertainment radio channels, Radio 100.3 in Chinese and Radio 91.3 in English. In addition, SPH holds an 80% stake in SPH MediaBoxOffice Pte Ltd, Singapore’s largest LED network media company, and a 35% stake in TOM Outdoor Media Group, a leading outdoor advertising company in China.

About Singapore 2006
Singapore is the proud host of the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in September 2006. The Annual Meetings is the largest international financial sector conference ever hosted by Singapore.

Along with the Annual Meetings, approximately over 200 meetings and seminars will also take place from September 11 to 20, 2006. These include the G-7 Finance Ministers’ Meeting, the Program of Seminars, the Per Jacobsson Lecture and the Group of Thirty International Banking Seminar. The Annual Meetings, together with the series of prominent international forums, meetings, seminars, events and the inaugural Singapore Biennale 2006 (a 2-month visual arts extravaganza from September 4 to November 12, 2006), are collectively known as Singapore 2006.

Singapore 2006 is a showcase of Singapore’s collective capabilities and an expression of our aspirations for the future – a global city with a world of opportunities. The series of events highlight Singapore as a cosmopolitan society:
a dynamic, well-connected and entrepreneurial economy with tremendous opportunities in the financial, business, technology, social as well as arts and culture arenas.

Singapore 2006 is expected to attract more than 16,000 participants, including delegates from 184 countries such as heads of government, finance ministers and central bank governors, top financiers, international media, business leaders and other visitors.

For more information about Singapore 2006, please visit www.singapore2006.org