The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) is to lead a trade delegation to Singapore in May to help members identify opportunities for expansion in the wider Asia-Pacific region.

The delegation coincides with the HR Summit in Singapore, which attracted 3,500 senior HR executives in 2010, where APSCo will have an exhibition stand for use by delegates to meet potential clients from a range of countries and are producing a brochure to detail member service offerings.

The delegation has been organised in association with UK Trade and Investment, the government body that assists UK businesses with overseas expansion and takes place between 24 and 27 May 2011.

Following a pre-visit briefing held in London before departure, the following events are planned:

· Business briefing by the British High Commission in Singapore

· Reception at the Ambassador’s residence

· One-to-one client meetings during the trade delegation and HR Summit

· Tour of the local business area

· Social events

· Opportunity to exhibit/hold meetings at the HR Summit

· Post visit debriefing and support

Ann Swain, chief executive of APSCo, says: “Singapore was chosen by APSCo members as the most important overseas market that they are interested in expanding into.

“Singapore is an ideal market for recruiters, specialising in knowledge-based industries and this trade delegation will be an invaluable opportunity to win new business and strengthen existing relationships in this dynamic economy.

“The recent recession in the UK once again highlighted the risk of being too dependent on a single market. Many overseas markets grew strongly as Western economies contracted. It’s no coincidence that many of the UK recruitment businesses that posted the strongest results during the recession reported robust growth in international operations.

“A trade delegation is an excellent way of minimising the cost of entry into overseas markets. It can be prohibitively expensive for many recruiters to gain a foothold in these markets without this service.”

For more on the region, see the next issue of Recruiter, out next Wednesday (9 March).