Established in 1859 by the Agri-Horticultural Society, the Singapore Botanic Gardens was designed by Lawrence Niven, whose work reflected the English Garden style that influenced the emergence of numerous English landscape gardens and public parks from the 18th century until this period. Today, this layout, as well as its historic 19th and 20th century buildings, remains almost entirely intact. Learn about the Gardens' rich history and its role as an internationally-recognised institution of tropical botany and horticulture with a collection of over 650,000 specimens.

This special two-hour tour for conference participants and their guests includes a visit to the National Orchid Garden with more than 700 species and 3,000 hybrids. Its VIP Garden displays hybrids named after famous personalities such as Nelson Mandela, Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher and many world leaders. Also included is a walk through Gardens' latest 10-hectare attraction called the Learning Forest, part of its Tyersall-Gallop extension (Tyersall Park was the site of a fictional mansion estate in Kevin Kwan's "Crazy Rich Asians" trilogy). Walk through lowland rainforest and restored freshwater wetland habitats, marvel at huge palms, epiphytes and climbers from an elevated 8-metre high boardwalk on the SPH Walk of Giants and peer down at the crowns of trees forming the forest's Canopy Web.

In the event of bad weather, participants will visit the Botany Centre which houses the Singapore Botanic Gardens Heritage Museum, Singapore Herbarium and an orchid breeding laboratory.