SINGAPORE, WHERE GREAT THINGS HAPPEN!

 

By Viviane Vogels

Singapore, where great things happen! That is the claim this extraordinary city state makes and they definitely give their utmost to make it come true!

It starts with the airline, Singapore Airlines (www.singaporeair.com). Although I was not privileged to try out the new A 380 – you have to fly the Kangaroo Route London-Singapore-Sidney for that! – I was made very comfortable in my business class seat, and if it had not been for my snoring neighbor I would have slept quite comfortably in the ‘lie down’ seats (I did so on the journey back, thank you!). So I caught up on the latest films on the excellent entertainment system.

Changi airport is just a short drive away from the city centre, so I had barely settled down in my limousine, when we pulled up at the swanky Ritz-Carlton in Marina Bay. 

My first – slightly befuddled – view of Singapore made me think I had flown to the wrong country as I was gazing at… the London Eye, or the Singapore Flyer as they call it there!

Opened only 2 months earlier, it is bigger than its London equivalent, but as elegant and offering great views of the Singapore skyline. An estimated 2.5 million visitors are expected per year.

 

CRANES, CRANES, CRANES…..
Singapore is currently in the middle of a construction explosion. Previously reclaimed land sees the meteoric rise of new developments where thousands of workers, work nearly day & night. I had the impression I could see construction grow in front of my very eyes, truly mind boggling!

Singapore is planning 10 new hotels with an additional 1.700 rooms for 2008 alone. A total of 10.000 extra rooms are constructed within the next 3 years.
You would be forgiven for being skeptical, but when listening to the Urban Development Agency on how all is carefully planned, timelines set, equilibrium between living & working maintained, you want to take your hat of to them. We can only wish our urban planners would put a fraction of this thinking into their planning.

An excellent public transport system, a majority of people living within short distances of their workplace, make this a very livable place, even though 4.6 million people live on a fairly restricted amount of space. No wonder new constructions all reach for the sky, making for an imposing skyline. Green however has not been forgotten and is carefully maintained and monitored. Some trees, I have been told, are even insured!
The city is also scrupulously clean…and friendly. People are genuinely, positively friendly, you feel at ease and most of the time big smiles are aimed at you…a refreshing experience!

 

SINGAPORE INVESTS IN MICE
The Singapore Tourism Board tells us that in 2007 a record 10.3 million visitors were registered, by 2015 they predict 17 million visitors…an ambitious scheme that is based upon a well thought out investment and development plan. (www.stb.gov.sg)

The bulk of the visitors come from the surrounding Asian countries, however, the EU is also a good source of business By 2015
a total of 17 millions visitors are predictedwith the UK and Germany as the two major countries.
Singapore aims for 60% leisure – 30% MICE arrivals, to achieve this market mix a grand total of 2 billion SGD development fund (170 million SGD in the next 5 years alone!) has been put at disposal.

As Aloysius Arlando, Assistant Chief Executive Business Travel & Mice of the Singapore Tourism Board puts it: “Singapore has no natural resources; the only way to grow is through extraordinary performance. Therefore we do not only invest in development of the infrastructure but we also invest in people. We need to keep on our toes, because the competition is fierce from cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Melbourne, etc.. To counteract we create our own major events, as we cannot live from exiting events only. An example is the Biomedical sector for which Singapore has become a hub for research.” During my visit Suntec hosted the First Singapore International Water Week, another successful initiative.

 

F1 COMES TO SINGAPORE
Talking about creating or attracting major events, the city managed to convince Bernie Ecclestone, not only to put Singapore on the calendar as a new venue but also to organize the first ever night race in F1 in September 2008!

The Singapore FI Grand Prix will be a race in the centre of the town and having driven most of the circuit, I can assure you that this a race that will be worth watching on television! The drivers will flash by both spectacularly modern and historical buildings and viewers will experience the best of old and new Singapore on their screens. In typical Singapore fashion the most is being made of this massive event with a great number of cultural and fashion events before, during and after the F1 circus comes to town. A great number of activities are planned over a period of 3 weeks; today most of them are sold out!

 

YOUTH OLYMPICS 2010
Another major achievement will be the organization of the very first Youth Olympics in August of 2010 (14-26/8/10). For this a brand new stadium sports complex is being constructed as the previous one was deemed too old…Singapore won this event over Moscow because of the full support of Singapore and its inhabitants to make this event unforgettable. An illustration of this commitment is a letter of a taxi driver to the Olympic Committee naming 10 good reasons why Singapore should be chosen… thát I call commitment!

If the enthusiasm and commitment of the Sports Council people we had the pleasure of meeting (www.ssc.gov.sg), is anything to go by, the IOC is in for a pleasant surprise and the 5000 youngsters from all over the world will not know what hit them…Efficiency seems to be their middle name, just an example: all young athletes (between the ages of 14 and 18) will be given a PDA which will help them to find their way around without problems…
The general repetition for this new event is in 2009 when Singapore organizes the Asian Youth Games (2-10/7/09) for over 1.000 Asian athletes.

 

ASIA’S CONVENTION CITY
Let’s now come to the core of this article, the Joint Marketing Alliance created around the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

When looking at an aerial picture of the Marina Bay area, the Suntec Convention Centre sits as a great blue diamond in the middle of a collection of deluxe hotels, all within walking distance of one another. The whole complex is linked by a gigantic shopping mall (1.000 retail shops, 300 restaurants and 6 museums all within a 15 minute walk of the Suntec Centre!!) so that the total of 5.200 five-star hotel rooms in the 5 partner hotels can all be reached on foot AND underground thus avoiding having to brave the high temperatures. The Alliance has three more partners: Singapore Airlines, Pacific World – a world class DMC (www.pacificworld.com) – and of course the Singapore Tourism Board.

 

SUNTEC SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE
I have seen my fair share of convention centers all over the world, but seldom have I been as impressed with a total product as with Suntec: it is simply an amazing machine!

Where to begin describing?...Let’s start with the most important ingredient: the people. Starting with CEO Pieter Idenburg, a charismatic Dutchman who brims over with enthusiasm for his product, to Anjna and Karen and the Marketing team, the executive chefs and other collaborators, they all have one thing in common: their obvious pride in their product and the dedication to make their venue as successful as possible…that my dear organizers, is a battle half won, before you even start!

I suggest you visit the website www.suntecsingapore.com to get a feel for the sheer volume of business that can be organized in this 6 story, 100.000m² of meeting space. The great Convention Hall –no pillars!!- can seat 12.000 delegates in tiered seating alone!
The great Convention Hall –no pillars!!- can seat 12.000 delegates in tiered seating alone!

They can feed up to 20.000 people per day and having met the Executive Chef – previously with Ritz Carlton - and visited his kitchens and 60 full time cooks – the cleanest kitchens I have seen in a very long time! – I was duly impressed.

Suntec is multifunctional and as said before is located at the heart of a self-contained convention city that offers a convenience difficult to match.
Pieter Idenburg described it best when he speaks of “Tradition, Experience & People are the cornerstones of this Centre. “ We also look at a novel and original way of promoting our venue, we use ‘Emotions’ as they are important in the organization of each event.”
Suntec has many USP’s: their ideal location, the versatility and flexibility of the spaces, the in-house expertise and, of course, an excellent track record. Singapore is a non-threatening place in Asia to meet, there are no conflicts.

In the 13 years of its existence Suntec has organized 12.600 events (+/- 1200 events per year!); 200 events per year are purely F&B events as Suntec has this outstanding F&B expertise and reputation, where else can you find a venue that will serve an 8-course gourmet Chinese banquet for up to 3.000 diners?

Suntec won the 2008 World Travel Award for the Best Conference Centre…that is no surprise to me, having observed this very professional outfit for a couple of days with major events as the Singapore International Water Week in the house, the breaking down of a major tradeshow on another level and the building up of another trade show on yet another level…..truly amazing! The loading bay at the back of the house has a gigantic access ramp permitting articulated trucks to deliver goods at all levels! You have to see that to believe it!

 

THE 5 HOTELS
Between the Pan Pacific Singapore, the Mandarin Oriental, the Marina Mandarin, the Ritz-Carlton Millenia and the Conrad Centennial Singapore, the Joint Marketing Alliance around Suntec offers 5.200 5-star bedrooms to organizers. I have noticed first hand, that, although obvious competitors, the hotels also work together in the Alliance and that not only speeds up the whole RFP process but guarantees decent rates. Talking about rates the hotels will and can quote rates up to 5 years ahead, this especially with the Association business in mind!

We were royally received in all 5 hotels and, if we had not realized it yet, Singaporeans LOVE their food! The 5 offer an amazing array of luxury restaurants and lounges, they have all been renovated in the last couple of years and boast great meeting facilities, spa’s, business centers etc.. and all have original features and pieces of art that make them very distinctive of one-another. A special mention goes to the Marina Mandarin where I was told they have an F&B Manager…no big deal you’ll tell me, all large hotels have one…well not a Fish & Bird Manager! In the atrium lobby, a collection of highly prized singing birds welcome all visitors with their songs...between 9 am and 5 pm, after that they go home with the F&B manager for their well deserved rest. He also takes care of the magnificent fish in the fish tanks near the restaurant.

I was very lucky to have been allocated a dreamy suite at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia with great views not just from my bedroom and sitting room, but also from my bathtub from where I could admire the Singapore Flyer in all its glory!
I was also treated to a typical sample of Singapore Hospitality and going beyond the call of duty. I have, in my travels as an organizer or journalist been received in great places, in a previous incarnation as a hotel sales or general manager I have done it myself, but I have never been welcomed upon my arrival in a hotel at 7 am (!!) by the Director of Public Relations, the MICE Sales Manager and the Guest Relations Manager. We can learn from that, is my only comment!

Again, I recommend visits to the individual websites of these 5 great hotels who with their professional staff and unique location in Asia’s Convention City and very reasonable rates, make the lives of organizers that much easier.
www.panpacific.com/singapore
www.mandarinoriental.com
www.marina.mandarin.com.sg
www.conradhotels.com
www.ritzcarlton.com

 

SINGAPORE SLING

Reading the above, one could think that Singapore is only skyscrapers and latest technology, thank god there is also the trip down memory lane and history. On Sentosa Island, a simple but instructive museum illustrates perfectly the eclectic and colonial origin of this country, walking around in Chinatown or Little India where a plethora of smells and colors transport you in another world, but it is walking up to the venerable Raffles Hotel that one realizes the colonial impact on Singapore. As an avid reader of historical novels and because of a keen interest in Asian culture, I had of course ran into this great hotel and it was with a certain trepidation that I walked up to the …understated façade. Maybe I had expected more from the outside but surrounded by lush gardens it has this unobtrusive quality that reflects true class. The big doorman with the spotless white turban made me want to wear a long muslin dress and a straw sunhat and parasol…I settled for a great Singapore Sling cocktail in the famous Long Bar and admired the unobtrusive 5-star service….definitely a place to recommend as far a true authentic local color is concerned! (www.singapore.raffles.com)

Singapore is also the Singapore Zoological Gardens (www.zoo.com.sg), incredible shopping, a gazillion restaurants to choose from, great cultural events, museums, private clubs available for functions such as the exclusive China Club on the 50th floor of one of Singapore’s latest buildings and so much more. (www.chinaclub.com.sg)

Singapore is a melting pot where the lingua franca is English – how easy can it get?..- where life in general is organized in an orderly fashion, where people like the good life and good food – always a good sign! –and last but not least, with a great location in Asia from where it is easy to travel to the rest of the continent.

Singapore is a destination where as an organizer I would have no qualms taking any conventions or incentives because I have been convinced that I will be dealing with professionals, in state-of-art venues and with 5-star service…with a smile!

Singapore, where great things happen…they could not have chosen a better slogan to promote this first class destination!

 

 

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