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ING EVENT►IN

The Singapore Arts Festival started out to commemorate the local arts of Singapore’s exhilarating mix of communities. Over the years, the Singapore Arts Festival has remodeled into a symbolic icon of art and culture in the country. The event has commissioned works of art both locally and internationally and has successfully created a sonic spectacle for Singaporeans. It celebrates it 31st anniversary this year!

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1. Background of Organizer

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Similar to previous years, the National Arts Council is the organizers of the Singapore Arts Festival. They were established to pioneer the evolvement of arts in Singapore and to cultivate an arts sector that will be opened to all Singaporeans.

The NAC is in support of various art forms. They have used an arts cluster development approach that advocates the importance of establishing relationships with the arts community.

For the local benefit, they have championed a myriad of other events with major flagships such as:

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2. The Role of Events
As we recap on lecture 2, we have learnt the theories of:

Place Marketing, Tourist Attraction, Image Maker, Catalyst, Animator

But in a nutshell, events acts as a marketing and sales presentation of the organization to their customers and prospects.

For example, organizing an event like the Singapore Arts Festival accentuates the element of arts in the NAC and enhances the market positioning of the organization.

On a global perspective, organizations that intend to expand into new markets will benefit greatly from events because it allows them to showcase their products and capabilities.

3. Stakeholders
For the organization of the Singapore Arts Festival, the NAC works in association with many stakeholders who are mainly the event’s shareholders and sponsors.

However the NAC also draws a lot of their resources from:

Various media companies
Regional and Governmental organizations
Transportation agencies
Event employees
Volunteers
Global community

Some of the significant stakeholders will be:

Patrons of the festival
Major sponsors like PUB
Singapore Tourism Board
Mediacorp
Major venue partners such as Esplanade and Clark Quay

4. Target Markets
The Singapore Arts Festival is targeted at art enthusiasts in Singapore who are the first hand recipients of the performances held all over the city. They can be locals as well as tourists and visitor who are keen in the arts.

5. Marketing Strategies

Look at the graph above. From the increasing amount of art exhibitions from 1995 to 2006, it is eminent that the arts culture is being embraced in Singapore. With more exposure and recognition for arts in today’s society, the NAC has deployed simple yet interesting methods to market the festival.

First Method (Print Media)

Various prints were produced in conjunction with the event.

Extensive media coverage in newspapers and magazines were also part of the publicity movement. For example, the consistency of Singapore Arts Festival articles in Life! has made the event newsworthy, enhancing the public’s curiosity and demand for the event.

I have spotted more than eight articles on the Singapore Arts Festival in Life! and will admit that it has made the event more interesting. I was stunned that it was able to persuade me to watch more performances. This is definitely a good example of the success of this particular marketing strategy.

Second Method (Partnerships)

Partnerships with organizations like the Singapore Tourism Board have also enabled the NAC to cross tourist milestones. Initiations by the STB will be Uniquely Singapore. Their website has publicize various activities in the country.

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Third Method (Heartlands)

It was noticeably different this year where the Singapore Arts Festival was brought to the door steps of the community. The event was being advertised extensively to the heartlands.

These various venues were incorporated:

Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre
Little India
Jubilee hall
Bedok Reservoir

I was pleasantly surprised by posters of the Singapore Arts Festival in Parkway Parade. The festival suddenly felt very close to home. Through the proximity of the advertisements collaterals to people in the city and heartlands, I believe that it will raise the value of the event.

Fourth Method (One-of-a-kind)

Interestingly, the event was also advertised through posters on manholes around Singapore.

I felt that the difference in publicity for the Singapore Arts Festival compared to the other events was through creative encounters. For example, performances in MRT Stations, hawker centers and shopping centers. While eating, one is able to encounter "art". The Singapore Arts Festival has marketed itself through living examples of art, targeted at places with heavy human traffic.

6. Organization of the Event
l will rate it base on its planning, organization, content and presentation. I have attended altogether three events of the festival and I am delighted to say that the event was, richly textured, tough in terms of content and formally sophisticated.

On a general outlook

I will give credit to the orderliness and consistency of props, news and venues of the event
Adequate preparations were made by creating a solid foundation for the event to take off through promotion and awareness
For example, The Singapore Arts Festival was already introduced a few months before its official opening.

Presentation

Program and content neatly organized into seven different types of arts
Conveyed clearly through the official website and event calendar
With the variety of offerings, there was something for everyone. Well programmed

Impressions of the performance attended

In summary, the event was carefully staged and well coordinated
Internal areas such as staffing, administration and technical preparations were well covered
No signs of lacking manpower
Sufficient security personnel. Security was tight
Proper floor plan
Area was well enclave with cutting-edge sound systems

7. Event to meet Tourist Demand
The Singapore Arts Festival has very good potential to meet tourist demand because it reinforces the infrastructure for the arts by consistently embarking on artistic and cultural products from all over the world every year.

Look at the graph above. Visitor arrivals have been tremendous with a 4.8% increase from December 2006 to 2007. This reflects a major flow of tourists to Singapore.

8. How the Event meets Tourist Demand

The event creates another avenue of entertainment for tourists
World class facilities, attractive offers, and a scenic eye to the diversity in the arts
The flexibility in prices caters to everyone
Exposure

In addition......

Allows tour companies to pack performances into tour itineraries
Other tourists who may have minimal interest in the arts may be pleasantly surprised by what the event can bring to them.

As the performances mostly reside in Singapore’s visitor areas such as National Museum of Singapore, Raffles City, Esplanade and Boat Quay, it may enhance the appeal of the event to tourists. Ironically, tourists who visit the hot spots may end up as audiences of the festival’s performances.

It can also mean additional income for Singaporeans
Event may also be an animator, where it encourages tourist to repeat visits to Singapore

The event places Singapore in a strong position to capitalize and leverage on the tourism industry. Money generated from the Singapore Arts Festival can be used to cater to future needs for tourist demand in the country. With this, the event is potentially capable to align itself with the tourism mission of Singapore; to build a sector for economic growth in the country.

9. Raising the Value of the Event
To elaborate on how the Singapore Arts Festival can build this sector, it is a major-event that generates high media interest and attracts significant visitor numbers from around the world.

By default, this event is able to:
1. Increase the amount of tourist receipts
2. International trade through artistic goods and products
3. Exposure and broaden horizons
4. Paves a way for future investments related to the arts into the country

10. Suggestions on how the event can be raised further

One

Bringing in established role models of the arts, such as well known groups to perform
This enhances the prestige of the event and attracts global media and visitor attention

Two

The event can be publicized and promoted beyond Singapore’s shores
Tourists who want to celebrate the arts may choose Singapore as their holiday destination
This can generate economic growth when they come into the country

Three

Sponsorship and cross promotion from respectable companies can also be incorporated
With an influx in advertising through various mediums, it will heighten the awareness of the event in Singaporeans and foreigners.

In addition, if the Singapore Arts Festival collaborates with international companies, the event will be extensively showcased to the world, enhancing the image of Singapore.

Four

Educating all Singaporeans about the arts will intensify their appreciation
May encourage participation in the Singapore Arts Festival in the future.

They may be patrons, performers or even volunteers of the event. With the increasing amount of Singaporeans engaging in different roles in the arts scene, there is potentially a possibility for arts to flourish in Singapore.

11. Conclusion
The Singapore Arts Festival can be continuously raised as a catalyst to assist in the renewal of the arts scene in Singapore. Through the Singapore Arts Festival, demand for events in the country has definitely taken off and I am proud to say that it has developed an outstanding portfolio for Singapore.

Kudos to those who made this event successful!

Watch the opening celebrations of the Singapore Arts Festival here!

Disclaimer:

This report is based on the Singapore Arts Festival as a whole. It is based on my learning experiences, thoughts, suggestions and facts. I have attended a few performances from the festival and have used them to illustrate my points in this report. The information and content in this report is of relevance, timeliness and accuracy. However, it should not be distributed or copied.

Theories of events management have been used as a foundation to guide my critical thinking process. In addition, it incorporates personal input which was considered from the perspective of an events management student.

This is a reflection report solely for assessment purposes. Any comment that is made against the Singapore Arts Festival or to question the capabilities of its organizer or any parties that may have been involved is purely unintentional.

Posted by Shawna Tan at: 8:22 AM

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