Singapore's makeover adds to business edge

Fortieth birthdays are often occassions for reassessment and the search for new directions and the Republic of Singapore, founded in 1965, is no exception. Shaking off any sign of complacency that often accompanies the onset of middle age, Singapore, on the contrary, seems to exhibit more of the character of an adventurous teenager. For years, Singaporeans have had to struggle against outside misconceptions of the island as conservative and staid. The new efforts centre around building a friendlier, more open attitude to culture and the arts and adding the kind of attractions and events that give the city a greater depth and vitality to keep it ahead of its regional rivals in the conference and meetings business. A sign of the shifting attitudes is the current debate on the possible opening of a casino as part of proposals for an integrated resort complex. At the same time, Singaporeans seem determined to upgrade their business hub status. A plan is under way to increase the size of the Central Business District (CBD) by 10 per cent, adding a new 3.5 hectare business and binancial bentre. Adjacent to this site on the Central Promontory will be a second area the of just under one hectare for public attractions, cultural and meetings centres. Singapore is already home to 7,000 multinational companies, around half of which have their regional headquarters based in the city, making it an obvious fulcrum of the regional conference and meetings business. There are also new additions to Singapore's world-class infrastucture. A third terminal is well under way at Changi Airport and a new Circle Line is to be added to the city's MRT railway system and open in 2006. But many Singaporeans and others who regularly visit the city will point out that the gleaming glass and concrete corporate side of is only one facet of the island. Elaine Ang, assistant director of the business travel department of the Business Travel and MICE division of the Singapore Tourism Board, says: "Even though we are strongly perceived as a business city in fact most of our visitors come here for leisure. "Business visitors make up around 40 per cent of our total arrivals but that means the remaining visitors are those who come for leisure. So that says something about our ability to deliver an experience and the diversity of attractions that can pull people back again and again. "Because we are a small island, we need to continually renew ourselves. At the same time, people can come here every few years and experience an iconic venue or property, for example the Raffles Hotel. "We are a business city that offers a different focus. Singapore is not simply a business city with nothing else to offer," Ang says. "Business people love unwinding after their meetings and conferences and we have so many pockets for wining and dining. Along the river you have Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Robertson Quay, the Waterfront area and the East Coast area." As far as the source markets are concerned the STB recognises the importance of intra-regional travel. "Southeast Asia is a core market for us. ASEAN nations will always have an important place for us. The majority of our visitors are from this region." "As far as India and China are concerned, this will take time. You can't throw a stone into the water and wait for the ripple. You have to build your presence there," she says. Future plans Ang believes that Singapore's fusing of the business and the tourism elements is a key to the state's success. "I think we are helped a lot by other government agencies, such as the Economic Development Board and International Enterprise Singapore. In a sense, our work is complementary. If businesses are coming to do business through Singapore that is helpful to all of us". "We see ourselves both as a destination and a bridge. We are an endpoint for some business people whose market is here but for others we are a bridge to other markets," Ang stresses. With a limited supply of land, capacity for expansion is an issue. Ang says: "For current demand, we have enough hotel rooms of the necessary quality to cover the largest conferences and exhibitions. But we need to look to the future. Our ambitious tourism masterplan seeks to grow the CEI market so we certainly will need to look at venues and accommodation capacity over the longer term." Warren Buckley, chief executive officer of Suntec Singapore, outlines what he sees as the city's advantages. "No one comes to Singapore because of a convention centre, no one goes to any destination because of a convention centre alone. they go to a destination." "Singapore has a cornucopia of activities and amenties. It's easy to get here and once you are here its easy to get around. It is safe and secure. "But what Singapore does very well is to combine all these elements into a menu for conference participants," he says. "What we try here is to work with our neighbouring hotels, with Singapore Airlines to offer a 'precint of value'. "We find it really awarding that clients are beginning to understand that we have so much within a single area. There are more than 5,000 hotel rooms, 1,000 shops and about 300 restaurants within a few minutes walk." "We work closely with the professional conference organisers (PCO), with the hotels. We're very proud of our system of alliances. "If you are a convention centre and are out leading the parade on your own, you are toast. You need to align yourself with a variety of partners," Buckley concludes. Singapore's hotel properties are widely regarded as among the best in the world and provide meeting planners with sophisticated support and services. Kenneth Law, director of sales and marketing, InterContinental Singapore believes location is always a deciding factor. "Proximity is always a key issue for meetings planners. We're only ten minutes from the CBD but at the same time out of the hustle and bustle in a very rich historic part of the city, so we get spillover from the CBD, with a lot of meetings business from petroleum, logistics, paharmacuetical and banking. Equally we are only six or seven minutes from the Suntec centre. "Delegates are never far from their business yet at the same time there is an atmosphere of peace and quiet compared with Orchard Road or the CBD areas," he says. The Peranakan architectural style of the hotel also gives it a different, more Singaporean feel. "The InterContinental Singapore is focusing on the smaller and medium-sized meetings in terms of capacity and also at the higher-end of the meetings business. We see that as being the niche we can best fill. "For us, the real challenge is to provide tailor-made events, not cut-and-dried formulas. To give just one example, there is a definite move away from black-tie events for gala dinners and so on, we look at the catering and banqueting needs of the guests and try to deliver something new," Law says. Business mix "In terms of our business mix around 30 per cent of our meetings are purely local businesses, while the biggest chunk, around 70 per cent, is from the multinationals "Seventy per cent of our business is booked directly by the corporate end-users. Communication is the key. We need to provide a familiar name and face to offer a seamless booking and support service delivery. This allows us to generate high level of repeat business. "Our position in the historic part of Singapore allows us to assist in outside catering at venues like Chijmes," he says. Law notes one trend in the meetings sector, namely the move to shorter meetings. In his opinion this is not merely budget related. "There is a greater emphasis these days on prior notes, so delegates turn up having read most of the presentation and background documents. Obviously that speeds up the discussion process" As far as location is concerned few prpoperties are closer to the heart of Singapore than the Meritus Mandarin on Orchard Road. Serene Law, director of sales, Meritus Mandarin, recognises that the hotel's location in the heart of Orchard Road is one of its cruciual advantages. "We are relaunching our South Tower in the middle of this year following a major renovation there.We have one of the largest room inventories in southeast Asia with 1,200 rooms and suites. "On top of this we have a total of 4,000 sqm of meetings and function room space," she says. The pillarless Mandarin Ballroom is 1,020 sqm in size and can be used as a single unit or subdivided into three self-contained sections and can seat up to 1,200, The Mandarin Court is 892 sqm, also seating up to 1,200 guests or subdivisioned into four different spaces, while the smaller Belvedere seats around 400. "Our average residential meeting will last for three days and two nights. Apart from corporates we get a lot of government and association business. We have a strong position in the local market on account of our food and beverage strengths. Only our Japanese restaurant is not run by the hotel. We also have the highest revolving restaurant in Singapore, Top of the M." "We are looking forward to growth of around 30 per cent this year in CEI related business," she says. The Meritus Mandarin's Law agrees that the city is more forthright about promoting its human side. This is reflected, she says, in the property's emphasis on service delivery and staff training. On the riverside, the Grand Copthorne Waterfront is located in a more leisurely environment. Des Pugson, general manager, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, believes the business atmosphere is good. "Meetings are a bellwether of economic health. We've seen a huge improvement." The 528-room hotel is combines with 34 meeting rooms, spanning more than 6,200sqm of meeting space at the Waterfront Conference Centre. The most substantial meetings facility in the area. "Our location, unlike say Orchard Road, means that delegates are more likely to stick around during breaks, you don't lose them and they don't lose their focus." Pugson points out that the hotel's events concierge is a one-stop shop for organisers, a single point of contact between the hotel and the client. "About 75 per cent of our clients are direct bookings so having a dedicated meetings sales staff and on-the-spot concierge helps to cement the relationship," he says. The Raffles City Convention Centre sits alongside the 1,200 Swissôtel The Stamford and 400-room Raffles Plaza. Philomena Ang, senior manager, marketing communications Swissôtel The Stamford, explains that: "We brand the Raffles the Plaza as a luxury brand while the Swissôtel The Stamford is a business hotel. "There is a marketing synergy and some companies may split delegates with top executives going to Raffles the Plaza and the other participants staying at the Swissôtel." There is also the smaller 476-room Swissôtel Merchant Court near Boat and Clarke Quays. "The hotel and the convention centre are obvously very popular with the multinationals, as we have the room size, the meeting facilities and a great location," Ang says. With such a premium put on location it is not surprising to find Christine Quak, marketing communications manager, at the Carlton Hotel making a similar point but for a different part of town. "We are in the historic part of Singapore for those who don't want to be in the CBD or who find Marina Bay too far out and too quiet, we have shopping and dining options on our doorstep. For corporates who might want their groups to combine a meeting with an incentive, we have the heritage element all around," she says. "We have just refurbished our Carlton Wing and with our new Premier Wing extension which has added 159 rooms," Quak says. The hotel's Empress Ballroom can hold up to 400 people and three new Victoria function rooms have been added. Ambience Naturally enough, Le Meridien Changi Village receives a slice of events business from aviation companies given its proximity to the island's airport complex. General manager Fong Kah Seng describes the hotel's a surrounding area as "rustic, old-style Singaporean village". "It's rather like a resort atmosphere here, it's a much more natural environment than in the city and its good for keeping participants concentrated on the issues at hand. "In the end, we are just a taxi ride away from the city but it feels like a different world. It's greener, quieter and more open with lots of surrounding space and all sorts of opportunity to include team-building exercises," says Fong. The hotel has 13 function rooms and a a 300-seat ballroom along with 380 guestrooms making it a popular option for corporate retreats without having to leave Singapore. As Singapore enters a new era of change, the city continues to show no signs of slowing down or running out of ideas. If today's plans become reality, and few can doubt Singapore's ability to deliver on its vision, then the regional meetings business will find ever more reasons to choose the destination for their events. Integrated resort complex the business options Singapore's Government is considering the development of an integrated resort in Singapore. Likening the proposal to major resorts in places such as the Bahamas and Las Vegas, the proposed integrated resort would offer a comprehensive range of amenities such as hotels, convention facilities, entertainment shows, theme attractions, luxury retail, fine dining and casino gaming. The strategic objective is to broaden the leisure and entertainment options to enhance Singapore's reputation as a premium 'must-visit' destination for leisure and business visitors. The growth of the Asia Pacific tourism market, fuelled by the growing middle class in China, India and ASEAN as well as the emergence of low-cost airlines, are cited as significant opportunities. One possible model for Singapore is a premium, large-scale development which takes advantage of beach and marina settings to create a holiday feel for visitors. Sited away from the city centre, the best example of this model is the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. An alternative model is one sited within the city as part of a high-intensity mixed-use development. The facilities usually include hotels, food and beverage outlets, theme attractions as well as cultural amenities such as concert halls, theatres and museums. They would add to the buzz and colour of the city. Examples cited of this second kind are the urban integrated resorts in Las Vegas.