Festivals and Events Management (BLR3001)
AY 2009/10 April Semester
FIELD TRIP ASSIGNMENT BRIEF
(Individual Report)
Introduction
The event that I have chosen from the recommended list is the Singapore Arts Festival 2009. The Singapore Arts Festival is an art festival event hosted by the National Arts Council held annually in Singapore over 4 weeks, attracting visitors from both locals and foreigners to watch performers from more than 20 countries. The performance I attended during the Singapore Arts Festival is the HELIOS II performed by a group of French performers held in Marina Barrage on 15th May. It was also the first opening performance of the Singapore Arts Festival performed by a French urban theatre named La Compagnie Malabar. They have performed in more than 30 countries and 1000 towns, reputably enough to be chosen to kick off the Singapore Arts Festival. The performance is about the birth of the sun god through a series of breath-taking circus performance, music, amazing usage of lights and the finale of spectacular fireworks. The start of performance is probably the best part as Helios, the giant praying mantis entered the stage and circled around the audience.
The festival that I have chosen to compare with the Singapore Arts Festival 2009 is the Festival Miami 2008 held in South Florida. It is a music festival held in Miami held annually that lasted 4 weeks, each week having its own music theme such as Jazz and American music. It is a world recognized music festival that had been around since 1984, with more than 20 concerts and artists from more than 40 different states, attracting both locals and visitors in South Florida for the performance. It also includes world known artists and performance during the 4 weeks festival, instilling the cultural importance into the population of Miami. Some of the well known artists during the Festival Miami 2008 are Eddie Palmieri and John Corigliano.
In terms of history Singapore Arts Festival and Festival Miami 2008, they had been around for more than 20 years, welcoming artists from around the world to perform at their country. Although one is arts festival and the other music festival, the purpose of the festivals is to cultivate the cultural mindset of both local and foreigners, and life is more than just earning upkeep and materialistic items. Artists can also take this chance to showcase their talents and performance during the festivals, earning world wide recognition and fame.
Marketing Strategy
In Singapore Arts Festival 2008, it is held over many places such as Esplanade theatre, Victoria Theatre, Marina Barrage and Vivocity. In some of its performances, it was held in open space such as Transports Exceptionnels, Tampines MRT station open field and the closing celebrations of Arts Festival at Yishun Open Field. However in Festival Miami 2008, although there are also different venues, but they are all indoors concert halls such as Gusman Concert Hall and Knight Concert Hall.
Product
The core product of the Singapore Arts Festival 2009 is of course the different types of performances available during the 4-weeks festival. These types includes Dance, Music, Theatre, Fest Connect, Visual Arts and Outreach, each catering to people with different preferences of arts.
As for the Festival Miami 2008, the different types of themes are “Great performances”, “Music of the Americas”, “Creative American Music” and “Jazz and beyond”, distributed across the 4-weeks festivals.
Promotion
Singapore Arts Festival 2009 promotes through its official television station, Channel 5. ArtsFest club card holders enjoys discount when staying in Marina Mandarin Singapore, Moroccan Lounge & bar bill discount and Heeren shops shopping discount. ArtsFest tickets holders also can get discount at these places. In addition, business travellers also has the All-in-one package, including hotel discount, weekly e-newsletter, and access to the businesstraveller.asia website. Singapore Arts Festival also provides discount to students, Nsmen and senior citizens. And with more show tickets you buy, the more discount you will receive, thus people will be attracted to go.
In Festival Miami 2008, students stand to get 20% discount off the tickets and local senior citizens can get free tickets to the festival. They also promote through mass media such as newspaper articles.
Programming
The performances for Singapore Arts Festival 2009 are evenly arranged across places. The timings and place of the performances are printed behind the brochures, where people will be able to keep track of them. Their website also have information on the types of performance and their venue and timing.
In Festival Miami 2008, they also have their concert schedules on their website as well as the information of their artists and the price of tickets. This enabled the visitors to plan ahead.
Packaging and distributions
Singapore Arts Festival 2009 provides Business Traveller Asia-Pacific(BTAP) package for business travellers. The package make it more attractive for the business travellers to go the to arts festival. Also, people who are interested can get their tickets through online booking at sistic website, through telephone and various ticket sales places in Singapore. Tickets are also sold in neighborhood countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
Festival Miami 2008 also provides sales of tickets through online, telephone and available at box office before the concert starts.
Partnership
Singapore Arts Festival is in partnership with Singapore Tourism Board, National Parks Board and others venue partners such as Merlion Park, Marina Barrage and Vivocity.
For Festival Miami 2008, they are in collaboration with Miami-Dade tourism development Council, Florida division of cultural affairs and various concert venues.
People
People in the Singapore Arts Festival includes volunteers, the backstage crew, the main cast, the pre-show performers and the audiences. Everyone plays a important part in making a success for the Arts Festival.
In Festival Miami 2008, its the same with the volunteers, backstage crew, performers and audiences.
Price
Singapore Arts Festival provides discount to any students, Nsmen, senior citizens of 20% of the ticket price. This is to encourage people to join in the festival and makes it more affordable to them.
In Festival Miami, they also provide discount to students and even free tickets to local senior citizens.
Some of the best practices includes the different venues they used for the Arts Festival. The venues are located from all parts of the island, such as Vivocity in the South, Tampines open field in the east, Yishun open field in the north, and Esplanade and Raffles city in the center of the island. These is to provide accessibility to people living different parts of Singapore, that arts is always at their doorstep.
Another practice is the placing of Portaloo outside toilets in Marina Barrage. They show great consideration into this by placing Portaloo even though there are toilets in Marina Barrage. This is to ensure that people do not have to wait or squeeze in the toilets with the huge crowd from the Arts Festival.
Also they give out free water at the entrance of the Marina Barrage to ensure that the audience will be able to satisfy their thirst, while enjoying the magnificent performance.
Lastly, the fireworks with the combination of music and lights at the finale of the performance is simply the best as it leaves a memorably impression of the show.
Stakeholders
Host Organization : National Arts Council
Host Community : Singapore Tourism Board, National Parks Board, Housing & Development Board
Participants and spectators : Performers, backstage crews, audience
Co-workers – Volunteers
Media : Channel 5(Official TV Station), OKTO channel
Sponsors : Coca Cola light (Official Sparkling Beverage), LEE FOUNDATION, RAFFLES CITY, PUB, Suntec Singapore, VIVOcity, WingTaiAsia, SMRT, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Marina Mandarin Singapore, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Starhub Cable Vision, Yahoo!.
Main Purpose
Tourism Benefits
Through Singapore Arts Festival, Singapore is being promoted to the world as not only a beautiful green country, but also cultural enriched in its own way. This increases the reputation of Singapore in foreigners' mind. Having performers from all around the world to perform in Singapore not only allows them to discuss their experience with local artists, it also helps to raise the standard of local artists.
With so many tourists coming to attend the Arts Festival, the hotels will earn more revenue as they spend money on their daily needs. While attracting business travellers to the arts festival, it will be a good way to extend their stay in Singapore. This means that they will spend more during their stay and it will increase their spending. With the Arts Festival, workers will be needed to set up the stage and helping out, thus the employment level will increase during the festival season. Workers will also be needed to clean up after each performance.
In conclusion
Honestly, it was the first time I attended the Singapore Arts Festival. If it wasn't for the project, I would probably never even think of going for the Arts Festival. Well arts wasn't my best and favourite subject. I always thought of arts only painting, drawing and coloring. The performance was really great and I began to sink into the story, amazed as they performed stunts after stunts, and 1 hour slipped past just like that. Before I knew it, the finale of fireworks was already on the sky. From next year, I know I will diligently attend the Art Festival, this time not for project, but the desire for art burning inside me.
References :
http://www.music.miami.edu/festivalmiami/index.php
http://www.singaporeartsfest.com/flash_index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Florida
