Pictures (Proof of visit)

1. This is me at the ticketing booth of South Bridge Development Centre together with the ticketing officer (:

2. Another picture taken at the ticketing booth (Photographer: PeggyLimAhPui)

3. A picture of South Bridge Development Centre. This is an old military camp, one of our very first!

4. Artwork. "Address" by Alfredo Juan Aquilizan and Maria Isabel Gaudinez Aquilizan

5. Artwork. "Everyday We Say Goodbye 好久不见" by Tang Ling Nah and Willie Koh

6. Artwork. Another picture of "Everyday We Say Goodbye 好久不见" by Tang Ling Nah and Willie Koh

7. Artwork. "Drill Hall" by Felice Varini

8. Artwork. "Private Moon" by Leonid Tishkov

9. Artwork. "The Dancer" by Truong Tan

10. Artwork. "Hair Salon" by Leandro Erlich

11. Artwork. "肥皂 (Soap)" by Tamburella Paolo

12. Artwork. "The Farmers and the Helicopters" by Le Dinh Q. with Tran, Quoc Har and Le, Van Danh

13. Artwork. "Swing" by Tse Su-Mei

14. Artwork. "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Heman Chong

15. Picture of me at City Hall. (Photographer Peggy Lim Ah Pui)

16. Artwork. "Raw Canvas" by Jane Lee

17. Inscription taken at City Hall.

18. Artwork. "Operation Supermarket" by Moshiri, Farhad & Aliabadi, Shirin

19. Another picture of "Operation Supermarket" by Moshiri, Farhad & Aliabadi, Shirin

20. Picture of Peggy, my cousin Carynn, and I in front of the artwork "Operation Supermarket" by Moshiri, Farhad & Aliabadi, Shirin

21. Artwork. "Blackfield" by Ben-David, Zadok

22. Picture of the entry ticket, guide book and map of town

End note: I can understand if my readers do not find the pictures interesting. This is because my photography skills are not up to standard, and the artworks can only be appreciated at the venue itself and not in the pictures. Moreover, you need to read up on each artwork to understand what it is all about. So pardon me please. Hope you had an enjoyable learning journey with me! Thank you for reading (:

References & Miscellaneous

- WEBSITES -
1. Singapore Biennale 2008 Homepage
http://singaporebiennale.org/index.html

2. Wikipedia
http://www.wikipedia.com

3. Singapore Tourism Board
http://app.stb.gov.sg/asp/index.asp?

4. National Arts Council
http://app.stb.gov.sg/asp/index.asp?

- BOOKS -
1. Singapore Biennale Guide Book, 2008, National Arts Council Singapore

2. Festival and Special Event Management 3rd Ed

3. Event Management & Event Tourism 2nd Ed

Total no. of words: 3917

Conclusion

I personally feel that this Biennale had been a great success. The Biennale committee really did make full use of the marketing mix, made tones of planning before making decisions, and fixed every little piece of jigsaw together and made sure that they fit perfectly so that both the host and the guest enjoys a positive-positive relationship.

As the name “Biennale” suggests “Every other year”, people know that this event will not happen until 2 years later. Thus, art lovers from all around the world will try their very best to attend this event. Speaking from the point of view of the Biennale committee, we are not satisfied with what we have currently. We build on the success from 2006’s Biennale, improve and improvise, make full use of the marketing mix, take into consideration what economic values and tourism roles Biennale could play, and put together a greater and more magnificent event than the one 2 years ago. And that is how we are able organize yet another successful event.

Through attending this event, I have gained a better knowledge about how to plan for a successful event. Without studying this subject Festivals and Events Management, I would not know and understand the logic and rules, all the hard work, and the marketing mix being applied when creating any event, not just this Biennale. I used to have a simple mindset, and not paying attention to small little details.

For example, I would think that since Singapore Flyer is nearby and since they can fit into the Biennale as part of the promotion, let us use them. But when you carefully take out the pieces one by one to analyze them, you can see much thought had been put into place to make these decisions. Like Singapore Flyer is part of the Biennale probably is to show the contrast of how Singapore has evolved to the tourists and locals. Together with City Hall and South Bridge Development Centre, it clearly shows how much Singapore has grown as One Nation Under Lee.

Planning is the key to success, and Singapore Biennale was such a success because long and tedious planning was made beforehand.

Tourism Roles & Economic Value

Singapore Biennale 2006 was a great success. With 95 artists and art collectives showing 195 artworks at 19 venues, the number of visitors totaled to about 883,000. This year, word got around the globe and I believe that are more than 883,000 visitors. I was talking to Mr Tripp (my tour guide) and he said some of his friends traveled all the way here just to attend the Biennale. They say that though Singapore may be small, but the talents that we have, the events that we plan are just too exciting to be missed.

Moreover, a friend of mine went to the Biennale on a weekday, and then accompanied me on a weekend. She said that the crowd on a weekday is no different from the crowd on a weekend. Thus, we both concluded that Biennale is not greatly affected by peak and non-peak periods. In the case of Singaporeans attending, perhaps weekends have more local crowds. But in the case of tourists, they travel here especially for the event, and I believe they took time off their busy schedule thus making up for the weekday crowds. This clearly shows that Singapore Biennale is huge enough an event to play an important tourism role for Singapore’s tourism industry.

At the same time, we all know that tourists will definitely spend money when they stay in Singapore. Though the Biennale does not cost much and does not make a big difference in generating income for the country, think about the lodging, food and beverage, entertainment, transport etc. To get around town, to survive, to have a shelter above their heads, all these generate money. A recent survey actually showed that tourists in Singapore spend an average of $1000 per day when they are here, inclusive of hotels.

Therefore, in the big picture, Singapore Biennale 2008 indeed carries a big economic value with it. Not only does it focus on developing arts in Singapore, it fully utilizes the time of year, where there are no other big events in Singapore is going on, to continue bringing in substantial number of tourists. This keeps the revenue and tourism receipts rolling, making Singapore a peak period all year round.

P11. Positioning and Branding

Last but not least, positioning and branding provides a recognizable identity to what is otherwise an intangible product. It reassures potential customers that the service will be delivered as promised.

This event is branded with the name Singapore in it, thus Singapore Biennale. With a country’s name in an event, it gives people the perception that it is something big and not just some small private functions opened to invitations only. Also, involvement from various government institutes like Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and National Arts Council etc tells people that this event is important to the nation; much effort has been put into realizing this event and to expect a fruitful experience when you go to visit Singapore Biennale.

Also, with the theme ‘Wonder’, and multi colors are used to decorate the banners and brochures, it makes the event feel exciting. It is branded in such a way it caters to people of all age groups, from Kids’ Biennale for the young, to Singapore Biennale for the adults, and Singapore Flyer flights for tourists, nobody should have an excuse not to attend this event.

P10. Physical Setting

Another subset of place is the physical setting of the event. It explains the design and layout of the venue including the consideration of open spaces, viewing areas, and essential service facilities such as lifts and escalators.

The Biennale is on-going at several locations in the heart of town, and the 2 main building/structures are under conservation orders, thus the design and layout of it is untouched, kept in their original state. This event takes place in solid buildings and no tents or temporary skirting is being built, thus the design and layout cannot be altered.

However, although spaces cannot be changed or moved, all the viewing areas and open spaces are fully maximized and utilized. Each artwork is placed in a strategic location where it can bring out the most of a customer’s experience. I feel that for this part, the planning done is very meticulous. Any festival or event that is to be held in future, readers please take note, full maximize the place to their potential and remember to plan first before making decisions!

P9. Process

A subset of place is processes. This includes operational processes like security checks, entry/exit procedures, and the ability to readily access ATMs or toilets. For the Biennale at South Bridge Development Centre and City Hall, Security Officers were stationed on every floor, over-looking most of the tangible artworks, except the video presentations. This is to ensure that people do not destroy or damage those artworks, and some were so strict that we were not allowed to touch the artwork. For some other masterpieces, photography is allowed only without the use of flashlight, not because the flash will damage the artwork, but rather, by using flash, the outcome of the artwork is different from what the artist wants to convey, thus flash photography is not allowed.

Entry and exit procedures, on the other hand, are quite slack. Not much checking was being made to the visitors. It seemed like the authority assumed that anybody holding the guide book has already paid for the ticket and thus don’t have to ask them for one. However, I see the loophole here as when I was at City Hall, I brought my cousin along and she did not pay for her ticket. I simply told her to hold my guide book and walk into City Hall, and it worked.

Lastly, as these 2 places are now under conservation order, the toilets can not be used. To access the toilet, you have to walk to a nearby shopping centre or MRT stations. Only at the Singapore Flyer, security officers and entry/exit procedures are stricter, while at the same time, ATMs and toilets are easily accessible.

P8. Promotion

The new age of promotion is revolutionized in such a way where they no longer promote to the event markets; rather, they form a relationship with them. This has greatly increased the number of potential delivery channels available for broadcasting their intended messages and with this, they form brand relationship. It is a strategy of making a choice of specific media and messages to form a dialogue with the market.

Singapore Biennale 2008 has carefully chosen the promotion partners to work with to bring out the best of both worlds. For example, their first promotion is with PAssion Card holders, senior citizen and student discounts. Majority of PAssion Card holders are senior citizens and housewives who stay at home most of the time. These people have a lot of time to spare, and NAC has sees them as a potential market to influence. At the same time, I think they are targeting this group of people because when the senior citizens visit Biennale and goes home to spread the good news, it will then cause a ripple effect. The next generation will hear from their parents, and with the student promotion, the parents will hear from their children. Very wise planning was made here. Simple and decisive, yet powerful as a decision.

Next promotion is tied with Singapore Flyer. Singapore Flyer flight tickets also entitle people entry to City Hall and South Bridge Development Centre, but it does not include the guide book. As mentioned earlier on in Price segment, this event is aiming for a non-profit way of doing things, so they allow people to come for free but can not include the guide book as it is a cost to the company. Cooperating with Singapore Flyer allows foreign tourists to come to the Biennale free of charge, especially when they do not know about the Biennale and found out that “Oh, we can go to this place. Let’s go check it out.” This will effectively spread the good news yet again.

Vice versa, visitors to Biennale would find out about PAssion Card and Singapore Flyer and those who have yet to try will then be interested to find out what it is about. This will benefit both parties and create a positive relationship.

P7. Price

Price is a key influence on demand and an important aspect of an event’s marketing mix. It is one of the avenues for revenue from the event. However, as the National Arts Council of Singapore is trying to promote and develop Arts in Singapore, the prices charged, in my opinion, are non-profitable. Ticket prices are selling at $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens and passion card holders, and $5 for students with valid student passes. With this kind of price, it is hardly that the organizers are making any money. At most, they are just recovering their cost for printing the tickets and guide books and brochures, as well as maintenance cost for the artworks.

Another reason for them to be charging a low rate would be because Art is still not very popular in Singapore. Although Singapore Biennale is deemed to be a huge event that attracts foreign tourists, we are not a country who is a pro at art. People would gladly travel to Venice to watch a biennale arts performance, but to come all the way to Singapore just to attend Biennale? I do not think so. We have the potential, but we are not there yet. Therefore, charging a high price may have a reverse effect of pushing people away instead of drawing them near. Careful and wise decisions were made when determining the price for this event.

P6. Partnership

Next important factor is partnership; this includes the sponsors as well. They share a common vision and relationship marketing is able to take place with the residents where the event is staged. The main sponsors of Singapore Biennale 2008 are NOL, URA, Marina Bay Singapore, City Developments Limited, Dubai World, EladGroup and Jet Airways; among many other preferred sponsors and normal sponsors.

It has definitely cost them a lot of money to sponsor this event, but the benefits that they reap from it are well enough. The publicity that Singapore Biennale gets, the support of Singapore Tourism Board, and overseas exposure of the event has reflected all the names of the sponsors. It has not just reached the locals, but foreigners as well. In the long run, if any of these companies want to venture overseas, people will look at their company name and say “Oh, aren’t you one of the sponsors of Singapore Biennale 2008? That event was such a great success!”

Together with the key players from various industries, they all share the same common goal of capturing the attention of tourists and art lovers. Business opportunities will slowly open up for them, companies will be glad to have them working together because the perception that Biennale is a success will mean that these companies are experienced. This area, I could say, is very successful.

P5. People

The next marketing mix is the people. This includes the cast, the customers, as well as the host-guest relationship. Without the cast, there wouldn’t be this event, and without the customers, this event would not be a success. Therefore, this role of people is very crucial when it comes to any festival or event around the world.

The main host of this event is The National Arts Council (NAC) of Singapore. It was established in September 1991 with the aim of developing arts in Singapore. Other co-hosts include people from Arts Educational Institutes (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, La Salle), National Arts Council, Singapore Art Museum, Mediacorp, Ministry of Education and Singapore Press Holdings. In addition, I would say that the man of the show would go to Fumio Nanjo, who is the artistic director of Singapore Biennale 2008. He is the director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, and has served as a judge and consultant for many huge art competitions held in Singapore such as the Vivo City Public Artworks in 2006.

The host guest relationship is positive-positive as the NAC achieved their aim of spreading the goodwill of arts in Singapore and beyond, while at the same time, the visitors like my friends and I, enjoyed a great deal of time looking at artworks, understanding the different thinking of artists from around the world, and also learning more about the history of Singapore.

Their way of communication is through their main website (www.singaporebiennale.org), pamphlets, brochures, as well as Singapore Biennale Secretariat (1 Coleman Street, #05-06 The Adelphi Singapore179803). The messages that the hosts want to convey to the visitors, as well as important information like the ticketing booths, timeslots for guided tours, whom to approach for assistance etc; are all included in these brochures and made available at their website as well as the Secretariat.

P4. Place

Place refers to both the site where the event takes place (the venue), as well as the place at which consumers can purchase their tickets. In the case of Singapore Biennale 2008, tickets are sold at event site itself, which is at South Bridge Development Centre, City Hall, and Singapore Flyer. Choosing the right place for this event is very important because it will not only enhance and give effect to the event, but at the same time, it gives people the perception of Singapore, what the past is like, how rich our culture is etc. It also helps people understand Singapore, especially for the tourists, through City Hall and South Bridge Development Centre, to Singapore Flyer, it shows them how much Singapore has developed through the years and what we as a small country, is capable of.

City Hall was originally built in 1929 as a historical and symbolic status for post-independence Singapore. It was here that Admiral Mountbatten accepted the surrender of the Japanese from General Itagaki in 1945; that Singapore was proclaimed a city by Royal Charter granted by King George VI in 1951; that PM Lee Kuan Yew proclaimed self-government for Singapore in 1959, and where he declared merger with Malaysia in 1963, and then announced that Singapore was an independent republic in 1965.

All the past of Singapore, how we were formed, all started at City Hall. Thus, choosing this as a location for Biennale is perfect as tourists from other countries will be able to understand Singapore better, and the locals attending can also learn more about their home. Most of the rooms in City Hall is untouched, including courtrooms, judges’ chambers, and public administration sites, to add to the viewers’ experience.

South Bridge Development Centre is an ex-army camp built back in the 1930s. After the Second World War, the camp became headquarters for the Singapore Military forces and our first National Service Enlistment was held here in 1967. It was later used as the headquarters of Singapore’s volunteer defense forces, when it came to a conclusion on 9^th October 2002 under conservation orders.

Biennale 2008 made full use of this premise but not having the indoors air conditioned. The climate, with its full humidity offers a different sense of experiencing the artworks. In these instances, the artwork melds with the environment in a unique way.

P3. Packaging & Distribution

Packaging and distribution is putting together the different types of entertainment, food and beverage and merchandise, with accommodation, transport and attractions in the vicinity.

Singapore Biennale 2008 committee had chosen several popular shopping destinations/spots to display their artworks. For example, ‘Beware of God’ a projection and video presentation by ‘Deborah Kelly’ (Born 1962 Australia, lives and work in Australia) at Suntec City Shopping Centre, and ‘Fantasmas (Phantoms) 2008’ a public art display by ‘Isaac Montoya’ (Born 1963 Spain, lives and works in Spain) outside Raffles City Shopping Centre. With these artworks at these crowded and popular districts in the heart of Singapore, it draws people attention to it.

Beware of God is a strong light being shot up into the sky with those words. Passer-bys at night will definitely look up into the sky wondering who did that? What does it mean? Is God here today? It arouses a lot of suspicion, curiosity and awe in people when they see something like this being done up. Fantasmus shows a large portrait of a old man, and at the foot of the portrait outside Raffles City Shopping Centre lies 2 booths with colored plastic. When you view the portrait through the plastic, the portrait looks totally different from what is being viewed previously. People will then start taking photographs and talk about it to their friends and families, and their friends and families will then want to come to take a look at it themselves to ease their curiosity.

This not only helps boost the popularity of the Biennale, but at the same time, brings people to visit the shopping centre. ‘Since we’re here, why don’t we eat at Suntec?’ is a common phrase that you will hear among the art lovers. Through this act, more people will be attracted and enticed to visit and take part in the Singapore Biennale as they want more of those kind of art that they see at the shopping centre. This clearly shows an example of putting together art entertainment with attractions in the vicinity, a very good way to promote Singapore Biennale.

P2. Programming

Programming is distinguishing the core concept, merging the program with the site, and deciding on the compatibility & success of exhibits, technical quality of performers, uniqueness versus regularity as compared to other events, as well as ratio of innovation and tradition in the event program.

Singapore Biennale 2008 has a series of events lined up for 10 weeks from 9^th September to 2^nd November 2008. The event kicks off with a private vernissage help on 9^th and 10^th September, accompanied with a Launch Party (by invitation only) on 8^th September. Other programs include ‘Wonder Club’, ‘Artists Talk’, ‘Hans Op de Beeck book launch and talk’, ‘Artistic Director’s Tour by Fumio Nanjo’, ‘Curator’s Tour by Matthew Ngui’, ‘ Curator’s Tour by Joselina Cruz’ and ‘Kids’ Day Out’. Most of the events are held during the weekends where most people are not working to draw the most out of the visitors.

There are also guided tours held on weekends where the tour guides are able to speak foreign languages fluently to cater to the needs of foreign tourists. Also, there is educational tour programs tied up with various educational institutes filed under ‘School Tours’ as well as a Kids’ Biennale for primary schools, developed with the aim to inspire, instill and engage children through participation in the series of art workshops, competition and activities. Singapore Biennale and Little Art Bug Workshop jointly develop the related programs.

I strongly feel that these programs help spice things up at the Biennale by a large extent. Without these fun filled and challenging programs for kids, the Biennale would just be another typical visit to the museum, looking at artworks, without games, no guides, no tours, and no parties before and after the event. That would be such a bore wouldn’t it? Therefore, the Singapore biennale Committee did prepare a very good program for this year’s big event.

P1. Product

According to definition, a product is a set of intangible leisure experiences and tangible goods designed to satisfy the needs of the event market. It encompasses all the elements that make up the event and which the customer perceives as an experience.

The products of Singapore Biennale 2008 are the 80 pieces of artwork placed at different locations, and the various artists who are part of the artwork itself. These artworks come from 66 artists, from more than 35 countries and regions. Each artwork is presented with the basic premise of giving artists and artworks the space and place to engage audiences in a deep and meaningful way. This is definitely one of the most important factors to consider when planning Singapore Biennale 2008. Who would want to take time off their busy schedule looking at artworks while cramming with a few hundred of other people and not enjoying and unable to interpret the artists’ idea in a quiet and peaceful environment?

For example, some artworks are video presentations, thus they are placed in a quiet dark room to bring out the best of effect, both audio and visual to the audience. Other artwork like the Impossibility of the Superstring Theory by Joshua Yang (Student of Singapore Management University, Born in Malaysia, Lives and work in Singapore), requires a very big space for him to continue his lines of drawing, is then situated at the big hall on the first level of South Bridge Development Centre. If his artwork had been in other typical small rooms on the second floor, it would not allow people to be led by their curiosity and trying to follow the line that he had drawn as there would not be enough room for movement.

Other products include the guide book, town map, venue map, and the tour guides who would take you on a free tour around specific locations and selective timeslots. The event has made good use of these tools to help visitors find their way around Singapore Biennale 2008, and the guide to help facilitate understanding through a step by step approach so that visitors do not get lost in the midst of walking through the artworks.

During my visit, I had a tour guide as well – Mr Tripp. He is from Australia, and is currently working and living in Singapore. As a volunteer guide at the Biennale, he guided me through all the artworks at the south Bridge Development Centre without missing a single artwork. Through Mr Tripp, I find that my visit is more worthwhile as there is someone there to guide me along, to give me an introduction of what Biennale is all about, and what the artist is trying to convey through their artworks. Together, all these products help form the extraordinary experience to satisfy the needs of people visiting this event.

The Marketing Mix - 11Ps

Singapore Biennale 2008 would not have been so successful without the effective use of the marketing mix, which consists of Product, Programming, Packaging and Distribution, Place, People, Partnership, Price, Promotion, Process, Physical Setting, and Positioning & Branding.

Introduction to Biennale

The objective of this learning experience is to identify how the various components of the event marketing mix had been adopted in the event “Singapore Biennale 2008” aka “新加坡双年展” that I had visited, and evaluate how effective these components had been used to contribute towards the success of the event. I will also be discussing the tourism roles and economic value this event brings to Singapore. The methodology for this research project is mainly through the use of field study, photography, and reading up of brochures and internet websites, to further enhance my knowledge of the on-going event and finally, to consolidate my findings.

Singapore Biennale 2008; From the name itself, Biennale originated from an International Arts Exhibition held every 2 years at Venice, Italy. In Italian, it is translated as “every other year” and can be used to describe any event that happens every 2 years. Though the case, it has a strong connotation with the art world, and is commonly used to describe an international manifestation of contemporary art.

This year’s Biennale takes place at 2 key locations namely City Hall and South Bridge Development Centre, with 6 other mini locations that displays larger pieces of artworks, namely Raffles City Shopping Centre, Suntec City, Clifford Pier, Esplanade Bridge, Central Promonory Site, and The Singapore Flyer. The theme for this year is “WONDER” and is on-going 24/7 from 11^th September – 16^th November 2008.

“Wonder” is a feeling of surprise and admiration caused by something beautiful, unexpected or unfamiliar, and as a verb, it is not only “to feel curious” or “desire to know”, but also to “feel doubt”.

Keeping to this definition above, the title and theme of Wonder calls for us to question and be curious. Yet at the same time, to let ourselves be surprised, awed, tantalized, challenged or simply informed by what we can experience through contemporary art as an aperture to the world.

-Fumio Nanjo

Artictic Director

Singapore Biennale 2008

With 66 artists and art collectives from more than 35 countries and regions, this tightly curate show presents the best of both Asian and international art practices. I felt most connected with an art piece called “肥皂” (Fei Zao) which means soap by Paolo Tamburella. Mr Paolo is born in 1973 in Italy, and is currently living and working in Italy. Working between symbolism and materiality, Tamburella actively collaborates with local people tapping into their interest and assistance in his projects.

In the artist’s new work for the Biennale he shaped and mould 8000 bars of soap into a landscape as backdrop for a solitary figure washing himself. In his imagination, Tamburella sees this work as a representation of a life lived, with daily routines and rituals making out a lifetime of consumption and production.

I feel connected with this artwork because I have been taught to live my life with much hope and expectance, awaiting different surprises everyday and not repeating mundane stuff. However, through this artist, I have learnt that there are some things in life that is repeated on a daily basis, and cannot be made any more fantastic regardless of what we do.