Introduction
The event that I have chosen for the Festival and Events Management field trip is the Singapore Arts Festival 2009. It was held from 15th May to 14th June. The festival celebrates the local arts activities of Singapore's diverse communities and is orgranised by the National Arts Council. It also features an array of free outdoor performances island-wide, bringing the arts to the doorsteps of Singaporeans. Singapore Arts Festival remains the largest singular event on Singapore's arts calendar, inviting artists from more than 20 countries, offering more than 400 activities and attracting up to 500,000 attendances.
I attended the opening performance of the festival, themed Hélios II - Saga of Thousand Suns by French urban theatre extraordinaire La Compagnie Malabar.
Marketing strategy comparison
Another festival that I am comparing with the Singapore Arts Festival(SAF) is the Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) which took place from the 6th February to 8th March 2009. We will use the marketing mix of 8Ps to compare.
PRODUCT
Product encompasses all the elements that make up the event. It is a set of intangible experiences a
nd tangible goods that is designed to satisfy the needs of the event.
Visitors look for an enriching arts festival experience through the core productions by various local and international artistes with a variety of activities and performances in sync with dance, music, theatre and even school programmes and workshops.
The Augmented product are the services, the facilities that satisfy the needs of the audience, even the needs that audience unconsciously expects to be satisfied. These include things like toilet facilities, guide services, guidebooks, directories and more, that make their arts festival experience a better one.
The HKAF also offers a similar product, with productions from music, dance and theatre companies. A slight difference in their products to offer would be that HKAF has Opera productions whereas SAF focuses more on their dance, music and theatre category.
PLACE
Place is the location and setting of the event. It has a direct impact on visitors' visiting experience. The venue needs to be conveniently accessible and of appropriate size to accommodate the projected amount of visitors. Besides the location of the event, place also refers to the place where visitors can purchase tickets to the event.
The Singapore Arts Festival has many venues for its array of arts display. They are held mostly in the Esplanade Theatre, Victoria Theatre, Drama Centre Theatre, Marina Barrage (Opening of event). The sites are located in the town area and visitors not only get to see the art works, but the iconic landmarks of Singapore such as renowned Esplanade and the Sir Stamford Raffles statue located near Victoria Concert Hall. The sites are also located within the vicinity of MRT stations such as City Hall and Raffles Place MRT stations. This makes it more convenient for the locals or tourists visiting the festival. Purchasing of tickets to the arts festival can be made prior to the event by telephone/internet booking or through sistic authorised agents. This reduces the hassle of long queues at the door sales.
Door sale tickets are available at most performance venues one hour before commencement of performance. However, visitors are encourage to make prior bookings to avoid disappointment of sold-out performances. The opening performance of the festival was held at the Marina Barrage. It was a free 70 minutes display of performances in the open-air. This was a good choice of location because the Barrage was officially opened in recent years and would spark interest among the locals and tourists to visit the place as well as watch the performance. This year’s Festival Opening is also the first and largest arts performance to be staged at the Marina Barrage which has a picturesque view of our striking Singapore cityscape. Audiences witnessed a breathtaking symphony of lights and sounds in the dark night. As it was a free admission, there was no need for ticketing booths thus reducing the hassle of queuing for tickets. Free shuttle bus services were provided from International Plaza and Marina Bay MRT Station to Marina Barrage from 5.30pm to 8.30pm on 15-17 May 2009. There were also free bus services for return trips to International Plaza after each performance. This helped in the crowd control and easing the congestion of the event.
The place for HKAF is obviously different from the SAF as it is held in Hong Kong. A similarity is that they too have multiple venues for the different kinds of productions such as the Hong Kong cultural centre, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Fringe Club. Purchasing of tickets can be done via advance booking (internet, fax and postal) or during the counter booking period(internet ticketing, telephone credit card, outlets counter booking). Just like SAF, the HKAF allows overseas booking through fax and the SAF through overseas sistic agents.
PROGRAMMING
Programming is to create a unique, attractive program in making the event a success. Good and entertaining programs help create a positive visiting experience and to encourage repeat visits. On the other hand, boring and uninteresting programs will yield negative response from visitors who will most unlikely return for a second visit.
The Singapore Arts Festival has come up with many interesting programs besides performances. They have school programs, festival workshops, talks and festival forums open to the public. This creates a chance for visitors to interact with one another instead of just being a one way audience to a performance. For example, the Etiquette program held at café Dome at Marine Square. It is a play where you and another are the only actors and audiences. Guided by headphones and told what to say and do, two participants perform a half hour drama at a table in a public café amidst patrons oblivious to the performance taking place.
There is also the Cullberg Ballet Dance Workshop by Jane Hopper which will work with different excerpts from Johan Ingers’ repertoire. From earlier works such as Walking Mad, to the latest piece Position of Elsewhere, Cullberg Ballet’s rehearsal assistant Jane Hopper will work with intentions, technique and artistic expressions.
Free admission programmes are also readily available, catering to visitors who are new to the arts scene but would like to experience a variety of arts showcase. This strategy attracts a whole new different crowd, further publicising the importance of the arts to Singaporeans and tourists.
The HKAF has recommended family programs suited for families with kids the Alice in Wonderland production by the English National Ballet. Another special program is the Back stage guided tour where visitors can see up-close and personal to what happens behind the scenes.
One similarity between the two festivals is that both have a variety of free admission programs for the public.
PRICING
Pricing is an important factor that affects the response from the targeted market for any event. Pricing may be in terms of monetary or in the form of time, travel costs or even lost opportunities. In this financial aspect, event organizers have to consider the scale of the event and the audience that they want to attract, which is their target market. The Singapore Arts Festival has reasonable pricing for its events. It is largely affordable and acceptable by the public. They have brought in performances such as Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, which is an orchestra performance of the popular game amongst the public, at a very affordable price ranging from $20 to $80.
Another value-for-money production would be the Crab Flower Club play by Toy Production. It is directed by author and director Goh Boon Teck, well acclaimed for his design and literary flair.
The pricing strategy used by the Singapore Arts Festival is the target market strategy. This means that there are different pricing for the different target markets. Full-Time Students, NSFs and Senior Citizens (60 years old and above) enjoy 20% discount for any value purchase. As for group bookings, they will enjoy a 15% discount if they make a purchase of 15 or more tickets to any one production.
The pricing of HKAF’s performance are slightly higher than the SAF as compared with the Culberg ballet (Price range: S$20 to S$100) and Hong Kong Ballet tickets (Price range HK$200 – HK$580) However the similarity is that HKAF also uses a similar pricing strategy which is to give students a discount which can go up to almost half the price.
PARTNERSHIP
Partners make the group of people that event organizers would have to work with. Event organizers have to put in a considerable amount of effort selecting the right type of partners and workers they want to work with in the event, sharing a common vision.
The organizer of the festival is the National Arts Council. The official TV station is Mediacorp TV Channel 5. The supporting TV station is OKTO channel and the official sparkling beverage is Coca Cola Light. Premier partners are the Singapore Tourism Board who wishes to hit their target of tourist influx, Singapore Turf Club, Shaw Foundation and University of Western Australian (UWA) in partnering with PSB Academy. They are also in partnership with leading arts organization such as the Singapore Drama Educators Association, Drama Box, Singapore Lyric Opera, MOVING ARTS and The Triqnaqi.
Venue partners such as Dome Marina Square, LASELLE College of the Arts and National Parks Board work with event organizers to host activities and performances within their premises. SBS Transit also plays a part in providing free shuttle bus services for certain events. Upon questioning of some service staff and helpers, most of them come from our local arts institute or schools. This pose as a good exposure for these students as they could learn more about the breakdown of these mega art showcases.
The public can also support the Festival either by cash contribution or through in-kind support.
Partnership with the HKAF includes the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Hong Kong Tourism Board. One unique feature about the HKAF is the Student Ticket Scheme which enables full-time students to attend Festival performances at 50% discount. The platinum donors are HSBC bank, Zhilian Foundation, Cyma Charity Fund Pte Ltd, Hang Seng Bank.
PEOPLE
The meaning of this particular component of marketing mix does not only include the visitors to an event, but also the interaction between the visitors, settings, and staff of the event which result in an event experience. There was a large number of local and international artistes performing at the festival and this help expand the knowledge of the global arts scene of many visitors.
As a visitor to the opening performance at the Marina Barrage, I felt that the event organizers had done their part in making the visit a memorable and hospitable one. As it was a free admission performance, large crowds of visitors attended, causing a mini congestion at the entrance. However, due to the prompt action of the organizers, event helpers took care of the crowd control and ushered the people in an orderly manner. Event helpers were also friendly and open to any enquiries upon asking.
Besides physical interactions, there is a festival forum; The Insider's Guide to Festival Commissions and Collaborations where you can get an insider's view from Singapore artists who have been commissioned by the Festival and have presented their works abroad
There is also an online blog where festival blogger post updates on various events. There is also a twitter and facebook account set up for people to share their views and discussions about the visual arts online. This helps in the interaction between the people from all over the world and the visual arts.
People for the HKAF very much stays the same as they both target the same group: Art lovers and people who are new to the arts scene. However, they lack a personal touch as there is not much social interaction between visitors and organizers unlike the SAF which has a blog, twitter and facebook account where viewers can follow up on the latest happenings. From this aspect, we can see that there is a slight difference in the targeted age for the festivals. SAF tends to be on the edgier and youthful side whereas the HKAF is more suited for the middle age and above.
PROMOTION
This component for an event generally includes public relations, advertisements, as well as sales promotions. The Singapore Arts Festival has promotions for its ticket purchase such as the general sale discount where purchasing tickets to 4 or more shows allow visitors to enjoy discounts of up to 15%! 4 or more shows - 15% discount and 2 to 3 shows - 10% discount.
There is also the group booking promotion from 9 March 2009 onwards, where consumers purchase 15 tickets or more to any one production and enjoy 15% discount. Heavily discounted student tickets, arts appreciation workshops and talks that cater specially to schools are also available for booking though limited availability.
Free brochures are widely available especially at hotel concierges or information counters at shopping malls. They give full details about the Biennale event prior to Singapore Arts Festival. Posters and bus-stop advertisements are put up in the district area near the respective art sites and even around certain neighbourhoods. Promotional efforts made by the organizers such as online advertisements in many websites of the sponsors and partners help create awareness of the festival. For example, the The STB has listed their event in their Calender of Events and any tourists who look into the web would be able to find the event’s information.
Newspaper reports on the spectacular display of artworks at the opening ceremony also helped divert attention to the upcoming events that the festival has in store for the public. Their official website also has ample information on performance venue, time and ticketing price.
Promotional tools used are probably the same in the two festivals with the help of newspapers, radio, tv stations and internet. The HKAF has an online FestMag where users can view article analysis on the performances. They also have a preview video in their official website.
PACKAGING
Packaging is the combination of other products that are not directly related to the core product into a service bundle and selling it to the audience or consumers. Things that could be included are other entertainments, food and beverage or merchandises.
The festival introduced the ArtsFest club where members can enjoy an exciting array of exclusive privileges. This sign-up package includes gaining first-hand information on the ArtsFest, being one of the privileged few to have the ArtsFest early-bird flyer delivered to your home, booking your favourite ArtsFest shows at heavily-discounted prices and reserve the best seats during the priority booking period and enjoy great discounts and special promotions at the partners' outlets such as a 15% off F&B and spa services discount and the Marina Mandarin Singapore.
ArtFest ticket holders can also receive discounts and privileges such as redeeming a free Heeren Privilege Card at The Heeren Shops, 20% off F&B services at Marina Mandarin Singapore and a 10% discount at Straits Cafe, Hotel Rendevouz. More discounts and privileges can be found at the official website.
A difference in their packaging is that the HKAF partnered with a credit card company to offer special discounts, benefits and privileges to members. The Hong Kong Arts Festival MasterCard enables members to get welcome gifts(Choose between MP3 player or SDHC memory card), ticket discounts and cash rebates.
Best practices
The best practice used by the SAF is Packaging. They have fully utilized the packaging marketing mix, throwing in freebies and discount for all Artfest ticket holders and not just members of the ArtFest club. Consumers would be drawn in to this factor and perhaps purchase more tickets to enjoy these special privileges. This is exceptionally helpful in generating more tourism receipts from tourists as they can enjoy the showcase of artworks and engage in luxurious fine dining, lodging and spa services.
The best practice used by the HKAF is the Programming. It is no doubt that the HKAF have a large variety of productions of different genre of the arts. It even has a Opera productions, both Western and Chinese. Another good point is the Festival Plus with an array of programs such as the behind the scenes guided tour and dialogue sessions with certain artistes. The wide range of activities and performances can attract alot of visitors.
Stakeholders
The host organization is the National Arts Council
The host community would be Singaporeans (taxi drivers), hotels, attractions, F&B outlets and entertainment around the district.
Workers include host, ticketing staff, performing artistes, back stage crew, operation staffs patrolling guards, event helpers and volunteers and the audiences.
Media includes television, brochures, leaflets, internet, radio stations Premier partners are Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore Turf Club, Shaw Foundation , University of Western Australian (UWA) in partnering with PSB Academy.
There are also the major sponsors, sponsors, supporters, venue partners. List can be found in official website. (http://www.singaporeartsfest.com/sponsor/)
Main purpose of Singapore Arts Festival
The concept of this event is to provide a platform to cultivate people not only from Singapore, but all over the world, a deeper engagement with the arts scene, to capture the spirit of creativity and encounters of art and city life, and inspire interaction, generate new opportunities for artists and curators and create new content in Singapore's art scene.( http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1363_2008-07-31.html as of 23 Nov )
It allows visitors to enjoy an eye-opener of artworks from local and international artistes. The festival seeks to carve out a distinctive identity, while providing a model for other arts festivals in the region. The 4-week infusion of performances and events will inspire and capture the public imagination of the city, investing in works that bridge disciplines, cultures, language and geographical boundaries; exploring, among others, contemporary issues related to history, memory, migration, and urban living; discovering emergent and promising artists; and encouraging regional and international artistic exchanges and collaborations. (http://www.singaporeartsfest.com/aboutus/)
Tourism benefits
Singapore Arts Festival as a mega event has great influence in terms of tourism and economic values. The big scale event has brought in a steady influx of tourist arrivals which in turn have high spending power. This is in sync with the Singapore Tourism Board’s goal of tourism receipts of $30 billion and doubling visitor arrivals to 17 million by 2015.
The socio-cultural benefits are the most significant ones as the main purpose of the event is to welcome and introduce the public to the art scene where they can enjoy a spectacular display of top-notched art works. The festival showcases core productions from renowned companies such as the famous Culberg ballet and Toy factory productions. Therefore this draws in a large crowd of art enthusiasts and lovers to appreciate fine art before their very eyes. Every production in the Arts festival helps in cultivating Singapore into a Arts Hub.
With events such as the Singapore Biennale and Chingay Parade held at different times of the year, it is no sooner that Singapore is able to expand and focus more on the Arts Hub, paving the way for new arts events to take place in the city. This will result in more tourism receipts being generated as tourists spend on their lodging at hotels and F&B outlet. This will boost our tourism industry and bring in more employment for our locals to serve our booming industry.
