1. Introduction
Objective of this report and methodology of research
I have chosen to visit Singapore Biennale 2008 for my field trip assignment for the module, Festivals and Events Management.
This report is my observation of the Singapore Biennale 2008 and my reflections on how the different factors of the event marketing mix had been used in the event. The components of the event marketing mix are Product, Price, Place, Promotion and an addition of Partnership. I will assess the effectiveness of the factors being used to contribute to ensure the success of the event. This report will include some suggestions on how the event could further improve on areas that are deemed as ineffective. Also, I will talk about the tourism roles of Singapore Biennale and how it contributes to
Background of
Singapore Biennale is an international modern visual arts exhibition, which starts from 11 September to
This year, there will be 66 artists together with their renowned art pieces from 35 different countries all over the world. The Biennale will be located at 9 different key venues of
2. Evaluation of the Effective Use of Marketing Mix
Marketing mix is adopted by every event to ensure the event proceeds smoothly and successfully. Marketing events is the process of using the different components of marketing mix to achieve organizational aims through creating value for customers. Another definition of marketing mix will be the controllable factors that an organization combines together to satisfy a market group. This means that the organizers can change the factors to attain the event's marketing objectives.
There are five marketing mix used by the Singapore Biennale 2008. They are namely product, price, promotion, place and lastly, an additional mix which is partnership.
Product
Product comprises of all the different aspects that make up the event. This includes the design characteristics, standard of service, branding, customer participation in the event and staff interaction with customers.
One example will be the physical evidence such as the layout, furnishing of venue and the sound quality of the exhibits. I visited the Biennale held at the historic City Hall which is the old Supreme Court. The exhibits were displayed at level one to level four, and from chambers to chambers. The environment and ambience of the old Supreme Court allows the guests to further immerse themselves into the multitude of art works. Also, some exhibits were short videos filmed by the renowned artists and they were shown in very dark rooms to project a better quality for the audience. The sound quality of the videos was extremely good and it was as though we are watching a movie in the cinema.
Another example will be the service standard of the staff in Singapore Biennale. During the visit to the art exhibition, the number of service staff was sufficient to serve the guests. They were all allocated to different rooms and also at the registration counter where guests can purchase their admission tickets. The job scope of the staff was to assist in guests and answer their inquiries. The staff reminded the guests to be careful with the exhibits and also not to use flash photography or video-taking at all times.
I feel that the Biennale has used this marketing mix well to contribute to the progress of the event. However, the event could improve better on their service component as I was not really satisfied with the quality of service provided by the staff working there. An incident which I came across during my visit was the rudeness of some service staff. There was this service staff that was alone in a particular exhibit room and she was actually chatting away on her mobile phone as she was seated at a corner in the room. When I was standing next to an art piece wanting to take a photograph, she immediately paused her conversation and shouted across the room to remind me not to touch the exhibit. I felt that this was impolite and as a service staff, she should not be chatting on her phone during working hours and also, she should approach me and talk to me nicely instead. Another incident occurred when there was 2 service staff allocated together in a room to assist the guests. However, they were chatting with each other, neglecting the guests’ needs. When they noticed that I had lost my way, they did not take the initiative to guide me but instead I had to approach them, stopped their conversation and asked for help. I felt that the quality of service should be improved as this is a global event where there are tourists visiting and they should leave a good impression, not only for themselves but also for
There is another point which I feel that the organizer could have done better is the signages in the exhibition. As mentioned earlier in the report, some of the art works are videos filmed by the artists and are projected in a very dark room whereby we could not even see each other. However, there are no signages displayed to remind the guests to watch their steps when going into the dark room. Any guest who is not careful may just trip over the steps and fall.
Price
Price is the value that guests place on the event experience and are willing to pay. The price of an event is variable depending on the type of guest such as pensioner concessions or the time of purchasing the ticket. An example of promotional price will be the concessional prices for students. As a tertiary student, I only need to pay 50 percent of the original price which is 5
Secondly, there is also a ticket promotion which helps to increase the revenue of the Singapore Flyer. Guests who purchase the Singapore Biennale admission ticket can visit
The use of this marketing mix is very effective as the discounted prices during low demand and concessional prices can attract more audience to the Biennale as they may be more willing to pay a lower price to visit an art exhibition.
Place
In event marketing, this marketing mix “place” has two different definitions. It can signify the geographical location of the event taking place and the second meaning is the location of distribution of the admission tickets. For example, guests can purchase their tickets at the gate or can purchase it in advance on the internet, etc.
As mentioned earlier on in the report, the exhibitions are held at 9 different places which are namely Raffles City Shopping Centre, South Beach Development,
For the second definition, the tickets to the Biennale can only be purchased at any ticketing booths situated at the 2 main venues which are City Hall and South Beach Development. There are no other methods of distribution and guests cannot purchase the tickets in advance on the internet or via their mobile phones.
I feel that this marketing mix has contributed well to the progress of the Biennale primarily the different key venues of the exhibitions. It is a fantastic idea to hold the exhibitions in the town area as it is easily accessible. Also, the venues give tourists a great opportunity to explore some of the attractions in
However, as for the distribution of the admission tickets, I personally felt that they should allow guests to purchase the Biennale tickets in advance at some ticketing agency or on their official website in the internet. This way, guests can need not purchase their tickets only when they arrive at the main venues. They will need to queue up at the ticketing booth if they happen to encounter a large crowd and this takes up quite a bit of time.
Promotion
Promotion encompasses all the different marketing communication methods such as advertising in the newspapers, flyers and brochures and sales promotion. Promotion is considered as the most tangible aspect among the four “Ps” in the marketing mix.
Sponsors and partners of the Singapore Biennale play a part in marketing and promoting the event. Some examples are the Media Partners such as “Universes in Universe” and “Contemporary Visual Arts + Culture broadsheet”, Official Travel Agent such as “Trade winds Tours & Travels” and Preferred Arts Magazine such as “C Arts”.
Another way that works as a promotional mix is by having some exhibits displayed outdoor. Passer-bys, who do not know about the art exhibition, will feel curious and will take a look at the art pieces. One such example will be the artworks displayed outside Raffles City Shopping Centre. People who only have the intention of shopping will certainly take notice of the huge artwork displayed on the exterior of the shopping building. They will then know about the Biennale that is taking place now and they maybe interested to visit other exhibition venues.
Communication and Media plays a major role in promoting festivals and events too. However, there are not many promotions done for Singapore Biennale 2008. There are not many advertisements and commercials shown in the television, broadcasted in radio channels, published in newspapers or even travel magazines. Also, not many outdoor promotions, such as having advertisements on the bulletin boards at bus stops and train stations, can be seen too.
I feel that out of all the different components of the marketing mix, Promotion is the most essential one as without this marketing mix, guests will not be aware of such huge event taking place in Singapore and tourists will not come from all over the world to participate in the Singapore Biennale 2008. However, I personally think that the organizer for this event did not really do a good job in promoting as I did not really take notice of any advertisements on the streets or any broadcast in the radio channels. I only knew about the Biennale because of the power of word-of-mouth from my course-mates who are doing this assignment too. I asked around my relatives and friends but nobody actually heard of this mega event that is taking place in
Partnerships
Partnerships are stakeholders who work hand in hand with the main organizers in producing the event and ensure the success of the event at the end of the day.
There are many sponsors and partners which are involved in the Singapore Biennale. As researched, there are venue partners such as Raffles City Shopping Centre which provide the location for the exhibition, Official Exhibition partner such as PICO, Media Partners such as Universes in Universe, Official Freight Partner such as Helutrans art move, Education and Outreach partners such as National Library Board, Republic Polytechnic, LASALLE, The Arts House and many more.
Without the help from all these partners, the event may not be produced and hence, I feel that these partners are very important and contribute a lot in the organization of the event.
3. Tourism Roles and Economic Value of the Event
This is the second time
Tourism Roles of Events
Biennale is an international arts exhibition. The tourism role of event will be a tourist attraction as the Biennale attracts tourists who have a passion for Arts and want to understand more about the Arts culture. The tourists come to
As for the art practitioners, it is a form of cultural exchange. Biennale provides them with an opportunity to get together and interact with each other with the common interest of Art. It serves as a platform for artists of different countries to conduct arts businesses and also facilitate exchange for the global arts community. Biennale allows the people to have social interactions not just for arts, but also an exchange of the different lifestyles and culture.
Another tourism role of event will be a catalyst. The Biennale stimulates the art businesses in
Economic Values to
The Biennale has a positive economic impact on
Just like the Formula One race that took place in September 2008, tourists from other countries got to know more about
Lastly, as mentioned earlier in the report, Singapore Biennale creates business opportunities and attracts foreign talents and potential investors which will have a positive impact on
4. Conclusion
In conclusion, I think that the organizers for the Singapore Biennale 2008 have effectively adopted the components of the marketing mix to ensure the success of the event. Firstly, I felt that it is a very good idea to hold the Biennale in 9 different key venues in the City area of
As for the Price, I feel that it is affordable and reasonable for a visit to an international arts exhibition. With the promotional prices and all, it is even more attractive to the tourists and locals to visit the exhibitions.
However, there are sure to be some areas in which the event can be further improved. For the standard of service, I will like to suggest perhaps the organizer can conduct some service workshops to train the staff and ensure that they are at their best performances at all times. As for the signages in the exhibition, the organizers can put up some reminders clearly to remind the guests to be careful at all times.
As for the promotional mix, the organizers could have done their promotion better by making it more known to the public. Some of the ways to improve can be by having more advertisements using the media channel and also publicizing it at public places like bus stops and train stations. This way, more people will be aware and the promotional mix can further contribute to the success of the event.
Overall, Singapore Biennale has brought in positive economic impact to the country and because of the effective use of the five “Ps” of marketing mix, Singapore Biennale 2008 is another success achieved.
