The Lion City is bursting with entertainment options for any event itinerary, says Margie T Logarta.

Where do I even begin?” Lynette Pang, executive director of arts, entertainment, Formula One and sports at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), says as she tries to describe the riot of citywide entertainment options now at the fingertips of event planners.

A former stage actress, Pang points to the Singapore government’s reputation for meticulous preparation as the reason for the burst of creative endeavours. “We are seeing the fruition of a ten-year plan,” she says. “It was all very deliberate – the aim was to grow industries such as entertainment and the arts, as well as sporting events. One of the key pieces that needed to be set up was the hardware. Once the venues were put into place, the activities followed.”

By Pang’s estimates, the “build and they will come” theory has resulted in the doubling, even tripling, of the number of concerts staged in Singapore. Previously, productions, particularly large ones, could only find a home in the Indoor Stadium, the National Stadium and Kallang Theatre, as well as the Padang – an open sporting field where many colourful National Day ceremonies have been held.

The double-whammy advent of the new “integrated resorts”, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa – which both opened in 2010 – simultaneously expanded the space for performances of all sizes, and more alternatives are scheduled to arrive.

The fertile ground for cultural fare has encouraged foreign entertainment companies to use Singapore as a launch pad to expand their profile in the region. Base Entertainment is a prime example of new entrepreneurship entering the city-state. Its managing director, Milan Rokic, says staging famous hits from Broadway and the West End – such as Wicked, now playing at Marina Bay’s Sands Theatre – helped to reinvent the paradigm of the Singapore experience.

Rokic says: “We are able to position theatre-going as an attractive option for travellers when they plan their trips. We don’t have to depend on the domestic audience, and this allows us to play longer than any show has historically done in Singapore. It also gives the DMCs [destination management companies], with whom we work closely, a good lead time to put together their itineraries.”

Base Entertainment works with Marina Bay’s various restaurants and bistros to arrange pre-show cocktails or dinners, as they did for a recent JP Morgan booking. Since no single outlet could comfortably accommodate the group of 900 hungry executives, it was split among five venues.

Rokic says that Marina Bay Sands’ Art Science Museum, open since February, adds to the collection of unique spaces at the resort that can be hired for pre-show hospitality. So do the two nightclubs, Avalon and Pangaea, occupying the recently opened eye-catching Crystal Pavilion.

Thanks to the tourism board’s aggressive promotion, overseas clients are well versed in the city’s latest major leisure offerings. Lester Chin, assistant director of congress operations at event management company MCI Singapore, says: “The key attractions such as Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World are well-publicised. What our customers are not familiar with, and would be interested to know more about, is the local dining or party scene.”

This is where Chin and his MCI colleagues have to be one step ahead. “With so many places opening up, we’re constantly doing site visits and familiarising ourselves with what is trendy,” he says. Chin recommends the Skypark’s restaurants on top of Marina Bay Sands, the Dempsey Road precinct – a former British army barracks and now a cluster of wine-and-dine outlets – and One-Altitude, located atop a skyscraper bank building in Raffles Place and featuring bars, fine dining and golf simulators, for post-event chill-out options.

Resorts World Sentosa has been a huge success since it launched, providing delegates with a convenient one-stop location to stay, converge and play. Universal Studios, one of several gems in the complex, is a meeting planner’s paradise, offering seven themed zones, several anchor shows and an environment sworn to creating unforgettable memories.

“Remember, a conference is known for two things – the catering and the entertainment,” says Paul Stocker, Resorts World’s vice-president for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) sales. “That’s usually the big take-away of any programme.”

Chin of MCI Singapore describes Universal Studios as instantly appealing to clients. He says: “Movies are something people always enjoy. Its New York zone, for example, has a certain charm, and people like it because they see façades and characters they can identify with.” A dinner set up on the street for 450 Amway executives in October 2010 generated many positive comments, he says.

Singapore’s latest range of leisure infrastructure has only led to better marketing opportunities. “We now have a lot of tools in our box. Being able to offer more after-hours activities has allowed us to go after wider incentive travel business,” Stocker says. “Groups can continually return to Resorts World and experience something unique, and we can host multiple groups inside the park at any one time.”

He adds: “Nothing is ‘cookie cutter’ with us when we work with DMCs. Our portfolio of attractions gives them more options than they may have been offered in the past. Our job is to suggest to our customers something different from what they may have originally wanted, something that they weren’t thinking about.”

Besides taking over the whole complex or a themed zone, clients can have their pick of Resorts World’s wealth of venues, such as the World Square, where the dinner reception of the 77th UFI Congress of the Global Association of Exhibition Industry was held in November 2010; the waterfront, to view the nightly Crane Dance (see facing page); and the Sky Bar of Hotel Michael, which has 470 bedrooms and a spacious al fresco terrace and pool area.

Outside of Resorts World, Sentosa Island itself provides a wide range of places to unwind after an intense day of brainstorming – it all depends on the events planners’ creative juices. A beachfront is a beachfront, but after DMC Pacific World Singapore transformed Tanjong Beach into a circus for the final night of the French group Tax Free Association’s conference, magic was in the air. Manuel Ferrer, Pacific World’s regional managing director, says the use of Chinese acrobats, balloons and related paraphernalia created a festive atmosphere. “It was pure party,” he recalls.

Established facilities such as the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Esplanade – the twin durian fruit-shaped structures alongside Marina Bay – are also getting in on the act. Suntec has not only hosted cocktail parties, gala dinners and themed affairs in its ballrooms, but has also staged a boxing match there with a dinner beforehand.

The Esplanade has designed the “VIP box experience” package for companies “wishing to keep their hosting sessions intimate”, says Lim Ewe Leong, director of partnership development at the Esplanade. This covers eight to 12 guests who are invited to sit in the VIP boxes in the concert hall or theatre, and comes with benefits such as pre-show cocktails in special sections. Post-show appointments to meet the performers (if they are amenable) can also be arranged.

Finding talent to stock the various corporate gigs is never a problem. Pacific World’s Ferrer says: “There are many good musicians and dance artists [in Singapore] to call on when we need them.” Michael Chiay, managing director of MCI Hong Kong, another DMC, agrees: “There is a good mixture of local and foreign talent, such as the band Wicked Aura.”

The 12-member Singaporean percussionist group specialises in Afro-Brazilian beats mashed with funk, rock, reggae, electronica and vocals. Their armoury consists of a variety of traditional and improvised contemporary instruments, notably drums from diverse cultures including the African djembe, Brazilian surdo, Indian dhol and Malay kompang and rebana. The all-male troupe are available for corporate engagements, teambuilding sessions and workshops.

The tourism board’s Pang says: “We want Singapore to be a city that brings together different creative talents and be the place where people can dare to experiment and express their Asian identity.”

Visit yoursingapore.comstb.gov.sg

Shows to see

From water extravaganzas to classic theatrical storytelling, a host of top-quality shows and performances are available for groups in locations around the city. Here’s a selection of what’s currently on offer.

RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA

Crane Dance, the world’s largest dancing animatronics show, is performed at Resorts World Sentosa’s waterfront zone. This unusual ballet uses 30-metre-tall, 80-tonne cranes to “act out” the love story of the legendary birds, and is enhanced by digital art, LED displays, light, water effects and pyrotechnics, all synchronised with a beautiful score.

Voyage de la Vie, or the “Journey of Life”, is Resorts World’s multimillion-dollar resident theatrical circus performance. Through dance, mime and acrobatic stunts, an ensemble of more than 40 cast members from 19 countries interpret one boy’s metaphoric adventure towards adulthood in a strange world.

Waterworld is a live-action stunt spectacular at Universal Studios’ “The Lost World” zone. Based on the blockbuster film Waterworld, viewers experience a tidal wave of death-defying stunts, along with explosions of fire and water. The show is on three times a day. rwsentosa.com

MARINA BAY SANDS

? Wicked, the epic award-winning musical that tells the story of the witches of Oz “before Dorothy dropped in”, is showing nightly until February 26. Since launching on New York’s Broadway in 2003, the show has been seen by nearly 30 million people around the world. marinabaysands.com

New up and coming venues

  • Crystal Pavilion at Marina Bay Sands houses chic nightclubs Avalon and Pangaea, which opened in September, as well as an enormous Louis Vuitton boutique.
  • The Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium, which opened in October at Resorts World Sentosa, transports visitors back to the tenth century – a time when Asian sea trade was booming – through interactive installations and multimedia displays.
  • Marine Life Park, also at Resorts World, will feature one of the world’s largest oceanariums, offering interactive sessions with sea creatures and providing a unique dining experience for corporate groups when it opens in 2012.
  • Gardens by the Bay in the Marina Bay area will answer event planners’ demand for al fresco dining space for 1,000 guests or more. The first phase of the project to be launched is the 54-hectare Bay South Gardens, featuring horticultural-themed spaces and a 30,000-capacity concert lawn. This will open in 2012. Visit gardensbythebay.org.sg
  • Capitol Theatre (also known as Capitol Cinema) is a 1930s neoclassical gem that is being restored to emerge as a 1,800-capacity entertainment centre in 2014.
  • Sports Hub will feature a 55,000-seat multipurpose stadium with a retractable dome roof and eco-friendly cooling system ideal for Singapore’s year-round tropical climate. Complementary venues include the existing 12,000-seat Singapore Indoor Stadium as well as a new 3,000-seat multipurpose Indoor Arena and a 3,000-seat (expandable to 6,000-seat) Aquatic Centre, opening in 2014.
  • The National Art Gallery will debut in 2015 as one of South East Asia’s largest visual arts venues. Fashioned from the combination of the former Supreme Court and City Hall, it will contain not only Singaporean works but also regional masterpieces. The museum’s rooftop plaza will be a place to wine and dine and take in the skyline of Marina Bay. Visit nationalartgallery.sg