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Top Philippine ICT Players Join PH Delegation at CommunicAsia2013 and EnterpriseIT2013

Singapore parody of Psy"s latest hit "Gentleman" goes viral

It’s Carina’s turn to work on some filming projects, as husband Tony Leung is enjoying his

Singapore parody of Psy"s latest hit "Gentleman" goes viral

WTA picks Singapore to host its tennis Championships from 2014

8 May 2013
Last updated at 04:06 ET

By Bill Wilson
Business reporter, BBC News

Russia’s Maria Sharapova was a finalist at the 2012 Championships

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has named Singapore as the host for its annual end-of-season tour championships for five years from 2014.

The championship, held in the Turkish city of Istanbul between 2011 and 2013, is considered the most prestigious event after the four Grand Slams.

The other candidates were Monterrey, in Mexico, and China’s Tianjin.

The top eight singles players and top eight doubles players will compete for record prize money of $6.5m (£4.2m).

That is up from $5,5m in 2012 and $6m in 2013,

Regional strategy

“This is the largest and most significant WTA Championships partnership in our history. It’s a record-breaker,” said WTA chief executive Stacey Allaster.

World Sport Group (WSG), a subsidiary of Lagardere Unlimited, with support from the Singapore Sports Council and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), represented Singapore for the winning bid.

The Singapore move is part of the WTA’s stated goal of expanding women’s tennis in the Asia-Pacific region.

“That was definitely one of the elements behind our decision,” the WTA’s Allaster told the BBC. “We want to enhance and grow our strategy in the region, with a focus on south-east Asia.”

She said the award of the event to Singapore gave the country “another strategic asset” to put alongside its F1 race.

The current champion is Serena Williams, who beat Maria Sharapova in the 2012 final.

The event was first staged in 1972 and has been hosted in cities including Los Angeles, New York City, Munich, Madrid, Doha and currently Istanbul.

‘Sports industry’

The move to Singapore follows other big name sports events being held there, including the Formula One Grand Prix, golf’s HSBC Women’s Champions and the 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

The state-of-the-art $1bn Singapore Sports Hub, located in the centre of the city, will host the championships at the 7500-seat, Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The WTA and organisers say they are looking to change the event from a tennis championships into a wider entertainment programme, with new features such as WTA Future Stars, WTA legends exhibition matches, concerts, coaching, trade symposiums, a Women in Business Leadership Conference, and daily fan festivals open to the public.

There will also be VIP events up for grabs for fans.

She said the winning bid team were “very entrepreneurial” and shared the WTA’s thoughts about making the championships a leisure and lifestyle event, as well as a tennis one.

“This is an excellent opportunity for the sports industry to showcase its capabilities in hosting world class events,” said Lim Teck Yin, chief executive of the Singapore Sports Council.

And analyst Ben Heyhoe Flint, head of Asia-Pacific at Fuse, Omnicom Media Group’s sports and entertainment division, called the announcement “a feather in the cap” for Singapore.

“It is really impressive that they have managed to get this in the bag… it is the year-end event of a major sport,” he said.

“And to get the top eight players in the world in your back yard can only be good news for everyone – the economy, tourism and brand Singapore”

WTA picks Singapore to host its tennis Championships from 2014

Singapore stories: Making social media good media - Campaign Asia

Last November, I was both amused and perturbed by a global report from Gallup, which said that Singaporeans are the most ‘emotionless’ and also the unhappiest people in the world. I thought, ‘How can?’ (Yes, it’s a uniquely Singaporean comment, laden with emotional undertones). I was pretty sure Gallup goofed up at the poll because I know what the people in this country are really like.

But instead of cursing at the darkness, I thought, ‘Let’s do something about it’.

As a quietly proud Singaporean, I wanted to show a different side of the people. Stories of everyday Singaporeans who are up and about doing their own thing and happy in their own personal pursuits. Stories that Gallup will never know because to uncover them you have to wade deep into the heartlands. Concerned that our stories weren’t being told, and after talking to some colleagues, we decided to launch a personal project, ‘Singaporean of the Day’.

The insight: Don’t be fooled by the quiet, seemingly emotionless demeanour of Singaporeans—there’s life on the inside. Every one of us knows someone from our Facebook friend list who is passionate about life, positively proud about Singapore (though will never say it) and is positively supporting a cause (they just don’t like research very much).

The idea: Draw out the happy Singaporeans too modest to tell their simple stories. Providing the backdrop to inspire many more to come out of the woodwork too.

This gave birth to our video project that documents Singaporeans’ take on life and how they see themselves now and in the future. This is the real Singapore the world should know about.

My agency encourages entrepreneurship and personal action. So we did what we do best—storytelling on social media. We took what we know about brands and marketing in a social age and rallied the community for good. This is advertising for change.

We didn’t want to resort to slick, over-stylised production. We wanted the voices and faces to be authentic, and transmit the same energy as if you heard the story in person. Interviews were not scripted. No make-up artist was necessary. We wanted to feature Singaporeans with their very own stories, pursuits and feelings. It might even provide good primary research material for Gallup to decode. This is communications that understands the real people of Singapore, as opposed to a poll, which focuses on the negatives rather than celebrating the happy stories, which permeate the city.

We were amazed by how the stories spread and grew, and led to more stories. The quietly polite, positive and humble Singaporeans came out to show why emotion can prove to be tricky to measure. Thirteen videos later, we found ourselves sharing our story on the stage at TEDx Singapore, as well as in the newspapers, journals and international publications. More importantly, it struck a deep emotional chord with Singaporeans. I’m pleased to say Singaporeans are living, breathing, feeling creatures. Or to use that Singlish word: ‘Emo-ting’!

There are many Singaporeans who are living their passions and taking up causes they believe in. Like Bjorn Low, who takes to urban farming in the city-state, or Mr Yeo Cheng Yang, whose passion as an opera troupe owner kept him going and humming. Or Elisa Ng, who picked up running with her children and then picked up trash as they ran. They showed the positive energy and spirit in Singaporeans.

In advertising, we are prone to talk up a good game—a good idea, a good campaign. The ‘social good’ agenda provides opportunities for brands to shape their social-media strategy, which becomes a good media strategy. We did it in Singapore and we are seeing great campaigns from all over the world.

With our own skills base, we can influence and change the social media landscape for good. We’ve proven there are lots of happy Singaporeans. What good can you do?

Singapore stories: Making social media good media - Campaign Asia

Singapore Marriott Hotel unveils £17m revamp - Citmagazine.com

Singapore Marriott Hotel unveils £17m revamp

It now has 393 rooms with ergonomically-designed furniture, an open-plan lobby, the Marriott Café and the Java deli.

There are also two new room categories – Premier Deluxe Rooms and Studio Rooms. 

Singapore Marriott Hotel general manager Antony Page said: “The needs of today’s mobile businessmen and women have been central to our decision-making process.”

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Singapore Marriott Hotel unveils £17m revamp - Citmagazine.com

Budget Travel Takes Off at Singapore"s Changi Airport

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Budget Travel Takes Off at Singapore’s Changi Airport

PRWEB.COM Newswire

Singapore (PRWEB) May 08, 2013

Singapore’s Changi Airport saw 51.2 million passengers pass through it last year, a 10% jump from 2011 and a record high for this international air hub. For this remarkable achievement, they have budget travelers to thank.

According to Changi Airport Group, travelers within the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 8 out of 10 travelers at the airport. The strong growth in the region has fed an increasing appetite for travel, especially in the budget sector. Also seeing the effects of this growth is the sector for budget hotel in Singapore, as noted by BudgetHotels.sg, a specialist portal in budget accommodation bookings.

“As a cosmopolitan, well-connected city served by many international airlines, Singapore is very popular with the short-stay visitor,” commented Danny Lee, founder of BudgetHotels.sg. “We see a lot of tourists on stopover, businessmen, as well as those from the region who come here for shopping. As they don’t stay very long, they prefer cheap Singapore hotels over luxury.”

Indeed Asian-Pacific travelers are a group that prizes value for money, as discovered by PhoCusWright, a market research company specializing in the travel industry. They are predicting that in 2013, Asia-Pacific travelers will spend US$357 billion on travel, with 14 percent going towards bookings in South-East Asia. These bookings are made online rather than through an agent, indicating that they are looking for bargains.

In response to the changing profile of travelers, a new breed of budget hotel has sprung up. These are modern hotels that offer compact rooms and standing showers only, but contemporary furnishings and attractive amenities like free Wi-Fi internet access. According to Lee, these new hotels are very popular with short-stay travelers who don’t require luxury, but don’t want anything too rudimentary either.

Changi Airport is also rapidly changing to appeal to this group of travelers too. It has integrated its former Budget Terminal into the main airport, and plans to build its fourth terminal in its place. Budget travelers now enjoy all the same perks and amenities in the airport as other travelers.

With so many conveniences offered, it is no surprise that budget travel is becoming an important part of Singapore’s tourism economy. For the latest Singapore hotel promotions and deals, please visit http://www.budgethotels.sg/hotel-deals/

About BudgetHotels.sg

Created specially to cater to budget travelers looking for cheap hotels in Singapore, BudgetHotels.sg is an online hotels guide platform that’s the first-of-its-kind in Singapore and Asia. The site uniquely brings together a compilation of affordable hotels in Singapore selected for their proximity to MRT train stations. On top of that, it also offers sightseeing suggestions and tips tailored for budget business and leisure travelers.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/5/prweb10694444.htm

Budget Travel Takes Off at Singapore"s Changi Airport

Australian Toga, Singapore"s FE Orchard in Asia-Pacific, European hotel JV

Australian Toga, Singapore’s FE Orchard in Asia-Pacific, European hotel JV

06 May 2013, 10:35 PM

Australian Toga Group, parent of Europe-based Adina Apartment Hotels, has signed a joint venture with Singapore-listed Far East Orchard to invest in hotel development, acquisitions and management in Germany, Denmark and Hungary as well as in Australia and New Zealand. FEOrchard put up €180m for the JV.

News archive.

Australian Toga, Singapore"s FE Orchard in Asia-Pacific, European hotel JV