Events Management

Friday, June 27, 2008

Festival Club Brochure


(Partnership)




(Product)










(Place)


(Promotion)


















(Price, Place, Product)


















(Programme)


















(Programme)


















(Price, Place, Product, Packaging)


















(Programme)


















(Programme)



















(Partners)

Pictures

Blues at the House










Timbre@ The Arts House (Riverfront Stage)










Before the event (the lone man is Edward, Managing Director of Timbre)










Smokey and the Bandits on Stage










Soi Dogs Blues Band Performing










Can you see Blue Shaddy on stage?



Rock the Sub











Timbre Substation Stage (Oliver the soundman)










Lunarin, Linda Ong on Bass and Vocals (Substation)










Allura (Substation)










People enjoying the show (Substation)













Chivas Royale : Chivas + Apple Juice + Gingerale

Field Trip Reflection Report

Introduction and background of the event
Appointed the official festival club for the second conservative year, Timbre, recognized for supporting local musicians celebrates the diverse and active music scene here in Singapore and across the region by presenting two very special events – Rock the Sub and Blues at the House. Both events were held at a venue that promotes the arts, (Timbre) The Substation and (Timbre) The Arts House, respectively.

I attended Rock the Sub (7th June 2008), and I was an employee at Blues at the House. (14th June 2008)
Being at the event as an employee was an eye-opener, as I got to know what goes behind the scenes.

Organizer of the event
The organizer for this event is the National Arts Council Singapore (NAC). NAC is a Statutory Board set up to spearhead the development of the arts in Singapore.
The council aims to build a vibrant arts sector by creating an environment where arts is accessible to everyone, and artistic talents have the required resources and capabilities to excel. NAC also organizes platforms to showcase local talents together with international artists, like: Singapore Biennale. The Festival club is in line with the NAC's goal of providing a place for local and foreign artists to come together and show people what they can do.

Both these events (Rock the Sub, Blues at the House) are part of the month long Singapore Arts Festival (23 May- 22 June) that celebrates local arts activity of Singapore’s diverse communities. The Arts Festival also encourages regional and international artistic exchanges and collaborations, and Blues at the House is a perfect programme that supports this Arts Festival goal.

Blues at the House
Blues at the House was held at Timbre @ The Arts House. The usual Timbre stage was closed to make way for two new stages just for this one-night only event. A stage at The Hall was opened for those who purchased the more expensive ticket that came with a buffet. The Riverfront Stage, which was specially erected near the Singapore River, with the scenic view of Boat Quay as its backdrop.

I noticed that whatever could be decked out in blue was done so to suit the theme, from the barriers, to the wristbands. Chairs and tables were placed sparsely, to make way for standing areas. This is important, as Timbre always experiences a full house and long queues on most days; furthermore, this event is of a large scale.

The event kicked off with classic Blues numbers that Smokey and the Bandits were playing with such enthusiasm. Heritage, a local band showed off their skills by playing the flute and violin. Soi Dogs Blues Band was next, this band from Thailand consists of three Thais and fronted by a American. Gugun and The Blues Bug, a band from Indonesia took the stage next. Followed by a stellar performance from an Australian Band who call themselves Blue Shaddy. I felt their performance brought the house down, especially the artist (Belly) on the harmonica. Their performance met with a standing ovation from the crowd. Closing off the night was a Jam session by Ublues and The Soulfellas. The event was brought to an end at 2am.

Being under the stars and enjoying the picturesque view of Boat Quay created relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. It was obvious that the audience really liked the outdoor idea, and were sitting back, having a drink and relaxing.

Target Audience

Blues at the House targets people aged 25 years and above, foreigners and true Blues fans. It was evident that the crowd attending consisted of a large number of working adults, and Caucasians.

Stakeholders
The various stakeholders involved in this event include:

· Timbre – who presented the event
· The Arts House – co-presenter of this event
· Chivas – the official spirit for this event, Heineken the official partner
· Participants, Artists involved in this event
· Gibson – the official sponsor for Festival Club. Gibson sponsored two Gibson guitars worth over US$3000++
· DBS – the official credit card for this event is Live Fresh by DBS
· I-S, Power 98 are the official magazine and radio station
· The National Arts Council – they are the organizer
· The employees and audience of Blues at the House are also important stakeholders.

Marketing Strategy
This event was marketed through a variety of mediums. There was a banner that was hung months before the event at the entrance of Timbre @ The Arts House. This event was also advertised on many websites, the Timbre website, The Arts Festival’s website, and the websites of the various stakeholders like DBS. They also placed the event brochures at various bars, clubs and places that support the arts.

Product: Blues at the House. This event provided good quality service to all the attendees and participants of the event.

Place: Timbre, The Arts House (Venue). Timbre, The Substation, The Arts House Box Office (places to purchase tickets) I felt that having this Blues event at Timbre @ The Arts House is an ideal location, as The Arts House promotes the arts, and Timbre has always been a place for music lovers.

Programming: The programme schedule, and the artists playing at Blues at the House. By having a variety of different bands and the programme for the two alternating venues targets the different needs of the audience. Bringing in foreign artists also co-insides with the NAC's goal of artistic exchange between Singapore and the world.

People: The staff at Timbre, the artists involved, the people working at the box office. The staff not only provided the audience with quality service, but they also interacted with the audience, which I feel will make the audience feel more welcomed. The artists mingled with the audience which I thought was great, as the audience would be able to learn more about the performers and their works.

Partnerships: Timbre and The Singapore Arts Festival partnered to bring this wonderful and entertaining event to Singaporeans.

Packaging and Distribution: Tickets could be purchased through the Arts House Box Office, or from either Timbre outlets. A good relationship was cultivated, as both locations had to work hand-in-hand to bring to the audience a quality experience.

Price: The price for this event ranges from S$22.50 to S$52. They catered to the different needs of the audience, those who wanted a more cosy and intimate atmosphere could purchase the more expensive ticket, which enabled them to enjoy a scrumptious buffet spreed and avoid the large crowds.

Promotion: This event was promoted through many websites like DBS website, The Arts Festival Website, myspace accounts or websites of the various performing artists. Brochures were also placed in venues that supported local music (Homeclub) and venues that promoted the arts (The Arts House, The Substation). Placing their publicity collaterals at such venues is a clever move, as people who frequent these places would be music or art lovers, and they are targeting at this specific group of people.

Their overall marketing strategy was good, as they marketed the event not only through banners and brochures, but also through various websites. The bands involved in this event also helped promote Blues at the House by advertising the event on their blogs. Which is good, as any interested parties around the world will get up-to date information about the event.

But I feel that there was room for improvement in the marketing and promotions aspect. The only banner they had for this event was the one hung at the entrance of Timbre (Arts House). They could have hung more banners in vicinity so that more people will learn about this event.

Organization of the event

If I were an audience, I would say the event was very well organized, as the performance line-ups were well in place, the staff was well trained and knowledgeable and the layout of the venue was well thought about, getting the tickets, food and drinks were all very systematic which made things easy and convinent for the audience.
However, from an employees point of view, things were not that perfect. Instructions given to the employees were sometimes unclear, and certain instructions/rules made had to be retracted when the event actually started as it was not well thought through.
Overall I would say this event deserved 8/10 for being a well organized event with room for improvement.

Potential of the event to meet tourist demands
Every year, more and more tourists are arriving on our shores. These tourists are all from very diverse backgrounds and cultures. Although music is international, and knows no boundaries, this event still brought in foreign artists to cater to the different needs of the people. By bringing in foreign artists, they are also trying to entice more foreigners to come into Singapore. This event definitely has the potential to meet tourist demands. More foreign bands could be brought in, and the standard of service provided at the event could be improved to meet the demands. By having this event at The Arts House not only is it ideal for the various reasons mentioned above, but this is also a tourist attraction, as the iconic Sir Stanford Raffles is located less than 2 metres away from this event.

Increasing the value of the event
According to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), they want to strengthen Singapore’s position as a premier business and leisure destination, and to create experiences for visitors and generating high tourism receipts. Blues at the House can achieve this for Singapore. By bringing in more foreign established artists, and by providing a platform for our local talents, this event can contribute to making Singapore a premier business and leisure destination. Furthermore, we will also see in increase in tourism receipts as music lovers and supporters of the artists will arrive in Singapore.
I suggest that maybe in the future, NAC could work with STB to promote this event to tourists, by placing Festival Clubs brochures at the various STB visitor centres around Singapore. Timbre could also produce souvieners like key chains or stationaries for the audience not only to remember this particular event, but at the same time promote Timbre.

Conclusion

Overall, Blues at the House was a roaring success, and I feel that this event will catch on to many, and make waves in the coming years. Not only will this event, be for the enjoyment of music lovers, but it can also contribute to Singapore’s tourism industry. This event not only created a platform for locals to showcase their talents, but also exposed Singaporeans to foreign music and talents.