This might happen and it will be a new experience for badminton fans. The Singapore Indoor Stadium better wakes up before it loses its "favourite" status venue for world class events including badminton tournaments!
Doesn't this sound good? The Straits Times February 13, 2009 Bad acoustics will soon be a grumble of the past when the two IRs open with up to 14 new venues for world-class acts When Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World at Sentosa open at the end of the year and early next year respectively, it is not just the Las Vegas-style casinos and luxe hotels that will grab the spotlight. Music fans will have reason to cheer too as these Integrated Resorts (IR) wil also feature spanking new concert halls. These hew purpose-built venues for world-calss music acts will be alternatives to current ageing venues such as the Singapore Indoor Stadium and Fort Canning Park. An estimated 14 new venues with more than 23,000 seats in total will be coming onstream, a boon for concert-goers who have long complained of inadequate sould systems and rickety seats at current veunes such as the 20-year-old Singapore Indoor Stadium (SIS) and the cavernous Suntec Auditoriums. Regular concertgoer Willy Tan, 30, is glad to have seen big-name acts such as The Police and The Rolling Stones at the SIS, but complains that less-than-stellar sound has always marred the performances. "It's pretty decent in terms of setting and size. I've been there for at least eight shows and I've never heard a good sound from that place," says the entrepreneurship promotion manager. The SIS can seat up to 13,000 people for an event. Given that the IRs' venues will be available for lease by independent promoters, the impact of these new venues on the concert scene here could be comparable to the Esplanade's effect on the arts scene when the complex opened in 2002. The art centre's purpose-built theatre and concert hall, which can host a wider range of arts events, helped spur the arts scene. The number of productions staged grew from a rate of 4 per cent annually to a staggering 20 per cent a year. The new venues are welcome news for promoters who say they will provide a much-needed range of differently sized venues for acts of varying popularity. Ms Sylvia Choy-Dhillon, director of Greenhorn Productions, a promoter who has brought in more left-field acts such as indie band Death Cab For Cutie and edgy-folk singer Ani DiFranco, says that more mid-sized venues are needed for the less commercial acts. Concert organizers KittyWu, who have brought in alterntive, non-mainstream acts such as post-rock bands Mogwai and Mono, say that more choices make it easier for them to bring in more acts. KittyWu's co-founder Lesley Chew says: "The new venues mean we will have more options to consider when bringing in more acts." Resorts World at Sentosa alone will have at least 10 different venues suitable for live music performances. Marina Bay Sands has four venues suitable for large-scale performances. Such venues will have a critical impact on the burgeoning concert scene in Singapore, which has doubled in size in the past five years, says Dr Robert Liew, president of the Association of Event and Concert Managers Singapore, an informal gathering of concert promoters and event organisers. He says: "The number of pop concerts will definitely increase because promoters are always looking for mid-sized venues and there are currently none." The new venues, purpose-built for performances, will cater to the increasingly sophisticated audiences here who now demand more bang for their buck. Singer Kylie Minogue's concert at the SIS last November, for example, sparked complaints that the stage was not as elaborate as the ones for her concerts in Europe. The concert's organizers, Live Nation Asia, said the venue's technical and size limitation meant that the elaborate stage set-up at the larger European arenas could not be replicated here. The better-equipped facilities coming up in the IRs sinal the likely end of such complaints. Dr Liew says: "In the long run, it is better to use purpose-built venues for both concert halls and theatres. Adapting existing spaces for today's specialised requirements is a stop-gap solution that will not elevate our performing arts industry." KittyWu's Ms Chew says most mid-sized venues here cater to orchestral or recital concerts with built-in seating, for example, Esplanade Concert Hall, Victoria Concert Hall and Jubilee Hall. For pop and rock concerts, she says, "in terms of capacity, most venues here sit on either side of the spectrum, ranging from the 13,000-seat SIS to the 1,800-seat Esplanade Concert Hall to 300-people clubs". She adds, that established nightspots such as Zouk could possibly host 800 but the in-house sound system is geared for DJs rather than live bands. Replying to the problem of muddled acoustics at the SIS, which last year alone hosted 50 popular musical acts ranging from veteran crooner Tony Orlando to hip-hop star Kanye West, chief executive officer Denise Marsh said an international consultant last year gave the thumbs up to the venue's acoustic integrity. She says: "The report showed that with the exception of some minor work required to repair one or two existing acoustic panels, the venue has excellent acoustic integrity. This repair work was carried out last year. "The fault, where any is perceived by concert-goers, is the way in which the sound is distributed, modulated and balanced within the arena. This is achieved via equipment which is 100 per cent shipped into the venue for each concert to a strict technical rider provided by the artist's management." But there is no denying the age of the complex, although the stadium's management says renovation works are cyclical and ongoing. Last year, the venue upgraded the backstage facilities for artists and the premier seats. It plans to upgrade the roof and public toilet facilities this year. Although no acts have been confirmed, the new venues at the IRs could entice more international artists to bring their shows to Singapore. Ms Andrea Teo, vice-president of entertainment for Resorts World at Sentosa, says: "We have a range of great venues but I believe the quantum difference to the Singapore entertainment scene is the richness and diversity we will add when we fill those venues with great performances and performers, be they local, regional or international." Marina Bay Sands' vice-president of Singapore development and general manager George Tanasijevich says confidently: "With the drawing power of an integrated resort like Marina Bay Sands, Singapore will soon be a must-visit for any world-class artist looking at concert venues in this part of the world." Upcoming show venues at IRs Resorts World At Sentosa will have at least 10 different venues including: Grand Ballroom with a 6,500 sq m area to set 7,300 guests concert-style. Special Effects Theatre with standing room for 180 guests. The Hard Rock Amphitheatre which can accommodate 1,000. The Le Vie Theatre where the Resort's resident show, Le Vie, is staged. It has a 1,500 sq m stage and can seat 1,600 guests. When not used for Le Vie, it can be used for other entertainment events. The Hollywood Theatre, located in the theme park Universal Studios Singapore, can seat 1,500 The Waterworld Amphitheatre, a semi-open air theatre, can accommodate 3,500 spectators. A Shrek 4D Theatre can seat 600. Outdoor venues The Show Place, The Bull Ring and Festive Walk can cater to audience sizes ranging from 600 to 2,000. Marina Bay Sands will have four venues: An indoor theatre with a seating capacity of approximately 2,000, suitable for concerts, plays, award ceremonies and special gala events. The Expo & Convention Centre, featuring an 8,000 sq m ballroom. It claims to be the biggest ballroom in Asia and can seat 7,000. Event Plaza, an open-air, street-level venue facing the Marina Bay waterfront. It can accommodate 10,000 people. A theatre with a capacity of 2,000 which caters to long-running productions programmed by the Marina Bay Sands. This venue is not open to one-off concert baookings. Current major show venues Singapore Indoor Stadium Opened in 1989, the SIS arena can hold up to 13,000. Acts that have played here include guitar legends, Eric Clapton and Santana, rock acts The Police and Metallica, and Cantopop stars Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng. D'Marquee, Downtown East The Pasir Ris resort has venue that can hold up to 2,000. International performers who have played here include R&B/hip-hop singer Akon and British speed-metal band DragonForce, who will play their second show here on April 11. Esplanade The Esplanade's Concert Hall seats 1,800 while the Theatre holds, 1,900. These two venues have hosted musical acts ranging from jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to Japanese hardcore band Envy. Fort Canning Green, Fort Canning Park A popular outdoor venue that has hosted major music festivals like Womad and Singfest, which drew 17,000 music fans over a weekend in August last year. Max Pavilion A hall in Singapore Expo that caters specifically to music events and can hold up to 7,000. Acts that have played here include veteran pop rockers Air Supply and thrash metal band Slayer. Hall 2, a multi-function hall in Singapore Expo, has hosted concerts and can hold 8,500. Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre The three convention halls, add up to 12,000 sq m, can hold up to 12,000 and have hosted concerts by art-rock guru David Byrne and R&B/soul queen Dionne Warwick.
A New International Cruise Terminal At Marina South by 2011 The Straits Times March 19, 2009 In a nod to the Republic's ambition to become an international cruise centre, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) gave a glimpse of its new cruise terminal at a shipping event in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday which attracted industry bigwigs. The new terminal will boast berths that can accommodate the world's largest ships. It will help Singapore achieve its ambition of becoming a cruise hub for the region by doubling the handling capacity of the current HarbourFront terminal, which is already struggling to cope with the growing number of ships and people arriving there. Worse, the existing terminal at HarbourFront has a height restriction of 52m, making it impossible for many bigger ships to dock there. The new terminal at Marina South will not have any size or height restrictions. However, it will be ready only by 2011, a year later than originally planned. No reason for the delay was given in STB's press statement. Miami's Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention is an important annual event at which shipping industry movers and shakers meet to discuss the latest developments. At the event, STB's director for destination marketing and cruises, Mr Chew Tiong Heng, said: "Even amid the current economic climate, the STB is committed to delivering this key infrastructure by the end of 2011 to help position Singapore as a regional cruise hub. "We believe the terminal's rooftop, depicting a modern interpretation of low rolling waves will be a very welcoming sight to passengers as their cruise ships sail into Singapore." The new cruise terminal was designed by a collaboration between United States-based Ajamil and Partners and local firm RSP Architects Planners and Engineers. The ground-breaking for the project is expected to begin in the next quarter.
Singapore is the Monaco of Asia. And Singapore is the only nation in the world (if I am not wrong) that is actually growing ... physically. Maybe in 20/30 years time it will join up with Indonesia.
