La Guardia Flamenca event

1. Introduction

The event I am doing is La Guardia Flamenca from Belgium. It is an intoxicating mix of flamenco, zapateado, palmas and other sizzling hot genres. The theme of the event is dance by the river and is held at Clarke Quay. The event is held from 6th June to 8th June, 9pm. It is free admission and located at the central square.

This event is organised to celebrate the month of the Art of Revelry with the Singapore Arts Festival and various partners. Singapore Arts Festival was first held in 1977 to celebrate local arts activity of Singapore's diverse communities. It has helped to transform the city’s cultural landscape, turning it into one of Asia’s major cultural capitals today. It has influenced the work of artists and generated a growing public demand for the arts, spawning new cultural platforms, events, and movements that help underpin the lively cultural scene in present Singapore.

For more information about Singapore Arts Festival, the website is http://www.singaporeartsfest.com/about_the_festival.asp

2. Background of the organizer

The organizer of this event is National Arts Council of Singapore. The National Arts Council (NAC) was set up as a Statutory Board in September 1991 to spearhead the development of the arts in Singapore. Its mission is to nurture the arts and make it an integral part of people’s lives in Singapore. Anchored on the twin strategies of excellence and engagement in the arts, the Council aims to build a vibrant arts sector by creating a conducive environment where the arts is accessible to all and artistic talents have the necessary resources and capabilities to excel and achieve sustainability in the long term.

3. Role of events to the organizer
Through this event, the organizer is able to achieve its mission to build a vibrant arts sector by creating a conducive environment.

In the economic side, it can helps to attract more tourists to come to Singapore to experience the art culture in Singapore. With more tourists coming to Singapore, it will eventually increase the tax revenue earned and greater growth in GDP. Commercial activity will also increase with more trade will happended. More jobs will also be created and increase the employment rate in Singapore. Business opportunities will also increase as Singapore Arts Festival can provide Singapore with a strong platform for showcasing their expertise, hosting potential investors and promoting new business opportunities.

From the political side, Singapore Arts Festival can improved the profile of Singapore. It will promote Singapore as political stability and in turns promote investment. All these will thus attracts more visitors.

On the social and cultural side, it will help to increase the shared entertainment experience as most of events is non-ticketed. Singapore Arts Festival will also broaden local residents' cultural horizon, exposing them to new and challenging people, customs or ideas.

Lastly, on the physical and environment side, with Singapore Arts Festival, the transport and communications system will improved. This will also benefit the local residents.

4. Stakeholders in the event
The stakeholders of the event include the organizer, official sponsors, premier partners, major sponsors, sponsors, festival supporters and venue partners.

The organizer is the National Arts Council of Singapore.

The official sponsors include the TV station, (arts central) , Radio station, (Gold 90.5 FM), and Online media, (Yahoo Singapore).

The premier partners are the PUB, Tote Board and Singapore Tourism Board.

Major Sponsors are Hong Leong Foundation, Lee Foundation, Raffles City Shopping Centre and 99.5 FM.

Other sponsors include Japanese Chamber of Commerce Singapore, Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre and Vitagen Less Sugar.

The festival supporters include the Clarke Quay, Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Focus Media Singapore (Pte) Limited, French Embassy in Singapore, Italian Cultural Institute, Jurong Point Shopping Centre, National Environment Agency, SMRT Corporation Ltd, Tan Chin Tuan Foundation, The Heeren Shops, VivoCity and Wotif.com.

Lastly the venue partners include Esplanade-Theatres On the Bay, Housing and Development Board and United Overseas Bank Group.

5. Target market
Singapore Arts Festival is targeted at tourists with special interest who appreciate arts and who wish to experience Singapore's diverse communities. Another target market is the local residents to explose them to different arts culture.

6. Marketing strategies employed by the organiser
Before Singapore Arts Festival is held, it is advertised through internet and brouchures. A official website is created for the event. The website is http://www.singaporeartsfest.com/main.asp

The website include information about the festival and the calendar of the festival. There are also address of the National Arts Council, email and telephone number for enquiry. Ticketing information can also be found in the website. Tickets can be purchase at discounted price through SISTIC website, hotline and authorised agents. Free shuttle service are also available for certain event. Photographs of past event can also be found.

7. Rating the organisation of the event and why
For a scale of 10, i would rate the event for 9.5. It is well organise with readily information to be found in the website. Brochures are also available at tourist attractions for easy access. The venue of the event is also very accessible with MRT station nearby and a couple of bus to travel to there. There are also volunteers giving out mineral water after the event.

8. Potential of the event by the organiser to meet tourist demand

As people are more educated nowadays, special interest tourism is becoming more popular. Tourists with the interest to experience different arts culture will increase the potential of the event to meet the tourist demand. Tourist also have higher expectation now. They will expect to see something special rather than the usual tourist attractions. Thus, the event, Singapore Arts Festival, will have high potential to meet the tourist demand.

9. How value of the event could be raised to be align with the tourism mission of Singapore

As the mission of Singapore Tourism Board is to develop and champion tourism, so as to build the sector into a key driver of economic growth for Singapore, thus the value of the event can be raised through strongly promoting Singapore Arts Festival to attract more tourists to come to Singapore. Singapore Tourism Board (STB) can also work with other World Tourism Organisation (WTO) in other countries to strongly promote Singapore Arts Festival. As more tourists come to Singapore would means more revenue and greater GDP growth for Singapore. This will aligh with the mission of developing the sector into the key driver of economic growth for Singapore.

This is a short clip of the event, La Guardia Flamenca event.