3rd Singapore International Photography Festival 2012

PART A

Naumi Hotel Singapore

Naumi Hotel has hosted a series of glittering galas and also launched several new products in a very grand style. Some examples are Body Shop, British Airways and Bvlgari. As our hotel is a boutique hotel, we specialise in styling the event spaces to suit product launches. For example, we have the rooftop infinity pool, bars and lounges, solemnization and wedding venues and executive patio. Some examples of our past events are New Year Eve Countdown party, Mediacorp publishing/ ELLE Horoscope Party 2008, Canon Media Event Product Launch, Agnes B Fashion Launch and Yahoo! Cocktail Party.

Apart from simply providing a venue for events, our aim is to represent the higher standard of hospitality, surpassing the standards of Singapore five star hotels and offer a seamless experience for the guests.

PART B
Description

The Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF) first started in 2008 and is a biennial festival. It strives to provide a platform for South East Asian artists to showcase their works alongside with international artists, as well as to inspire and encourage interaction among photographers and audiences. This year’s 3^rd SIPF showcases works of 50 emerging and established photographers from 26 countries including Cambodia, Thailand, Mexico, Japan and Peru. Curated by Alejandro Castellote, Patricia Levasseur de la Motte and Zeng Han, the exhibition presents 414 spectacular works that were shortlisted out of thousands submission. Displays of these photos are showcased in six different venues, Art Science Museum, Singapore Management University, SubStation, The National Library, Societe Generale Gallery and Selegie Arts Centre.

In addition, Magnum Photos, a prestigious international photographic cooperative featuring three world’s leading photographers - Stuart Franklin, Mark Power and Jacob Aue Sobol will be featured in Singapore’s Art Science Museum for the first time with Outside In:A Magnum Photo Showcase as part of the 3^rd International Photography Festival. 

Review

I have been to the Singapore International Photography Museum located at the Singapore Arts Museum. It collaborates with Magnum Photos and display photo exhibits from international artists. Although this is my first time attending the Singapore International Photography Festival, I believe that it is a very successful event. Through these exhibits, I have learnt to appreciate photography and to understand how these photographers expressed themselves through photos. Indeed, a picture speaks a thousand words.From nature to objects to people and emotions, photography is an expression of art that photographers want to deliver to the audiences. As I slowly progress and look at the photographs, I realize that each artist portrays different purposes through their photos.

I vividly remember one Singaporean artist, named Lee Puay Yang Sean whose work is “I Believe in the Therapy of Silliness and A Healing Device”. In his work, he creates a series of images that captures humorous situations and asked his family members to partake in.His purpose is to make them crack up in the process of photographing them and portray a family’s love. 

I have also seen a picture of a woman in black holding a board that says “Murder is a crime, what is war?” This simple picture shows the emotions of people and their hatred for war. Others include natural disasters, issues of global warming, problems experienced by the less developed countries, different forms of expressions of people and many more.

Even though I did not manage to go toall the exhibited locations, I have learnt a lot and gain experience from the two venues, the Singapore Art Science Museum as well as the National Library, Plaza. After going for this year’s festival, I know for sure that I will attend the photography festival again in the years to come, and experience new photograph exhibits and the different forms of expression and meaning through pictures. Now, the Singapore International Photography Festival has attained yet another loyal customer! 

PART C

Marketing Mix

In event marketing, there are a total of 8Ps to consider. The experiential components consist of Product, Place,Programming and People while the facilitating/supporting components consist of Partnerships, Promotion, Packaging & Distribution and Price. The 4 experiential components will affect the overall feelings of audiences towards an event and the other 4 facilitating components act as catalyst to improve the experience of audiences in a particular event.

1. Product

Core product is intangible. It is what people experience and gain from the event. In this festival, the core products are expression of art, education and culture.

Facilitating product is product that must be present for visitors to get the core product. They are the photo exhibits. The descriptions of the photos are also present for audience to educate them on the purpose of these photos. There are also professional workshops, portfolio reviews, artist & curator talk, film screenings and forums present to satisfy the photo enthusiasts.

Augmented products are extra features that set an event different from others and it makes an event unique on its own. It has a quiet and serene ambience which helps to set audiences into the mood. This affects their overall experience at the festival. I have been to the SIPF at the Art Science Museum. Located just beside Marina Bay Sands, the festival is just a few minutes’ walk for people staying at the hotel. It is also very accessible as there are two MRT stations nearby – Bayfront and Promenade. In addition, there are a couple of bus services nearby.

2. Place

Place does not only refer to the physical place of the event, but also the place where the products are being sold to customers. I personally feel that the Art Science Museum is a perfect place to hold the festival. Apart from the Art Science gallery, it also hosts many touring exhibitions by other museums. Located in the heart of Singapore’s city center, the Art Science Museum is near the Marina Bay Sands, Helix Bridge as well as the Esplanade. With all these attractions nearby, the night scene is especially magnificent! With SIPF being set up there, it can make use of the night scenery to attract people to the museum.

There are also other exhibited locations which includes Art Science Museum, Singapore Management University, SubStation, The National Library, Societe Generale Gallery and Selegie Arts Centre.

3. Promotion

Promotion refers to how the event communicates with its audiences. It is a full range of communication tools, from advertising and PR to sales promotion.

Brochures and festival guides can be obtained from Art Science Museum and SISTIC outlets. In addition, the festival guide can be downloaded online on their website. It is a must to have as it contains information of the open showcase, programmes as well as activities including its background, dates, timings, venue and fees.

Apart from that, they offer SIPF packages at an affordable price as well. For example, they have a bundled package of SIPF Pass, access to all Artists talks, evening and one guided tour at a price of SGD100. Other packages include artists and curators talks, eight photographic film screening and many more. Concession rate is also available for students and senior citizens upon showing their student card or identification card at the counter. Students and undergraduates are also entitled to a $50 rebate off all Professional Workshops and Portfolio review.

Moreover, they have a sale for different packages and types of tickets for a short period of time. Also known as the“early bird specials”, those who purchased the tickets or packages early within the sales period get to attain the benefit of having a lower ticket price.

4. Program

I feel that the events at SIPF cater to different age groups who have common interest in photography. Apart from just the photo exhibitions, there are film screenings that give insight to the creative processes and working methods of the photographers. From the various film screenings audiences can choose from, they are able to witness how photographers capture photographs, and the steps and processes in the completion of their works.

Apart from that, there are also student guided tours available to educate them about the artists/ intentions and approaches towards photography through interesting stories. They will go through artworks with a guide, who will teach them on the techniques on looking at art. As the SIPF organizes and holds different events and activities on different dates, timings and locations, it encourages people to frequent the different locations so that they do not miss out anything that they like.

5. People

People play animportant role at the Singapore Arts Festival as different people will affectaudiences’ experience at the festival differently. It is always good to affectaudiences positively rather than negatively. The people who can affect anaudience’s experience in the arts festival include festival guides, volunteersand other audiences.

Volunteers play an important role in making audiences’ experience a good one. The roles of the volunteers include Education and Public Outreach Programme Assistant,Exhibition and Logistics Assistant, Hospitality Assistant, Admin and PR as well as doing other miscellaneous roles.

As a festival assistant, one must be able to answer visitor’s questions and also clear their doubts regarding the festival. They must be friendly and provide warm hospitality to visitors and at the same time, giving positive remarks about the photography festival. With clarifications and being welcomed to the festival,audiences will then relish their time at the festival.

6. Price

Every event comes with a price even if it is free. This is because we have to take into considerations the time and travel cost of visitors. The admission fee for the open call exhibition is free at the seven locations, except for Singapore Arts Museum. For the Outside In: Magnum Photos showcase, which is inclusive of the SIPF Open call showcase, the admission ticket is priced at $6 for adults and $3 for children. For Singapore residents, tickets are priced at a discounted price of $5 for adults and $3 for children.

For the bundled packages, the price for all Artists and Curators talk is SGD60 for adults and SGD30 for concession. The three evening presentation is priced at SGD22 for adults, SGD15 for concession, and eight film screening at SGD60 for adults and SGD40 for adults.

For photo enthusiasts who would like to enjoy all the festival programmes, they can purchase the ultimate SIPF pass at $127 and he/she will be entitled to access of all artist and curator talks, evening presentation, film screening, and one guided tour worth $15. However, if students want to only sign up for the guided tour, the fees will be $200 per class with a maximum of 20 students.

7. Partnership

Magnum Photos is a prestigious photography agency which showcases works from across the globe and provides photographs for the press, publishers, advertising, television, galleries and museums around the world. Outside In: a Magnum Photos Showcase features 143 works by three photographers – Stuart Franklin, Mark Power and Jacob Aue Sobol which showcases different themes. Located at Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands, the open call showcase is complimentary for Outside In: Magnum Photos showcase ticket holders. 

As part of the Festival’s objective to nurture emerging photographic talents, the SIPF, in partnership with Magnum Photos, has launched the inaugural Magnum Mentorship Singapore. For this programme, 23 photographers will be mentored by Magnum photographer Mark Powell (UK), Jacob Aue Sobol (Denmark) and Stuart Franklin(UK). This is the first such programme in Asia for Magnum Photos and is supported by Leica Camera Asia Pacific and the National Arts Council.

Other sponsors include venue supporters,education partners, programme partners, communication and media supporters and many more.

For more information of sponsors and partners, visit http://sipf.sg/sipf2012/sponsors-and-partners/

8. Packaging & Distribution

SIPF also packaged events with other attractions and services or events in order to make consumers purchase. For example, as mentioned above in price, there is a bundled package of all the festival programmes at a discounted price. This is to cater to people who are interested in the programmes and would like to attend all. They also offer other packages of events and activities that cater to different people depending on their interests and demand.

Intermediaries of various types will be required for packaging and distribution. These packages can be purchased online via the SISTIC website, Marina Bay Sands website as well as at the Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands.

All these marketing mix adopted contributed to the success of this festival. Without marketing strategies, this festival would not be a successful one. The strategic locations of the event as well as the programmes and activities offered also result in the success of the event. In the years to come, I believe the festival will attract even more people.

Changes as compared to previous years

The Singapore International Photography Festival has some changes compared to previous festivals. Not only are the curators of the festival different, they offer different theme as well. In 2010’s SIPF, a theme Human and Nature is incorporated. Photographers have to submit their photo entries base on Human and Nature. Whereas this year, there is no theme to follow. Its open call gives free reign for photographers to submit their original work by having no restrictions. Moreover, there are six exhibited locations this year as compared to 2010. In the years to come, there will be stronger focus on Southeast Asia photography.

PART D
Suggestion of a Special Event

Purpose of the event

It is to develop and bring out talent in each individual, regardless of their age.

Apart from that, it is to promote Naumi Hotel through photography. This is a marketing strategy to attract visitors to stay in the hotel and show them real and personal experiences during their stay.

Its purpose is also to bring out the culture of photography and photography as a form of art to the audiences.

Stakeholders

The stakeholders of the event include sponsors,co-workers, media, participants, host community and organisations.

Canon is one of the sponsor for this event as it sponsors the prize for the photography competition.

Co-workers are volunteers, hosts, deejays, service staff and ushers. The volunteers are bands and singers who will be performing for the event.

Media such as the reporters will be interested in the event. This event will then spread and publicized on television, magazines, radios and even websites.

Participants are target market such as youths, adults, tourist, families and particularly the photo enthusiasts.

When the event is staged

It will be a two-day event held in early November. The first night will be a poolside party at the rooftop infinity pool. On the second day, participants will submit their art works in the morning at 10am. After which, participants can proceed to their individual activities provided at our hotel. At 7pm, there will be a prize presentation followed by a cocktail party to end off the event.

It is held on a weekend during November, which is right after the Singapore International Photography Festival. Furthermore, most of the youths are having holidays during that period.

Location of the event

For the first day, it will be held at the rooftop infinity pool which can hold up to 45 persons for standing capacity. For these two days, there will be a photo exhibition at the Executive patio. At night, the cock-tail party will be held at The Naumi Bar & Lounge which has a standing capacity 70 persons and seating capacity of 32 persons.

     What the event is all about

The event is in conjunction of the SIPF. Naumi Hotel will organize a photography competition. It is an open-category competition in which interested individuals can sign up for it through Naumi Hotel’s website or the SIPF’s official website. The theme of the competition will change every year. This year, the theme will be Nature. Participants are to take photos of different nature be it in Singapore or overseas. During the first night, there will be a BBQ party for all photo enthusiasts to come together and share their experiences on photograph with one another.

On the second day, the hosts will announce the top three winners for this competition and attractive prizes will be awarded to them. Exclusive prizes such as Canon camera (EOS 560D) could be won! Moreover, their art pieces will be exhibited at the lobby of Naumi Hotel after the event has ended. They will also stand a chance to attend a photography training course conducted by famous international photographers around the world such as Andrea Botto from Italy and Wang Qing Song from China.

In the afternoon there will be performances located at the Executive Patio which opens out to a beautiful courtyard which is ideal for social gathering. Different performances include cultural dance and band performances. A photography exhibition will also beheld there, displaying some of the chosen works from the SIPF.

To end of the event on a high note, there will be a cock-tail party at the Naumi Bar & Lounge in the evening.Singapore famous deejays such as Carl Cox and Hawtin Sasha will be present to bring up the hype of this event. 

References

2012. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2012, from 3rd Singapore International Photography Festival: http://sipf.sg/sipf2012/overview-3/

Art Science Museum. (2012). Retrieved November 22, 2012, from Marina Bay Sands Singapore: http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Museum/

SIPF Ticket Package. (2012, October 6). Retrieved November 22, 2012, from Eventbrite: http://sipfpackage-eorg.eventbrite.sg/?ebtv=C

What's On at the 3rd SIPF. (2012, October 10). Retrieved November 22, 2012, from MUSE: http://www.themuse.com.sg/2012/10/whats-on-at-the-3rd-sipf/

Meetings & Events. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2012, from Naumi Hotel: http://www.naumihotel.com/meetings/rooftop-infinity-pool.html

Mitchell, K. (2012, October 12). 3rd Singapore International Photography Festival. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from Artitute: http://www.artitute.com/2012/10/12/3rd-singapore-international-photography-festival/

Wang, Y. (2012, October 11). Magnum Photos Makes Singapore Debut. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from Muse: http://www.themuse.com.sg/2012/10/magnum-photos-makes-singapore-debut/

Images
http://www.asiatravel.com/singapore/naumi/ (photo)
http://www.destinasian.com/countries/east-southeast-asia/singapore/top-5-singapore-hotel-pools/ (photo)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xtemujin/8056782583/ (photo)
http://www.facebook.com/noisesingapore?filter=3 (photo)
http://sipf.sg/sipf2012/sponsors-and-partners/ (photo)
http://www.artsrepublic.sg/category/festival/ (photo)
http://www.thesmartlocal.com/sg/bars/1711-naumi-bar (photo)