Major redevelopment plans on Sentosa Island will help to lower venue costs, making the destination more appealing to associations
As Sentosa Island prepares to receive facilities catering to the mid-tier business segment, the destination is set to become more accessible to association meetings and conferences.
Until recently, the island had been populated by luxury properties and resorts, including Resorts World Sentosa, which had been a major factor in restricting the number of association meetings held there.
Cyril Constantino, Asia Pacific supplier management lead, CWT Meetings & Events, said: “The vast majority of events we have organised at Sentosa have been corporate events, and not association events. The hotels in Sentosa are typically priced slightly higher than those in the city as most of the options currently available are five-star hotels or luxury resorts.”
Associations that do visit Sentosa have mostly enjoyed pre- or post-conference programmes.
Lynette Ang, chief marketing officer, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), shared that the island has welcomed delegates of Rotary International with a customised message during the Wings of Time show, and hosted the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers’ (SACEOS) Singapore MICE Forum gala dinner at Ola Beach Club on Siloso Beach.
The International Trademark Association (INTA) has not organised conferences or meetings in Sentosa, but it has “visited Sentosa on exploratory visits for our special events”, shared Tricia Montero, INTA’s manager of education programme logistics.
“We focused on Universal Studios Singapore and S.E.A. Aquarium and The Maritime Experiential Museum. These venues are compact, but offer enough entertainment for large groups,” she noted.
Additionally, association meetings on the island are largely limited to smaller delegations. For example, SACEOS held C-level meetings before its Singapore MICE Forum 2018 at both the Glass Pavilion of Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa, and the TreeTop Lofts of the Equarius Hotel, and the Asia Business Meet in 2017 and 2018 featured a 3D2N programme for 25 delegates on the island.
Now, more affordable accommodation options have risen in Sentosa, which is expected to gain points with association planners. This month, Far East Hospitality (FEH) opens the 606-room Village Hotel at Sentosa, and the 193-key adults-only The Outpost Hotel.
Then in 3Q2019, the Barracks Hotel will open its 40 rooms within a conserved colonial building. All three properties will be priced in the mid-tier range, and boost Sentosa’s total room count to 4,200.
“The additional capacity being added by FEH will be welcomed by meeting and event planners as rates have been rising significantly on the island due to limited availability,” said Constantino.
He opined: “We expect the Village Hotel at Sentosa to generate considerable interest for corporate meetings and events, as it will provide a more cost-effective option compared to most of the alternatives which tend to be high-end luxury properties.”
Montero pointed out that while the cluster “may help attract more association events”, the properties must “take into account the cost sensitivity of associations when quoting DDRs and hotel rates”. What would make the island even more attractive would be more large special event venues, perhaps by the beach, she suggested.
Joanna Wong, director, Singapore Institute of Accredited Tax Professionals, remarked: “Considering everyone is looking for unique experiences, association event organisers would certainly appreciate any suggestions from venue owners as well. It would be ideal if Sentosa and the various offerings on the island collaborate to meet these needs in a seamless way for event organisers especially for associations that run on extremely lean resources.”
In the near future, Sentosa will be further expanded to provide more leisure and business facilities.
SDC’s Ang told TTGassociations: “Sentosa will be jointly developed as part of the Greater Southern Waterfront precinct, and we can expect the curation of new attractions, improvement of transport connectivity, enhancement of our popular golden beaches, as well as MICE facilities.”
The redevelopments have urged the island’s tenants to reach out to the associations segment.
For example, W Singapore – Sentosa Cove will look into hosting association events as “part of (its) plans for 2019”, said Rex Loh, cluster director of sales & marketing.
“(Our location) is well suited for any association’s spin-off, offsite committee, or board meetings; the hotel offers a different ambience as it’s by the marina. In addition, it features unique spaces such as the W Lawn that make an ideal venue for offsite events,” said Loh.
