The Singapore Biennale was held here from the 11th of September to the 16th of November 2008. The word ‘biennale’ stems from the Italian word ‘biennial’ which is used to describe something that happens every two years. The first biennale was held in Singapore in 2006, attracting an audience of more than 883,000 visitors both local and foreign, and held over 72 days.
Adopting the theme of ‘Wonder’ the 2008 biennale was a showcase of, ‘contemporary art by renowned visual artists from around the globe.’ (Extracted from http://www.singaporebiennale.org/index.html) It was staged at 3 locations, the City Hall, South Beach Developments and the Singapore flyer, featuring 50 artists which are both Singaporean and from abroad.
This report will evaluate the marketing mix which the Singapore Biennale (SB) has adopted to sell this event. It assesses the use of the 8Ps, and its effectiveness towards advertising this event. It will also discuss how it has integrated itself as part of the tourism events sector, as well as the impacts that the SB has had on the Singapore tourism industry.
A visit was made to the SB on two occasions, on the 1st of November, as well as the 11th of November 2008. The purpose was to physically observe and take note of the marketing mix used, which otherwise cannot be obtained from other sources. Photos were also taken for future reference. Apart from the site visit, research was also conducted in public areas, such as the MRT stations, and other high traffic locations such as Orchard road, or the Marina Shopping district. Lastly, research was done on the internet, both on the SB’s official website, as well as other non-affiliated websites.
