Event 1st Asian Youth Games Singapore 2009
Venue Swissotel The Stamford and Raffles City Convention Centre, Fairmont Singapore
Organiser Singapore Asian Youth Games Organising Committee (SAYGOC)
Group size 2,000 athletes, coaches and officials
Date June 29 to July 7


The brief
As host of the inaugural Asian Youth Games (AYG), Singapore needed a centrally located games village with the capacity, facilities and expertise to accommodate the athletes under one roof.

Challenges
Managing logistics required extensive planning and close coordination with the organising committee to ensure all operational aspects went smoothly. This was also the case for corporate and MICE events already booked at Raffles City Convention Centre (RCCC).

The hotel also had to provide a comfortable and secure environment for the young athletes, who were aged between 14 and 17. The large number of guests had to be managed in waves to prevent congestion in the driveway and surrounding roads.

Execution
As the official hotel and games village, Swissotel The Stamford provided accommodation, customised meals and function space for almost 2,000 athletes, together with coaches and officials from 45 participating National Olympic Committees.

Designated floors were allocated and Café Swiss, Kopi Tiam and Plaza Market Café were exclusively reserved for AYG participants during peak days. RCCC housed the main administrative and cultural centre for the Games. Selected areas were cordoned off with restricted access. Meeting rooms became the Village operations, media and information centres.

The convention centre foyer was converted into a cultural and educational zone, with national booths, educational programmes, cultural performances and workshops. Introbar was transformed into an athletes’ lounge with internet stations, Nintendo Wii and X-Box consoles and Fusbal machines. There were multi-faith rooms, physiotherapy rooms and a medical centre.

Comment
Oon Jin Teik, co-chair of SAYGOC and CEO, Singapore Sports Council, says: “The team at Swissotel The Stamford went above and beyond to help us put together a unique Village experience that will be fondly remembered by the pioneers of the AYG long after they have returned to their homelands.”