The two integrated resorts (IRs) are exciting because they represent two distinct but important markets: corporate events and incentive programmes.Already, we are getting enquiries from corporate customers about holding their product launches, events and seminars in Singapore.

Quality corporate names are moving their regional meetings to Singapore from 2011 onwards. Many European and American companies have regional operations in Southeast Asia, and with Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) coming online, we expect this trend to grow.

For the incentive travel market, a lot of companies are asking for packages for their staff, dealers and agents. These are now more aggressively priced because of the proximity of Universal Studios Singapore to the regional target markets. For these regional markets, Universal Studios is a more attractive option than other world-class theme parks in East Asia or Europe.

All this adds to the buzz in Singapore. A corporate meeting or seminar would be very boring and unattractive to participants if there were no evening or post-conference events, and now MBS and RWS present new opportunities to create the ‘wow’ factor and really show off the city’s best aspects.