Museums, art galleries and even an observatory have found other uses beyond culture or science – they are doubling up as unique venues for corporate events. The MaritimeExperential Museum & Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa opened to the public in mid-October (pictured top), but its first use as an event venue took place earlier, on September 22, when Ferrari hosted an exclusive party for 600 guests before the F1 Singapore Grand Prix.

MaritimeExperential Museum & Aquarium
The venue’s maritime-themed environment and exhibits provide an ideal setting for theme events, or just a refreshing new waterfront venue. It has been booked for seven events until the end of the year. Planners can have the function indoors or at the waterfront promenade. Nine spaces are available, with capacity ranging from 80 to 750 people, and spaces combined for large events. For instance, 300 guests can enjoy cocktails on the upper deck of level 1 against the backdrop of the Bao Chuan, a full-sized replica of the bow of Admiral Zheng He’s treasure ship, or network at the Typhoon Theatre holding area before embarking on a thrilling multimedia journey.

Types of events include breakfast, tea and cocktail receptions, standing buffets, sit-down dinners, product launches and waterfront parties. Venue rental and F&B are charged separately, but packages can be customised to suit clients’ needs. Events are usually held outside opening hours (10am to 7pm, Monday to Thursday and until 9pm on weekends) but specific venues may be rented during operating hours as well. Resorts World Sentosa may adjust the museum’s opening hours to cater for the needs of organisers for special events.

PricewaterhouseCoopers hosted a dinner for 280 guests on October 28. The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ event hosted just 100 people, but included a ‘knighting’ ceremony for new members and a sit-down dinner with food selected from across Resorts World Sentosa’s celebrity-chef restaurants.

Cooking workshop in Senoko
Prima Taste runs customised group workshops at its Senoko factory. The cooking demonstrations are conducted in a studio with individual computer monitors. Group sizes range from 12 to 38 people, and attendees can sample popular dishes like Singapore chilli crab and laksa.







Ion Art and Ion Sky
Located on level 4 of Ion Orchard shopping mall, the 520 sqm Ion Art gallery is the largest of its kind in Singapore, housing international and local exhibitions and displays of art, design and new media. Corporate parties can be held amid this art backdrop. The Ion Orchard team will help to source art that is in keeping with the mall’s vision and well suited to the event. The gallery is designed to host art exhibitions, but users will also have access to support services such as art handling, conservation, insurance, storage, catering and photography. Ion Art offers a wide scope of exhibition themes since it is not subject to strict art programming guidelines applicable to conventional museums.

Moreover, hosts can arrange wine appreciation or gourmet dinners, often disallowed in museums and other cultural institutions. While Salt grill and bar occupies half the 1,115 sqm area on levels 55 and 56 of the residential tower, the rest comprises a private event space and an observatory with interactive telescopes, showing stored images of the surrounding landscape and real-time viewing as far as Marina Bay and Sentosa, which will be of particular interest to international delegates. Events this year include the President’s Design Awards at Ion Art and Swarovski, Boucheron and Tiffany functions at Ion Sky.

UE E&C’s business partners’ cocktail party for 200 guests on October 28 occupied Salt’s premises and Ion’s private event area. The organisers wanted to give guests more space to mingle and enjoy the panoramic view from the highest point in Orchard Road, especially since the upper deck is not open to the public.

Upmarket food court in Marina Bay
Asia Square Food Garden opened in late October, with 600 seats and 11 vendors offering Asian and Western cuisines. Meetings and incentive groups can book space for private dinners on weekdays through the retail operations manager, with catering by one or more outlets.

ArtScience Museum
At Marina Bay Sands, creative spaces are available at the ArtScience Museum. Individual galleries or even the entire museum can be booked for private functions, from five or ten guests up to 1,200 people. The spaces include the 800 sqm Gallery area on level 4, the 1,000 sqm lobby area on the ground level, and the 1,000 sqm lobby in the basement. Several companies have taken spaces of varying sizes for a variety of events, and clients have included Carlsberg, American Express, Nomura and Audi. Carlsberg chose ArtScience Museum for its global relaunch in April with a space-age theme party for 300 guests at the Gallery. Also in April, the basement level of ASM became a deluxe dining venue for 300 VIPs at the American Express Centurion gala dinner. In June, Nomura booked the venue for its Asia Equity Forum 2011 gala reception. The Audi A6 launch and display lasted from August 27 to September 4.

Singapore river taxi
Beat the traffic with a water taxi ride – with 16 landing points along the Singapore River, from Grand Copthorne Waterfront to Marina Bay Sands. Group charters are available for 10 to 45 people, and the boats are an interesting alternative to land transfers for groups dining at Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Marina Bay.