SINGAPORE
Size
matters
What Singapore lacks in size, it makes up for in impressive infrastructure, and Marina Bay Sands is a prime
example of that, writes Brittney Levinson.
It might be a small country but Singapore
doesn’t do things by halves. Marina Bay Sands
is a case in point, so too is Marina Bay, the
reclaimed land which the integrated resort sits
on. The result of Singapore’s long-term vision
and planning, the 3.6sqkm area was reclaimed
during the 1970s and 80s, increasing
Singapore’s land size to accommodate a
rapidly growing population. It became the
ideal spot to build Marina Bay Sands, now the
biggest hotel in Singapore with more than
2500 rooms and suites. In addition to its three
hotel towers, Marina Bay Sands boasts one
of Asia’s largest convention and exhibition
centres. The Sands Expo and Convention
Centre offers more than 120,000sqm of
meeting space, an 8000sqm ballroom that can
hold up to 11,000 delegates, as well as two
smaller ballrooms and 250 meeting rooms.
Marina Bay Sands vice president of sales
Mike Lee says since the hotel opened in 2010,
there has been a “dramatic difference” in
Singapore’s business events industry.
“We have facilities that weren’t here before
and we have these capacities that they can
do now,” he says.
From the outside, Marina Bay Sands runs like
a well-oiled machine, seamlessly delivering
events and serving the thousands of guests
that come through the hotel’s doors every
day. But an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour
of the facility reveals just how much work
and people power goes into running a resort
of such a grand scale.
The integrated resort employs around 9500
staff members, who come in and out of work
each day through a dedicated employee floor,
known as the Heart of House. It’s practically
a mini city, complete with a 7-Eleven
convenience store, a healthcare centre and
even beds for a quick snooze in between
shifts. Staff uniforms are washed and pressed
each day in a massive facility that’s fully
automated. In total there are around 160,000
articles of clothing in the facility, which are
16 Convention & Incentive Marketing, Issue 6, 2017 www.cimmagazine.com
individually tracked to ensure they go to the
right employee every day. Breakfast, lunch,
dinner and supper is also provided every day
in the Team Member Dining Room.
With occupancy rates sitting in the high
90 per cent range throughout the year,
Marina Bay Sands was quick to refurbish
its rooms despite only opening about
seven years ago. The refurbishment works
were completed in phases, with the final
phase finishing in 2017. Marina Bay Sands’
80-strong portfolio of restaurants is also
constantly being updated and this year, the
hotel’s international buffet restaurant RISE
was completely transformed with brand
new interiors and culinary offering. Despite
being located in the lobby and having a 400-
seat capacity, the new-look restaurant feels
intimate thanks to its clever elevated design
and layout. MBS hosted around 400 guests
in RISE Restaurant for the ITB Asia welcome
function in October, which included live