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Today Online 9 Dec 06 He's done it his way Genting patriarch likes to be in the thick of the action – and his son looks to be made in the same mould Jasmine Yin Channel NewsAsia 9 Dec 06 Sentosa IR will be resort island's final big project and last IR for now By Susan Ferroa The Straits Times 9 Dec 06 Genting wins Sentosa IR bid By Krist Boo The Straits Times 9 Dec 06 Tourism appeal the clincher for Genting by Marcel Lee Pereira The Straits Times 9 Dec 06 Genting's broad mix pips design by Gehry by Tan Hui Yee The Straits Times 10 Dec 06 Genting plays it smart & sleek the second time around Learning from failed bid for Marina Bay, it followed tender criteria to the letter By Krist Boo The Electric New Paper 10 Dec 06 Bet on family theme park pays off By Desmond Ng Business Times Singapore 9 Dec 06 Genting comes up trumps Its proposal reflects vision of Sentosa IR as world-class resort with strong family emphasis: Jayakumar By DANIEL BUENAS AND UMA SHANKARI Business Times Singapore 9 Dec 06 A gut feeling for accessibility pays off By ARTHUR SIM Business Times Singapore 9 Dec 06 Sun, surf - and Genting By UMA SHANKARI Today Online 9 Dec 06 genting's new world Family tourism being key, it presents 'most compelling proposal' Val Chua and Jasmine Yin val@mediacorp.com.sg THE bubbly will no doubt be overflowing this weekend at Lim Kok Thay's Sentosa Cove home. And it's an apt way to celebrate, marking the end of a gruelling, two-year race. From the second floor of his five-bedroom bungalow, Genting's 54-year-old chairman should be able to see his new pride-and-joy: A 49-ha site that will — in four years' time — see his grandest dream come alive. Bouncing back from its Marina Bay defeat, the low-key Malaysian company triumphed over two flashier rivals to take home the coveted Sentosa integrated resort (IR) prize on Friday, ending the second and final leg of Singapore's great casino race. It's also an outcome that surprised few, not least analysts who had predicted that with its Universal Studios trump card and regional experience, Genting was a shoo- in for the crown, despite the fact that its $5.2-billion bid was the lowest of the three. Clearly, the Government saw the potential that Resorts World at Sentosa can bring. "The reason why Genting has been awarded is because they gave us the most compelling proposal," said Trade Minister Lim Hng Kiang at a press briefing on Friday. "We were looking for a family resort." The good news was delivered to Genting at about 5.15pm, via its Singapore point man — chief financial officer Tan Hee Teck — just 15 minutes before the rest of the world learned of the outcome. Despite strong rumours over the past few days that Genting has already bagged the prize, the consortium didn't pop the champagne prematurely. It was perhaps taking a cue from the previous Marina Bay IR race, where one bidder — high on talk that it had won — reportedly bought three crates of champagne to celebrate, only to have its hopes dashed when the prize went to dark horse Las Vegas Sands. But it's second time lucky for the Genting folk — who won in the all-important numbers game — despite its less-than-glamorous image. Said minister Lim: "We estimate that its economic contribution will be largely similar to that of Marina Bay Sands, (generating) $2.7 billion, or 0.8 per cent, to our GDP, and about 30,000 jobs throughout the economy by 2015." It was also the only bidder that made sure that 70 per cent of its resort consisted of greenery, beamed Mr Darrell Metzger, CEO of Sentosa Leisure Group, in line with the rules set for the island. So, come 2010, you'll come face to face with Shrek and Spiderman in the Universal Studios theme park, which will have 22 rides, of which 16 are new. It's a 30-year licensing deal that will see Universal operating exclusively in Singapore, and nowhere else in South-east Asia — a draw that the Government highlighted. Genting also hit the sweet spots in a recent survey commissioned by the Singapore Tourism Board ( STB) among 5,000 tourists from China, India, Malaysia and Japan. It revealed that the top two draws were branded theme parks and water-based attractions respectively — both of which Genting has. But the Government concedes that the other two firms in the running — Kerzner International and Eighth Wonder — had also submitted "high quality" proposals. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan singled out Kerzner's architect Frank Gehry's glass-and- steel design, which he said was "especially refreshing, innovative and iconic". Said Mr Mah: "It had the potential to project a distinctive signature image, not just for Sentosa but for Singapore. But in the end, each proposal was assessed not just on architectural concept and design but in its totality, based on how it met our various criteria overall." The Government also stressed that bilateral ties between Singapore and Malaysia was never a criterion in picking a winner. Just last week, Genting received a ringing endorsement from Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, who said a Genting win would bring economic benefits to both countries. The unexpected plug had some wondering if the Singapore Government would bow to such high-level persuasion. When asked about this, Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar said: "The bilateral relationships between the countries of the respective bidders is not a factor." But he admitted that the Genting win would "bolster the strong economic ties" between both countries. It also didn't bother the Government that both lucrative casino licences — which will have a monopoly period of 10 years — have gone to foreign companies, with no local involvement at the strategic level. In particular, Temasek-linked CapitaLand retires from the IR race empty-handed for the second time, after failing first in Marina Bay with its MGM Mirage tie-up, and now with Kerzner. However, it is unlikely to be the end of CapitaLand's pursuit of the leisure industry pie, as it is understood to be in talks to bring Disneyland into Marina East, and is also courting the theme park business in China. It will also be interesting to see if Kerzner has further plans in Singapore or the region, considering it won so many fans with its imaginative concept for Sentosa, coupled with the striking Gehry design. The involvement of Gehry had many in the architectural circles rooting for the Bahamas-based company and its Singapore partner. But Merrill Lynch analyst Sean Monaghan, who had backed Genting from Day 1, took a more philosophical approach. He said: "I don't think that anyone really lost out on any particular aspect. Any of the three could have built the IR and it would have been successful, but it came down to a matter of degree of success or lower execution risk. The Genting proposal was more mainstream and probably more applicable and more appropriate for Singapore." — Additional reporting by Tor Ching Li and Leong Wee Keat Today Online 9 Dec 06 He's done it his way Genting patriarch likes to be in the thick of the action – and his son looks to be made in the same mould Jasmine Yin jasmine@mediacorp.com.sg HE CHEATED death not once, but at least six times when building a 20-km road to access what critics had rubbished in 1965 as "the greatest joke": Genting Highlands. "Being on-hand at every stage of the Genting project had its perils. I was often so absorbed in what I was doing that I forgot the dangers lurking around me," founder of Genting Group Lim Goh Tong wrote in his 2004 book, My Story. He had his first close call when, while surveying the land, a falling tree crashed down and missed him by just inches. On three other occasions, he narrowly escaped falling into ravines. The last brush with death was when an excavator caused a thick six-metre wooden beam to hit the budding casino entrepreneur in the waist. This strike narrowly missed his left kidney — the only one he had after the right one was removed due to a malignant tumour more than 10 years ago. "Some have wondered at my working style — why I should be on the ground with the workers every inch of the way. I believe in hands-on supervision and doing my own trouble-shooting. That way, I can be sure that everything is meticulously done," he wrote. Besides fending off death, Mr Lim also beat the odds and persuaded the authorities to grant Genting Highlands its casino licence and freehold land lease, as well as a much-needed five-year tax holiday during its initial operating years. Four decades on, and hundreds of millions of visitors later, Genting Highlands is now one of Malaysia's leading visitor attractions. In the past year alone, some 20 million people — half of them Malaysians — visited the hill-top resort, popular for its cool weather and casino. Not bad for a Chinese immigrant from Fujian province, forced by a civil war in 1937 to eke out a living in Malaya. From a 16-year-old who had to borrow $2 to sell vegetable seeds after his father died, Mr Lim was ranked Malaysia's sixth-richest man by Forbes Asia this year, with an estimated worth of US$1.5 billion ($2.3 billion). "I prefer to seek out opportunities with good potential and build on them. Besides getting the satisfaction of nurturing a venture from infancy to maturity, I avoid stepping on others' toes and making enemies, which is often unavoidable in hostile takeovers," he penned in his autobiography. With businesses in plantations to oil and gas, properties, power generators and IT, it was his foray into the leisure and hospitality industry that is arguably the watershed moment in his life. At the grand age of 50 — when most are contemplating retirement — Mr Lim took the plunge to develop Genting Highlands. At 75, Mr Lim ventured into the untested Asian cruise industry with small ships bought from a struggling Swedish ferry operator, thanks to the persuasion of his second son, Kok Thay. It was a bet that paid off — Genting's Star Cruises is now the world's third-largest cruise player, with a fleet of 20 ships. The younger Lim — who has made it into the Forbes ranking on his own, at 10th with a net worth of US$440 million — has caught on quickly with the family business since he joined the company in the 1970s. One of the Harvard graduate's early tasks was to move the casino from a small hotel's basement to a bigger hotel at Genting Highlands. "Life is full of gambles, but I'm not a hardcore gambler," the younger Lim, 54, said in a recent media interview. Belying his genteel demeanour is a hardy resolve to push Genting onto a higher level. Unlike his father, Kok Thay is not adverse to bank borrowings — especially if they can help fulfil his ambition of taking his father's labour of love into the global area. Genting's recent acquisition of Stanley Leisure, which has 45 casinos in Britain, is one prime example. He has spoken openly about creating a brand-new world-class destination to vie with the best resorts in the world. And these global dreams have found a perfect home in Singapore, now that his multi- billion-dollar gamble has paid off. Channel NewsAsia 9 Dec 06 Sentosa IR will be resort island's final big project and last IR for now By Susan Ferroa The Sentosa Integrated Resort development by Genting will be the largest and last project on Sentosa island. It was also revealed at a news conference after the winning Intergrated Resort bid for Sentosa was awarded to the Genting group, that there will be no further Integrated Resorts projects for the moment. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said that while there will be more developments ahead for Singapore, there will not be, "at least for a while", another IR. As for Genting's Resorts at Sentosa development itself, the CEO for Sentosa Development Corporation, Darrell Metzger told the news conference that the project fits in well with the island's ten year plan and all other developments on the island will benefit from the presence of the IR. Addressing questions as to whether the Genting resort will be a quality one, Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang pointed out that the Universal brand is still fresh and it will bring new attractions with each new movie blockbuster. In response to fears raised over the social impact of the IR which will house a casino, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sport Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said this was an issue the government had concerned itself with head-on before any decision was made to go ahead with the development of IRs in Singapore. As a result there has been a National Council on Problem Grambling set up to educate the public and raise awareness of the problem and steps have been undertaken with the IR developers to put in place third party exclusions to ensure the integrity of the development from those who should not be at the gaming centres, such as young people. cna/sf Business Times Singapore 9 Dec 06 Genting comes up trumps Its proposal reflects vision of Sentosa IR as world-class resort with strong family emphasis: Jayakumar By DANIEL BUENAS AND UMA SHANKARI (SINGAPORE) Genting International has come up trumps in the bidding for Singapore's second integrated resort, seeing off rivals Kerzner International and Eighth Wonder in the contest for the multi-billion-dollar prize. Announcing the winner yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar said Genting International - partnered by Star Cruises - submitted the 'most compelling proposal overall' that best met Singapore's economic and tourism objectives. 'In particular, the proposal reflects our vision for the Sentosa IR as a large-scale, family resort with its host of world-class family leisure attractions and other strong offerings,' he said. 'We believe that the attractions will position Sentosa as a premier island resort for families and draw significant numbers of both new and repeat visitors to Singapore.' Prof Jayakumar headed the high-level Tender Approving Authority (TAA) that helped decide the IR winner. Singapore Tourism Board (STB) chief executive and deputy chairman Lim Neo Chian revealed yesterday that a survey of about 5,000 people from Singapore's key tourist markets - commissioned by STB and conducted by US-based consultants - found that tourists from these markets were most interested in branded theme parks, followed by water-based parks and educational attractions. 'They (Genting International) were square on with their product that they were proposing,' said Darrell Metzger, chief executive of Sentosa Leisure Group. Genting's development - due to be launched by early 2010 - is also likely to draw a large number of local visitors, he said. Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang, also part of the TAA, said Genting's project - Resorts World at Sentosa - will generate an estimated $2.7 billion of value-add - about 0.8 per cent of Singapore's GDP - and 30,000 jobs in 2015. This is similar to the value-add the Marina Bay IR is expected to generate. The Marina and Sentosa resorts will complement each other and allow Singapore to grow both its meetings and conventions business as well as leisure tourism, the judges said. Mr Lim also highlighted some of the key factors that led to the decision to pick the Genting consortium, which had been tipped by many analysts and market watchers as the front-runner for the Sentosa IR. He said Genting's tie-up with Universal Studios included a 30-year exclusive franchise for South- east Asia, and pointed out that 16 of the 22 major attractions planned for the park will be specially designed for Singapore. During yesterday's news conference to announce the IR winner, Prof Jayakumar also responded to a query on whether Singapore-Malaysia political ties affected the outcome. He said bilateral relations with the countries of the bidders were 'not a factor', but added: 'Now that Genting has been successful in this bid, we look forward to working with them to develop a world class IR and I'm sure this will bolster the strong economic ties between the two countries.' In a report issued shortly after the announcement of the winner, investment bank Merrill Lynch - which gave Genting a 75 per cent chance of victory - said the win was a 'transforming deal' for Genting International. 'This project gives the company a major new engine for growth, an expanded portfolio of assets and enhanced credibility globally which should facilitate further success in future bids,' the report said. Merrill Lynch, which has a 'buy' call on Genting, upgraded its price target for the stock to 50 cents from 42 cents. A value of seven cents a share was given for winning the Sentosa project. Genting's shares have enjoyed a good run on the Singapore Exchange lately, hitting a one-year high of 44 cents on Tuesday. The stock closed at 41.5 cents yesterday. 'The government made a choice that will solidify Singapore's leisure sector tourism base and will likely grow it significantly in the future,' said Jonathan Galaviz, a partner at Las Vegas-based leisure sector consultancy Globalysis. 'Genting's operational experience in Asia combined with significant intellectual properties such as Universal Studios and Dreamworks (headed by renowned film director Steven Spielberg) will make the Sentosa IR a very compelling global tourist attraction.' Responding to the win, an ecstatic Genting International said it was 'wonderful news'. 'In three years, visitors will experience first-hand Resorts World at Sentosa, the global tourism icon that we envision it to be,' said Lim Kok Thay, chairman of Genting International and Star Cruises. 'It will change the face of tourism in the region. We are confident that by 2010, Resorts World at Sentosa will attract 15 million visitors.' Genting spokesman and head of strategic investments and corporate affairs Justin Leong said: 'We thank the governments of both Malaysia and Singapore for their support and confidence in us. We hope this marks a new era for Malaysian-Singaporean ties.' In a statement, the Kerzner International-CapitaLand consortium - which some observers viewed as a favourite - said it was 'disappointed' to learn of the government's decision. But it congratulated Genting and offered 'the government and people of Singapore our best wishes for success'. Similarly, dark horse Eighth Wonder thanked the government for the opportunity to bid for 'one of the most exciting development projects in history'. Eighth Wonder chairman and chief executive Mark Advent, however, indicated that the consortium and its partners are keen on other opportunities in the region. 'Looking ahead, we have every intention of building on the relationships we have established,' he said in a statement. 'We are looking forward to embracing South-east Asia with another world-class opportunity.' Business Times Singapore 9 Dec 06 A gut feeling for accessibility pays off By ARTHUR SIM THE gut feeling of Genting International chairman Lim Kok Thay was that Singapore was not in the market for an avant garde integrated resort (IR), and his gut feeling has been shown to be right. Genting International and sister company Star Cruises have won the tender to build Singapore's second integrated resort with a concept that has been widely regarded as the safest. Anchored by a Universal Studios theme park, Mr Lim himself described it last month at a press conference as 'well designed but not edgy'. He was, of course, making reference to Kerzner/CapitaLand's proposal which featured an 'edgy' architectural concept by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry, with robot fish to boot. Architecture and design concept made up 25 per cent of the IR judging criteria and even though Genting had an equally acclaimed architect on board, namely Michael Graves, it is not likely to have topped this category. In terms of tourism appeal and contribution, which made up 45 per cent of judging criteria, Genting also does not appear to have been a clear winner. Genting had said that its IR, called Resorts World at Sentosa, would attract 10 million tourists by 2015. Kerzner/CapitaLand said it would attract the same number in its first year, and expected this number to increase by 30 per cent within five years. Eighth Wonder projected even more tourist visits, up to 15 million by 2014. However, Genting does have the best regional marketing network of the three. In the third category - development investment (20 per cent) - Genting ranked lowest too, with its bid coming in at $5.2 billion, marginally lower compared to Kerzner/CapitaLand's $5.28 billion and Eighth Wonder's $5.5 billion. Perhaps it was in the fourth and last category - strength of consortium and partners (10 per cent) - that Genting really scored. Genting, through its operations in Genting Highlands, has already demonstrated the capability to pull in the crowds. In 2004, the highland resort and casino received 17.4 million visitors, although they were mostly Malaysian. More recently, Genting acquired UK-based gaming industry leader Stanley Leisure, and Mr Lim said that the customer base, together with Genting and Star Cruises, amounted to 25 million, including many from China and India, which are expected to be the two biggest sources of visitors for Singapore's IRs. Star Cruises, as partner, also grew in stature when it was revealed that it had been in talks with Singapore Cruise Centre together with Genting International on a possible tie-up if it won the second IR project at Sentosa. Universal Studios is not an equity partner in this bid but its name also carries a lot of weight. Speaking at the press conference to announce the winner of the Sentosa IR tender yesterday, Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang specifically highlighted that Genting had secured an exclusive 30-year licence with Universal Studios in the South-east Asia region. This is particularly poignant as Malaysia recently announced the launch of the Iskandar Development Region in South Johor, an area long rumoured to be a potential site for a Malaysian integrated resort. And preempting regional competition is certainly believed to be one reason why Las Vegas Sands, with its foothold in the Macau integrated resort market, pipped Las Vegas heavyweights Harrah's Entertainment and MGM Mirage to win the Marina Bay IR bid earlier this year. For these reasons alone, Genting's bid can be considered the most 'compelling' of the three. Genting will now have to deliver. The largest resort it has built is Genting Highlands in Malaysia. But this is likely to be of a different scale and (iconic) stature to the upcoming Resorts World. But perhaps even in this respect, Genting's chairman is also more perceptive than the rest. Describing the concept for Resorts World last month, Mr Lim said the IR would have to 'accessible to all age groups'. Kerzner chairman Sol Kerzner had earlier described its proposal of highbrow architecture and robots as 'out of the box'. It did not need to be. Summarising what the Singapore government wants, Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar, speaking at the same IR press conference yesterday, said it 'envisaged the IR on Sentosa to be a family-oriented resort anchored by unique and compelling attractions that offer the whole family a fun and memorable experience'. Business Times Online 9 Dec 06 Sun, surf - and Genting By UMA SHANKARI AFTER months of hard work, things have finally come together for Genting and its partners. Here's how their winning combination for the Sentosa integrated resort looks like - in sum and in its parts. Total investment commitment: $5.2 billion Targeted completion date: early 2010 Total number of gated attractions: 4 Visitor targets: 10 million tourists by 2015 Economic benefits: Genting is expected to generate about $2.7 billion (or 0.8 per cent) of Singapore's GDP and about 30,000 jobs by 2015 Universal Studios Singapore - Comes with an exclusivity agreement of 30 years - which means that no other Universal Studios can be built anywhere else in South-east Asia during that time - 22 attractions, with 16 rides designed just for Singapore - 'Live' studio, with soundstage and backlots for movies and television producers Quest Marine Life - World's largest oceanarium - Attraction covers 8 hectares, and will house 700,000 aquatic animals including dolphins, bat rays and the world's largest collection of coral reef and open ocean fish - Includes a 6.6 million gallon lagoon that allows for snorkelling and diving with whale sharks Equarius Water Park - Water theme park designed using the latest technology - Features 'Water Coaster', a 450m water flume that winds through treetops and jungle, 'Snakes and Ladders', where water flows upwards, a surf pool and other water-based attractions Xperiental Maritime Museum - Explores the maritime Silk Route history by engaging visitors' five senses - Houses conservation labs and interactive classrooms FestiveWalk - Promises an unparalleled array of dining and retail options Hotels - Six hotels with 1,830 rooms in all - Includes the boutique Hotel Michael showcasing the design of acclaimed architect and designer Michael Graves, the opulent six-star ESPA Villas with private pools set in an exotic tropical landscape, and the fun Hard Rock Hotel The Straits Times 9 Dec 06 Genting wins Sentosa IR bid By Krist Boo GENTING International and partner Star Cruises have sailed smoothly to the finishing line, taking home the Sentosa Integrated Resort as its prize. The consortium's family-oriented proposal, especially the much-touted Universal Studios theme park, was what powered it to victory, leaving in its wake rivals Kerzner-Capitaland and Eighth Wonder. While famed architect Frank Gehry's glass sculpture design for the Kerzner team captured the imagination of the public, it was not enough to convince the judges. Neither was Eighth Wonder's line-up of stars, such as soccer legend Pele, celebrity chef Alain Ducasse and fashion designer Vera Wang. Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar, announcing the winner with five other ministers yesterday, said Genting's Resorts World at Sentosa was 'the most compelling proposal overall that best meets our economic and tourism objectives'. The Government did the maths and found Genting's $5.2 billion proposal would generate 30,000 jobs, and add $2.7 billion, or 0.8 per cent, to the economy a year - on par with the projections for Marina Bay Sands. The bonus: Genting has tied in Universal Studios to an exclusive deal, in which the theme park has agreed not to open in any other South-east Asian country for the next 30 years. The judges also liked the other attractions: The world's largest oceanarium, a water-theme park, and a maritime museum. The contest for Sentosa differed from that for Marina Bay. More emphasis was placed on the bidders' ability to woo family holidaymakers, not business visitors. But while Sands and Genting are likely to vie with each other to attract highrollers to their casinos, Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang sees the pair as complementary in Singapore's larger tourism game plan to double visitor numbers to 17 million by 2015. Genting's win ends a two-year journey which has seen Cabinet and public opinion split over Singapore's decision to overturn a 40-year ban on casinos in order to win more tourism dollars. While Sands was the dark horse at Marina Bay, Genting's win drew hardly a gasp. It is the only contender with experience in Asia, with its Genting Highlands resort and Asia's largest cruise company Star Cruises. While some architects said Michael Graves' architecture was outclassed by Frank Gehry's, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said it was well laid out and true to the resort theme with its use of wood and stone. Sentosa Leisure Group chief executive Darrell Metgzer, who will be Genting's new landlord, was especially pleased with its commitment to keep 70 per cent of its resort 'green', a tacit standard the island manager applies to Sentosa. Mr Metgzer said Genting's design went well with the Harbourfront precinct. With Genting's investment, the precinct, consisting of VivoCity, Mount Faber and St James Power Station, will now be a new $12 billion tourism destination. Genting executives were 'ecstatic' at the win. Chairman Lim Kok Thay said it was confident of attracting 15 million visitors to its resort by 2015. Genting's quest for the prize was fraught with criticism that it was a three-star operator and its Universal park was outdated. But minister Mr Lim said the Genting proposal included 'premium, quality attractions', many helmed by 'very strong partners'. He pointed out that Universal was bringing in 16 new rides to Singapore. It has the chance to 'refresh' itself whenever there is a new blockbuster. Besides, tourists in Singapore's key markets - China, India and Indonesia - do not see it that way. 'The fact that Universal is a tried and tested brand does not mean it's stale.' Asked if Singapore and Malaysia bilateral relations played a role in Genting's win, Professor Jayakumar said no, but added that with Genting's victory, 'this will bolster the strong economic ties between the two countries.' The Straits Times 9 Dec 06 Tourism appeal the clincher for Genting by Marcel Lee Pereira To the tune of Shrek soundtrack, Genting International unveiled the family-oriented attractions that won it the right to build the multi-billion dollar resort on Sentosa. The centrepiece and main tourist draw of the $5.2billion development will be a Universal theme park -- occupying half the resort and comparable to the flagship park in Orlando, Florida. It will be bigger than the Universal Park in Hollywood and will boast 22 rides -- 16 designed especially for Singapore. Another big clincher: Genting secured a 30-year exclusive deal with Universal Studios covering South-east Asia, so this means the theme park on Sentosa will be the only one of its kind in the region. Tourism appeal made up 45 percent of the marks in the bidding process and Genting's leisure-tourist attractions appear to be what tipped the decision in the Malaysian company's favour. The many strong family draws of Resorts World at Sentosa are intended to attract families and leisure tourists who, Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang said, represented 69% of all visitors to Singapore. It will complement the Marina Bay resort which targets the Mice (meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions) visitor. Other big tourist draws include the Quest Marine Life Park oceanarium -- at 20 million gallons -- the biggest in the world. There will be plenty of family entertainment and activities. FestiveWalk is a retail, dining and entertainment precinct modelled on a similar popular concept found at Universal Studios. Three amphitheatres will feature regular live performances. The 1,600-seat Le Vie showroom will feature a resident show by the same creative team behind Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. And the Maritime Xperiential Museum will showcase Asia's maritime history. A study commissioned by the Singapore Tourism Board, covering key markets like China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan, found that branded theme parks were the top attraction for family visitors. They also liked water-based attractions and educational concepts. "Family members are looking to two things -- be involved, be engaged", said STB's chief executive Lim Neo Chian. The attractions on Sentosa were also planned to attract local visitors because research has shown that tourists wnat to go where locals go. CIMB-GK analyst Steven Tan called Genting's plans the most "complete family attraction". Commenting on the common perception that Genting is a three-star operator, he said: "You must understand that that is Malaysia. If you charge five-star prices, people wouldn't go". "It's more important that they can operate at that scale. Everybody elese hasn't had the experience of handling 20 million people (a year)". Minister Lim refuted suggestions that Genting might not be consistent on quality. "First of all, you look at the proposal based on its merits, and the gated attractions, the entertainment proposals put up, all these are premium, quality attractions," he said at the announcement of the winner yesterday. Universal is a tried and tested brand and in this region it is new and fresh, and it is also bringing new attractions and blockbusters, Mr Lim said. It also creates the opportunity to refresh itself every time there's a new blockbuster. Sentosa Leisure Group chief executive Darrel Metzger agreed that the Unviersal theme park's ability to constantly change and improve its attractions will bring in repeat visitors. Mr Metzger said that the resort added the "finishing touches" on the entire Sentosa and Harbourfront area. "When you count the money after Genting putting in -- over $5 billion -- it's over $12billion in this precinct" he said. Minister Lim said now that Las Vegas Sands and Genting are confirmed winners, they will "complement each other very well" and bolster the conventions and leisure visitor segments to bring Singapore closer to its 2025 target of doubling tourist arrivals to 17 million and tripling tourism receipts to $30 billion. The Straits Times 9 Dec 06 Genting's broad mix pips design by Gehry by Tan Hui Yee Gehry was good, but the other team's overall package was simply better. The feted glass-and-steel structure in the Kerzner-CapitaLand integrated resort proposal for Sentosa was passed over yesterday in favour of Genting's village-like resort, which made extensive use of stone and wood. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, while acknowledging yesterday that renowned architect Frank Gehry had created a "refreshing, innovative and iconic" design for Kerzner's proposal, said the judging panel needed to go beyond design to make the final call. Gehry, designer of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, had stirred the public imagination with a design for a Sentosa resort with two signature glass scupltures encasing fibre optics that would beam images of sea creatures. But Genting won because it had a broad mix of attractions that can bring in the millions of visitors that Singapore wants. The architecture in Genting's resort, created by American Michael Graves, is intimate, easy to navigate and has a festive ambience, Mr Mah pointed out. Its extensive use of water, landscaping and its choice of materials such as stone and wood reflect the tropical resort feel of the island. Its major attractions are designed with canopies and covered walkways to make visitors comfortable in the local climate, while subtle lighting highlights the character of individual buildings at night. Several architects were disappointed about the decision to pass over Mr Gehry. Architect Mink Tan of Mink Architects said: "This would have been a perfect opportunity for Singapore to make a statement on the world scene. It's a bit sayang lah." The director of the DesignSingapore Council, Dr Milton Tan said: "I'm personally disappointed that this could not have happened -- having a great design plus a great business proposition". Genting's design, he said, did not offer anything special. "I'd be a bit surprised if it gets on the cover of a major design journal", he said. Asked if there was a chance that Singapore will get a building designed by Mr Gehry in the future, Mr Mah said: "If there is another project that comes up -- and there will be more developments coming up in Singapore, the other parts of Singapore -- and if a developer decides Frank Gehry is a good architect, the I guess that's something we would encourage." "But as at this point in time, I would say we would certainly love to see another similar project or iconic structure or architecture of this nature but not on Sentosa, because I don't think there's enough land mass". Mr Mah said the chosen concept for Sentosa had to inject vibrancy to the area, with attractive public spaces. It should also not be insular but provide good connectivity to the rest of the island. It also had to leverage on the site's natural attributes, such as the coast and mature vegetation in the area. In this respect, Genting had done well, noted Sentosa Leisure Group chief executive Darrell Metzger. It had kept to Sentosa's self-imposed rule to keep 70% of the island green, by keeping 70% of its design green. Asked if the Government will improve access to the IR, Transport Minister Raymond Lim said it will "take a multi-agency approach" and involve all relevant stakeholders in its plans. But Genting will have a complete underground road system, including underground carparks. The resort, said Mr Metzger, will complement surrounding developments like the mega mall Vivio City, the cruise centre and St. James Power Station entertainment complex. A balancing act "This was an issue which we were very conscious of and one that we had to resolve head-on even before making the decision on allowing the development of integrated resorts. With or without casinos, there is a current and potential problem with pathological gambling. We will do all that is necessary in order to minimise this impact on our population. I just want to emphasise that the $100 day or $2,000 a year applies only to that one casino. If you want to go to both on the same day, you pay twice" Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on the social impact of gambling on Singaporeans. Clear Winner "We do not disclose the ranking scores which were involved in the evaluation process. But let me say that both the Tender Evaluation Committee and the Tender Approving Authority both agreed as to who should be the winning proposal" Prof S Jayakumar on how many votes Genting got. The Electric New Paper 10 Dec 06 Bet on family theme park pays off By Desmond Ng FORGET Florida, forget Japan - we will have our very own Universal Studios Singapore. The US theme park - Genting International's piece de resistance - was part of its winning bid for the lucrative Sentosa integrated resort (IR). The much-awaited decision was announced by a panel of ministers at Sentosa yesterday evening. Set to be the largest theme park in Asia, Universal Studios Singapore will occupy about half of the IR site. The 49ha IR site is slightly smaller than the Botanic Gardens, which occupies 52ha. But Universal Studios will be the main draw of this project with some 22 attractions within seven themed areas, such as The Lost World, Egypt, Hollywood Boulevard and Cartoon Studios. There'll be themed rollercoaster rides like The Incredible Hulk, The Lost World and The Revenge Of The Mummy. At least 16 newly designed rides will be for Singapore only. DreamWorks - the movie animation company co-founded by legendary Hollywood director Steven Spielberg - will also showcase the secrets behind its computer-generated imagery and the creation of its films here. To be built at a cost of about $1.5 billion, this theme park is expected to draw some five million visitors annually. It will be part of the Resorts World at Sentosa, the name of the new Sentosa IR expected to be completed by 2010. Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar said yesterday that the Genting-Star Cruises consortium submitted 'the most compelling proposal' which best met their economic and tourism objectives. He said: 'The proposal reflects our vision for the Sentosa IR as a large-scale, family resort with its host of world-class family leisure attractions and other strong offerings.' The group beat Eighth Wonder and the Kerzner International-CapitaLand duo to the project. CapitaLand - always the bridesmaid, never the bride - also lost the bid for the Marina Bay IR to Las Vegas Sands in May this year. The Genting consortium's investment here will be about $5billion, including land costs. Mr Lim Kok Thay, chairman of Genting International and Star Cruises, said he was very excited and honoured to take Singapore's tourism sector to the next level. 'In three years, visitors will experience first-hand Resorts World at Sentosa, the global tourism icon that we envision it to be,' he said. 'It will change the face of tourism in the region. We are confident that by 2010, Resorts World at Sentosa will attract 15 million visitors.' Aside from the theme park, Resorts World will also be home to the world's largest oceanarium with over 700,000 creatures. It will even allow visitors to swim with whale sharks and dolphins. OCBC Investment Research analyst Winston Liew said that if not for the Universal Studios involvement, the three-way race would have been a much closer affair. He said: 'I was betting on them (Genting) to win, no pun intended. The Universal Studios tie-up was the key jewel in their proposal. 'If that was lacking, their chances of winning would have been much slimmer.' Straits Times 10 Dec 06 Genting plays it smart & sleek the second time around Learning from failed bid for Marina Bay, it followed tender criteria to the letter By Krist Boo WHAT a campaign. Genting International and its sister company Star Cruises just about cruised into the Sentosa dock for their big prize on Friday. The consortium's quest for the integrated resort was the most smooth-sailing among the contenders since the race's flag-off six months ago. It watched as one rival dropped out midway (Harrah's Entertainment-Keppel Land), another was hit by the sudden death of its leader (Kerzner International-CapitaLand) and the last scrambled around making last-minute partner swops (Eighth Wonder). Genting sailed on, methodically plotting a steady course different from the shaky run it made earlier in the year for Marina Bay. Back then, it had launched, with fanfare, an abstract '10,000-year clock' that few understood and which added no value to its bid. And, at a media conference to unveil the clock, it neglected to remove the Universal Studios name from a banner and unwittingly leaked that it had brought the theme park into its bid. It faltered again when it made public its architecture drawing but failed to follow up with an explanation of what it was proposing. When the Marina Bay race ended in May, Genting had lost to dark horse Las Vegas Sands, which also beat MGM Mirage-CapitaLand and Harrah's Entertainment-Keppel Land to clinch the deal. Sands won with no local partners and with a few-frills concept that went big only on convention and exhibition space. It became clear that the American bidder had won because it had followed the tender requirements most closely. In one observer's words, it gave the Government 'what it wanted, plus a little more'. That lesson was not lost on Genting. The Malaysian company went back to the drawing board. And, on its second try, came up with a proposal for Sentosa that followed to the letter the most crucial tender criteria: tourism appeal and architecture. The Government had asked for a family resort on Sentosa that would draw in tourists, especially those from the region. Genting brought out its Universal Studios ace - and threw in a water theme park, the world's largest oceanarium and a maritime museum. The tender had asked for architecture that 'complements' Sentosa, and site planning that 'respects and leverages' on the 49ha green and waterfront site. Genting's architects Michael Graves and DP Architects came up with buildings that use natural materials and warm colours. They also committed Resorts World at Sentosa to keeping 70 per cent of its property green. With a winning proposal in the bag, Genting turned to polishing up its presentation act. Sources say its three closed-door presentations to the judges went like clockwork, much as its recent media conferences did. It impressed the judges with Shrek and Madagascar animation magic - quite a feat in the makeshift presentation hall at Sentosa. Its carefully choreographed presentations left nothing to chance, even subjecting its global partners - including Universal Studios chief executive Tom Williams - to rehearsals. The all-round slicker performance struck the right chord with the judges, all of whom made it clear at Friday's announcement that they liked what they saw. Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar, who heads the ministerial panel approving the winning bid, called Genting's proposal the 'most compelling overall'. Sentosa Leisure Group's chief executive Darrell Metzger said it 'far exceeded our expectations'. Along the way, Genting did face disquieting moments. The popularity of Kerzner's glass resort by famous architect Frank Gehry must have thrown it off balance. While it had stuck close to the rules, here came a crumpled glass building which threw the tender requirements out the window, captivated the imagination and drew growing public support. In the last weeks of the race, both Kerzner and Eighth Wonder stepped up their media onslaught. Eighth Wonder, in particular, began hogging daily headlines as it trotted out one celebrity partner after another for interviews. The market began reading a win into the Las Vegas-based firm's bid. Genting International's share price on the Singapore bourse lost some ground after an early upsurge. It must have hurt, too, that Eighth Wonder chairman Mark Advent took frequent swipes at Genting, calling its Universal trump card a stale idea. But with its eye trained on scoring with the judges, Genting did not jump into the public arena to defend its design, nor to return Mr Advent's barbs or react with a last-minute media blitz. It kept up a restrained public campaign, making only two announcements after its final meeting with the judges late last month. It disclosed that it would have famous genome scientist Craig Venter base his research vessel in its resort. Mr Venter's vessel goes round the world and collects sea life for genetic research. And it said it would have six replicas of historical ships at its maritime museum. The strategy paid off. Judges gave Genting extra points for having 'squared' with their own survey findings, which found that the increasingly important China tourists rank 'education' highly on their must-have lists for holiday destinations. The company's parting shot came on Dec 3 in an interview its chairman Lim Kok Thay gave to The Business Times. Mr Lim revealed that the group has roped in Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks to set up an animation studio on its resort. Mr Viswa Sadasivan, who sits on the Media Development Authority board, called that 'a concrete and timely sweetener'. Singapore is setting aside millions of dollars to cultivate digital media and animation into engines of future growth. The first time round, Genting had failed to convince the Government that it could deliver the business visitor, but it has proven that it is clearly in its element selling fun. It did draw a staggering 20 million visitors last year to its Genting Highlands resort - a collection of hotels, restaurants, theme park and casinos in Malaysia. Some observers speculated that the Government had turned down Genting for Marina Bay because it thought the company better suited for Sentosa. Whatever the reason for that earlier loss, it was certainly second-time lucky for this upcoming global casino player. The company's executives had huddled in its Park Mall office on Friday to await the phone call on the race outcome. When it came, they said they were 'ecstatic'. They ought to be. They won with a first-class run. 'Singapore has some investments in Malaysia and so have Malaysian companies in Singapore. Malaysian companies have also made some successful bids and acquisitions of Singapore companies in recent years. Being close neighbours, of course, you can see that the economic relationship is close because a lot of our trade comes through between the two countries.' - DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WONG KAN SENG, at a community event in Bishan last night links
Related articles on Southern Islands Development Plans including the Sentosa IR Earlier media articles about Genting's plans About Dolphin Quest and dolphins in captivity Articles about large marine fish and mammals in oceanariums Earlier responses: letters, blog posts More about dolphins |
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