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Living in style (not)
Singapore is more of a city than a country and one that is quite ambitious when it comes to promoting itself
Singapore is more of a city than a country and one that is quite ambitious when it comes to promoting itself.
Some people might call this Napoleon Syndrome; however we have to admit that Singapore actually has some success as well as ambition. Some though (in particular the last Formula1 leg) could hardly be called successful.
Another such event, which failed to impress, was held concurrently with the F1 last month.
A Singaporean business conglomerate that goes by the name of Annix Group has embraced the naked ambition of Singapore and launched an event series called "Living In Style," which ran from Sept. 22 to 27 at the somewhat challenging venue of Keppel Island. A relatively new player in this field, Annix Group is a diversified group of businesses that aims to meet the growing lifestyle and leisure needs of the population of Singapore and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
With such bold aims, it came as a surprise that many Singaporeans in the leisure industry had never actually heard of the group before.
The "Living In Style" event holds similar ideals to the company's outlook. "The idea is to celebrate luxury with a difference," says Mr Amit Alok, CEO of Annix Group.
"In order to meet the growing demand for luxury items and ultimate experiences of local audiences and visitors, we are creating a platform for participating super-brands to showcase their products, allowing for interactive and lively exchanges between exhibitors and consumers."
And by this he means creating gala dinners, bringing in and showing off super-expensive cars and big Harleys, watches with prices to die for and hosting serious seminars on global issues such as philanthropy and ecological sustainability. An audacious plan by any means.
The audacity of the event is even more apparent when one considers its location. Keppel Island is located a fair way from the CBD, with its hotels and conference halls, and is best suited for those Singaporeans who own a luxury yacht.
About 20 minutes drive from the city center, "Living In Style" is an event that the public may just have be content to only read about in columns such as this one. The S$88 ticket price will surely be a deterrent to the average Joe. And for what? To have a sneak peek at how the rich live? Surely, only the rich can afford to attend.
Inside, a number of tents fills the outdoor space at the end of the island that faces Sentosa. Each tent is crammed with luxury goods bearing the opulent title of "most expensive". You name it, cars, motorbikes, watches, jewelry, swimwear and even property.
For some actual entertainment there's a stage hosting DJs and a so-called Michael Jackson impersonator performing each day over the length of the event.
Fortunately, "Living In Style" had some highlights worth mentioning. The involvement of L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon from Paris was quite impressive, whereby they managed to bring the executive Chef Axel Manes of this world-renowned restaurant to come over from Paris and open a mini Joel Robuchon's on the island.
Several big names from the fashion industry, such as couture designer Rohit Bal from India and Khaled El Masri from Lebanon, Europe's celebrated swimwear designer Silvian Imberg and jewelry artist Bibi Van Der Velden, also deserve a mention for their impressive displays.
Annix Group certainly has a lot to learn in how to conduct a great event series like other major event companies, especially since the competition is so strong.
A lot of elements and basic fine-tuning were just not on show at all. The so-called "jet set" (overseas) targeted audience failed to appear throughout the series.
In fact it was largely deserted most days and the gala dinner was attended by invitation only and not by the hoped-for public. My only hope is that the young Annix Group use the "Living In Style" 2009 event as a learning curve and manage to bounce back. I believe in second chances, but the events industry can be a little harsher than me.
