Marina Bay Singapore Countdown started in 2005 that brings people from all walks of life together to usher in the newyear and aims to connect them through a collective expression of their wishes for the year ahead. Every 31st December, the event hopes to create a New Year's Eve tradition andoffers an opportunity for the community to bond in a meaningful way.
It is a time of reflection, resolution and renewal.
It is also a time of sharing and a time for wishes, for what is to come.
It is also a time of sharing and a time for wishes, for what is to come.
The countdown party is held at the Marina Bay every year located at the mouth of the Singapore River where life began for Singapore. The water has often been associated with the source of life and good feng shui. The flamboyant lights at the Singapore skyline represent goodness, knowledge and hope. Bringing all these elements together, the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown was created as a start of a new tradition unique to Singapore to celebrate the collective hope and dreams of all Singaporeans.
This year's countdown show includes various acts from local as well as other countries such as Canada - These Kids Wear Crowns, Malaysia's pop diva - Siti Nurhaliza and not forgetting our very own Singapore Idols andartistes Sezairi Sezali, Sylvia Ratonel, Sheikh Haikel, Nat Ho and Inch Chua.
As this year's "Celebrate 2012" aims at entertaining the crowd with a vast variety of music, the target audience will be music lovers, allowing them to party all the way to 3am with the DJs. Of course not forgetting bringing the community together, it is also targeted at groups of friends and families.
"Celebrate 2012" was well publicised using various forms of mass media and through internet. Television advertisements on the event were shown on local channels especially channel 5 and bus stop advertisements were also seen but minimal. They also have a Facebook page and it has helped to publicise the event to many Singaporeans, attracting almost 10,000 of likes. The event has an official website (http://www.marinabaycountdown.sg) where there are more details about the event and press releases. Other common websites such as xin.msn,sistic and online news sites provide public with details of the event.
"Celebrate 2012" was well publicised using various forms of mass media and through internet. Television advertisements on the event were shown on local channels especially channel 5 and bus stop advertisements were also seen but minimal. They also have a Facebook page and it has helped to publicise the event to many Singaporeans, attracting almost 10,000 of likes. The event has an official website (http://www.marinabaycountdown.sg) where there are more details about the event and press releases. Other common websites such as xin.msn,sistic and online news sites provide public with details of the event.
"Celebrate 2012" had a live broadcast on Channel 5 from 11pm to 1am. This allowed people who were unable to join the crowd and were spending new year at home with their love ones to enjoy the celebrations and the spectacular fireworks. There were also several newspaper (The Straits Times, Today) and magazine articles covering the event to give more details about the atmosphere there. Furthermore, due to the media convergence, the public can easily get access to online news in the internet and there were also official blogs by Omy blog club (above) for the event whereby 5 bloggers participate in the event and cover a story about it. More information at: http://blog.omy.sg/blogclub/2012/01/06/marina-bay-countdown-2012-field-reports/.
I felt that having official bloggers to cover the event is a good idea whereby readers get to feel more of the atmosphere during the event and creates images in their minds because it is a first-person narrative. Furthermore, through blogging, there is an interaction with the audiences whereby the public get to vote their favourite blogger. On the other hand, newspaper articles head more to the hard news and have a serious tone. Therefore, it does not really intrigue people to read on.
The event was an overall success. Before the actual day of the event, there were many information that can be found online such as the Marina Bay website whereby there are press releases, the significance of the event and even vantage points to view the fireworks.There were also arrangements for the safety of the spectators and the traffic on the day itself. To facilitate the crowd dispersal, there were notices put up online as well asarious MRT stations about the extension of the train and bus services. These measures implemented by the organisers and the people involved in "Celebrate 2012" have allowed the public to let down their hairs and prepare for the event without any worries. Furthermore, with all the basic information provided to the public especially drivers actually helped reduce any traffic congestion at certain areas.
During the event, there were a number of policeman guarding areas that were overcrowding and event crews were also there to guide the spectators into the venue. Both the policeman and event crews were conspicuous among the horde of people that made it easier for the people to approach them for any help. Barricades were also set up even a day before the commencement of the event to increase the safety of the public.
However, during the event, the audiences at the moshpit area wasn't allowed to have water bottles with them and it was quite tiring and dehydrating to them as they were cheering since 8pm all the way to past midnight. Furthermore, the people were also unable to leave the area to take a fresh breath or to the washrooms. After the event, Marina Bay was in a mess with all the trash accumulated beside the rubbish bins that were already filled to the brim. The police guards were also having communication barriers and were uncertain of some directions to certain places when they were approached by foreigners.
Therefore, for greater success, there should be a briefing for all the people involved in the event to increase their understanding and be more prepared for the event. I would also ensure that there will be more trash bins for the public to dispose their rubbish, hence minimising the workload of the cleaners. As it was a nearly 5 hours event, I would probably provide mineral water to the audiences. I would also employ more police officers increase efficiency especially in ceasing the huge crowd as there were not many police officers around and many people were trying approach them. In overall, the performances by the artistes were fabulous and have brought lots of fun and entertainment to the audiences.
