Ok, now I've got my own website at http://limpengheng.com/ I've also dabbled with the setup of Wordpress, Joomla, PHPwiki & Forums. I think I'll stick with Wordpress for the moment. My Wordpress blog is ready at http://limpengheng.com/how-to check it out and leave me a word on what you think of it.
On the flip side; the Singapore Mediacorp production at the Marina Bay was are letdown. I paid $18 + $1 SISTIC fee for 8 people to have a good time there and what did I get? I got 5 top class emcees (I know some of you would disagree, but I'll be gracious about it) who was addressing the TV crowd, who ONE was not there in body and soul TWO didn't have to pay $19 THREE could NEVER provide the event with the required ENERGY.
There was one emcee that took care of us, the live paying audience. He is not top notch, but I give him top marks for trying. Oh, he tried very hard, but he is not quite there yet. You can feel the lack of energy levels from the audience. We are a mirror of each other, Mediacorp didn't show us the energy, the audience reflect back the same to them. The lack of enthusaism from the audience was so very obvious that at one point, Gurmit voluntarily step in to help rally the audience energies a little. As for the other 4 emcees, well they were professionals, they play up to the TV cameras and cameras ONLY. We the 7,000 strong live audience were actually non-existent.
My take here is if Mediacorp is producing the event for the TV audience (nothing wrong with that) WHY DO YOU MAKE US PAY ? ? ? IF YOU MAKE US PAY, THEN DELIVER US VALUE.
And when the ticket sales were low, all Mediacorp did was lament about poor ticket sales, no wonder you got poor ticket sales, I think they got a bunch of marketeers who does not know how to market and worst of all, you can't even deliver. Even I a marketing dummy would have scramble for a last minute solution e.g. 3 days to the event, I would have announce and all $18 ticket holders are allowed to bring one extra person, so 1 $18 ticket enters 2 people. I am sure immediately it would have filled 65% to 70% of the seats compared to the 40%. Furthermore, others on the side would not mind paying $18 per couple to go in at the gate. Nooo... No No, how can they do that right, no wonder you guys can't sell your tickets. You not only didn't think out of the box, you got stuck to your tiny corner of your box, your box office.
Well, maybe that is why I am not Mediacorp and I am not a marketeer. I don't understand these people and their mentality. Hmmm ... maybe if I think like them ... even if I am half a Mediacorp, not bad eh ...
Now for what I like: the fireworks. The fireworks is like the saving grace for the whole event. Even my 75 year old mother, who could not understand a thing they say on stage enjoyed the fireworks. She commented that watching the fireworks live was indeed a very difference experience from watching it at home.
The next thing I want to lambast at is the crowd control, it is totally unacceptable. From the human walking crowd to the block car park exits. I know, you gave all the warnings about driving there and advice to use public transport. Fellas, go get a life, this is Singapore. People who own cars didn't pay COE & road tax to leave it at home. Wake up. I can understand the safety concerns to close off certain roads for the safety of the human walking crowd, but my gosh!, please use some brains. Whoever planned the whole control thingy, must have never been in a crowd and has totally no understanding of crowd dynamics. As for the cars stuck in the car park, I sat in the car park lot for 15 minutes, the cars along the exit path never moved an inch. That was the time, I told my family of 8 that we should get off and find a place to sit out the jam.
We found Carls Jr open (pass midnight) kudos to the company, I will surely return, one other joint was open, but I can't remember its name, sorry. 7Eleven was as usual 24x7, jammed with the crowd needing a drink while waiting in an endless queue for taxis - how does the taxis get in with the massive jam? So it is a vicious cycle. The brainless planners did not cater to the car traffic, so the crowd can't get out of the place.
Businesses lament about the bad time, the economic slowdown, the this, the that - Well I say YOU ASK FOR IT. There was easily > 20,000 strong crowd stuck in Marina Bay at 12:30 am on New Year's Day. Even a Fruit Juice kiosk knows how to ring in the New Year by keeping their kiosk and cash register open pass 1:00 am. Carls Jr. was great. What happen to all the rest? Well they all went home to catch the Mediacorp New Year program and fireworks on their home TV. And they say business is bad and they have to cut this and cut that.
So, I guess I am the dummy who paid for 8 tickets to get myself stuck in Marina Bay on the last few hours of 2008 and the first couple of wee hours of 2009 New Year's Day. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MEDIACORP FOR STARTING MY 2009 WITH A POOF.
