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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=452><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Published May 15, 2010
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>We were guinea pigs, bar grouping says of MBS event
By ARTHUR SIM
STILL feeling bruised from its recent conference at Marina Bay Sands, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) says it feels it was duped.
A spokesman for IPBA said: 'We became their guinea pigs and suffered great embarrassment as a result.'
The first meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) event at MBS was the IPBA conference held from May 2-5 with about 1,000 delegates.
Problems encountered then included hotel rooms with no air-conditioning, no hot water or working toilet flushes. Sound quality in the conference rooms was also poor and a blackout left conference delegates sitting in the dark.
IPBA said that MBS had continued to give assurances that it would be ready in time for the conference despite concerns over the state of unreadiness which IPBA raised upon learning of the delay in completion. When IPBA first started negotiations with MBS in May 2008, it had expected its conference to take place in September 2009.
'They were so keen to have our conference held at MBS that they did not want to entertain discussions about us moving to an alternative venue. MBS wouldn't give any milestones for completion despite repeated requests from us,' said IPBA's spokesman.
With the disruptions and problems encountered, IPBA said it became clear that the facilities were 'not stress-tested for our event'.
The IPBA said it is seeking compensation from MBS.
While there have been periodic power disruptions this week MBS has maintained that the problems 'are typical of any new property openings'. In a media briefing held yesterday, it also said that there have been no cancellations of events. MBS also revealed that it has signed 180 deals so far for events that will take place at Sands Expo and Convention Center from now until 2012.
These meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) events are expected to bring in about 270,000 delegates and participants, said an MBS spokeswoman. MBS added that it is working on more than 500 additional prospective Mice events over the next four years. MBS said there were three events this week at MBS with a total of 7,000 delegates, including the Hospital Build Asia Exhibition and Congress organised by IIR Asia Pacific.
On hearing the problems with the IPBA event, IIR divisional director Andrew Keable said he sought and received assurances from MBS that everything would be sorted out. After the three-day event ended, he said that there was no negative feedback from the delegates.
Great Eastern Life (GEL) also had a one-day event at MBS this week. Head of group corporate communications Tan Seck Geok said it had concerns that it would suffer the same problems as IPBA, 'but our fears were allayed'. GEL booked MBS one-and-a-half years ago and 'it did not occur to us to change the date or venue', said Ms Tan.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>We were guinea pigs, bar grouping says of MBS event
By ARTHUR SIM
STILL feeling bruised from its recent conference at Marina Bay Sands, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) says it feels it was duped.
A spokesman for IPBA said: 'We became their guinea pigs and suffered great embarrassment as a result.'
The first meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) event at MBS was the IPBA conference held from May 2-5 with about 1,000 delegates.
Problems encountered then included hotel rooms with no air-conditioning, no hot water or working toilet flushes. Sound quality in the conference rooms was also poor and a blackout left conference delegates sitting in the dark.
IPBA said that MBS had continued to give assurances that it would be ready in time for the conference despite concerns over the state of unreadiness which IPBA raised upon learning of the delay in completion. When IPBA first started negotiations with MBS in May 2008, it had expected its conference to take place in September 2009.
'They were so keen to have our conference held at MBS that they did not want to entertain discussions about us moving to an alternative venue. MBS wouldn't give any milestones for completion despite repeated requests from us,' said IPBA's spokesman.
With the disruptions and problems encountered, IPBA said it became clear that the facilities were 'not stress-tested for our event'.
The IPBA said it is seeking compensation from MBS.
While there have been periodic power disruptions this week MBS has maintained that the problems 'are typical of any new property openings'. In a media briefing held yesterday, it also said that there have been no cancellations of events. MBS also revealed that it has signed 180 deals so far for events that will take place at Sands Expo and Convention Center from now until 2012.
These meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) events are expected to bring in about 270,000 delegates and participants, said an MBS spokeswoman. MBS added that it is working on more than 500 additional prospective Mice events over the next four years. MBS said there were three events this week at MBS with a total of 7,000 delegates, including the Hospital Build Asia Exhibition and Congress organised by IIR Asia Pacific.
On hearing the problems with the IPBA event, IIR divisional director Andrew Keable said he sought and received assurances from MBS that everything would be sorted out. After the three-day event ended, he said that there was no negative feedback from the delegates.
Great Eastern Life (GEL) also had a one-day event at MBS this week. Head of group corporate communications Tan Seck Geok said it had concerns that it would suffer the same problems as IPBA, 'but our fears were allayed'. GEL booked MBS one-and-a-half years ago and 'it did not occur to us to change the date or venue', said Ms Tan.
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