Singapore Expo set for a new spin

Parts of Singapore Expo have been remodelled amid flagging demand for physical meetings and events.

A new outdoor go-kart track, an indoor badminton hall and a new Timbre+ food village are slated to open there in the coming weeks, The Straits Times has learnt.

Work on the new amenities began as early as March, when a structure that will house the new Timbre+ foodcourt was built on the site of one of the eight outdoor carparks near halls 4 to 6 at the Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) venue.

Another carpark with about 300 spaces has been converted into a go-kart track operated by KF1 Karting, which also has a circuit at the Singapore Turf Club in Kranji.

ST understands that the new track at Singapore Expo, which can host up to 15 karts, will operate under a one-year temporary occupation licence.

This will be the first go-kart track in eastern Singapore, said Arina International Holding managing director Richard Tan.

An avid karting and badminton enthusiast, Mr Tan is also behind the new indoor badminton hall at Singapore Expo Hall 6. It will have 22 courts, making it the largest badminton hall in Singapore, he said.

Mr Tan was previously responsible for building the $1.5 million, state-of-the-art Singapore Badminton Hall in Guillemard Road in 2011.

He said he has invested close to $1 million in the new go-kart track, which took about a month to build.

This includes remodelling the carpark, laying the tarmac, setting up the lighting system and landscaping, as well as the construction of an air-conditioned viewing gallery, which will eventually have an al fresco dining area on the roof.

"We were told that this carpark was not being utilised, so we thought we could put it to good use," Mr Tan said. "I am really doing this out of passion."

This is similar to how KF1 had set up Singapore's first indoor go-kart circuit in a carpark at Resorts World Sentosa in April. That circuit is now closed for renovation.

While the new circuit at Singapore Expo will be good news for karting fans, it has raised concerns about noise pollution and future parking issues among some residents at a private estate in Sunbird Road, a few hundred metres away.

Residents have started a petition to stop any karting activity until a comprehensive study on the impact of the track on the estate is conducted, according to minutes of a meeting earlier this month between residents, Singapore Expo representatives, KF1 and East Coast GRC MP Jessica Tan that was seen by ST.

On his end, Mr Tan said he and his team have conducted sound tests at the new track, and will put up containers at the perimeter to act as sound barriers.

There is no firm date for when the new amenities will be opened to the public, but bookings for the badminton hall are expected to open at the end of next week.

Last month, Constellar Holdings, which manages Singapore Expo and MAX Atria, reported a 95 per cent drop in physical events at the venue since April last year.

Its chief executive of venues, Mr Aloysius Arlando, said: "Singapore Expo and MAX Atria are preparing a range of hybrid services to help organisers of mid-to large-scale events restart and rebuild their events.

"In the meantime, we continue to look for ways to keep the centre running and our communities engaged in a safe and experiential way."

Since the pandemic started last year, much of Singapore Expo's 100,000 sq m of event space has been used for other purposes.

All 10 event halls were converted into a community care facility at the height of the pandemic, and since February this year, halls 7 to 10 have been used to house Connect@Changi, a 1,300-room facility for international business travellers to stay and conduct meetings under the Connect@Singapore initiative.

The facility has stopped taking in guests since late May after the short-term business travel initiative was suspended during phase two (heightened alert). The initiative remains on ice, and the authorities are now looking to convert parts of Connect@Changi into a community care facility again.

National University of Singapore Business School's Associate Professor Lawrence Loh said Singapore Expo's efforts to diversify its offerings will be important for it to tide through this difficult period.

The new additions also appear to be flexible enough to allow Singapore Expo to adapt and pivot back to regular Mice activities when demand recovers, he said.

Dr Michael Chiam, a senior tourism lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, agreed: "While waiting for the Mice market to bounce back again, Singapore Expo will have to think of ways to generate revenue with the spaces they have in order to sustain their business. This will most probably be the best option for them until international travellers return."

Prof Loh cited the recent Tokyo Olympics as an example of how large-scale events could be conducted during the pandemic.

"I don't think we can totally write off Mice, even though it is in trouble now," he said.

Since Tuesday, Mice events can have up to 500 participants, as long as all are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. This will be raised further to 1,000 fully vaccinated people from Aug 19 if the Covid-19 situation here remains stable.