Marina Bay Sands has launched a state-of-the-art hybrid event broadcast studio at Sands Expo and Convention Centre in a first for the industry, as the award-winning venue paves the way to redefine the future of meetings.

Designed to accommodate a live studio audience with a maximum capacity of 50 persons at any one time, the hybrid broadcast studio – which offers broadcast-quality live-streaming capabilities and hologram functionalities – will act as the central hub for event planners looking to produce hybrid meetings in the new era.

“Hybrid meetings will help enable the return of large-scale events in a virtual manner amid the Covid-19 situation and we want to set the stage for these shows by providing planners with a suite of useful and innovative solutions which are relevant for the times. Our highly advanced hybrid broadcast studio is not only equipped with industry-grade broadcasting equipment and an interactive stage set-up, it will also be maintained with the highest sanitisation levels to ensure the well-being of our clients. Marina Bay Sands will continue enhancing the technical capabilities of our broadcast studio and drive greater demand and innovation in the hybrid events scene,” said Paul Town, senior vice president of resort operations at Marina Bay Sands.

An industry-first hybrid event solution

The studio’s centrepiece is a cutting-edge three-dimensional stage fitted with an immersive backdrop and floor that can be reconfigured to fit every event’s needs. The three-dimensional stage is designed to provide presenters with a better perspective of their surroundings, helping them to visualise and deliver their presentations in a more immersive environment. Stage lighting systems can be customised, designed and operated to fit an event’s specific needs. In this season of travel restrictions, the studio is also able to beam someone from a different part of the world ‘live’ into Singapore through a holographic presence.

The broadcast studio was designed and built after months of collaboration and conversations with in-house and external technical experts as well as industry peers.

Marina Bay Sands currently offers three virtual conferencing options – full virtual webcasting and live streaming events; hybrid events with in-person and online audiences; and hybrid events with holographic telepresence. Clients can look forward to an enhanced suite of event tech capabilities incorporating Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) solutions as the hotel continues to reimagine the future of meetings.

Collaboration with PCMA

The world’s largest and most recognised network of business events strategists, Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) much anticipated annual Convening Leaders conference is the best industry showcase of a highly effective hybrid event. The annual meeting gathers business events professionals around the world to drive innovative ideas and gain insights from industry leaders. Aligning with PCMA’s belief in the transformative power that business events can bring, the hotel soft launched the hybrid broadcast studio late in July through a collaboration with PCMA. Attendees of the inaugural ‘PCMA Asia Pacific Community Conversations’ were given a sneak preview during the virtual event’s welcome address. The integrated resort also recently partnered PCMA and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to launch PCMA’s Digital Event Strategist (DES) accreditation to a select group of international clients.

Upskilling for the Future

To prepare its MICE talent to embrace the future, the hotel is investing in upskilling its MICE workforce. Over 30 sales and MICE team members will be undergoing DES certification, as part of the integrated resort’s continuous focus on staff training. The course will arm the team with the requisite skills, knowledge and proficiency to help clients conceptualise, plan and co-create new hybrid meeting and event designs.