TBWA Wins $70m Genting Ad Account

Source : The Business Times, August 21, 2007

GENTING International has appointed TBWA to handle its Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) advertising account, estimated to be worth about $70 million over three years.

TBWA, which recently won the coveted Singapore Airlines account, estimated to be worth $50 million a year, was one of 10 agencies invited by Genting to present their credentials in March.

Five were shortlisted and invited to pitch for the account in May, with each giving a presentation covering market analysis, creative work and media strategy.

TBWA managing director Dan Paris said RWS will be 'one of the most powerful destinations in the world' and emerging markets will be important to it. An Internet portal will be one channel to reach this market, he said.

RWS will be home to a Universal Studios theme park. And RWS chief executive Tan Hee Teck pointed out that 20-30 per cent of theme park bookings are made online.

Mr Tan said that apart from China and India, RWS is counting on the booming Russian economy.

'A lot of Russians are going to places like Phuket and Hainan, but not to Singapore,' he said. 'We will work with the Singapore Tourism Board on these markets.'

Giving an update on the progress of construction work, Mr Tan said RWS is on schedule to open in early 2010.

Work is under way on the resort's concrete raft foundation, basement and associated mechanical and engineering works. The basement will have up to 4,100 parking lots - 'bigger than Suntec City', said Mr Tan.

Road diversion work will begin soon, while the authorities evaluate designs for the proposed second bridge to Sentosa.

Besides an on-site concrete plant, RWS has built jetties to allow for direct delivery of sand by barges.

RWS has said $1.6 billion of contracts will have been awarded by the first quarter of 2008, with more than $600 million of contracts already awarded.