Guy Llewellyn, assistant professor at EHL Hospitality Business School, Singapore campus, shares how hotels can leverage on the concert hype to fill up room capacity and leave a lasting impression on guests
Singapore’s music scene is booming! With chart-topping artists drawing in record-breaking crowds, the city is becoming a magnet for music fans across South-east Asia. This surge in concertgoers presents a golden opportunity for hotels to transform themselves into more than just a place to sleep. By creating immersive experiences that cater directly to the concert buzz, hotels can not only fill rooms but also turn these temporary guests into lifelong fans of their brand.
Coldplay’s six sold-out shows in January at Singapore’s National Stadium was the first major music event of 2024, drawing thousands of fans across the region. The concert series is the start of what is expected to be an incredibly strong year for international arrivals to Singapore. International arrivals in January 2024 were 1.44 million people, a 54.2 per cent increase from last January (0.93 million); however, it is still down from the pre-pandemic high in January 2020 by 14.79 per cent (1.69 million).
While Coldplay set records for the number of tickets sold in a single day and was the first to play six nights at the National Stadium, Taylor Swift’s sold-out shows in March took the city-state by storm, as 22 million people vied for the 300,000 available tickets.
These performances are massive opportunities for hotels to shine, as the occupancy rates reached 72.8 per cent during the Coldplay performance dates and 88.7 per cent during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the highest level since mid-June 2023. When musical events come to Singapore, it is not only the fans that benefit but the entire hospitality sector.
With more A-list artists, including Bruno Mars, scheduled to come in 2024, hotels and restaurants cannot be passive in their approach but must capitalise on the opportunity to create unique experiences, special packages, or collaborations.
Creating experiences that resonate with music fans
Hotels should curate immersive branded hotel rooms that stream the performer’s music and have specialised lighting, wall art, pillows, throws, amenities, and other items unique to the event and transportation to the venue. Ideally, this would also include tickets to the concert, access to exclusive events, meet-and-greets, backstage tours, or the ability to listen to new musical tracks before public release.
Outside of the guestroom, hotels need to create specialised events and spaces throughout the property. The lobby should offer themed drinks, including non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions named to either the tour or popular tracks, and merchandise tables with posters, shirts, and albums. The restaurant should have specials catering to the fans and the dietary restrictions of those flying in for the event.
The pool should include themed pool towels and music; the bar should include either a cover band or karaoke; the spa should have packages including glittery nail polish for younger fans and themed manicures for everyone else. The hotel must create the feeling that the musical event is happening at their hotel at every turn.
Go beyond the hotel room
Off-property, the hotel should partner with other companies to create unique experiences, as the guest spending outside of the price of the concert ranges between four to five times what they paid for the ticket; there are ample opportunities for shared revenue partnerships.
Hotels could work with Universal Studios Singapore to provide Universal Express and branded event merchandise and get up and close with the animals at the Singapore Zoo; themed night safaris or aquarium tickets can increase sales, bring together like-minded individuals in town for the performance, and create a lasting memorable experience.
Capitalising on the significant music events playing in Singapore can boost the hotel’s bottom line and create lifelong memories that the guest will look to recreate when their favourite musician plays on the subsequent tour. It is not enough to only increase the room prices to match demand; it must include value-added products, services, and even bespoke packages they could only get if they stay at the property.
Crafting different levels of packages and external partners that can be easily modified for the specific group or performer will ensure that hotels can launch the package immediately when a particular tour is announced. Hotels must diversify their packages and rooms to become the ideal location for those flying in for the event.
