LIVE! Singapore boosts opportunities in the Republic's performing arts industry
Building on world-class infrastructure such as the Esplanade and key platforms like the Singapore Arts Festival, Singapore, seamlessly connected to the rest of Asia, is becoming the hub to access the region's rising demand for the arts.
Against this backdrop, two companies with regional headquarters here - leading trade fair organiser Koelnmesse and top arts management firm IMG Artists - are coming together to present LIVE! Singapore. The largest and most diverse global performing arts exchange in Asia, this inaugural event comprises a trade fair, conference and performances for business, knowledge and artistic creation.
Held at Resorts World Sentosa from 8 to 11 June 2010, with an expected participation of 1,500 international delegates, LIVE! Singapore is a springboard for global players to Asia and Asian players to the world.
"LIVE! Singapore will showcase Singapore as an international focal point for the performing arts industry. We believe it will be a catalyst to attracting more global businesses here," says Thien Kwee Eng, Director, Lifestyle Programme Office, EDB.
4-day international performing arts trade fair, conference and showcase LIVE! Singapore opens with a bang
In line with expanding opportunities in the global performing arts market, the first-ever LIVE! Singapore, a four-day global performing arts exchange, opens today to bring together over 1,500 leading performing artists, practitioners, managers, producers, agents and venue owners from more than 50 countries.
Held in Singapore from 8-11 June 2010 at Resorts World Convention Centre, the inaugural event was officially opened today by Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Singapore’s Acting Minister for Information, Communications & the Arts.
Staying true to its goal of serving as an exchange hub between the East and West, while acting as an entry point for international performing artists to access the growing Asian performing arts markets, the LIVE! Trade Fair boasts of more than 100 organizations, representing the entire spectrum of the performing arts Industry, and stars an impressive line-up of 89 international experts from 18 countries across the performing arts industry.
From international venue owners, festival organizers and artist management companies to agents, production companies and performing arts groups in all genres, trade visitors will have the opportunity to connect with the industry’s top global buyers, establish relationships with key influencers and mingle with leading experts in the performing arts.
Performing arts community applaud inaugural LIVE! Singapore
The only professional event for the performing arts business of its scale in the region, LIVE! Singapore saw 5,471 International artists, agents, artist managers, venue and festival managers, other performing arts professionals and enthusiasts from 54 countries participate in its debut.
Over one hundred performing arts organisations were represented at the trade fair. A highlight of the LIVE! Trade Fair, the Artists’ Area provided a platform for artists to network and explore possible collaborations.
The LIVE! Singapore Conference gathered over 90 leading names in the global performing arts world. Speakers included heads of some of the world’s leading arts organisations including Sir Clive Gillinson from Carnegie Hall, Zarin Mehta from the New York Philharmonic, Robert Nederlander Jnr. from Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, and Loan Holender from the Vienna State Opera. Regional big names such as Tim McFarlane from The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific, James Cundall from Lunchbox Productions, Tisa Ho from Hong Kong Arts Festival and Bernard Lanskey from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory also shared their views and insights on the emerging trends in the performing arts.
“We are proud to have staged the successful debut of LIVE! Singapore for the global performing arts community. From the encouraging participation we have registered for this event to the international media interest we have garnered, LIVE! Singapore is on the right track to establishing itself as a key performing arts event in the region and globally. Based on the enthusiasm expressed to us by the speakers, visitors and exhibitors at LIVE! Singapore this year, the wheels for next year’s event are already in motion,” said Mr Michael Dreyer, Vice President Asia Pacific, Koelnmesse, organizer of LIVE! Singapore.
“We appreciate the support from IMG Artists, the National Arts Council, Singapore Economic Development Board and the Singapore Tourism Board. We are also grateful for the endorsement from the local and international performing arts community, especially those who have lent their time and efforts on the International Advisory Panel and Steering Committee. With such strong support from the industry, we are confident that LIVE! Singapore 2011 will offer participants an even stronger content and bigger trade fair turnout,” concluded Mr Dreyer.
