by

The Marina Bay Sands Ice Skating Rink

Background

The skating rink at the Marina Bay Sand’s Integrated Resort in Singapore is located inside the retail complex on the Canal Level, next to the Rasapura Masters Food Court.  Operating hours are 10am to 10pm daily (closed 5pm-6pm for maintenance). http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Shopping/Skating-Rink/

 

The Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort

 

It is pretty small, measuring only about 600 SM. The rink shape isn’t your typical elongated oval (an Olympic hockey rink comes in at about 1830 SM.  Given its small size it is mainly used just for recreational skating.  It is a good way to keep the kids happy since the rest of the integrated resort is geared for adults (lots of gaming, nightlife options, upscale shopping, celebrity chef restaurants, etc). 

While I’m focusing only on the rink at MBS, in case you’re curious and want to go ice skating in hot and humid Singapore, the MBS rink is one of only two operating ice skating rinks.  It came online with the opening of the integrated resort in 2010.  The only other rink is Kallang Ice World which opened in 2007 as part of the Kallang Leisure Park, located near the Stadium MRT.  At 975.5 SM, the Kallang rink is much bigger but still nowhere near Olympic size.  Nevertheless as Singapore’s larger rink, Kallang is the preferred practice rink for figure skaters and hockey players. Some more trivia that is sure to improve your life…the NTU figure skating club uses Kallang’s rink.  A third rink, Fuji Ice Palace, ceased operations in 2008.

Me at the MBS rink

Defining Space

Space in an ice skating rink is sold implicitly but not as implicitly as a hotel where space is split up into guest rooms or restaurants where space is divided into different types of seats.  The customer doesn’t know that they are being sold a piece of space which in this case would be the amount of space they are allocated based on the maximum safe capacity that the rink can handle.  

Defining Time

At the MBS rink, time is sold explicitly in hour-long blocks.    The pricing is as follows: S$7 for the first hour for adults (S$5 for additional hours), and S$6 for kids for the first hour (S$3 for additional hours).  This makes it easy to predict duration. 

Most other rinks in the industry (the kind that I’m more used to seeing) sell time in a more implicit manner using a flat rate that allows the skater to skate all day.  This sort of pricing scheme makes it hard to predict duration.

If MBS sticks with an explicit definition of time, it could consider splitting time up into the half hour, perhaps offering a 0.5 hour “quickie” or a 1.5 hour option.  The rink is small so I think most people will get bored pretty quickly and decide to leave before a full hour is up.  Thus a quickie may be an enticing offer.  They can do a few laps, take the necessary “victory” sign picture and move on with their day. 

For a rink that chooses to define time implicitly, another way is to split it into perhaps morning (10:00-noon), afternoon (noon-17:00), and evening sessions (17:00-closing). 

A night photo that I found online

Rate Fences

Rate fencing is not really utilized at the MBS skating rink except to divide the adult rate classes and child rate classes (a non-physical rate fence).  Age is used to prevent jumping to the lower rate class, though the cutoff age is not clear from the website.

Presently there doesn’t seem to be any real physical rate fence used.  There are no amenities (though I guess MBS can bundle in some equipment if they were to be more creative with managing the ice rink).  There are no “fancy ice skates” that can be rented at a premium over the regular ugly ones, and that can be used to differentiate a premium customer from a regular one.

Also since it is a small ice rink and people move around, there really isn’t a sweet spot that would allow you to sell a particular piece of it at a premium as you might be able to do for better seats in a movie theater or a nicer table in a restaurant.

The rink can consider rate fences to aid in RM efforts but it should probably approach it in a more back of the scenes approach (as in keep the pricing board at the ticketing counter as simple as possible).  The last thing you want to do is confuse the customer when they stare at the prices.  Here’s some ideas for rate fences.

  • If MBS begins to do reservations (i.e. for peak periods), a credit card guarantee against arrival uncertainty could be used to justify a discount for booking ahead.   
  • If MBS were to consider launching targeted promotions, adding in value adding amenities (i.e. souvenirs, equipment bundling, or some sort of special service like helping to clear the ice for a few minutes so a man can propose to his girlfriend) could be a physical rate fence. 
  • With discount promotions, restrictions on usage become a non-physical rate fence. 
  • If MBS were to introduce discounted pricing onto their pricing board based on time of day, day of week, weekday/weekend & public holiday, then these factors become non-physical fences
  • If MBS were to do group sales (more on that later), then the group affiliation becomes the non-physical fence.

 

Factors appropriate for Revenue Management

Fixed Capacity: The MBS rink has a fixed capacity.   It’s not going to get any bigger. There’s probably also a maximum limit of people who can be on the ice at any one time for safety reasons.

Perishable Inventory:  This is valuable real estate inside a busy retail complex.  If the space isn’t being utilized as efficiently as possible (i.e. not a lot of skaters) throughout the operating timeframe each day then there are lost revenue generating opportunities.

Appropriate Cost Structure: high fixed cost (to build it) and relatively low variable cost to run it (probably just some staff to sell tickets, handle the shoe rental, someone to watch for safety, and someone to drive the zamboni)

Varying Customer Price Sensitivity: maybe…Ice skating at MBS is pretty expensive.  I’m used to paying a flat rate back in the States which is something like $10 all day.  At MBS there is a fixed pricing scheme of S$7 for the first hour for adults (S$5 for additional hours), and S$6 for kids for the first hour (S$3 for additional hours).  While I’m sure there are tons of rich, price insensitive people who come to MBS, there are probably lots of poor people like me who just visit from time to time to walk around.  I might be more inclined to want to skate (on an impulsive whim) if they offer a variable pricing scheme with promotions for off-peak periods.

Predictable Demand and Time Variable Demand: MBS probably has the data to forecast customer arrival patterns by time of year, DOW, and TOD.  I don’t think they do reservations so you’re not going to really have an exact on-the-books kind of demand picture at the start of the day, but there might be a correlation of ice rink customer volume with occupancy patterns, particularly if drilled down to certain customer segments in house?

What Quadrant?

Currently the MBS ice rink is likely at quadrant 1.  It has a predictable duration (customer is charged based on how many hours they want to skate), and a fixed price (though they get a little discount after the first hour).  The rink would have to move towards a more dynamic pricing scheme in order to advance towards quadrant 2.

Measurement

Similar to a restaurant where customers start and end their meals at different times, the MBS ice rink has people starting and ending their time blocks at different times.  Additionally there is a limit to how many people who can safely be on the ice at one time. Although I’m not sure what the best way to measure success is, I’ve got two ideas.

One way is to use revenue per available square meter (RevPASM) since you know the rink dimension.  You can look at RevPASM hour by hour (to be more accurate you can look into prorating the revenue from each customer based on when they start and finish arriving at a total hourly revenue figure for the rink) and try to maximize it without overcrowding the rink. 

Another idea that I’m more inclined to attempt is that I’d take into account the maximum safe capacity of the rink based on company policy (or regulation?) and do an imaginary compartmentalization of space so that it can be sold more implicitly.  This would be analogous to dividing up a restaurant dining room into seats.  Instead of restaurant seats, you’d have skater-space (the amount of space you’d allocate for the skater on the rink).  So if I say 10 SM per skater, then I can safely put 60 skaters on the 600 SM rink.  Doing so, I can use a measurement similar to revenue per available seat hour (RevPASH) that incorporates both a space and time element: revenue per available skater-space hour, which abbreviates to RevPASSH (threw in the extra “S” to avoid confusion)

Ancillary Revenue

 Skate rental $3 (you’re forced to rent; cannot bring your own skates), socks $6 (probably b/c a lot of people probably make a last minute decision to skate and don’t have crew socks high enough to protect your ankles from chafing), gloves $10 (maybe if you fall a lot).  People who skate probably also spend some money on food (hot chocolate?) at the adjacent food court.  Additionally, they (especially the parents) probably are going to spend money in other parts of the integrated resort as well.

How to Boost Revenue Performance

For the MBS ice rink, probably the easiest way to boost revenue performance and get closer to Quadrant 2 is to examine RevPASSH and figure out the hot/cold periods throughout the day.  Then attempt to implement variable pricing to maximize revenue.  They can launch promotions and discounts to drive demand on the cold periods (i.e. through targeting their Premium Advantage member card holders).  Actually if they’re more concerned with a total RM approach, I want to put it out there that I’m a Premium Advantage card holder and I’m a sucker for free things.  So if they gave me a free skate hour I’d probably use it, and end up staying and blowing money in the casino after.  This suggests that if you can do something to get kids to beg their parents to take them to the rink, MBS stands a good chance of getting one parent to venture into the casino while the other watches the kids.     

MBS can make more money by selling ice rink souvenirs and enticing people to eat at the food court next to the rink.  You can have your hot chocolate.  And, since it’s Asia, there’s dim sum!

mmm.....dim sum!

Another thing MBS can do is to consider selling to small groups as part of their meeting package.  It could be marketed as a “quick fun break” where meeting goers can all go down and have a few minutes of fun.  But MBS must do this carefully and target the cold periods.  MBS is a large MICE facility.  The last thing you want is a few hundred meeting goers all demanding to use the rink at once.  The poor rink attendant will get slaughtered.

Additionally they can look into streamlining the procedures to get people off the ice quickly once their time is up and to clean and turn over the ice skates. This will help to enforce the predictable duration and also reduce time between customers.

30,884 thoughts on “The Marina Bay Sands Ice Skating Rink”

  1. Pourquoi ne pas dire de l’objet qui fixe le principalement à coeur a majorité fermer liseurs? Le fait majeur protégé des récents mois à l’idée de la diffusion des actualités bagnall haus condo

  2. Welcome to Rishikesh Escorts Agency the only name in the elite Call Girls rishikesh circle that you can bank upon for complete contentment and sexual pleasures. When it pertains to pleasing lonesome as well as irritated men who have been robbed of love and great love life, no one understands it much better than our independent companions who gladly walk the additional mile for providing complete contentment. Our companions and call ladies are not just lovely, yet have a unique beauty and charismatic allure that could entice as well as drown any man in pure lustful enthusiasm, conjuring up all his dreams and also needs like never before.

  7. Work with an experienced family lawyer Barrie.
    Our team at Chapman Steffler LLP has decades of experience practicing divorce law and has a stellar reputation for upholding your rights and achieving results. We are proactive and driven to find effective solutions for your legal matters – our team of family lawyers is dedicated to assisting you with any challenges.
    When facing complex family law matters, having a knowledgeable and compassionate family lawyer by your side is crucial. At our firm, we are dedicated to guiding you through the intricacies of family law with expertise and care.
    • Divorce representation
    • Decision-making and parenting agreement
    • Child support and spousal support matters
    • Property division and equalization
    • Separation agreements
    • Mediation and alternative dispute resolution
    • Parental relocation cases
    • Legal representation in family court proceedings

    https://chapmansteffler.com/our-services/family-lawyer-barrie/

  8. I am a new user of this site so here i saw multiple articles and posts posted by this site,I curious more interest in some of them hope you will give more information on this topics in your next articles. immediate proair

  9. I am very pleased to discover this web page. I want to tell you thx for your effort in providing this amazing read! I certainly enjoyed it and I have you book-marked to follow new issues you post. link slot terpercaya

  10. What i don’t realize is in reality how you are no longer actually a lot more neatly-preferred than you may be right now. You are so intelligent. You understand thus considerably with regards to this subject, produced me in my view believe it from so many various angles. Its like women and men aren’t fascinated except it’s one thing to accomplish with Girl gaga! Your individual stuffs great. Always maintain it up! https://pafikebasen.org/

  13. Dengan berkunjung ke Salon Mobil Surabaya setiap enam bulan sekali, Anda dapat yakin bahwa mobil Anda mendapatkan perawatan yang tepat waktu dan profesional. Selain itu, sebagai pemilik mobil di Surabaya, Anda juga berkontribusi pada ekonomi lokal dengan mendukung bisnis lokal yang beroperasi dengan standar kualitas tinggi.

  14. Thanks for picking out the time to discuss this, I feel great about it and love studying more on this topic. It is extremely helpful for me. Thanks for such a valuable help again. ae888.vision

  16. Le test test iptv gratuit est également utile pour vérifier si le service IPTV est compatible avec vos appareils, tels que vos Smart TV, boîtiers Android ou bâtons.
    Notre test iptv gratuit vous permet de .En France, Yootimes IPTV se distingue comme le leader de l’IPTV … Avis clients de yootimes.tech. SOCIALE. Instagram

  19. I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. 카지노사이트

  21. Wonderful article. Fascinating to read. I love to read such an excellent article. Thanks! It has made my task more and extra easy. Keep rocking. 먹튀검증

  23. Usually I do not read article on blogs however I would like to say that this writeup very compelled me to take a look at and do it Your writing style has been amazed me. Thank you, very nice article. – grandivycasino.in

  25. The key to success in any business is an understanding of psychology… Because our minds decide what to buy. So if you know how minds function,Affiliate Marketing in Delhi you have the power to influence

  32. A UK Embroidery Digitizing Company represents a fantastic fusion of traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, offering businesses and individuals alike the opportunity to create unique, high-quality embroidered designs. The expertise and precision that such companies bring to their work can dramatically enhance the aesthetic and value of any fabric item, from corporate wear and promotional merchandise to personalized gifts and bespoke fashion pieces.

  34. Thanks for making the honest try to give an explanation for this. I believe very strong about it and want to be informed more. If it’s OK, as you reach extra intensive wisdom, would you mind adding extra posts similar to this one with additional information? It will be extraordinarily helpful and helpful for me and my colleagues. vn86 win

  35. V TV Sports broadcasting, NPB broadcasting, KBO broadcasting, foreign soccer broadcasting, free sports broadcasting, MLB broadcasting, foreign soccer broadcasting, NBA broadcasting, soccer broadcasting, baseball broadcasting, major league broadcasting, basketball broadcasting, major sports broadcasting, real-time broadcasting , Nba broadcast, broadcast, TV broadcast, free TV, free broadcast, EPL broadcast, EPL broadcast – Kookdae TV 프리미어리그중계

  37. Thumbs up! Astonishing results for me and elegant finishing in the complete outcome! I would definitely recommend them to every single of you out there! It is really worth checking! situs slot

  38. I am extremely impressed together with your writing abilities and also with the layout in your weblog. Is this a paid subject matter or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the excellent high quality writing, it’s rare to peer a great blog like this one these days.. pafikebasen.org

  39. I am really loving the theme/design of your web site. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility problems? A few of my blog readers have complained about my website not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome. Do you have any tips to help fix this issue? situs slot gacor

  40. Thanks for making the honest attempt to speak about this. I believe very robust approximately it and want to read more. If it’s OK, as you gain more in depth wisdom, would you thoughts adding extra articles similar to this one with additional information? It might be extremely useful and useful for me and my friends. slot

  41. They will also get full pleasure of having sex with the girls and what happens is that we take the service. , your friends can’t take it. Later you say that this service is available in this agency, then I want to tell you that whenever you come to Delhi Escorts, you should bring your friends also, because if you do not leave the girl, your friend will also leave her. Let him enjoy. Because at this time everyone needs sex.

  43. betflikxl In the current era, our online world is popular for playing. Direct website for online slots through a single mobile phone which has now become a part of many people’s daily lives Because this website gives everyone the opportunity to have a way to make money and have profits every day https://betflikxl.me/

  44. BETFLIKทางเข้า In the current era, our online world is popular for playing. Direct website for online slots through a single mobile phone which has now become a part of many people’s daily lives Because this website gives everyone the opportunity to have a way to make money and have profits every day https://betflikxl.me/

  46. I’d should check with you here. Which isn’t some thing I do! I like reading a post which will make people believe. Also, thank you permitting me to comment! daftar raja999

  48. I got too much interesting stuff on your blog. I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! Keep up the good work. ae888.haus

  49. This poll is open to all Long John Silver’s Survey . However, thorough understanding of the procedures, guidelines, and prerequisites is required before proceeding. You will find all the information about that in this article.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *