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.

26,192 thoughts on “The Marina Bay Sands Ice Skating Rink”

  2. 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. acim

  7. เกมสล็อต ค่าย PG ใหม่ ล่าสุด บทความ เว็บที่น่าเชื่อถือที่สุดมีใบรับรองการันตี ทดลอง เล่น สล็อต PG ไม่ เด้ง

  19. Rest is the gentle balm that heals the wounds of our daily struggles, providing a sanctuary of peace and calm. Visit 스타안마for the ultimate guide to finding solace and comfort, recharging your spirit for the journey ahead.

  20. Embracing rest is an act of self-affirmation, acknowledging that we are worthy of time and space to rejuvenate. Our 토닥이 offers valuable insights to help you prioritize your well-being above the incessant demands of life.

  21. Best Dermatologist in Zirakpur

    People often face skin issues due to a bad environment or other reasons. If you are facing such a problem, you must visit Dr. Chawla’s Clinic, one of the Dermatologist in Zirakpur. We provide our customers with the best advice. Moreover, We use ultra-modern laser treatments for treating skin issues.

  23. Discover custom wooden signs & unique home decor at Footsteps On Main. Made in USA merchandise from our Ohio store. Shop now for quality craftsmanship.
    Visit us :- Custom wooden Signs

  25. LIATOGEL merupakan situs yang menyediakan berbagai jenis Slot Online, Bandar Togel. Di Jaman sekarang, Teknologi sudah meningkat pesat. Apapun yang kita lakukan sekarang bisa melalui online, termasuk memasang Togel atau bermain game Slot online. Maka demikian LIATOGEL menjadi salah satu situs yang menyediakan Slot Online, Bandar Togel.

  30. Explore opportunities at Menzies Institute of Technology, Melbourne. A hub for research and education. Join us to shape tomorrow’s innovations.
    Visit us :- <a href="https://menzies.vic.edu.au/&#039;.menzies institute of technology melbourne

  32. Hey what a brilliant post I have come across and believe me I have been searching out for this similar kind of post for past a week and hardly came across this. Thank you very much and will look for more postings from you. http://192.64.112.142/

  33. Get accurate horoscope readings, tarot interpretations, love compatibility insights, and expert psychic predictions. Unlock spiritual guidance and cosmic wisdom online.
    Visit us :- vedic horoscope

  35. Deburring Machine For Sheet Metal

    Deburring Machine For Sheet Metal is a specialized equipment designed to remove burrs and sharp edges from flat metal surfaces. These machines feature adjustable settings to accommodate different material thicknesses and burr sizes, ensuring consistent deburring results across various workpieces. With capabilities for edge rounding and surface finishing, deburring machines for sheet metal improve the overall quality and appearance of fabricated components. For cost-effecting and quality buying, you can count on World Machinery. On our website explore the wide range of deburring machines and if you come across any doubt, connect with us at +01746 780154.

  36. Streamline employee roster management with face identification technology. Easily match faces for accurate attendance tracking. Explore Koyyo.co today.
    Visit us :- face identification

  37. Option Trading Course in Chandigarh

    Unlock your financial potential with our top-rated Option Trading Course in Chandigarh at The Wise Bucks. Designed for both beginners and experienced traders, our comprehensive course covers everything from the basics of options trading to advanced strategies. Our expert instructors provide hands-on training, ensuring you gain practical knowledge and confidence to succeed in the dynamic world of trading. Located in the heart of Chandigarh, we offer flexible schedules and personalized guidance to meet your needs. Join The Wise Bucks community today and start your journey to financial independence. Enroll now and transform your trading skills with the best option trading course in Chandigarh.

  38. It’s a good shame you don’t contain a give money button! I’d definitely give money for this fantastic webpage! That i suppose for the time being i’ll be satisfied bookmarking together with including an individual’s Feed that will my best Msn balance. That i appearance forward that will recent messages and definitely will share the web site utilizing my best Facebook or twitter team: ) fuse

  40. Thank you for some other informative website. The place else may just I get that kind of information written in such a perfect method? I have a venture that I am simply now running on, and I’ve been at the glance out for such info. Slot gacor 777

  41. Reach new heights of exhilaration in online gaming at maxxwincasino where limitless opportunities for winning await. Indulge in an electrifying gaming experience that brings you closer to remarkable triumphs with every passing moment.

  43. Corporate Law Firms Near Me

    Businesses often seem to find “Corporate Law Firms Near Me” through google. However, if you are in nearby places of arizona can consult Merchant Law Firm. We are an expert team of business attorneys holding experience in each field of business legalities. For seamless business legal compliance reach us right now.

  44. Best Packers And Movers Melbourne

    Moving goods from one place to another is a daunting task. Here JL Movers can play a crucial role in delivering a rapid, easygoing, and convenient relocation. JL Movers, the best packers and movers Melbourne have years of experience and practice in managing fragile and non-fragile goods while moving. We do proper labeling and packaging for each item and hand it over to the logistics team as if it’s our own.

  45. ApparelnBags.com offers dickies jacket wholesale for less which features lightweight yet warm, front pockets, pencil pocket on left sleeves, heavy duty brass zipper, waistband that are adjustable and much more! Explore our latest collection of Dickies Jackets, vests, and hoodies listed below and pick the kind of Jacket that is designed for hardworking and passionate worker like you.

  46. Great job, I was doing a google search and your site came up for homes for sale in Altamonte Springs, FL but anyway, I have enjoyed reading it, keep it up! marteen lou

  48. Adorei o post sobre a pista de patinação no gelo do Marina Bay Sands! É incrível ver como esse lugar oferece uma experiência única tanto para moradores quanto para turistas. Além de aproveitar a diversão no gelo, eu recomendo sempre explorar novas experiências e produtos de bem-estar. Falando nisso, recentemente encontrei um ótimo artigo sobre vibrador feminino que pode interessar quem busca melhorar sua saúde e prazer pessoal. Vale a pena conferir!

  49. Nankang Tyres

    Discover the reliability and performance of Nankang Tyres, known for their durability and traction in various driving conditions. Explore the wide range of Nankang tyres on the official website of The Tyre Factory to enhance your driving experience.
    Don’t forget to subscribe to The Tyre Factory newsletter to get updates on our latest offers, news, and more!

  50. Bar in Zirakpur

    Visit Nazaare , the best Bar in Zirakpur . Enjoy great drinks, tasty food, and a lively atmosphere. Perfect for a night out with friends or a relaxing evening. Our wide selection of beverages and top service make us the top choice in Zirakpur. Come to Nazaare today and have an amazing time. Check our menu and join us for a fun night!

Leave a Reply

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