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.

32,318 thoughts on “The Marina Bay Sands Ice Skating Rink

  1. I was surfing net and fortunately came across this site and found very interesting stuff here. Its really fun to read. I enjoyed a lot. Thanks for sharing this wonderful information toonkor

  2. The Benefits of Managed IT Services for Law Firms Book FREE Consultation Schedule a Free Consultation today and find out how eSudo can help your law firm. BOOK FREE CONSULTATION In the dignified and meticulous world of the legal profession, where tradition and precision are paramount, the inexorable march of technology is transforming the very Managed IT services for legal professionals

  3. The details you supply in your write-ups. Maintain sharing of this type info. I truly value your operate in this article. Below we are examining simply exactly how to the setup hp printer. You can resolve those concerns with the assistance of 툰코 바로가기

  4. I definitely enjoying every little bit of it. It is a great website and nice share. I want to thank you. Good job! You guys do a great blog, and have some great contents. Keep up the good work 헬로밤

  5. Register now and join our community of football lovers to get the latest news, match analysis and exclusive content, for those of you who want to know more about the world of football, please visit our website here jadwal argentina olimpiade 2024

  6. Unquestionably believe that which you stated. Your favorite justification seemed to be on the web the easiest thing to be aware of.

    I say to you, I certainly get irked while people
    think about worries that they just do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top as well as defined out the whole thing
    without having side-effects , people can take a signal. Will probably
    be back to get more. Thanks

    Feel free to surf to my site: abc fun

  7. The Marina Bay Sands Ice Skating Rink offers a unique experience, especially being located in the heart of a retail complex! It’s a great spot for both locals and tourists to unwind and enjoy some time on the ice. I often use Telegram中文 to coordinate meetups with friends for skating sessions, and it’s incredibly convenient. We share updates on our favorite times to skate, especially around the maintenance break between 5pm and 6pm. With Telegram’s group chats and event reminders, it’s easy to organize a fun day out, whether we’re planning to skate or grab a bite at the Rasapura Masters Food Court afterward!

  8. I’ve always found it fascinating that Marina Bay Sands has an ice skating rink right in the middle of its luxury retail space. It’s a perfect balance of high-end shopping and recreational activities. When I visited last, my friends and I used a TG中文版下载 group to stay updated on skating schedules and shared pictures from our day on the ice. It was incredibly useful, especially when we needed to adjust our plans during the maintenance break from 5pm to 6pm. Telegram’s ease of use for sharing updates and photos made our trip even more enjoyable. I definitely recommend using it to organize group activities at Marina Bay Sands.

  9. The skating rink at Marina Bay Sands is such a cool feature, literally and figuratively! I’ve noticed that many skating enthusiasts in Singapore use TG中文语言包 to form communities where they share tips and tricks, and it’s no surprise that Marina Bay Sands is often a favorite spot discussed in these groups. With Telegram, you can easily find real-time updates on rink conditions, event promotions, and even connect with others who want to skate together. For those planning a visit, it’s handy to join a Telegram group to stay in the loop about operating hours and maintenance breaks—it makes the experience even more seamless!

  10. Appreciation for another certain post. What other spot could anybody at whatever point eventually get such an information in such an ideal way to coordinate making? firesaleco.com

  11. Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything like this before. So nice to find somebody with some original thoughts on this subject. realy thank you for starting this up. this website is something that is needed on the web, someone with a little originality. useful job for bringing something new to the internet! kudasakti168

  12. Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article.

    I will make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful info.
    Thanks for the post. I will definitely comeback.

    Also visit my website :: 포르노

  13. My spouse and I stumbled over here coming from a different web page and thought I might as well
    check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you.
    Look forward to looking over your web page for a second time.

    Review my page – bolacasino88

  14. Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew
    of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
    I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping
    maybe you would have some experience with something like this.

    Please let me know if you run into anything.
    I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

    Here is my web-site; carinsurancetips3.z20.web.core.windows.net

  15. Hey there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this
    website? I’m getting fed up of WordPress because I’ve
    had issues with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform.
    I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good
    platform.

    Feel free to visit my web blog: Click here

  16. ایمپلنت دندان برای جایگزینی دندان‌های ازدست‌رفته و کشیده شده استفاده می‌شود.
    طول عمر بالا، ظاهر و عملکرد طبیعی 3 ویژگی بارز ایمپلنت دندانی هستند که هرکسی
    را ترغیب به استفاده از این خدمات دندانپزشکی می‌کنند.
    از دست دادن دندان به هر دلیلی می‌تواند چالش‌های زیادی به همراه
    داشته باشد. از مشکل در جویدن
    و صحبت کردن گرفته تا کاهش اعتمادبه‌نفس و تأثیر منفی بر زیبایی
    لبخند. ایمپلنت دندان به‌عنوان یکی از پیشرفته‌ترین روش‌های جایگزینی دندان، این مشکلات را برطرف کرده
    و لبخندی زیبا و عملکردی طبیعی را به شما هدیه می‌دهد.

  17. I’m dedicated to creating a positive and respectful environment where every voice matters. I invite you to share your thoughts, engage in meaningful discussions, and support one another. Together, let’s cultivate a space that inspires and uplifts us.
    andhrapradesh business news

  18. Whiteland Urban Resort is a premium residential project located in Sector 103, Gurgaon, designed to offer a luxurious and serene living experience. Managed by the Westin Group, the development promises top-tier hospitality and service for its residents. With world-class amenities, lush green spaces, and excellent connectivity to major business hubs and key landmarks, this project is an ideal choice for modern families seeking comfort and convenience in a prime location. This project provides 3/4 BHK apartments. contact for more floor plan details.

  19. Ratuvip merupakan platform MPOPLAY dengan provider slot88 yang sering di sebut slot gacor hari ini dilengkapi dengan link slot tergacor mudah maxwin disini.

  20. The Marina Bay Sands Ice Skating Rink sounds like a cool way to chill! Just like solving wordle game, gliding on ice at such an iconic spot must be a blast. Can’t wait to lace up and give it a spin!

  21. Fantastic blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own blog soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally overwhelmed .. Any ideas? Appreciate it! Fitspresso

  22. I love how you approached this topic! You broke it down so well. For others looking to explore this issue further, GOODBLOG might be worth a read.

  23. We really appreciate your presence! Get early access to limited edition products only for our loyal customers, because on our website there is a super jackpot that is very maxwin, for those of you who want to try playing it, you can visit our website here https://dailysearchinfo.com/

  24. Thanks for sharing valuable thoughts. I just came across an amazing app. It is ANWhatsApp.ANWhatsApp is a modified version of the original WhatsApp, designed to offer users additional features and customization options. It includes advanced privacy settings, such as hiding online status, last seen, and blue ticks. ANWhatsApp also allows for multiple accounts on a single device, a wider selection of themes, and enhanced control over media sharing. With these features, it provides users with a more personalized and flexible messaging experience compared to the standard WhatsApp. However, like other modded apps, there are potential risks related to security and account bans.

Leave a Reply

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