Host to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, Singapore is now further recognised on the global Sporting arena - a tremendous feat for a tiny island nation that has just celebrated 45 years of independence. It is a more impressive achievement with the knowledge that Singapore had just about two years to prepare for the event, as opposed to the usual 7 years or more for the Olympic Games. Singapore won 53 votes over Moscow’s 44 for the honour of hosting the games which brings together atheletes from 240 nations.
The YOG Organising Committee has since been working closely with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), 26 international sports federations and 205 national Olympic committees for the competitions to run at the highest international standard.
Singapore as Host
There are obvious symbolic parallels : Singapore is a youthful nation that has distinguished itself globally in various arenas, whilst the Youth Olympics embodies the ideals of ‘Faster, Higher , Stronger‘, ie striving and achievement amongst youth athletes competing on a global platform.
Already known for its achievements in Business, Government, Education, and Tourism, Singapore is becoming increasingly established in the global sporting arena. It also won the privilege of hosting another global sporting event three years ago, boasting of the world’s first F1 night race, and the only other street course after Morocco.
Benefits to Singapore
It is experiential marketing at its finest to have gathered diplomats, CEOs, the best youth athletes and their fans from around the world to enjoy Singapore’s warm hospitality, facilitated by a world-class infrastructure that will ensure the games ensue smoothly. About 3,600 athletes between the ages 14-18 are expected to compete in 26 sports.
The grand opening ceremony was a chance to showcase Singapore’s creative talent to the world, with songs and music composed by Singaporeans. Singaporean Mandopop star JJ Lin wrote the YOG cheer, with the Official theme song composed by Ken Lim. With an eye to establishing itself in the creative world of media, Singapore already has a disproportionate number of Mandopop stars relative to its population size through other artistes like Sun Yan Zi, Mavis Hee and Eric Moo.
The Games also represents big business, attracting huge investments in sponsorships. For the Youth Olympic Games, Samsung and Canon are among nearly 77 sponsors who have invested more than SGD 50 million, exceeding targets. The Singapore government is also reported to have invested close to SGD 400 million on the event.
Visibility on a global sporting platform is also good branding, and a boost to national pride. A Singapore Sports school dedicated to grooming champion sportsmen has been specially established with a keen eye to winning sporting medals in the international arena. Athletes carrying the Singapore flag have also made waves in global championships for sports such as Table-Tennis and Watersports.
Other intangible long-term benefits exist. The YOG will also bring across the spirit of sports to a new and younger audience, building on the efforts of the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) to establish a healthier lifestyle amongst Singaporeans.
Not least of all is the friendships that will ensue from the Games amongst all participants at all levels, leading to countless opportunities for collaboration on all fronts.
Finally, the experience and expertise gained on the organisational, creative and technical fronts would have improved Singaporean companies’ ability to manage ever more complex MICE events.
Watch this Space
The Singapore government clearly understands the importance of creating buzz on the world stage to stay relevant and attractive to various business and political interests.
With the right impressions made across various intellectual and emotional touchpoints to both an internal and external audience, there is no doubt that the inaugural Youth Olympics is an investment in experiential marketing that will pay off for Singapore.
More exciting times look set to lie ahead as more people know of and are attracted to Singapore as a place to live, work and play.
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