Is the haze fogging up the event marketing scene?

The Singapore Grand Prix is all set to kick off this weekend.However the fate of the races remains fairly uncertain as the recent Pollutant Standards Index hover the unhealthy air quality range. In a statement to The Straits Times, organisers of Formula One’s Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix said that they are “prepared to handle the haze situation”.In another report by Reuters, the Singapore GP spokesperson also said that the "possibility of haze is just one of the many potential issues that are covered in the overall 2015 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix Contingency Plan." However should the haze cause visibility issues, public health or operational issues, the event organisers will be working with relevant authorities before making a “collective decision.”Whether or not the race carries on, it is safe to say that a fair amount of marketing dollars have been set aside yearly by title sponsors Singapore Airline and Singapore GP to promote the event. Just last month, the Singapore Airlines played a big role in lighting up the night carnival, in the lead-up to this year’s Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix.This year’s carnival was held in conjunction with race promoter Singapore GP’s ‘Rev Up Singapore!’ campaign. The ‘Rev Up Singapore!’ initiatives – part of a campaign by Singapore GP to get the local community excited for the upcoming Formula 1 night race – is set to include more fan-friendly initiatives this year.Singapore GP and SIA have not yet commented on Marketing’s queries.In recent years, Singapore has been a market proliferated with events. According to STB’s website, from last year on, the local market saw a vibrant events calendar with numerous arts, entertainment and sports events such as Singapore Art Week, the International Festival of Arts, Cavalia, the International Jazz Festival and the WTA Finals. This was partly because 2015 was a special year for Singapore, celebrating its 50th birthday.However, the worsening haze conditions is putting a dampener on several event organisers' promotional plans. Over the weekend, Singapore Cancer Society, with its main supporter Singtel cancelled its race at the last moment saying that “for the safety and health of runners, volunteers, staff and beneficiaries, it decided to cancel the race.”The organising committee had initially decided to take a wait-and-see approach to observe if the PSI readings would fall instead of prematurely cancelling the event. On its Facebook page, the event organisors also said they were unable to postpone this event to a later date as the costs incurred in doing so will lead to an additional expense and holding the race in the future would also impact the funds that were set aside for programmes and services.In a statement to Marketing, a spokesperson from POSB, which also cancelled its annual Passion Run for kids, said over the past few days, the team has been closely monitoring the haze situation in Singapore and was hopeful that the conditions would improve. The spokesperson however declined to comment on the marketing and promotional spend of the event.“It is unfortunate that we were unable to proceed with the run due to the worsening haze conditions, but the health and safety of our participants are of utmost important to us. We received plenty of positive feedback from our participants on the timely and regular updates that we provided to them, and they were also appreciative of us putting their well-being as a top priority.”Meanwhile, event organisers of Yellow Ribbon Prison run and the Safra Celebration Run and Ride decided to push through the hazy conditions but turned their runs into walks.Speaking to Marketing, Yeo Wei Qi, regional head of events services at Lighthouse Independent Media was of the view that the haze gives ample opportunity for brands to try something new and hold events that they might have otherwise held outdoors.While advising against holding external and outdoor events, she added that consumers at the end of the day are looking for entertainment and this will persist despite weather conditions.However, she also added that the weather conditions is leading to a fair amount of marketing dollars and event dollars being wasted as organisers need to either hunt for last minute relocations or cancellations. Moreover, indoor event venue prices are also likely to increase as there will be a surge in demand for spaces.Lauretta Alabons, director of LAMC Productions, echoed the view. Worsening whether conditions have not had much affect on her events as they are mostly held indoors. "In fact, consumers are still flocking to see acts while at the same time finding shelter from the worsening outdoor conditions," she said.