The government and the private sector are working hard to create more buzz around Marina Bay so the area is bursting with activity long before major

The government and the private sector are working hard to create more buzz around Marina Bay so the area is bursting with activity long before major projects like the Marina Sands resort and Gardens by the Bay go up.At least eight events to pull in tens of thousands of visitors have been lined up for the remainder of this year - from blockbusters such as the National Day Parade to more light-weight but still heartwarming outings such as Kids’ Dash, a race for children.

‘Over the next two years, Marina Bay will become the area for many new activities,’ says Mark Goh, head of the Marina Bay Development Agency (MBDA), set up in 2004 to help make the area more vibrant.

The idea is to create a buzz and maintain this buzz until most major projects are completed in 2010, says Mr Goh. MBDA wants to change the perception that Marina Bay is ‘just a financial hub’.

The agency, with other government bodies and private sector players, has lined up several events spread over the next eight months.

The biggest will no doubt be the annual National Day Parade. A floating platform being built in the bay to host large events will be ready in time for the parade - its first big show.

BT understands that supporting activities are also planned by the same committee that is organising the parade.

Besides these, the authorities are trying to make Marina Bay a hot spot for sport. Four sporting events - collectively called the Marina Bay Urban Challenge - will be held over the next few months. The first is the Oakley City Duathlon on May 20. An expected 1,500 participants will run and cycle 55km in a city landscape of urban skyscrapers and scenic waters within the larger Marina Bay area.

Next up is a vertical challenge, planned for September, in which about 500 runners will scale stairs in a tall building - possibly One Raffles Quay.

The two other events are the Great Eastern Women 10K on Oct 21 and Kids’ Dash on Nov 11. For the Great Eastern Women 10K, about 6,000 women are expected to run along a route starting at Esplanade Drive and ending at the Padang.

And for Kids’ Dash, about 3,000 children are expected to take part in a variety of activities, including 5km runs and potato sack races.

All four events are organised by private sector company Enterprise Sports Group with government support. The events will add to two previously announced sporting activities in the area: WaterFest by the Bay and an Ironman challenge.

WaterFest by the Bay is a weekend fiesta to showcase water and beach sports such as canoeing, jet-skiing and wakeboarding. The Singapore Sports Council, which is supporting the event, hopes to draw about 15,000 people.

And triathlon-lovers can look forward to the AVIVA Ironman challenge, in which 600 triathletes are expected to compete for 75 slots in the Ford Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Florida.

More events may be announced. A lot of the events are private sector-led and funded, and the authorities will continue to support good ideas, says MBDA’s Mr Goh.

Other than that, discussions are under way to integrate the promenade at Marina Bay with both the Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort once they are up.

‘With the IR, the floating platform, Collyer Quay, BFC (Business and Financial Centre) and the Gardens, the Marina Bay area is set to be a attractive lifestyle hub,’ Mr Goh says. ‘We are just trying to add to that.’

Source: The Business Times, 21 April 2007