Assess the technology described in Suntec Singapore in the light of the latest technological developments for convention centres.
Suntec Singapore convention centre is a state of the art convention centre, that prides itself in providing modern facilities and technology to its guests and clients. The world has become a global community and large multi-national conference centres have to cater to all nationalities. Having this in focus, Suntec Singapore has implemented Digital Congress Network in their conference halls, where a team of interpreters sits in an adjacent room or sound-proof booth, listen to what the presenter is saying, through headphones, and translate everything into fourteen other languages. Their voice is then picked up by a microphone that transmits the sound signals to Infra-Red translation receivers, via infrared panels placed around the conference room. They use invisible light waves to distribute the signal throughout the hall. As the convention centre has several conference halls, using infra-red receivers rather than FM receivers ensures that the sound signals do not leak into adjoining halls as infra-red signals will only work if the receiver is pointed at the panel. Since there conference hall doesn’t have any obstacles or columns, there is no recognizable drawback of using infra-red receivers. For a conference centre, it is important to have the right seating system. Suntec, therefore, has employed portable seating system, which is easy to set up and retrieve. Not much is described about the ergonomics of the seating system, but in light of the recent developments, it should be easily adjustable and comfortable, so that each person can personalize it to their own comfort. Good comfortable seating for meeting and conferences ensures more participation and less bickering from the side of the delegates. Not much else is mentioned about the technology employed in Suntec Singapore, but since it is a modern state of the art conference centre, it should also utilize and implement the below mentioned technologies, if it hasn’t already. Interactive White Boards: Whiteboards have always been a necessity for meetings and conferences as not everything that the speaker says can be remembered, and also because delegates ten to remember more if there are visuals involved. Since technology has advanced rapidly in the last couple of decades, and everything is going digital, modern conference centres are replacing the traditional standard white boards with interactive, computer based white boards, which are more convenient to use. Interactive white boards are tactile projector screens that allow the presenter to use the screen much like a touch-screen computer. These can be easily installed on a white screen or even on a wall in the meeting room, allowing more interaction among the presenters and guests, are the guests are able to take a more hand on approach towards solving problems and understanding new ideas. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP): In today’s global business climate, where multinational companies have operations all over the world, it is not important for all delegates and participants to be inside the meeting room physically, for a conference to take place. A VoIP system, allows the organizers and presenters to connect with attendees all over the world. There a number of companies like Microsoft and Google, that provide the service to make secure conference calls, through there VoIP platforms Skype and Google-Talk. Unlimited
participants can be added to the conference call and attendees can share files virtually and record the whole progress of the meetings as well. ‘Secure’ Wireless Network: Wireless connectivity is the basic need of all modern day conference halls, but for high-profile or classified meetings, it is very important that the wireless connection must be secure, in order to avoid leakage or theft of sensitive digital information. All conference centres, therefore, must employ a wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPS). This can be done through network devices specifically designed to monitor the radio spectrum, and detect the presence of unauthorized alien access points, after which it can automatically take countermeasure to prevent the intrusion. Universal Charging Stations: Almost everything has gone digital now. From meeting schedules, to notepads, everything is done via mobiles or tablets, therefore it is essential that conference centres have charging stations to power up devices and maintain signal strength. These charging stations should have compatible adapters for all mobile devices, tablets and netbooks. Environment Controls: To ensure the meeting or conference is conducted in a comfortable environment, conference halls should have digitally controlled environmental control systems that allow you to adjust the temperature, lighting and more importantly, the airflow in the hall. Digitally Controlled Lighting: Proper lighting is very important in order to enhance the overall meeting experience, and it is also important that the lighting is easily controlled. The perfect conference room needs to integrate all the lighting controls in a control panel or touch-screen system at the podium, so that the presenter can dim or brighten the lights, and close or open the blinds as the presentation need demands.
Suggest technology platforms that could help a Facilities Manager in charge of Suntec Singapore.
Speed and Efficiency is the key to providing good customer service in any business, and in today’s fast and busy world, it will be almost impossible without the assistance of technology. A facilities manager therefore, can make use of Customer Relationship Management software, Social Media, and other user-friendly computerized aiding systems like the BEMS (Building Energy Management System) to gain easy access to key information about the business, customers and trends, which is necessary for facilities management, in order to be an effective part of the whole operation. A customer relationship management software establishes good communication, and henceforth a good relationship with potential and existing customers as it can easily identify customer patterns and their preferences, by getting information on how they book a hotel, and what package or services do they go for. It also makes communication with the customers possible on a regular basis. Guests’ profiles, containing their preferences, previous stay history, requests and complaints can be accessed with a single click. Computerised Aided Facilities Management (CAFM): A CAFM has several modules and is a workplace management tool that facilitates departmental processes and objectives by providing appropriate, accurate information about each module or facilities sector, in the business. The different modules in Facilities Management software are mentioned below. Preventive Maintenance: A preventive maintenance system assists the facilities manager by compiling information about maintenance schedules, pending or on-going work orders, purchasing of maintenance stock, inventory control, emergency repairs and costing. Space Management: Space Management is a system for centralizing real-time information about the available and occupied space in the establishment along with the people and groups that occupy them. The facilities department liaisons with other departments to keep the space and occupancy information accurate and up-to-date. The program has applications for furniture, equipment, area values, and space planning and allocation. It can also generate a ‘Planning Drawing’ for the facilities department to plan and allocate space to various operations within the business. It also helps track occupied and vacant space and makes calculations about the space required for a particular operation, that are automatically updated within the database. Asset Management: This is an inventory software, designed to aid the facilities management department in maintaining an accurate inventory control. It allows the manager to stay informed at all times, about the location and current status of the business’s assets and inventory without the need to keep a manual check on it. As all inventory is logged on to the system regularly, it is possible to access inventory details in real time. This is called Life Cycle Analysis. The asset management system also assists higher management in the decision making process by providing them with factual figure and data about the company’s equipment, property and components, which are then accessed in light of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Key performance indicators are a set of quantitative data and
measurements, agreed to at the start of the year, that reflect the critical success factor of an organization. They reflect the company’s goals and are key to its success. Building Information Modelling System: The Building Management Modelling System assists in the generation and management of a digital representation of the physical structure and functional characteristics of an establishment. BIM has mainly been used in design and construction, and then as a support for decision-making involved in the establishment, from its conceptual stages through its operational life span. The technical drawings and models involved in the BIM are complicated and difficult to comprehend by the general public as they have no experience in reading and understanding the floor plans or the BIM structures. Therefore, in order to make the building model more comprehendible, in case of an emergency or accident, software has now been developed that merges the existing BIM technology to create a virtual 3D image of the entire establishment. It is capable of capturing the BIM design and processing it to produce a rendered fly-through virtual tour that is easy for any audience to observe and understand, without any prior knowledge required. The Facilities Management department has very recently started to make use of the BIM as a management tool, although it is still in its early stages and BIM applications do not support facilities management. It can, nonetheless, be used to facilitate many operations like regularised project delivery, space management, energy and sustainability management and the display of real-time data. The BIM templates can also be used for efficient project development. Building Energy Management systems (BEMS): The Building Energy Management system is used to monitor and control the energy systems in the building through a computer interface, in order to ensure that all services work efficiently. It is based on a network of control-stations linked to one or more computers on the system.
Evaluate the main issues to consider when planning and managing space in a convention centre like Suntec Singapore.
While planning and managing space in a convention centre, it must be ensured that the available space is used efficiently to its maximum potential, in order for the convention centre to be successful and profitable. Fixtures and fitting used in while designing the convention centre must be portable, as it will be used for various different purposes, by a wide range of clientele, each of who will have their own different requirements and specifications. The design of the convention centre must be simple and flexible, with a wide open plan in order to make it suitable for organizing events of different natures. The entrances and exits should be easily identifiable, with clear external and internal signage, which can be easily spotted. Unlike an office where the activity is constant throughout the day, meeting spaces and convention centres peak and surge during the day, with sudden surges of people moving from area to area. Therefore, the conference centre and meeting rooms should have proper and even air distribution, which should be easily adjustable, as need demands. The entire venue should have sufficient power distribution, with multiple, easily accessible power points in all areas that are likely to require it. The convention centre should also provide appropriate facilities for the disabled, including alternate communication methods for the visually impaired. A large number of business customers will require catering facilities as well, therefore the convention centre should have kitchens or food preparation areas close to all meeting rooms, which should be efficiently designed with proper ventilation, lighting, and easy access.
List a number of three (3) different service contractors that could be employed by Suntec Singapore and evaluate how their performance could be assessed.
Cleaning Contractor: They can be hired to perform general or deep cleaning of public areas, conference rooms and banqueting halls. The facilities department should supervise the cleaning process and monitor, with the help of a checklist, whether all cleaning duties have been accomplished or not. The data should be logged on to the system and evaluated by the facilities manager in order to see if the cleaning contractors are performing the job efficiently.
Building Services Engineering and Maintenance Contractors: The facilities manager should have a checklist of duties involved in the services engineering and maintenance contract and see if they have been carried out properly. The manager should be looking if the energy distribution, water pipes and ventilation systems have been designed and laid out properly; and go through the plans and briefs designed by the services engineer to evaluate if they are efficient for the business.
Security Contractors: They will be involved in patrolling the corridors and public areas, as well as in the surveillance of the entire establishment via security cameras and CCTV systems. Safety of guests’ and visitors’ property is very important in a business convention centre, but cannot be completely guaranteed because of the volume of people that visit the convention centre every day; therefore, their performance will be measured and evaluated by the amount of lost or stolen property complaints received by the attendees, and by their ability to recover the property in case of a theft.
Evaluate the main safety issues to be considered in Suntec Singapore.
Since it is a public environment, with hundreds of visitors present on the premises throughout the day, risk assessments should be carried out all over the property on a regular basis, in order to ensure that no parts and sectors of the business pose a health and safety threat to the guests. The safety issues that might need to be considered and countered are discussed below. General Environment • There should be sufficient space available within the meeting rooms, exhibition areas and conference centre, which by standard is a minimum of 11m per person. • There should be adequate ventilation and air flow throughout the establishment, to avoid suffocation. Floor Surfaces • Worn or missing stair-treads • Worn floor covering causing a tripping hazard • Slippery floor surface • Trailing cables • Boxes, coats, cases etc on floor • Wetness (eg from drinks, weather or cleaners (unless signed)) Furniture • Sharp edges or corners • Filing cabinets without interlocks (not essential but otherwise should be wedged back or screwed to adjacent ones) • Unstable cupboards or shelves • Heavy storage above head-height • Availability of steps/kickstools in good condition(if necessary) Hazardous Substances • CoSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) assessments performed • Correct storage of chemicals. • Proper labelling of all chemicals • Emergency procedures laid down, in case there is an accident involving the hazardous substances. Electrical Equipment • Should be inspected within the prescribed date • Sufficient sockets should be provided where required to avoid overloaded sockets Toilets and Washrooms • Designated male/female • Disposal bins available in female toilet • Not used for general storage
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Kitchens and Tea Rooms • Furniture in reasonable condition • Reasonable state of hygiene Outdoor Areas • Reasonable lighting • Access steps and paths non-slip and free from moss • Not used for general “dumping” of rubbish • No potholes/uneven paths likely to cause trips
References:
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