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News

Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test

What used to be pre-event cocktails may now become pre-cocktail Covid testing with the advent of several antigen rapid test (ART) kits for consumers on the Singapore market.  

We testdrove the Panbio Covid-19 Antigen Self-Test made by Abbott to see how suitable it would be for use before events.  The kit, sold at selected pharmacies (we got ours from Guardian) has 10 swab tests in it.  

The pharmacist ran through the process briefly with us pre-purchase and reminded us to put aside about half an hour for the process, as well as not to carry it out in strong sunlight.

The process was fairly basic:

  • Prepare a swab and fill a test tube with a buffer liquid
  • The swab must be inserted about 2cm into each nostril (until resistance is felt) and swirled 5 times on each side
  • Then the swab is swirled in the buffer liquid in the test tube and the tip of the swab is broken off and left in the tube
  • At this point, one can open the test kit.  Ensuring no bubbles in the test tube, one can open the bottom cap of the test tube and drip 5 drops of the liquid into the test kit well.
  • The dye will proceed to spread across the test window but 15 minutes (and not more than 20 minutes) must elapse before the test can be read.
  • The control line (C) shows that the test is working.  If there is a pink test line (T) the result must be considered positive, even if the line is faint.  The tester should proceed to seek medical attention immediately.

Our tester reported that the test was fairly convenient and quick.  Owing to his sensitive nose he sneezed a couple of times after withdrawing the swab, but apart from that, found the process painless.  

At the relatively more reasonable cost of $10 – $13 a test, such ARTs may be the way to go for quick pre-event testing in the future!

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Events

Arts Outreach: Into Softer Worlds

We may be alone in P2HA but there are still ways we can create community art.

In May this year, the fourth edition of Art Encounters arrived at the Marina Central district with an array of activities showcasing textile art and allowing the public to add their own creations.

Art Outreach, an education non-profit organisation that aims to promote art appreciation in Singapore, launched Art Encounters in 2020 in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board.  The initiative comprises a mobile artist’s studio and gallery housed within three repurposed shipping containers – this way, the exhibits can travel around Singapore, allowing people to come into contact with art even as they go about their daily lives.

In this vein, Into Softer Worlds, which celebrates textiles created through various methods including weaving, knitting and crochet, is held across four locations: Marina Square, Millenia Singapore, South Beach and Suntec City.

At Millenia Walk, the public can view a rotation of textile works, observe an artist at work in a popup free-weaving studio and even try weaving for themselves on a Japanese floor loom.  The textiles produced will be added to the exhibition as part of a collective tapestry – there have already been over 25 metres of brand new textile art added!

There is also a welcome gallery in Marina Square and other specially commissioned outdoor art installations around South Beach and Suntec City.

Said a spokesman for Art Outreach, “We loved the idea of having the public not only learn about the techniques through hands-on experience but also having them express themselves and connect with others by contributing to a community tapestry.  We hope that Into Softer Worlds allows visitors to experience a sense of community in a time when we have to isolate ourselves.”

Into Softer Worlds will run daily from 11am to 8pm until 27 June 2021.

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News

NDP 2020

Tomorrow, Singapore celebrates 55 years of being an independent nation. We’ve had a remarkable journey from humble beginnings to a metropolis built by a unified people of diverse backgrounds and cultures. 

Throughout that journey the country has learnt to adapt and modify its processes to stand where it does today. There’s a lesson for event people here as well. Adapt and modify. 

What was usually a mass procession with thousands in attendance has been tweaked to ensure people can feel safe yet included in the country’s biggest celebration.  This year’s planning must have come with its own unique set of challenges.  NDP is now broken into a series of events and where the parade is usually held in one place, this year, segments will be carried out across the country:

  • There will be no more mass audience and the vast majority of viewers will catch the parade procession and concert from home
  • Each segment will happen in its own time and place.  For example, the flypasts will take different routes from the mobile column, which will thread its way through the heartlands
  • The number of onsite performers has been greatly reduced – the choir this year will be a virtual one!
  • Home audiences can still participate in displays of solidarity by using items from their Singapore Together Packs at home
  • The fireworks will be launched from 10 areas across the island so that many can enjoy the displays from home!

There’s a unique National Day experience in store for us this year and we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone in Singapore a safe and happy National Day.

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News

One Plus Nord

While Augmented Reality technology has been around for some time, we can expect to see an increase in its adaptation while we wait out the pandemic .  

In trying to recreate the wow factor of a glitzy live visual experience, OnePlus, for example, is launching its latest phone with the use of AR technology.  To enjoy the official reveal, download the OnePlus Nord AR app and try moving your phone on a flat surface to delineate the space for the AR action!  

The OnePlus Nord launches July 21, 10pm local time.

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News

How’s your screentime?

As we enter Phase 2 and look back – what was your screen time like in the last few months?  A 2017 study showed that Singaporeans spent about 8 hours daily on smartphones, laptops and desktops, but it’s anybody’s guess what those figures look like now!

Inevitably, in Phase 1, meetings, classrooms and even happy hour sessions went online. Apps like Zoom and Crowd Cast, which once connected people separated by distance, are now paving the way for creative event solutions but news outlets are reporting that screen fatigue is becoming more prevalent.  

As attention spans shorten, events are also competing for eyeballs. What can we do to keep audiences engaged? Here in Singapore, hosts have been making virtual events more interactive and varying their content. We can even expect hybrid events in Phase 2 as Event Service Professionals look to provide live streaming experiences with high production value.  Phase 3 is probably still quite a while away and as much as we love what live streaming technology has done to keep events going, we’re hoping to meet event people in person soon! 

Till then stay safe and take care of your mind, body and eyes!

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News

GE 2020

Today we go to the polls. This massive undertaking and the planning of an event this size must have come with plenty of logistical challenges. And of course, we can’t forget the need to address safety concerns in the current pandemic.

To keep the electorate safe the following measures were put in place:

  • 2hr time slots to cast your vote
  • Priority time slot for the elderly
  • Increase in the number of polling stations
  • Use of the safe entry app
  • http://voteq.gowhere.gov.sg application to check on queue situations at polling stations
  • Use of face masks,disposable masks and sanitization areas
  • Cleaners deployed to common touch-points every half an hour

You can also bring your own lucky pen!

There are some takeaways for event people to consider while planning live or hybrid events when restrictions are lifted. Planned or staggered attendance, temperature screening, social distancing demarcation, face masks, hand sanitization areas, additional manpower for cleaning and the use of technology will be essential at your next live event. Till then, stay safe and happy voting!