ValueBuddies.com : Value Investing Forum - Singapore, Hong Kong, U.S.

(31-05-2011, 02:38 PM)xlh1476 Wrote: [ -> ]I would like to add, however, that this British guy was quite enthusiastic about the work environment provided to CDI staff. Something to add to the questions for the next AGM perhaps?

Work environment is important but different people's experiences can be quite subjective.

From what I understand and have blogged about, Kingsmen's work culture also encourages designers to be innovative and gives them due (monetary) recognition based on KPI. They also have an in-house contests and the office has a good chill-out area for staff as well. So I can conclude Kingsmen provides a very conducive work environment for its staff as well.

Staff retention is tough for most Singapore companies. A recent survey shows that corporate loyalty is on the decline, and most people tend to (and intend to) job hop!

(31-05-2011, 03:25 PM)Musicwhiz Wrote: [ -> ]Staff retention is tough for most Singapore companies. A recent survey shows that corporate loyalty is on the decline, and most people tend to (and intend to) job hop!

Yes, this was reported in yesterday's Straits Times under the Money section.

(31-05-2011, 01:57 PM)xlh1476 Wrote: [ -> ]I happened to meet a British guy, while cycling at East Coast Park way back in January, who claimed that he was in the same industry as Kingsmen. Only recently did i ask him about his work experience, & he informed that he works with CDI International, a competitor. He claims that CDI 'kicks Kingsmen's a***s', in the creative design aspect, which was why he chose to join CDI.

You may want to check out their profile, at www.cdi-world.com. But, i would like to emphasize that i've met him only once on that cycling trip. So, please take this info as you see fit!

---

BTW, they do seem like a more 'genuine' competitor. (And i am vested in Kingsmen).

This angmo probably did not manage to get himself employ by Kingsmens
Comm Designs, City Neon and Kingsmen have been around for many years.
In terms of shareholders' return, Kingsmen fares much much better than the other two.

Besides, CDI did not quote any local or international awards in its website and so I presume they did not win any.
How can they kick kingsmen a***s without winning any awards?(kelong???)
They must be quite modest and keep all the trophies in the storeroom

I think the easiest way to appreciate the quality, breadth and depth of Kingsmen's total service offerings in design; fit-out of high-end retail and office space; project management and construction of theme parks, exhibits, museums and visitor centres; product launches and event management, etc., is to review the "kingsmen WATCH" annual newsletters....
http://www.kingsmen-int.com/Storage/Data...202010.pdf [2010 edition - retail/office interiors]
http://www.kingsmen-int.com/Storage/Data...202010.pdf [2010 edition - exhibitions/events/museums]

From the newsletters (which are usually published in July every year and distributed to staff and clients), we can know the key projects completed in the year before and the clients involved.

We can also review the many individual and multi-facet services - making up Kingsmen's total service offerings - from the company's website.....
http://www.kingsmen-int.com/Services/Cat...5bf4&hId=0

(31-05-2011, 12:11 PM)Musicwhiz Wrote: [ -> ]I've dropped an email to my contact Mr. Andrew Cheng (General Manager) to confirm on STAG. Will update the thread on his reply.

My contact has reverted to me on my query.

To summarize, he mentioned that Kingsmen's clients are not exclusive to them. They would typically use a few suppliers/partners and that the industry is very fragmented.

Thanks MW for your help!
Is Kingsmen going to report their backlog project in May? I havent seen any announcement yet. Btw, Beijing is going to build a theme park based on Journey to the west, costing a few billion US dollars. Kingsmen may have more business coming!

(02-06-2011, 10:36 AM)Thriftville Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks MW for your help!
Is Kingsmen going to report their backlog project in May? I havent seen any announcement yet. Btw, Beijing is going to build a theme park based on Journey to the west, costing a few billion US dollars. Kingsmen may have more business coming!

They will report their order book and backlog during results announcement. Therefore, it will be 4 times per year during every quarterly results release.

(02-06-2011, 10:36 AM)Thriftville Wrote: [ -> ]Btw, Beijing is going to build a theme park based on Journey to the west, costing a few billion US dollars. Kingsmen may have more business coming!

Oh yes I forgot to mention - they did state that China was a big market for theme parks in the next couple of years, during the recent AGM. Shareholders can expect Kingsmen to start bidding for some of these theme park projects in 2H 2011. Quite a few of these mega-theme parks will come on stream in 2013 and 2014, so they will only put out the tender probably in 2012.

The following BT report on Singapore Airshow 2012 (to be held in Feb12) should be like 'music to the ears' to Kingsmen's management, and also for some Kingsmen shareholders, as historically Kingsmen always played a big role in building exhibits, visitor chalets, and other facilities for Singapore Airshow.....

"Published June 21, 2011
Demand soars for space at S'pore Airshow 2012

Over 90 per cent of exhibition space set to be snapped up by this week: Experia

By VEN SREENIVASAN
IN PARIS

SOME 85 per cent of the exhibition space at the Singapore Airshow 2012 is already filled and this should surpass the 90 per cent mark by the end of this week, according to the organiser Experia Events.

Angelica Lim, general manager-Aerospace & Defence Group for Experia Events, said that Asia's growing purchasing power in the market for aerospace and defence technologies is prompting more global players to head East for the Singapore Airshow.

'The Singapore Airshow has always played a strategic role in providing a critical springboard for global aerospace and defence companies wanting to get into the high growth markets of the Asia Pacific region,' said Ms Lim, at the sidelines of the Paris Airshow where Experia is hosting prospective clients at a 252 sq m chalet. 'We maximise exhibitors' ROI (return on investment) by providing exhibitors the business opportunities to build up a strong presence across the region.'

So far, the 2012 show has secured 20 country/group pavilions, while total number of companies is already closing-in on the 2010 total of 897 - more than six months before the event. Over 80 per cent of the corporate and country exhibitors for the 2012 show are returnees or repeats.

There were 897 companies from 36 countries - including 62 of the top 100 global aerospace companies - at the Singapore Airshow. There were also 22 country pavilions.

Ms Lim is confident that numbers at the 2012 Singapore Airshow will exceed this by about 10 per cent, thanks in part to some aggressive marketing in Paris this week.

'Unlike the Paris or Farnborough shows, where most delegations tend to be Euro-centric, the Singapore Airshow has a very high attendance from Asia Pacific,' she said. 'Many exhibitors are becoming increasingly aware of this fact.'

The Singapore Airshow 2012, which kicks off on Feb 14 next year, will showcase two additional expositions. These are the first Land Defence Expo and an Unmanned Systems Showcase.

According to Experia, the Land Defence Expo is already attracting significant interest from exhibitors eyeing a growing part of a global defence market estimated to hit some US$1.6 trillion by 2016, with some 30 per cent of the spending coming from the Asia Pacific where defence equipment is into the last phase of the life cycle.

The event will also be held in conjunction with a land defence conference focusing on topics such as terrorism and trafficking.

The Unmanned Systems expo will also target Asia Pacific buyers for a market currently estimated at some US$4.9 billion with static displays and aerial flying demos.

Among the new country exhibitors heading to Singapore next year are the Russians and the Japanese. Meanwhile others, like the Israelis, have asked for more display space, while new companies like US-based BBA Aviation will be joining the Singapore Airshow for the first time.

Ms Lim is confident the February 2012 show in Singapore will be the biggest ever to be held here, and for good reason.

'From the exhibitors' perspective, the Singapore Airshow caters to a corporate budget, rather than a country budget,' she said. 'This means that many of the top level executives from the aerospace companies, especially the CEOs and their high level teams, will attend. In country specific shows, many vendors may just send a representative or distributor to meet potential clients.'

Some 260 delegations from 80 countries attended the Singapore Airshow 2010, compared to just over 200 mainly-European delegations at the Paris and Farnborough. Given the huge defence and aersopace budgets in the Asia Pacific, the delegation numbers at the 2012 could be much higher."

Might be an useful article to read..

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ride designers set sights in Asia

SINGAPORE: It seems like Asia is not only the place to be for business, themed environment designers and ride builders have also trained their sights on the region.

According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, 15 parks are being built in China alone. Malaysia’s Legoland is set to open next year and the Shanghai Disney Resort will open in 2016.

Four ride makers at the Asian Attractions Expo — being held at the Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) — told MediaCorp that Asia now accounts for 30 to more than 50 per cent of their business. The exhibitors said visitors to their booths so far come mostly from China, Korea, Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Middle East.

Proudly showcasing its new China projects was American wood roller—coaster maker Martin & Vleminckx Rides. Its latest, the "High Five" — a pair of duelling roller—coasters tilt toward each other at a 90—degree angle — is in a theme park called OCT Wuhan.

Mr Charles Bingham, a partner in the company, noted: "China’s an emerging market. It’s a good opportunity for our industry."

Asked how Asia differed from the European and American markets, Switzerland’s Bolliger & Mabillard manager Robert Mampe said: "The theme park industry is very new to them but they’re not any different from any other customer — they always want the biggest and the best."

His company’s recent projects in the region include those in Changzhou and Ocean Park in Hong Kong. Said Mr Mampe, who is based in Michigan: "People in Asia are just like people anywhere else in the world: They just want to have fun."

In Singapore, work is still streaming in: Wildlife Reserves Singapore’s coming River Safari, showcasing river habitats of the world, and the Gardens by the Bay are only two of the projects keeping these creative and engineering types busy.

Also providing work are four more Universal Studios Singapore (USS) attractions by 2013, as revealed last month by RWS chief executive Tan Hee Teck.

"There’ll always be tourist projects underway in Singapore but I don’t think you’ll see the kind of boom that happened in 2008, 2009, for quite some time," said Mr Darren McLean, executive director of Pico—Sanderson JV, an alliance between local company Pico Art and Australia’s Sanderson Group.

The latter decided to establish a presence here in 2008. "When Singapore announced that integrated resorts would be built, we knew it was a good time to come," said Mr McLean.

Pico—Sanderson designed and built four of the seven zones in USS and clinched a contract with Marina Bay Sands for its retail mall finishes.

Now, the company is in the thick of the River Safari project and doing "specialist theme work in Gardens by the Bay, like animal sculptures", said Mr McLean.

Also getting a slice of the River Safari pie is amusement ride maker Intamin. The Liechtenstein—headquartered company will be building a water ride for the attraction, said its sales and project management director, Ms Emily Chang.

Meanwhile, Dutch ride manufacturer Vekoma, maker of the Battlestar Galactica at USS — the world’s tallest duelling roller—coasters — has a couple of projects here "on the drawing board that might start to be serious very soon",

Vekoma account manager (Asia) Domingo Vergoossen declined to give more details, as the industry "is very competitive, and it’s hard to talk about new projects until they’ve been finalised". —

http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/art...id=4965646