KidZania Singapore confirms six partners

Killiney Kopitian will come in as a F&C retailer in KidZania Singapore, while five other partners will set up their establishments in the theme park to help children understand the challenges and rewards of different professions and activities.

The five brands are financial services provider Maybank, media company Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, probiotic dairy product maker Yakult, imaging optical products manufacturer Canon and wholesome food and beverage outlet The Soup Spoon.

Phil Whittaker, chief marketing officer of Themed Attractions and Resorts, said the company is working to secure more than 30 partners in time for the park's opening, which would contribute to 60 establishments in the park.

Partners it is looking at include a mix of international and local brands.

KidZania Singapore is the second KidZania developed by Themed Attractions and Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional. The other KidZania it owns is KidZania Kuala Lumpur. The company portfolio also includes Sanrio Hello Kitty Town, The Little Big Club, themed restaurant LAT Place and Legoland Malaysia.

It would invest SG$90 million (US$70.6 million) for the park, which it expects to attract 500,000 visitors annually.

Whittaker said the company expects 60 per cent of the visitors to be locals and the remaining 40 per cent tourists. Some 90 per cent of visitors to KidZania Kuala Lumpur are locals.

“We will be working closely with Sentosa for cross promotions,” he told Campaign Asia-Pacific. “And also with partners of different industries to promote our packages. We are also doing 360 marketing campaign, similar to that in Malaysia, including online, roadshow, working with local schools and introducing the KidZania characters.”

In Kuala Lumpur, Themed Attractions and Resorts is also attracting international schools visiting Malaysia to KidZania and. It plans to impose the same plan in Singapore.

Its marketing plan also includes tactical promotions and festive promotions. OMD is its media agency for the Singapore market.

“We will have our own marketing team in Singapore and we are in the process of recruiting,” Whittaker continued. “It is of a shared service model, so some works will still come from headquarters [in Kuala Lumpur].”