Superstars, super expensive

FORKING out at least $1.5 million to stage the Super Junior concert here seems like a huge risk.

Especially since concert organiser Running Into The Sun is a new kid on the block. The company, which has its beginnings as a special projects unit in Irene Ang's Fly Entertainment, was formed officially in July last year .

But Fly's chief marketing officer Terence Ang said they wanted to show that the company was able to handle a big-scale concert.

He added: "There were initial concerns about the cost. But after we did the Super Junior showcase in June, we knew what kind of fans the group has and we are assured that we can bring in the concert."

The Super Junior Galaxy Showcase, presented by Samsung and SingTel in June, gave away tickets with every purchase of a mobile phone. All 2,000 tickets were snapped up within hours, Mr Ang said.

He added that ticket-holders also queued 37 hours at the showcase venue so they could get the best spot at the free-standing event.

This is not the first concert organised by Running Into The Sun. It had previously organised the Swing Out Sister concert at East Coast Park last December, attended by about 1,000 people.

And as the special project unit in Fly, it had also organised shows such as the annual Vlee Conference, a stand-up comedy show which has been running since 2007.

Mr Ang said the Super Show 3 has already attracted more than five "big sponsors", including a telecommunications company, a beverage company and a bank.

The $1.5 million bill does not include accommodation and food for the Korean entourage of 80, made up of artistes, dancers, designers, engineers, production crew, administrative staff, producers and security.

The hefty price tag has put Super Junior in the same league as big names like Hong Kong's Aaron Kwok, Taiwan's Jay Chou, Korea's Rain and British band Muse.

Director of Scorpio East Productions Adeline Low, in her late 30s, told The New Paper that Chou's recent The Era 2010 World Tour in July had cost more than $2 million.

The sum included concert production costs, advertising and promotions, air tickets, accommodation and food.

Aaron Kwok's De Show Reel concert in May last year cost more than $1 million, she added. Scorpio East Productions had organised both concerts.

When Rain came

Another concert that chalked up a bill of $2million was Rain's Coming World Tour brought here by Unusual Entertainment in January 2007. Ms Koh San Chin, 32, marketing manager of Unusual Entertainment, said it was one of the most expensive concerts the company has organised.

She added: "It was mainly because production costs were high. There were six cargo containers of props, lots of pyrotechnics and special effects.

"For example, it 'rained' for the first time in the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and there was a conveyor belt.

"There was also a 110-member crew who all stayed in the same six-star hotel."

The founder of LAMC Productions Lauretta Alabons, who declined to reveal her age, told us that the Muse concert which her company had organised in February this year had cost more than $1.5 million.

But she declined to reveal more details.

karpengk@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The New Paper.