Priceless Singapore

Host, Dominic Lau, [L to R] with Matthew Driver,
Sophia Ng and Julienne Loh at the Press Conference

Imagine the thrill of gaining exclusive access to the city’s finest restaurants and bars, the hottest designers and retail outlets, special suites at the best hotels, the most exciting attractions in town and red carpet entertainment experiences.  In seeking to meet the passion points of cardholders and reward them for choosing to use MasterCard, cardholders in the Priceless Singapore programme will be surprised and delighted with exclusive experiences under the iconic Priceless brand that celebrates Priceless moments and brings Priceless experiences to life.

Mastercard Priceless Singapore offers special deals for
VIP Tours of Universal Studios Singapore - one of South
East Asia's biggest attractions

On Oct 12, Singapore became the first city in South East Asia to launch the MasterCard Priceless Cities programme, a global programme for all MasterCard credit, debit and prepaid cardholders to enjoy privileges, priority access, sneak peeks and exclusive deals in dining, entertainment, shopping, travel, and to the city’s special events.  Singapore joins New York, London, Toronto, Chicago, Beijing and Sydney as another destination in the MasterCard Priceless Cities programme.  MasterCard Worldwide cardholders are eligible for additional VIP experiences.  Now, discerning and well-travelled cardholders can start enjoying these special deals by registering at www.pricelesssingapore.com and planning their own priceless itinerary to explore Singapore.

Press Conference

At the Priceless Singapore Press Conference, media representatives from Asian nations like Thailand, Vietnam, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, heard Matthew Driver, president, South East Asia MasterCard Worldwide, explain: “In Singapore, our biggest obsession is food and shopping is our national pastime.  Singapore is an Asian hub with great attractions, world-class entertainment, arts and culture events – a destination of choice for well-heeled travellers from the region.” 

“Consumers today are well-travelled and discerning.  They seek exclusive offers and curated experiences that cater to their specific interests and needs,” said Sophia Ng, Singapore Tourism Board’s Assistant Chief Executive for Marketing.  “We are privileged that MasterCard has selected Singapore as the first city in South East Asia for their iconic Priceless Cities campaign and believe that Priceless Singapore will resonate well with both Singapore residents and international visitors,” she added.

Julienne Loh, vice president and country manager, MasterCard Worldwide said, “Priceless Singapore is MasterCard’s way of giving cardholders a reason to let loose a little, break out of their routine – to forget about time every once in a while – and to indulge themselves in their own pursuits.” 

Gala Event

Get front-row experience as you dine at the Tippling Club

That evening, guests at the Priceless Singapore Gala Event walked the red carpet into the event area – designed inside Singapore’s brand new Marina Bay Cruise Centre – for a sneak peek into the perks that MasterCard holders can enjoy in the Priceless Singapore programme.  The gala evening turned out to be a party of friends who knew how to enjoy the finer things in life.

Programme partners, The Singapore Repertory Theatre, had a stage set up with several characters from Shakespeare plays, reenacting scenes from ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ performances like A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth and Twelfth Night.  The MasterCard Priceless Singapore platform amplifies Singapore’s appeal as a destination on the world map for a fusion of arts, music and literature.  Guests had a taste of these theatrical performances as they anticipated enjoying more priceless theatre moments in the Priceless Singapore programme.

As a VIP guest of Universal Studios Singapore, you get
Express entry to Lights Camera Action!

Uniformed staff plied guests with drinks and food catered by Ritz Carlton Singapore and behind a curtained section, guests had a sampling of delicious designer artisan spa chocolates and a quickie shoulder massage treatment with Adeva Spa therapists.  A creative percussion performance by the Urban Drum Crew kicked off the evening’s programme and in a random draw, MasterCard Priceless Singapore rewarded several lucky people with exclusive prizes like a VIP trip to the UK for an English Premier League football match and a private dining experience for the winner and thirteen friends at the luxurious Gaggenau Experience Centre, prepared by some of Singapore’s most celebrated chefs. 

In the high point of the Gala Event, MasterCard surprised and delighted guests with a priceless experience in an exclusive appearance of award-winning English soul and R&B singer-songwriter – Seal.  As the screen next to the stage showed “live” scenes of Seal’s entry into the event hall, his band (already on stage!) struck up the music and security personnel helped to part the surging crowd as Seal walked in singing!  This kicked off 45 solid minutes of special Seal moments where he entertained and enthralled the appreciative audience with his distinctive brand of music!

Seal entertained and enthralled the audience with his
distinctive brand of music at the Gala event

Seal presented an intimate showcase of his unique repertoire and like a true professional, worked the audience with his lively banter.  He belted out familiar favourites like, Crazy and of course, Kiss from a Rose from the Batman Forever soundtrack.  He connected easily with the enthusiastic audience and when he finished his final song, the feeling was so pricelessly euphoric that everyone was reluctant to see him go. 

This was just a glimpse of how MasterCard would go out of their way to ensure that cardholders will have truly priceless experiences.  Check out more exclusive experiences available to MasterCard cardholders at www.pricelesssingapore.com and register to enjoy special admission, behind-the-scene access and exclusive privileges for dining, entertainment, shopping, travel and spectacular events in the Priceless Singapore programme.

A version of this article was published in The New Straits Times, Life & Times on 25 October 2012