On Sep 5, both the chairman and deputy chairman of Kingsmen Creative increased their interest in separate married deals. 

 

Islanda acquired 345,800 shares in a married deal at S$0.47 apiece, which increased the total interest of chairman Benedict Soh from 24.41 per cent to 24.58 per cent. 

 

Deputy chairman Simon Ong also purchased 345,800 shares at S$0.47 apiece. The married deal increased his direct interest from 5.47 per cent to 5.64 per cent. This brought his total interest from 24.29 per cent to 24.46 per cent. 

 

Soh and Ong are both co-founders of the group. 

 

Soh drives strategic direction, leadership development, and new business opportunities. With more than 40 years&rsquo experience in design and production, he has also advanced Singapore&rsquo s global standing in tourism and exhibition services through government initiatives.

 

Ong leads the strategic planning, development, and creative standards. A celebrated design industry leader, he has held key advisory roles, earned international recognition, and received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Interior Designers Singapore. 

 

On Aug 14, Kingsmen Creatives reported a 27.5 per cent rise in H1 FY25 (ended Jun 30) net profit to S$1.6 million. While revenue declined, the gross profit margin was higher at 24.6 per cent in H1 FY25 compared to 21.7 per cent in H1 FY24, contributed by higher margin achieved for certain events and projects.

 

The exhibitions, thematic and attractions division posted S$69.9 million in H1 FY25 revenue, down 16.1 per cent from S$83.3 million a year earlier due to project completions in 2024 and timing of new projects despite strong demand for experiential initiatives. 

 

The retail and corporate interiors division achieved S$77.6 million in H1 FY25 revenue, up 3.3 per cent from S$75.2 million in H1 FY24, driven by strong demand from regional and global brands refreshing retail spaces and launching new concepts. 

 

The research and design division posted S$9.7 million in H1 FY25 revenue, up 16.9 per cent from S$8.3 million, while the experiential marketing division recorded S$4.9 million, down 25.3 per cent from S$6.6 million due to timing of major projects. 

 

As at Jul 31, the group has secured contracts amounting to S$345 million, of which S$278 million is expected to be recognised in 2025. 

During the five sessions from Sep 5 to 11, 15 primary-listed companies made share buybacks with a total consideration of S$43 million

 

[SINGAPORE] Over the five trading sessions from Sep 5 to 11, institutions were net buyers of Singapore stocks, with net institutional inflow of S$11.1 million, adding to the S$42 million in net institutional inflow for the preceding week.  

 

Institutional flows

During this period, the stocks that had the highest net institutional inflow included   DBS   : D05 -1.48%,   Singapore Technologies Engineering   : S63 0%,   UOL   : U14 +1.43% Group,   Genting Singapore   : G13 0%,   CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust   : C38U +0.86%,   CapitaLand Ascendas Reit   : A17U +0.71%,   UOB-Kay Hian Holdings   : U10 -1.13%,   Geo Energy Resource   : RE4 0%s,   Yangzijiang Financial Holding   : YF8 +7.41%, and   City Developments Limited   : C09 +0.89%.

 

Meanwhile,   OCBC   : O39 -0.18%,   Singtel   : Z74 -0.23%,   Singapore Airlines   : C6L +0.15%,   Singapore Post   : S08 +1.16%,   CapitaLand Investment   : 9CI +0.36%,   Wilmar International   : F34 +0.68%,   UOB   : U11 -0.45%,   Keppel DC Reit   : AJBU +0.85%,   Sembcorp Industries   : U96 +0.33% and   CapitaLand Ascott Trust   : HMN +1.1% led the net institutional outflow over the five sessions. 

 

Share buybacks

During the five sessions, 15 primary-listed companies made share buybacks with a total consideration of S$43 million. OCBC led the consideration tally, buying back 1.25 million of its shares at an average price of S$16.84. 

It also names Marianne Soh, the general counsel of the group and the daughter of co-founder Benedict Soh, as a director

 

COMMUNICATIONS and design group Kingsmen Creatives : 5MZ 0% has a new chief executive officer from Jan 1, 2025. 

 

Chong Siew Ling, 64, will be responsible for the strategic leadership, corporate governance and operational management of the group&rsquo s portfolio including retail, theme parks, museums, exhibitions, events and attractions the group announced on Wednesday (Jan 1). 

 

Chong takes over from Cheng Oon Teck, 63, who retired from the position last December. 

 

Chong has been with the company since 2002 and holds an MBA from the Victoria University of Technology, Australia. He is also concurrently serving as an executive director. 

 

On Wednesday, Kingsmen Creatives also announced the appointment of Marianne Soh, 45, as a director. Soh is the general counsel of the group and the daughter of Benedict Soh, who co-founded Kingsmen Creatives more than 45 years ago. The elder Soh remains executive chairman.

 

Mainboard-listed Kingsmen Creatives 5MZ has announced that its US-based entertainment-focused subsidiary, Kingsmen Xperience, has partnered with Netflix to bring an immersive experience of the Netflix hit series &ldquo Squid Game&rdquo to Seoul, according to a release dated Sept 17.

 

Titled &ldquo Squid Game: The Experience&rdquo , the attraction will allow fans to enter the world of Squid Game and participate in the games they&rsquo ve seen on screen, notes the release. 

 

Under the partnership, Kingsmen Xperience will collaborate with Netflix on the design and development of &ldquo Squid Game: The Experience&rdquo . Meanwhile, all aspects of operations marketing of the initial sites will be managed by Kingsmen Xperience&rsquo s affiliate company, KX Korea.

 

The group says the attraction is expected to provide &ldquo an adrenaline-pumping, live-action immersion&rdquo into the Netflix series. It will also include food and beverages, photo opportunities and a retail store featuring exclusive Squid Game collectibles, games and other merchandise.

 

Corey Redmond, senior executive vice president of Kingsmen Xperience, says: &ldquo " Our collaboration with Netflix allows us to push the boundaries of immersive entertainment and deliver a truly unique experience for Squid Game fans in the Asia-Pacific region.&rdquo  

On Aug 20, Kingsmen Creatives : 5MZ 0% deputy chairman Simon Ong bought two million shares in a married deal at S$0.26 per share. This increased his direct interest in the leading creator of experiences from 4.48 per cent to 5.47 per cent, and total interest to 24.28 per cent. The group has a network of offices and full-service facilities, serving global clients in segments that include exhibitions, thematic and attractions, retail and corporate interiors, research and design, and experiential marketing.

 

Ong is one of the group&rsquo s two founders, and oversees strategic planning, development, and creative and brand standards, significantly contributing to its growth.

 

On Aug 12, Kingsmen Creatives reported a H1 FY2024 (ended Jun 30) net profit of S$1.3 million, up from S$600,000 in H1 FY2023, with group revenue increasing by 20.6 per cent to S$173.4 million in H1 FY2024, compared to S$143.8 million in H1 FY2023.

Kingsmen Creatives has formed a partnership with US-based Infinity Experiences to bring what it calls the world' s largest immersive space exploration-themed extended reality experience.

 

The partners will bring the travelling exhibition, Space Explorers: The Infinite to the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, beginning with Singapore later this year.

 

Infinity Experiences is a joint venture between PHI Studio and Felix & Paul Studios 

 

Since its inception in 2021, Space Explorers: The Infinite has welcomed over 400,000 visitors to journey into space with revolutionary 3D 360-degree content, offering a unique glimpse into life aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

 

Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, is based on the Emmy-winning series created by Felix & Paul Studios in collaboration with TIME Studios and NASA.

 

" This expansive venture redefines the boundaries of entertainment, offering an unparalleled sense of immersion akin to

floating in outer space," says Kingsmen.

 

Corey Redmond, senior executive vice president of Kingsmen Xperience, the subsidiary of Kingsmen Creatives 5MZ 0.00% , says partnering with Infinity Experiences is " an exciting opportunity" , while Eric Albert, co-CEO of Infinity Experiences, is " thrilled" to partner with Kingsmen to bring this exhibition to a wider audience.

 

" Audiences no longer only have to watch stories about human spaceflight. We can really make them feel like participants so they can experience an astronaut&rsquo s journey from within," says Felix Lajeunesse, co-founder and chief creative officer of Felix & Paul Studios and creative director of the exhibition.

 

The exhibition made its international debut in Montreal and has also been seen in Houston, Tacoma and Vancouver.

 

Kingsmen Creatives has won contracts worth up to $53.2 million to be fulfilled for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix from later this year to 2028.

 

This marks Kingsmen' s fourth consecutive contract win from Singapore F1 since the races started here back in 2008.

 

According to Kingsmen in its announcement on May 5, the contract win demonstrates its " commitment to providing unparalleled experience for its client and Formula 1 fans while also solidifying its presence in the motorsport industry."

 

Kingsmen says the contract is expected to contribute positively to its earnings and NTA for the current FY2024 to FY2029 ending Dec 2029.

 

Kingsmen was in the news recently for winning the contract to build Singapore' s pavilion in Osaka for next year' s World Expo.

 

As at Jan 31, Kingsmen has built up an order book of $171 million, with $152 million in revenue to be recognised in the current FY2024.

 

Kingsmen Creatives is on track to complete the construction of the Singapore Pavillion by end of this year for the World Expo to be held at Osaka next year.

 

The company won the $36 million contract in February from the Singapore Tourism Board to design and build the Singapore Pavillion for the expo, which will be held between April and October 2025.

 

KR+D, Kingsmen&rsquo s creative arm will work on the experiential design, while DP Architects will spearhead the architectural design. 

 

" We are thrilled to play a part in representing Singapore&rsquo s rich culture and achievements on the global stage," says Anthony Chong, group managing director for exhibitions at Kingsmen.

 

" Collaborating with local talents, we aim to creative a Pavilion that not only showcases Singapore&rsquo s uniqueness but also celebrates the creative prowess of our homegrown talents. 

 

" We are committed to delivering an unforgettable experience for visitors to the Singapore Pavilion," he adds.

 

On Feb 22, the company announced revenue of $361.5 million for FY2023, up 10.1%, as it recovers from the pandemic. 

 

However, earnings dropped by 38.4% y-o-y to $2.9 million, as the company booked impairments on several projects secured before and up to the pandemic. 

 

" As these matters get resolved, we see a return to sustainable profitability and expect our performance to improve," says group CEO Andrew Cheng.

 

As at end of 2023, the company has secured an order book of $171 million.

Kingsmen Creatives 5MZ 0.00% has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Kingsmen Exhibits, has been awarded a contract worth approximately $30 million for works to S.E.A. Aquarium.

 

The   turnkey services sub-contract is for proposed additions and alteration works to the Resorts World Sentosa aquarium.

 

Kingsmen expects the contract to contribute positively to the earnings per share (EPS) and net tangible assets (NTA) per share of the group for the FY2024 ending Dec 31, 2024.