Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

The leaders of the European Union's member states are set to meet in Brussels to discuss the Israel-Hamas war and the possibility of issuing a joint call for a 'humanitarian pause' to allow more emergency aid into the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has paid a visit to Israel, where he said the ‘first objective’ in the conflict should be to secure the release of those held hostage by Hamas. But, with France home to the biggest Jewish and Muslim populations in Europe, how will Macron balance domestic pressures and its position in the conflict? We unpack these issues with Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics, ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific.

Is the Museum of Ice Cream a museum or an attraction? That’s the question we’re going to pose to its business leader today!   Founded by global lifestyle brand Figure8, the Museum of Ice Cream consists of fully immersive spaces like a pool of rubber sprinkles, a unicorn headed slide and more.  With locations in Austin, Chicago, New York City and Singapore, the firm calls itself a pioneer in the experience-first industry that helps to rediscover the kid in the young and old.  But how does the Museum of Ice-Cream define the space in which it operates in as far as its pricing strategy, product pipeline and valuations are concerned?  Speaking of which, the company’s parent Figure8 was valued at US$200 million in 2019 after receiving US$40m of Series A funding led by consumer venture capital firms including Elizabeth Street Ventures. But what numbers are we looking at right now, four years down the road? What are some of the firm’s recipes for sustainable revenue growth in the longer term? In the meantime, Toronto-based company Lighthouse Immersive – which is behind the “Immersive Van Gogh” exhibition – had reportedly filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy earlier this year.  What does this suggest about the challenges experiential museum operators face? And are we seeing a consolidation in the industry in the near term?  On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Pirakash T, Head of Revenue & Growth at Museum of Ice Cream.

Harry Maguire and Andre Onana have been heavily scrutinised in recent times. But they came out swinging last night, as Maguire scored a match winner and Onana saved a last gasp penalty to seal a crucial 1-0 win for Manchester United. Is this the start of a road to redemption, for both the players and the club? We discuss! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! edanker@sph.com.sg | raushan@sph.com.sg

For over a decade now, watch enthusiasts from around the world have been flocking to one man in Bishan for tailor-made straps for their timepieces: Hughes Low of Hughes Handcrafted. The 37-year-old leather artisan crafts bespoke watch straps and leather goods from the finest skins. We find out how Hughes' leather-crafting journey began and what it takes to have a discerning eye for working with an array of materials, ranging from alligator, ostrich and crocodile skins to more exotic selections like beaver tailas well as sturgeon and frog skin.

According to research, the Singapore e-learning market was valued at USD792.97 million in 2019 and is expected to reach USD2,228.74 million by 2028. Online lessons are a core Chess at Three offering and it comprises around 30 percent of their global tutoring revenues in 2022.  Jon Sieber, Chief Executive Officer, Chess at Three helps us understand the game of chess and why Singapore was chosen as the first international outpost for Chess at Three . 

Singapore shares were trading muted this morning, after global equities ended higher overnight on earnings optimism. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) was up by a marginal 0.04 per cent to 3,085.12 points after 41.9 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch, we have Sembcorp Industries, after its subsidiary Sembcorp Utilities signed a joint development study agreement with Indonesian utility company PT PLN to explore the feasibility of green hydrogen production in Indonesia for export to Singapore.  Aside from Sembcorp Industries, we do have a number of updates from S-REIT managers.  Further away, a slew of earnings out of Coca-Cola, Verizon and 3M fuelled optimism for the US reporting season, but what can we expect looking ahead? On Market View, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked these developments with  James Cheo, Chief Investment Officer, Southeast Asia at HSBC Global Private Banking and Wealth.

In this special edition of The Evening Runway, guest co-host Charlotte Mei, Nutritionist and Presenter shares with us, her mission to improve nutrition literacy and help people build a healthy relationship with food and her views on what what makes up a good content creation. 

A report by The World Bank has said that women make up less than a third of the world’s workforce in technology-related fields. Women hold 28 percent of all jobs in computer and mathematical occupations, and 15.9 percent of jobs in engineering and architecture occupations. But what more can the world do to empower more women in the tech scene? Leanne Robers, Co-Founder, She Loves Tech shares her views. 

From the possible repercussions from the West on Malaysia for defending the Palestinian cause to Indonesia for the first time in 15 years having three pairs to choose from to be their next president and vice president.  Adib Zalkapli, Director, BowerGroupAsia gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

What do shipping and property investments have in common? Well, not much, except for the fact that they are both key pillars of our guest’s business. Listed on the Singapore Exchange since 2007, Uni-Asia is an alternative investment group that specialises in creating alternative investment opportunities. Its investment targets are mainly handysize dry bulk ships and properties.  But what does this mean exactly? Well, ship investors can approach UniAsia for ship investments, while operators can reach out to the firm for ship chartering and management.  On the property side of things, Uni-Asia develops small residential properties in Tokyo under its ALERO brand, which are sold for profits. Aside from building properties for sale, the firm also provides property assessment management services in the country.  As you can see, the two engines of growth are very much uncorrelated. But the question is – how far has that boosted the firm’s resilience?  Meanwhile, Uni-Asia had in August reported a 74% on-year drop in first half profits. But why is this the case? How does the firm assess its reliance on the two drivers of growth? Does it intend to move beyond its niche in the near term? On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Lim Kai Ching, Group Chief Financial Officer, Uni-Asia.