HOL Experiences

Ever wondered why a good story captivates us so deeply? It's not just magic—our brains are hardwired for stories!

In this insightful blog post, our Chief Experience Officer delves into the fascinating neuroscience behind storytelling. Discover how storytelling can revolutionise visitor experiences, from dopamine boosts to neural coupling, and the magic of narrative transportation. Learn how the power of storytelling, backed by neuroscience, can engage and connect with audiences like never before.

Read more at:

The science behind our love for stories - HOL Experiences Explore the neuroscience behind our love for stories and how storytelling enhances memory, empathy, and engagement ...

Storytelling is vital to placemaking, turning spaces into destinations. Highlighting local stories and building unique community environments, as Wee Teng Wen of Lo and Behold does, resonates strongly with us. We believe in the power of storytelling to create lasting, impactful experiences that celebrate community, heritage and culture. Enjoy the article!

Read more at: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/bt-luxe/wee-teng-wen-building-singapore-story

Wee Teng Wen: Building the Singapore story HUEVOS MAKES THE BEST FISH tacos. One Fattened Calf makes really good burgers. You can get your Nylon Coffee Roasters fix at Dearborn Granola and not have to trek to Everton Park. And how does Geylang’s Teochew raw crab specialist San Shu Gong fit into this indie mix? Read more at The Business Tim...

Ready to elevate your visitor engagement? Discover the latest trends, tools, and techniques for 2024! From creative strategies to innovative tech, stay ahead with the expert insights from the team responsible for our award-winning digital trail.

Read about it here: https://hol.sg/insight/innovative-visitor-engagement-strategies-for-spaces-trends-tools-and-techniques-for-2024/

Selamat Hari Raya Haji to all our Muslim friends! May this be a day of joyous celebration!

We were thrilled to have Naomy Gmyrek come visit us! We learned a lot from her thoughtful and valuable insights on storytelling and how to use it in our everyday lives. Thanks for coming and please visit us again, Naomy!

🚀 Join our family and create impactful experiences! 🚀

We're looking for a Project Manager to join us at HOL! If you are highly organised, have a keen eye for detail and value team spirit, we want to hear from you!

let's create something amazing together! 🌟

🔗 Apply Here: https://hol.sg/career/project-manager-contract/

Stories, storytelling and narratives might all seem similar, but they have nuanced differences. Our Chief Experience Officer, Angeline, shares her expertise on what makes them distinct and how each can be used to captivate audiences and enhance experiences.

Read more about it at: https://hol.sg/insight/creating-lasting-memories-with-stories-storytelling-and-narratives/

Happy International Museum Day! Did you know that there are over 50 private and public museums in Singapore for you to explore?

Check them out here: https://www.nhb.gov.sg/what-we-do/our-work/sector-development/museum-roundtable/museum-roundtable-members

On this day, HOL celebrates all the steadfast and hardworking mothers in our lives! We appreciate you, wonder women!

When people think of Paris, the first word that comes to mind is "romance". What then, when they think of Singapore?

"Singapore has a good narrative – it’s all about working well, keeping safe and being a rules-based, green city. We can carry on as it is, and we’ve done marvellously. But to make us really loved, you have to have a bit of that magic," says Professor Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We resonate deeply with Professor Chan's insight because at HOL, we are always thinking about how we can enhance spaces with storytelling. Professor Chan describes this "magic" as the atmospheric essence that turns places into destinations or experiences. We believe that by weaving narratives into our urban fabric, our buildings and shared spaces become conduits of emotion, memory, and community, enriching the essence of our city. This approach fosters a sense of belonging and wonder, where every nook promises discovery. Beyond mere architecture, it envisions Singapore not just as a place to reside but as a magical home, inviting others to experience its enchantment firsthand.

Read more at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/set-aside-space-for-people-to-use-spontaneously-to-create-magic-in-the-city-chan-heng-chee

HOL wishes everyone a happy Labour Day! 😴💫 Have a good and well-deserved rest, everyone! 💤🌟

HOL experienced Magnum ice cream in a different way at ION Art Gallery today! Have a good weekend everyone!

Many people around the world travel to explore and experience cultures different from their own. The cultural tourism business is surging in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, where travel-starved tourists are looking for genuine cultural experiences.

Our Chief Experience Officer, Angeline, shares her insight into how museums, galleries and attractions can use storytelling to bring emotionally resonant and culturally authentic experiences to their visitors.

Read more at: https://hol.sg/insight/creating-memorable-experiences-in-cultural-tourism-with-storytelling/

HOL is proud to share our first win on the international stage at the MUSE Creative Awards 2024!

The MUSE Creative Awards is a prestigious international design competition that recognises and celebrates excellent design across the globe.

We took home the Silver Award for our work on Pip’s Trail, a digital trail with a storytelling approach, for The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

Together with the team at The Esplanade, we created a fun and enriching digital trail to better engage large visitor groups as well as families and children who visit our beloved national performing arts centre.

We would like to thank the MUSE Creative Awards and The Esplanade for working closely with us to realise our shared vision and love for storytelling!
Read more about our win here: https://museaward.com/winner-info.php?id=229966

Storytelling remains an important factor when innovating new experiences for museums, galleries and attractions all over the world. Even the experience division at Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth, thinks so.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/07/disney-parks-are-its-top-money-maker-its-spending-to-keep-it-that-way.html

Storytelling is not simply just for entertainment, there are many ways an organisation can benefit from storytelling. Find out how Angeline, our Chief Experience Officer, use storytelling in the experiences we created for museums, galleries, attractions and brands to inspire visitors to take meaningful actions.

Want to find out more? Read on at https://hol.sg/insight/storytelling-building-a-bridge-to-your-audience/

The talented (and humble) HOL writing team is here to give some tips on how to write good panels for museums, galleries and attractions. Here are their insights!

1. Stay conversational
Maintaining a conversational tone of voice with your audience allows you to close the distance between them and the stories you want to tell.

2. Stay simple
Less is more! Using simple vocabulary allows your audience to read and digest your panels easily on the go, making it much more likely that they remember the stories you want to tell.

3. Stay relatable
Your story only matters to your audience if they can empathise with it. Making your story familiar and relatable to the everyday lives of your audience will compel them to care about the stories you want to tell.

We asked our capable female staff a few questions for International Women's Day, here are their insights!

1. What does being a woman mean to you?
As a woman in the 21st century, we have the ability to balance strength and nurturing qualities effectively. We transcend boundaries, demonstrating our capabilities both in domestic settings and professional environments. Our potential knows no bounds, and we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. - Siti Atikah, Project Manager

2. What do you like about being a woman?
Women have the power to be both creators and destroyers. They can create their own opportunities and enjoy life on their own terms. And they can destroy barriers (societal or psychological) that prevent them from realising their potential. - Ruth Tan, Senior UX Writer

3. What are some of the hardships of being a woman?
Career wise, being a woman often requires extra effort to achieve the same outcome as men. Safety wise, we must consciously care for ourselves for physical safety. - Heewon Cho, UX/UI Designer

4. If you could tell all the women in the world one thing, what would it be?
Very early in my career, I received an advice from a senior which I remember till today. “Everyone wants to do the glamorous work. But before you get there, the hard work needs to be done.” - Angeline Tong, Chief Experience Officer

Exciting News from HOL! Some of our team members embarked on a fascinating course to master ChatGPT, and we're thrilled to share our top takeaways with you! 💡 Here are 3 key pointers we learnt:

1. Clear and Concise Prompting: Craft prompts with sufficient context, clear objectives, and specific output expectations. This ensures ChatGPT understands your needs accurately and generates relevant responses.

2. Template Customisation: Utilise the provided template feature to streamline your interactions with ChatGPT. Customise templates for recurring tasks or specific types of queries to guide ChatGPT towards producing desired outputs efficiently.

3. Review and Refine: After receiving responses, critically evaluate them for accuracy and relevance. Refine your prompts or adjust your approach based on ChatGPT's outputs to continually improve the quality of generated content and maximise ChatGPT's utility.

With these strategies, we're poised to elevate our creativity and productivity to new heights! Stay tuned for more innovative updates from HOL!

We were privileged to have Stephanie Luo drop by the HOL office today! A self-confessed scuba diving ju**ie and certified NAUI instructor, Stephanie is passionate about sharing her love for the ocean.

Aside from the meditative and calming effect of the ocean, being in the open water makes her feel both big and small. Big when she encounters tiny creatures in the sea, and small when she contemplates her place in the ocean universe!

What did the scuba diver say to the creative?

One of the things Stephanie learnt from spending so much time in the ocean is to always keep our curiosity about the world alive. It is definitely something we all need to do as creatives!

If you want to learn about her ocean journeys, follow Stephanie’s blog and podcast here https://surfacetimechats.com!

*Image credits goes to: Stephanie Luo, Thank you for the beautiful pictures!