SHE had wondered why no one was bringing in great bands and performers to Singapore.
So former Showbuzz host Laurrieta Alabons started her own concert-promotions company and brought in big-name acts like Muse, Funeral For A Friend, Incubus and Black Sabbath.
The 38-year-old told my paper: "I've always loved music, and there's so much of it around. There was a void to be filled, and we filled it."
Alabons also seem to have an eye for discovering new trends - she was hesitant to reveal details, but hinted at an indie- rock music festival slated for early next year.
Her efforts at filling the "void" seem to have paid off. Her concert-promotion business - Laurrieta Alabons Marketing and Communication (LAMC) Productions - is so successful that it has been nominated for a Spirit of Enterprise Award.
The awards aim to promote an entrepreneurial spirit in Singapore by honouring local entrepreneurs operating successful small and medium-sized businesses.
It was started in 2003 by former chief executive officer of NTUC Income Tan Kin Lian and private investor Russell Miller.
LAMC is among 144 nominees, including dating service Lunch Actually and wedding consultancy Eternally Yours, which are vying for 43 awards.
The winners will be honoured at a ceremony in October.
Alabons' second husband, American Ross Knudson, 43, runs LAMC with her. The couple married in 2000 and have an eight-year-old son, George.
"We're really excited about being nominated for the awards. It was quite unexpected," Alabons, who also co-hosted the Rollin' Good Times show in the 1990s, said in her trademark husky drawl.
And while she declined to reveal the company's profits, Alabons said LAMC is "doing well".
She is also hoping to expand the business regionally.
"I view LAMC not just as a Singapore company, but as a global one," she said, adding that a Hong Kong office was set up in June.
But Alabons, who is of Filipino, Eurasian and Indian descent, doesn't think her high-profile past has significant bearing on the success of her present company.
"To be honest, when I'm trying to book bands or am in contact with people from the US and elsewhere, they don't know my background," she said emphatically.
Taking advantage of new media like networking websites has also set LAMC apart from other businesses. The company has a MySpace page, Facebook group and even an eBay store selling merchandise from past concerts.
Alabons said: "I've been in this business all my life. I guess it's something I was meant to do."
