A slice of H.A.M in Singapore's visual merchandising market

CHANCES are, you have seen the work of H.A.M Creations without knowing it.

The work ranges from flip-disc exhibits at Changi Airport, to retail displays for Sephora lipstick, and a faux piano in a Hermes window display.

But before the 17- year-old company could nod smugly at having worked with big brands, H.A.M struggled to make ends meet for half a decade.

Circa 2001, when its two 25-year- old co-founders knew relatively close to nothing about management events - H.A.M's initial business focus - Hidekatu Shigekawa and Andrew Tan were working at a food consultancy firm under the late Juliet David, who founded Wine & Dine magazine, Singapore's first food magazine.

In their stint as project executives, the company had not paid them for a few months due to financial difficulties. Yet before Mr Shigekawa could quit and look for greener paying pastures, Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC), one of five councils that aid in local administration of government policies and schemes, asked the two in a meeting if they knew anybody who could run a…