Shananigan's Bartender Competition 2008

Hyatt Regency Kinabalu's Shenanigan's Fun Pub is one of the most happening club in Kota Kinabalu's night scene. Due to the intense competition from other clubs, Shenanigan's Fun Pub has to organise promotion events to increase awareness and sustain market share.

Shenanigan's Fun Pub, Hyatt Regency Kinabalu

The Marketing Communication Department of Hyatt Regency Kinabalu and the F&B Department are responsible in planning the promotion activities of all F&B outlets including Shenanigan's Fun Pub.

I wasn't involved in the planning stage but I attended the event and helped out. My role during the event was assisting the PR Manager to attend the media. The event started at 9pm and finished at 1am. As a PR person, ability to work during odd hours is a prerequisite.

Bartender Competition is pretty common in Kota Kinabalu. However, Shenanigan's Bartending Competition 2008 is the "first in Kota Kinabalu" flairing bartender competition. That's the newsworthy angle of the event. The special invited guess was Hot-Hands Harlem - the President of Malaysia Bartender Association (MBA). He was one of the honoured judges for the competition.

Hot-Hands Harlem was being interviewed by Daily Express' Journalist

From left: PR Manager - Tina Goh, and myself. Taken during the event.

Press coverage: Left - Daily Express. Right - Breeze Magazine East Malaysia

Attention to details is crucial when monitoring an event. Observing the reaction of the crowd, and who is attending the event. This provide a clue to you if the communication plan is being effectively implemented during the pre-event period.

Hyatt Regency Kinabalu's Green Newsletter

Hyatt Regency Kinabalu has a "Green Team" to handle any environment issue in the hotel. The Mission of Green Team is to facilitate environment education, awareness and engagement across all departments within the hotel. It also sets goals that support Hyatt’s environmental goals and provide employees with a platform to share ideas about how they can make a difference in their departments and in their own home (Hyatt Earth, 2008).

Hyatt Earth logo (Hyatt International)

A green newsletter for internal circulation will be produced monthly by the PR department. I was assigned to produced the newsletter for December and January.

Being Green December 2008 Issue (Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Kinabalu)

The most challenging part of all is not the researching part. It was translating what I've written in English into Bahasa Malaysia as the working class staffs would not be able to read English fluently. In my second post I've shown you the press release in English being translated into Chinese. Now you see, as a PR in Malaysian context you've got to know at least 3 languages!

Left: In English. Right: In Bahasa Malaysia

The contents of the newsletter are being discussed during Green Meetings. The attendees are normally the General Manager, Directors of every departments and the PR Manager.

Hello to my PR393 Colleagues...

Dear PR393 Colleagues…

I’m Sylvester and my industrial placement has just come to an end 2 days back. I was working with Hyatt Regency Kinabalu International Hotel. It was a really good place to learn as the PR department is pretty small. There are only one PR Manager and a few graphic artists. My role would be an assistant to the PR Manager. Within such short period; I was assigned with jobs like writing press releases, monitoring internal and external collaterals and make sure they are up to Hyatt Regency Kinabalu’s brand standard. It was hectic as the job requires me to juggle around. During peak seasons like Christmas season, I even helped the art studio to prepare Christmas decorations.

The latest going on is Chinese New Year activities. The activities I was involved in were preparing simple press kit for Chinese New Year “Yee Sang” press luncheon, translated the Chinese New Year “Yee Sang” advertisement into Chinese language and entertain the press during press luncheon. The purpose of the press luncheon is to generate publicity of the Chinese New Year “Yee Sang”.

Press release in bi-language for different media outlet.

"Yee Sang" tossing session - From left: Myself, The Chinese Restaurant Manager, The Chinese Restaurant Chef de Cuisine, PR Manager, Assistant Director of F&B.

Press Release published in Asia Times (Kota Kinabalu)

Working in Hyatt Regency Kinabalu makes me realise that as a PR practitioner, it is very important that you know more than one language. Have an auspicious and prosperous Chinese New Year guys. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Hyatt Cares

Like all other major 5-star hotels, Hyatt Regency Kinabalu is doing CSR. Global Hyatt is well known by its "Make A Wish" Foundation. The foundation helps children to make their final wish comes true. However, this foundation doesn't exist in Malaysia. The Global Hyatt philantrophic volunteer program is known as F.O.R.C.E. Family of Responsible and Caring Employees. Which is currently being praticed by Hyatt Regency Kinabalu.

I was very impressed by Hyatt Regency Kinabalu's staffs as they sincerely care about unfortunate children. Hyatt Regency Kinabalu has an ongoing community project which is a children's home namely Rumah Hyatti. More that 30 children are benefited from this project that they wouldn't have to walk by feet for 30km from their own home to school everyday.

I went to the Children's Christmas Party that was held at Likas Hospital, Kota Kinabalu. I realised that one little thing that you do could make a big difference to the society. Children with future filled with uncertainty smiled, for once. I feel like a better person after I've helped out in the party.

Last but not least guys, it's the little thing that make a difference. You may quote me :)