How to handle a Corporate Event?

As an internationally renowned educational institute, Curtin is frequently visited by local and foreign dignitaries, administrators, professors, scholars and students. So, it is very important to know the process and the required standards of managing a corporate event.  

Before this semester commenced, the China General Consul based in Kuching paid a visit to Curtin Sarawak. As a China Student, I was involved in the meeting with some China students and the affected Curtin staff pertaining to this event. Since I was involved in the whole process, I would like to share some of my experiences with you.

Preparation for the Event

There were several things that needed to be done at this stage such as the preparation of the “Guests list” (the names and titles of the visiting persons), the “Invitation List” (of those to be invited to the event), “the program of the day” and the “Letter of invitation”.

Firstly, you need to confirm who is coming to visit our university and how many of them to arrive at a guests list. Also, you will need to know when they will come and the purpose of the visit. Is it an official visit or an informal one? Only after this, can you make a decision as to how to manage this event and come up with the program of the day, the invitation list and the content of the invitation letter. 

 

The program normally includes time, activities, venues and the persons in charge. Constant communication with the Curtin staff involved, either those meeting with the visitors or organizing certain portions of the program, is essential for things to run smoothly. 

Here is a sample of a program:

Chinese Consul General Liu Quan visits Curtin Sarawak Agenda
22 February 2014
Time	Activities	Venues	Person in charge
2:30 pm	Give VIP-Pass to Consul and Datuk’s vehicle	Security Check point	On duty security
2:35 pm	Welcome Consul and Datuk.	Entrance of HERON 1 (John Curtin Building)	Vice-Chancellor
2:40 pm- 2:45 pm	Welcome speech	Conference Room in HERON 1	Emcee
2:45 pm- 3:00 pm	Introduction of Curtin Sarawak	Conference Room in HERON 1	Vice-Chancellor
3:00 pm- 3:10 pm	Introduction of Consul Liu	Conference Room in HERON 1	Datuk Lee Kim Shin
3:10 pm- 3:30 pm	Speech by Consul	Conference Room in HERON 1	Consul Liu
3:30 pm- 4:00 pm	Interaction with China students	Conference Room in HERON 1	Consul Liu
4:00 pm- 4:05 pm	Group photo taking	Conference Room in HERON 1	Camera Person
4:05 pm- 4:20 pm	Tea break with refreshment	Hall in HERON 1	Cafeteria staff
4:20 pm- 4:50 pm	Campus tour	Campus area	Vice-Chancellor
4:50 pm	Consul and Datuk leaving	Security Check point	On duty security

                                                                                                                          update: 22 Feb 2014

The above is the program during the visiting, there are other things that need to be considered, such as the conference room booking and decoration, equipment booking and checking (of the Screen, projector, desktop computer, microphone, camera and video camera ), as well as the refreshment required and cleanliness. Normally, a budget list will be attached to the program. 

      

An invitation list is necessary after you have finalized the program. There are two kinds of people who should be including in this list: intern (staff and students who are involved) and extern (Journalists and some VIPs).

After that, send the program to the people who are on the invitation list. Usually, this is double confirmed through email or phone calls. It is also very important to inform all the students and staff in campus about the event, irrespective of their involvement in the event.

During the Event

Style of honorific

Pay attention to the titles used in Malaysia, it might be much different from other countries. In Malaysia as elsewhere, people in high position always carry honorific titles. It is usual to refer to the position and organization’s name first, followed by person’s peerage, and last being the person’s name.

Quotes in a report in Curtin Sarawak’s official website:

• “Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching, His Excellency Liu Quan and his wife”
• “Sarawak Assistant Minister of Communications, Datuk Dr. Lee Kim Shin, who is the chairman of Curtin Sarawak’s management board”
• “Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Ir. Yudi Samyudia”

Furthermore, in the introduction before a speech is made, the guest is first mentioned, followed by Malaysian government officials and then introducer’s own staff.

The following Link is useful reference on the manner of address when encountered with honorific titles:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Style_(manner_of_address)

Meaningful photo taking and speech recording are very important for the coming media release. Last but not least, always be prepared to deal with emergency cases such as having umbrellas readied for bad weather.

After the Event

Media release and feature story will be sent to all the local print media. It will also be posted on our university’ own official website as well as our Facebook page.

Media release on Curtin website:

http://www.curtin.edu.my/campusnews/mediarelease/2014/PR_14-016.htm

Media release on Curtin Facebook:

This visit has been reported by the local media which includes:

• English Newspapers: The Borneo Post, Sarawak Tribune.
• Malay Newspapers: Utusan Borneo.
• Chinese Newspapers: Sin Chew Daily News, See Hua Daily, United Daily News.

Photo: media release about this event reported by different newspapers in three languages

Photo: feature stories about Curtin Sarawak in three Chinese newspapers.

Both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People’s Republic of China and the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching have also reported this visit on their official websites.

http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_chn/zwbd_602255/nbhd_602268/t1131905.shtml

http://kuching.chineseconsulate.org/chn/xwdt/t1131902.htm

By my participating in this event, I have learnt a lot on how to manage an official visit or meeting especially on what are considered small details but are items that could make an event a success or a preventable disaster. These details and the finer points in the process are unavailable in most textbooks. 

As a Chinese, I appreciated the show of sincere respect to the VIP visitors from China. This is not only obvious from the time and effort spent in preparing and arranging for the visit but in the content of the speeches. One suggestion from my observation is that the Speeches could have been delivered in both Chinese and English to avoid any misunderstanding in the communications and to show further respect to the language and culture of the guests.

Zou Dan Ting

14963841

Miri 

Almost there and it feels like I've just begun

So I'm three weeks into my placement it feels like the learning has just begun! 
I'm so busy all the time that it feels like my head is about to explode sometimes. 

I was given a bit of a reality check yesterday when I was promptly reminded by one of the stakeholders that one of the trade shows I had been planning was only a month away! STRESSSS! 
I'm not usually one to let things get away from me but this one did in amongst all of the other work I've been doing like copy write and media releases. 

Needless to say I have spend the morning going through all of the forms and planning of what needs to be still done for the event.

I have also been handed another event by my supervisor, as the company is going through an App development at the moment, I have been given the task of planning the App launch for later next month. I'm loving the events planning that's been handed my way all the time as this is the area of PR that I love the most.

Another thing I have been doing this week is assisting with the edit of copy for the new website. Working closely with the Marketing team, a new product launch is been set in place and my job has been to write the copy for the website and assist in working with stakeholders on achieving what they want to be the desired image of the product to the industry.

As Imdex recently bought another company as part of an acquisition I have also been assisting with the communication to other stakeholders, shareholders and industry that this company is now part of the Imdex family.
This task is a lot more extensive than I thought! It involves not only communication the news with shareholders, employees and industry but also other organization such as the Tax Office and Financial institutions. Nevertheless I have been enjoying learning how to word letters and documents differently depending on who they are going to.

I am looking forward to my last week of placement and everything it has to offer and look forward to working closely with the PR team in the future.

Money Cannot Buy Experience

Throughout my time at the Fremantle Football Club (FCC) I have been fortunate enough to sit in on a number of meetings with the Corporate staff. The majority have been Pre-Game day meetings however, in addition there have also been meetings involving stakeholder relations initiatives and how events can support the following. One such initiative is the Dockers Live the Dream school camp. The Live the Dream school camp is a concept designed to give twenty Year 11 and 12 students (a mix of male and female) to experience a week in the life of a professional AFL football player at the FFC. Participants will spend the week with a select group of FFC staff, gaining an insight in to all aspects of an AFL footballers life including strength and conditioning training, nutrition planning, psychological training and a whole other range of meaningful and insightful activities. A money can’t buy experience, I was flabbergasted at the luck of the key target stakeholders: West Australian high school students aged between 16 and 17 years and their respective high schools across urban and regional centers.

A state brimming full of talented young sportspeople, so many students (or budding athletes if you prefer) should be jumping at the chance for such a rare opportunity. Thinking of the broader picture the experiences of the lucky participants could make such an amazing impact not only on the skills and confidence on them but also those within the communities in which they live; amazing potential! As a Marketing and PR student it was fantastic to see the planning and interdepartmental organisation of such an initiative to really understand what it takes to make these things happen. Often as a student I find that coming up with creative and sometimes wacky ideas is the easy part, it’s the putting into action part of the strategy that takes the hard work. Now having been given the template (in a sense) to action thoughts and ideas in to the physical application I am feeling confident and excited to take on whatever future workplaces throw at me! It’s having that understanding and practical application of tasks that this internship has given me to really drive home the meaning of Public Relations within professional organisations; brilliant! 

To see the practical application of PR theory and techniques was in invaluable experience, and just like they always say the pin finally dropped! I always thought I understood the concepts on paper and when push came to shove would be able to come up with a text book PR plan off the top of my head just like ‘hey presto’. After witnessing the application of a communications and PR plan by seasoned professionals I now understand that it is not only the PR theory that I need to understand, but also have the practical application of so many other business principles combined- finally I understand why I had to do my most hated subject of all time, Accounting 100!

Having come to the end of my placement at the FFC I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a unique mix of organisation. Unlike any other professional organisation that I have spent time at interning, I have found the FFC to have a great balance of corporate business and elite sports, both industries I have discovered to be passionate about. Getting to understand the complex relationship between a professional sporting organisation and its varied publics and seeing the fantastic potential for diversity within an organisation has seriously made me consider a career within the industry. Before understanding behind the scenes of this high profile club I had absolutely no idea of the opportunities available within. Now having made some fantastic contacts and experienced the hands on application of the elusive PR theory, I feel more than ready to enter in to the workforce; an exciting prospect after so many years that’s for sure!

So for all those that have been kind enough to read my blog posts, sayonara, and bon voyage. I wish you all the very best for what you have in store after graduation!  

SurfAid - Final Blog Post

It is hard to believe that I have come to the end of my internship at SurfAid! Writing my placement report I have been overwhelmed by the amount of skills I have learnt during this time and how much I have developed professionally.

I have been extremely fortunate to have been provided with such a diverse range of tasks during my placement. Not only has this taught me above and beyond what I expected upon entering this placement, but has shown me further insight into areas that I would potentially like to work in. During my final weeks I was given greater responsibilities and helped work on tasks such as post event sponsorship reports that I really enjoyed and also learnt a lot from.

This internship has taught me that I LOVE working in events. Having some experience working in events management prior to the placement I knew that this was an area I wanted to explore further, however being involved in such a large scale event at SurfAid has proven to me that this is a career I want to pursue.

I feel that there is always something new to learn from every job, especially in PR and events, and that given a new internship I would probably walk in and learn a whole range of new skills and approaches. However, I feel that open completing this internship I now have the confidence to go into an entry level position knowing that I can rise to a challenge and apply the techniques and theory that I have learnt throughout my degree at Curtin University.

I would like to thank both my lecturers and the team at SurfAid for proving me with this opportunity that will hopefully leading the way to landing me my dream job in Sydney!

Event PR - SurfStitch SurfAid Ball 2013

During my internship with SurfAid, a large part of my role has involved working with both the PR and Event Management departments on the inaugural SurfAid Ball in Sydney. This year the event was held at the spectacular Star Entertainment Centre, which overlooks the harbour and Sydney CBD! Tickets were sold to over 400 guests, with the event being attended by several Australian surfing legends, it was an incredible experience to be part of.

Prior to the event it was important to consider all our major sponsors and VIP's attending the event and incorporating these into the photography and videography briefs. Maintaining positive sponsor relationships is vital to non-for-profit events, as these allow companies such as SurfAid to put on nights such as the ball, which raise much needed funds and awareness for a great cause.

One thing I like to do before arriving to events is having a print out of all the VIP names and their positions along with a small headshot so that I am easily able to recognise these faces and make we get the right images captured on the night. I then liaise with the photographers and videographers and run through the media brief and the VIP list to make sure we all familiar on what needs to be done and can then communicate effectively on the night.

Other important part of setting up for the night was to make sure all sponsorship material was placed appropriately on the tables (this took a long time as you can imagine with 400 places to set) but was vital to maintain relations with event sponsors and promote their support and brand on the night.

Prior to guests arriving the media board was set up in a pre-determined location, although on the night the photographer and myself has to make some last minute decisions regarding lighting but thankfully it all worked out! Once people started arriving it was my job to greet guests and usher them to the media board and get their photos taken (tougher than it sounds not too many people like getting their photo taken it seems...) writing down names to match the images and also making sure the photographers and videographers had copies of the names.

There are so many parts involved with an event that all come together as an essential part of making the post event media process a lot easier! I have learnt a lot from this event in regards to the fine (but crucial) details that need to be regarded to ensure that media, sponsors and guests are kept happy. This is so important as this means that future events will have these past positive relations to draw from and can then build on these to make future events a further success. Event PR is definitely an area I want to pursue in the future!

CSR and events...

Hello Fellow PR 393 students,

Today I want to talk about corporate social responsibility and its existence in the modern business world. While I was interning with CEDA, something occurred to me. Should we consider event management companies just as liable for responsibility, one thing I am ashamed to admit is that I always thought CRS was for the big organisation with the money. Although I acknowledged all companies are responsible I did not necessarily think boutique not for profits were included. The more I think about it, the more my reasoning is flawed.

From the three years of studying PR, one thing was repeated and drilled into us. The MOST valuable asset in a organisation has is not the what they offer and how much they earn, but it is trust, credibility and reputation that is essential, no matter how big or small, profitable to not, the company has a duty of care to act ethically and responsibly.

Trust is developed when behaviours matches the expectations, in the business relationships trust is crucial component because we all know almost every business transaction requires a degree of good faith and trust.

In the last century CSR has been the focus and attention, a trend of socially conscious people have emerged which expect much more from organisations today. The certain duty and obligation a organisations must have to give back to and protect the earth.

CEDA caters to the most senior executives and the largest and most prominent organisations across Australia the international counterparts. CEDA's entire function is to bring together representatives of highly influential organisations from all sectors and get them to strategize a better future for Australia. While most organisations for instances, Rio Tinto, Shell and IBM have some sort of CSR strategy already within their structure. Taking part in CEDA events I think is also very important in the way they are represented and portrayed to the wider community.

For example CEDA did an event back in July which I was very happy to be part of the planning and coordinating. It was titled 'Ensuring Australian and Global Food Security' and drew in a big crowd, the topic was about how to secure Australian and global food security queries with escalating prices, unpredictable climate changes? A very worthy topic to host, representatives from government, Coles, Rio Tinto and noted academics were put to the challenging inquiry! It was very simulating and educational panel. It was something I haven't thought about before.

Listening attentively

 

CEDA has gained the reputation of creating such admirable events and I believe by doing so, they are applying CRS by putting forward to their members thought inspiring topics.

 

Trust and credibility are central in all instances in our lives, once it is broken, its like glass shattered, it can never be pieced back to how it once was no matter hard you try to glue it back together.

To avoid such a calamity happening in an organisation, CSR has become a widely applied concept and central concern in decision making processes. At CEDA one of my roles included media monitoring, which included reading a large among of newspapers and finding out the current hot topics and what people in community were asking questions about whether it was migration strategies, and indigenous disadvantage. One of my favourite events CEDA did was the Indigenous series  'Improving the Indigenous Status Quo'.

End of the event, people mingling.

  

To conclude, all organisations are obligated to practise ethically and responsibly. A successful business is one that always considers what is good for the people and the planet. Boutique not for profit event managements organisations have the same amount of responsibility as bigger and more profitable organisations. I learnt a lot by working with CEDA, formalising an event which is based on an important societal concern and putting that to a panel of speakers from the influential organisations to come up with the solutions to problems is as socially responsible as you can get.

 

That's all for today, I will speak to you all soon.

 

 

X

 

Suleeka

 





 

 

 

 

Corporate events.. not so bad

Hi Everyone,


I hope everyone is enjoying their placements and learning lots. I know i am :)

I started my internship beginning of July but I couldn't find the time to make blog entries so here goes for my first one.

I found my placement luckily on Blackboard where Alison posted up the details, I contacted them immediately and just like that I was starting couple days later. CEDA (Committee for Economic Development of Australia) is a not for profit member based organisation that runs economic or corporate themed events. They provide a platform that brings together influential peoples from all sectors of society such as business, academics, government and communities to form debate and discussion about social and economic issues affecting Australia.

As this marked my first ever work experience with a professional organisation I was a nervous wreck my first day. As I stepped into the offices I was overwhelmed with everything I have researched prior to commencing my internship, this was a company that are noted for their honorable reputation and professionalism. However all my anxiety was for nought, from the get go I was warmly welcomed and literally put to work immediately.

Under new management since late last year CEDA has revamped itself, holding more events (up to 50 a year) and gaining more members with organisations both domestic and national. The team of four work so well together like a well efficient machine. It was quite impressive to see them at work. I'm thrilled I could work and learn from them, despite their busy schedules and heavy work load they provide me the time to question them about how their experiences with the events industry has bought to to their current situations.

As I said earlier I was put to work immediately, I was so excited when my supervisor gave me my own project, to plan for a huge series event that will be held in early 2013. The task is enormous but I couldn't be happier. I must develop a regional development series that will be showcased in the nine regions of WA. Researching has taken up most the time but its important to highlight all the relevant industries and the issues affecting the region. Finding the right speakers for the topics held, basically putting together an event program, preparing sponsorships and partnerships proposals, are all apart of the work. Along with this project I help around the office working on entering registrations on a database, media monitoring and other tasks that include event logistics. Couple times I accompanied my colleagues to business meetings and simply soaked up how they dealt with clients and negotiated and planned for events to come.

Some lessons I have learned so far basically centres around being organised, it is imperative, one must be organised and efficient if working in events industry. I always thought I was organised but working these girls has opened my eyes.
I have had the best time interning with the CEDA girls, and I cant wait for the rest of my time with them, CEDA has 2 or more events each week with an impressive number of attendees. I've met people you read about in newspapers and see on TV, policy movers and shakers. It was intimidating but I've been having the best time. One thing i know for sure is that I will most assuredly will be pursuing this career path in the events industry. Corporate events was something that was not in my cards but now its not so bad.

I enjoyed reading about exciting and fantastic experiences on your placements, I hope to read more and I will definitely share with you more of my journey with CEDA. Yay for my first blog entry (It didn't seem so hard as I thought it would be).

Hope to hear from you all.


x
Suleeka

The Big Day...

In conjunction with my Communications and Marketing Co-ordinator, I had been planning an event to recognise our clients that have utilised CCIWA Apprenticeship Solutions as well as to launch several new initiatives and a website that I have had a hand in developing.  The event was held on the 19th July 2012.

There were some initial hiccups regarding the event, in particular trying to gather numbers, ensuring RSVPs were submitted and finalising the guest list but in the end...it was a roaring success!

And the photos below are very much evident of that:

The event also fortunately went according to plan with the running sheet with the guests arriving and departing at the planned times and the speeches running smoothly.

Most aspects of the event were spot-on, in my opinion and I for one thoroughly enjoyed the event. From the setting up of the room with 'balloon sculptures', to the setting up of the music and sound system, purchase of refreshments, meetings with caterers and amateur photography (by the public relations team that is)- I would have to say it was one of the most exciting and rewarding days I have had thus far during my internship.