Person A: Where is the thing that I wanted?
Person B: I don’t know!
Person A: Stop the trashing talking and show me what I want!
Person B: I really don’t know!
Does this dialogue ring a bell? It is take from an advertisement by Ikea.
How many times have our parents yelled at us to clean up our room? It is simply not easy to get things organized when we do not have the habit of doing so. Within a small unit, it is already so difficult to be organized. What more when it is in a bigger setting? How do one cope being the coordinatior of an event which attracts thousands and thousands of people?
As we all know, Singapore’s pace of life is really fast. What helps us adapt to this fast paced society is nothing other than mere technology. Technology has brought us a lot of convenience as well as tears. As Singapore advances economically, more and more Singaporeans are becoming interested in the latest technologies. They are interested in technology sometimes not because of pure interests, but it might be due to being pressured to move along with the flow. Something big happened for a few days in our own backyard concerning techonology. It was the highly anticipated quarterly IT show! This time round, it was held in Suntec Convention Centre.
Remember where the location of the last IT show was held at? Ask me and I will tell you. After going for both IT shows, I can safely say that in terms of space, Suntec is bigger. However, in terms of floor planning, last year’s show at the Expo was definitely much better.
Suntec is undoubtedly larger. It is more accessible as well since it is located in the Central Business District (CBD) area. There is a wider range for shopping and dining too. Lastly, there are many more carpark lots.
Expo, on the other hand, is located all the way in the far east. It is much smaller and there is a limited range of places for shopping (in fact none at all unless there is a boutique fair) and dining. Next, there are very limited carpark lots, which causes long jams and many to park along the road illegally.
This is one area that big events organizers look out for. Their concern would be for the public as well as the profit margins of the booths. Organizers always woo the bigger players in the market, so as to obtain recognition as well as financial security.
All we see at the fair is that it is crowded, with unwanted pamphlets all on the floor. We fail to see the hardwork that has been and is going on to make this fair come alive. A large committee is needed to hold such a big scale event like this. The endless night of paperwork, negotiations, setting up the cables, lightings, booths are some of the things that go on in the rear scene that we are not aware of. As such, the communication within the organization and committee is put to the test.
How effective is the message from different departments and across the directors depends on who they choose to engage. Also, there must be a censorship of certain information to protect the confidentiality. Effective communication both horizontally and vertically all depends on the morale of the teams, the bond of the teams and the common vision shared throughout the organization.
To the organizers of this year’s IT show, well done! Though the layout was a little messy (repetitive booths selling the same items), the security and regulators did a brilliant job to ensure safety.
Wrapping this entry up with a short video clip which illustrate the importance of getting organized. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhTOllGZ7dg
Mum, I promise to be a good boy and pack my room..
showcase 
Valmond said
Yes. surprisingly, even with the current economic situation we are facing right now, the sales from the IT show still managed to soar sky high. im wondering is the recession even affecting Singaporeans? haha maybe being kiasu, singaporeans have the mindset of stocking up gadgets for rainy days. As for me, i have never liked going for IT fairs unless i have something to get.
Gabriel said
I agree, the nitty grittys of details in organisation could have never better been put forward in such a light. How could we, as Singaporeans who are eager to not lose out and be over-prepared miss out on oppurtunity just because we fail to organise ourselves?
Indeed, language used by different groups of people to communicate just among themselves is useful for the respective fields of work. However, such exclusiveness may bring about its advantages as well as disadvantages.
Being organised not only means getting everything in order physically, it also means that each and every detail and risk is factored into the consideration of life’s equation. Just like communication is dependant of many factors such as the environment, so being organised must also look out for the areas of risk that need to be adequately addressed so that we do not end up stepping into a hole we have dug for ourselves.
iuhiq said
It’s really surprising how this IT fair attached so much people with the economy now. As i went for the IT fair that sat, it was so pack with people that announcement was make over the loud speaker asking shopper to come back for the fair in 1 hours time. Things wasn’t very cheap except the laptop, however still many people come hoping to catch some cheap and good stuff.
Indeed organizing such huge event isn’t a easy thing to there. There must have real good planning few months before, by contacting the vendors, the contractor who come to set up the booths, etc for such an event.
sy said
Indeed, now I’m starting to wonder why despite the faltering economy, such IT fairs are still so packed with people eager to spend. One would think that the expected slowdown in the economy would translate to a smaller turn out for such fairs, especially so since these IT fairs are being more and more common place.
I guess it could be attributed to certain reasons, for example the perceived low cost of purchasing big ticket items like printers and computers which people deem to be expensive without a discount. Singaporeans are always looking for a bargain. Another reason would be due to the high turnover rate of electronic products nowadays, not just due to the reduced durability of certain products (older Nokia phones never seem to spoil when dropped on the floor unlike the newer models which seem so much fragile), but also accelerated innovation which leads to rapid technological improvement, which means older models are phased out quickly so retailers have to clear stock anyway.
With a technologically savvy youth with their Facebook, Skype, Twitter, Google and what not, on hindsight, it’s not really a surprise that such IT fairs are wildly popular. Caught in a wave of modernity, Singaporeans are definitely impatient when it comes to keeping up with the rest of the pack. I guess the IT industry should be one to watch in the coming years as Singapore moves on the fast track towards greater Wireless Broadband access, Wi-Fi and 3G technologies.
shawn said
No doubt that we are in the midst of a pretty bad economy, though not in dire straits as said by PM Lee, it’s bad enough to stop people from excessive spending. The news of the sales of IT show 2009 surpassing yester-years mark does not come as surprise for me. I had recently been to Hard Rock Cafe Singapore for their recession set lunch, at an affordable price of $10, you get to enjoy the soup of the day, the main dish, a ice-creams dessert and coffee/tea. I was there on a weekday afternoon, and I am particularly shocked by the turnout there. Just to name a few restaurants having such recession menus on their promo, we have Swensen and Billy B.There was such a huge crowd and you can see almost never ending queue. Back to IT show, I believe that regular-goers for the IT show would find the items on very very attractive bargain price. With such macro-economic conditions prevailing, cash is king for most, if not all companies. I am sure that these IT manufacturers would not mind the lower profit margin and higher sales level, and would prefer to hold more cash and stock in current situation (considering IT products get obsolete very fast).
Indeed, cash is king in situations like these. Though we cannot stock up set lunches from restaurants (perishables), might not even be wise to stock up electonic gadgets (as the technology advances at an amazing speed). There are many other things that we can see ourselves paying them for a price lower than its intrinsic value, financial assets in particular.
I am very sure that we will be able to get out of this crisis, just like how we survived the Great Depression in 1930s, the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, post-Sept 11 in 2002and SARS in 2003. It is almost inevitable that we will go through these crisis every few years, but it is also almost certain that we will pull though and emerge stronger.
We do not know what bubble will spark the next crisis, but let’s be prepared to take advantage of it when it happens. Get your cash ready to buy assets at unbelievable price. As Warren Buffett would have said, “I buy when others are fearful, and fearful when others are greedy”. Meanwhile, let’s just pay $10 for a nice lunch at Hard Rock.
yr said
Communication is a big word, it encompasses many areas and it is no doubt not easy. It is definitely an important aspect in organizing a big event and it is also an essential aspect of our everyday lives. To be effective in communicating is yet another thing altogether.
I suppose to be effective in communicating is not only about using our own style to get our own message across but it should also involve understanding the other party and using the right method to get the message across for the party to understand. We need to consider the purpose of our speech and actions and the outcome and consequence of them before saying anything.
I remember a story about this little girl who loves to smile. Then one day, her uncle came to visit her and told her: “You have a beautiful mouth you know, but your teeth are too big.” And from then on, the little girl dared not smile widely. It was hard to see her wide happy smile.
The uncle probably did not mean anything or expect his words to have such an impact. This story just shows that anything that we say affects others. Therefore, we all need to be careful with what we communicate. =)
Taylen said
For a big IT show to be up and running. Alot of detailed planning will be needed for sure. Communication, management and leadership skills will be required as well to make the IT show a success.
I think there are pros and cons with regards to the location of the IT show. I believed the rental rate at expo will be cheaper due to the location than Suntec Convention. By hosting it at expo, it will be an opportunity for companies with tighter margin profits to sell their products or educate the public about their product. These cost savings might go to the consumers or themselves. Obviously, by hosting at expo, it brings about problems like dining options, parkings, inaccessibility. But all these might not be on the consumers’ mind as long as they get the good deal, they pay for it at the best price. I guess it is more of understanding your consumers and what they really need.
andy said
I am surprised at the turnout during the IT fair, but with much disdain. I had realized products sold at the fair are not necessarily cheap. It is only when promoters raise their loudhailers that stuff is sold at bargain price. Given the current state of economy, everyone out there is slashing prices. New authentic DVD movies are sold at $8 to my pleasant surprise, and there shops and retail outlets selling their products no more than the prices splashed across IT fair booths. In retrospect, I think most of us were blinded and mislead by all the campaigning and herd instinct, flocking to fairs like moths to a flame. What typical and disheartening ‘kiasu’ attitude.
Zhezhang said
i am very impressed by how Ikea organises their products. People like to shop there because their products are arranged in a very “idiot-proof” way and also each section links to one another. It makes things less complicated. Similarly, even though the IT show was much bigger in scale, it pales in comparison to how IKEA position their products. You may say that in such a big fair, marketing does not come into play or that communications is not needed because everything is at its lowest price. I beg to differ; a firm who knows how to place and position their product definitely has much to gain especially in terms of profits. Without effective communications in such a IT show, it makes the whole place become a joke and look like market place.
In conclusion, although much hard work has been put into to this project, serious consideration and improvements could be made. One should not keep repeating the way IT show is being held just because of past profit. Perhaps, with more effort put into making things flow better, firms can reap more profit.
Tristan said
–> to valmond
recession basically means an extended decline in general business activity as defined by dictionary.com
think about it this way, the start of the recession is due to drop in business activity because people don’t spend. so whats the correct way to curb this problem? to encourage spending of course, which is the purpose of such IT Shows/Fair etc etc.
and generally, despite the organization of booths , i believe no matter how messy it is, Singaporeans will normally ‘ go through it ‘ eventually only to vent their frustration at the end of their shopping spree and most probably, you will see them again at the next IT Shows/Fairs etc etc.
JuNyAo said
haha! i was there too! i would said this year was the worst IT Fair that i attended in terms of having to squeeze through the never-ending crowds from point to point. totally sianed by the the amount of pple that i didn’t really take my time to see and compare the stuff down there. =(
Ningzhi said
Yes, I agree getting organized is more difficult than it initially sounds. Being organized is more than merely getting things in order, it has to handle every single detail with great care. To hold such a big event, there must have a detailed planning outline and key stages to it. The event organizers, of this IT show, hold huge roles and responsibilities in the organizing and running ot this event. (Kudos to them!) There must have been endless work of looking into the structure of the event to the final set up of the exhibition booths.
jesline said
i am particularly amazed by the number of people visiting the IT show this year given the current economic environment. That aside, i would expect many to be only browsing but that was not true, people are purchasing as well. Many popolur items, particularly the netbooks are out of stocked for many brands. I think at the end of the day, where such big events are organised is secondary. Although the place does matters when it comes to convenience, what that is really attractive is what the event has to offer. Given the technological craze in Singaporeans today, i think regardless of the event, large crowds will still be attached-be it the browers or purchasers.
I would agree that the IT show at suntec is very successful this year despite the messy layout. Crowd controls could have been improved. Recalling the big billboard that urged people visiting the IT show to come back in 1hours time due to the overwhelming crowd was amusing to me. Apprantly, that billboard was ignored and it would not help in easing the crowd.
Cheers to the hard work put into the organisation of big events. At the end of the day, i think the key is still achieving the objectives of event itself. So for the IT show, if many of the visitors do face difficulties in comparing brands, prices, what they wanted out of the IT show or have experienced an overall lousy ‘shopping’ experience due to the massive crowd, then i would say that organisation of the event would still have room for improvements.
ida said
given the current situation, the IT fair was a big success. Why why why?? It’s because even though the world is in recession, we still need ways to communicate right?
Technology gives the power to communicate with anyone around the world, wherever and whereever we want. It is no doubt one of the most popular and most used thing in the world. Even in space, technology is used! Without technology, there wouldn’t be an IT fair. Without an IT fair, there wouldn’t be a fair to find sweet deals for technology (: