Saturday, January 18, 2014
It's pretty surreal how 15 weeks of preparation and hard work ended in an actual night that happened too fast.
From Event company management to Publicity to Prizes & Logistics; from Hotel management to Table planning; from Rehearsals to Actual day flow, I am really surprised and proud of our 8-man strong committee that put together the biggest event in our company's history.
At 79 tables, it's the biggest turnout yet. As if it's not already a logistical challenge, there were many more Firsts. It was the first time the Senior Management was bold enough to take on a Magic Opening Act that wowed the audience. It was the first time we secretly made the Managers serve the first dish. It was the first time we tried out another method to manage the Long Service Awards presentation. It was the first time someone was awarded 45 years of service. It was the first time in many years that the event included an external act too. And the list goes on..
Being in the committee, we couldn't enjoy the actual night as much as any other person would: We couldn't take part in pre-event activities; couldn't take nice photos like other guests would; couldn't sit comfortably at the tables and watch the event unfold; and couldn't enjoy most of the food of the night. We also got stressed over the delays in stage setup and scheduled bus transports; we had to manage the delivery and security of the big number of prizes; we had to ensure the emcee engaged the audience (which he did very, very well); we had to ensure all performances went well and also to manage the timeline etc.. There were too many things that had to be looked into, and Murphy's law was always in play.
Having said that, it was a totally different experience altogether. I got to witness the many boo-boos and NGs during rehearsals and the mechanisms behind some of the magic props; I got to work closely with the event company and the hotel managers and also saw how so many people needed to be involved in the background to put up a great event. And perhaps the best part was, to see the big boss enjoying himself throughout the night, and the high level of energy of the audience even at 11:25pm. That was so gratifying.
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Too busy to take photos, so here's the only ones at the moment. Luckily there'll be a DVD of the event for us.
The invitation card (after rejections of a few other designs) & Publicity Poker cards
The entrance
The stage backdrop
The ballroom before the doors opened. The multi-coloured lights on the tables created a magical atmosphere.
First dish - Yu Sheng! Probably the only dish when the full committee was at the table.
When we were masked up
人生是黑白的.
2:22 PM <3
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THE Annual Review -- A Summarised 2013 (Part 2)
July 2013
It was a bad day at work on my birthday, but an impromptu birthday celebration after work toasted the blues away. The 4B guys started a new tradition with the first of many BBQ gatherings, which were insightful meetups. Mid-month, a trip back to NUS for friends' graduations showed how fast 1 year had passed. I also had great takeaways from a meditation workshop by Mr Tan Chade Meng. The month ended with me being in the audience for an NDP NE show, and had the honour to help myself with a dinner reception after the show.
August 2013
Eunos Ah Gong passed away on the 2nd in a very sudden way and it was a busy 6-day wake. It also led to a series of new arrangements at Aunt's house. I caught Phantom of the Opera and was blown away by the stage effects, music and vocals. The mood in August wasn't too negative, because I was really counting down to that one trip in September.
September 2013
I took part in my 7th consecutive SAFRA Army Half Marathon and was only disappointed by the many bottlenecks in the route, which cost an otherwise fair timing. I watched local film Ilo Ilo before the greater hype at the 50th Golden Horse Awards in November, and enjoyed the nostalgia, its simplicity and authenticity. The 2nd half of the month was spent mostly in Germany, where an epic road trip brought me back to places I've visited before and places I hadn't. It was unforgettable, with good food and beer every night, and a great escape from work.
October 2013
I spent about 2 weeks to make a video out of the Oktoberfest Trip in September, and it was my favourite trip video to date. It was uploaded to Youtube and now has a total of 537 views (Here!). A photobook of the trip was in the pipeline too (and is still in progress now). The highlight concert of the year was S.H.E 2GETHER 4EVER 亚洲巡回演唱会2013, which was one major event that all fans would have looked forward to. I had a great night there, and with its end, I lamented that there's "nothing else to look forward to next".
November 2013
A dreadful restructure in my team in the workplace changed some things for me and made the outlook gloomier. Outside work, I committed to T.H.I.S Buddhist Film Festival 2014, and am excited to contribute in this biennial event happening in September 2014. Two more music-related gigs took place and I didn't have to pay for them: The Sundown Festival 2013 and 第18届新加坡金曲奖. A Cousin's wedding rounded up the month in a positive note.
December 2013
I ran my 7th Full Marathon at the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore and clocked a poor timing. There was a Puja which my Dharma class was assigned to help out in, and it was a day to gain merits. Once again, I also glued myself to TV during the biennial SEA Games. The final 2 weeks of the year were dedicated fully to gatherings and parties, and I was pretty amazed that I managed to accommodate all 10 gatherings/parties without a single clash. (Company X'mas event; 4B gathering; Team-mate's birthday; OCIP potluck; Concert Group KTV; 07/04 guys mahjong; Navy Tiger's gathering; Campcomm BBQ; Squadmates X'mas; Navy Navigators gathering). The last moments of 2013 were spent at a social meetup event with the company of Navy batchmate JX.
人生是黑白的.
4:19 PM <3
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