Be a Manager.

Ben & Jerry's Chunk Fest, 6th December 2008
Celebrating Peace, Love & Ice Cream!

1) What is the objective of this event?
The objective of the event was to introduce new flavors of ice cream. These exclusive flavors were only available at Chunk Fest. It was also a day out to have fun and relax with your loved ones while enjoying ice cream. After all, who doesn't love ice cream! Families and friends gathered and attended the event and enjoyed music, ice cream and also other activities that were held on that day. Some of the activities included face painting, tarot card reading and airbrush tattooing. There were also music acts that were invited to play on the Ben & Jerry's stage.

2) Who is the target audience?
Basically, food junkies. People who love ice cream. The main target audience though would be Ben & Jerry's fans/lovers. Also since it is a festival with lots of fun filled activities, it attracted families, with children especially.

3) How is the event publicized?
There were banners and posters that were put up at Ben & Jerry's outlets at the Cathay, VivoCity and Raffles City, to name a few. Other than that, there were also emails that were being sent out. The event was mentioned on the radio, namely 98.7FM. The DJs were discussing the event on air. On top of that, they had stickers of the event pasted on Ben & Jerry's refrigerators that could be found all around Singapore, at 7-eleven outlets and such.

4) Is the event reported in the media?
The event was not covered widely by the media. I would think that because the event did not attract ample amount of people for the event to have wide media coverage. It was more of a company affair for Ben & Jerry's. Another reason is that, the event was not that exciting. It could have been so much better. The activities that were planned for the day was not very packed and the huge stage that was set up on the middle of the whole festival was empty half of the time I was there. Event organisers should never let something like that happen. There should always be things happening on stage and all around the event venue.

The event however created a buzz amongst bloggers and ice cream lovers who attended the event. There were a lot of blog entries and pictures posted about the event. It was reported, but not by official media but by everyday bloggers who attended the festival.

5) Assume you are the manager overseeing this project. Evaluate the success/ failure of this event. How would you do it differently for greater success?
If I were the manager, I would say the event was pretty much a success but it could have been much better.

It rained that afternoon and there was limited shelter and all the activities were abandoned due to the rain. If I were the manager, I would have planned beforehand, a wet weather program. Maybe I would have tented the whole area so that the rain would not affect the event. Or rather, I would have planned something at the indoor area of Fort Canning Park, in case it rains and the outdoor activities could not be carried out.

Also, I would have made a brochure or something of that sort and gave it out to people. Inside the brochure, I would have printed a map of the place and details on the activities that were going on that day. This would make it easier for the people to know where they can go, and what they can do, at what time.

On top of that I would have provided more shelter, and rest places for the comfort of those who attended the event. I understand that Fort Canning is a park and people sit on mats at parks but then again in the event if it rains, which it did, the grass would be wet and muddy and it would not be convenient for people to sit on the wet grass.

One of the most important things is that I would have better promotional prices for the ice cream sold on that day. I know that the company would want to reap in the most amount of profits but since it is a festival, where we want people to have fun and enjoy the event, I would slash the prices of ice cream on that day only.

Last but not least, I would probably plan the event at a more accessible place. Maybe at Esplanade, or at the Padang, where it is more accessible and easy for people to get there. Fort Canning is not a bad place either, but there could have been a better place to hold the event at.

To end of my post, enjoy these pictures!
I lost most of my pictures because my laptop crashed.
This is all I've got!



Signing off,
Dian Kamelia.

The Manager

Name: Sheila Abdul
Age: 47 years young (as quoted from Miss Sheila)
Designation: Customer Visits Manager
Company: Tetra Pak Asia Pte Ltd

Miss Sheila has been working in the company for more than two decades and has worked in various departments in the past, before she was promoted to the position of Customer Visits Manager. She is a very well-spoken and committed career woman who handles her job professionally. Being married with two kids, she juggles her time between her job and her family really well and says that it “all comes down to good time management.”

Miss Sheila is always travelling around, and even across the continents, giving presentations at other Tetra Pak companies. Being with the company for so long, Miss Sheila is quite known to a lot of people. As such, she is the contact person for any meetings, conferences, seminars, training or workshops that is to be held in Singapore. She is tasked to organise meetings overseas, e.g. in Chiang Rai, Dubai and Bangkok. Miss Sheila has also been on a road show for an exhibition to Atlanta and Minneapolis in USA and Vienna in Austria.

On top of all that, Miss Sheila is constantly upgrading herself. Besides juggling between her job and family, she is also currently taking a part-time Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management at MDIS. I must say that she is a true Wonder Woman.

I had to conduct the interview through email, as Miss Sheila was in Korea to attend some meetings there and to participate in a seminar organised by the company. This is what she had to say about her position as a manager in the company:

Q: Briefly describe your job responsibilities as a manager.
A: Basically, I am in charge of the reception. I plan the programme and make arrangements for both local and overseas customers who come to visit our office for whatever purpose. I have to make sure all conference rooms on site are tidy and all equipment in the room is workable. Also, I have to maintain the Product Room, where we showcase all the products that our company packed worldwide. Organising meetings, conferences and such are also a huge part of my responsiblities.

Q: What is your management style? How do you go about managing?
A: I am always open for new ideas, improvements. I encourage open discussions and team-work among colleagues. I also believe in transparency in our work so that we can work well together.

Q: What are some of the difficulties you face as a manager?
A: Most of the time I face people problem. Motivating the employee as the nature of our work can be quite routine.

Q: How do you overcome these difficulties?
A: I am always looking out for opportunities for the team. It is also important for me to hold regular department meetings - every quarter to hear from the staff. Besides that I encourage the staff to look at their own career movements by taking courses to improve themselves, etc.

Q: In your opinion, what makes a good manager?
A: A good manager has to be open-minded, and be transparent in what you do. Be firm in the objective that you set for the department and follow-up on it.

From what Miss Sheila has said in the email interview, I can safely say that Miss Sheila approaches management more to the human relations. She stresses on the importance of good communication between her and the people she works with, in order to achieve the best results for the company. She is always looking out for opportunities for the work force’s growth. Interpersonal relations between her and colleagues are definitely important to Miss Sheila.

Miss Sheila is a not only a good manager, but she is also a successful leader. I believe she has a strong and positive influence over her workers at the office due to her strong values in life and how she manages it.

It is hard to find a successful career woman, who can prioritise her time and responsibilities like how Miss Sheila does. With all the contributions and efforts, Miss Sheila Abdul is definitely a gem to the company.

Recruitment Ads

Task: Write a recruitment advertisement for Media Biz Advertising, for the position of Account Executive. You should include all the important and necessary details.

____________________________________________________

Broadcast Journalist (Local Music Scene News)

• Minimum Diploma required
• Have a flair in English, both written and spoken
• Efficient in Microsoft Office (Word and Powerpoint)
• Fun and outgoing personality
• Passion for music
• Knowledge of both local and international music scenes
• Possess a good voice
• Good communication skills

Work shifts: Able to work long hours and also work on public holidays
Income : Minimum $30,000 per annum (negotiable)

Job Responsibilities

• Manage Local Music News section on the radio at given schedule
  
• Find and update station's playlist on local music every two weeks
• Get exclusive interviews and scoops on the music scene
• Plan gigs and performances to expose local music
• Gather and write news for radio bulletins
• Generate new story ideas for radio bulletins, and do follow-up
• Able to keep up with audience expectations and standards
• Organise meetings/press conferences/appointments when needed

Company Description

MediaBiz is an award-winning company which aims to always achieve and attain our best for every and any project that are given to us. Our company has been around for almost ten years now and our audience has been growing constantly. Due to the variety of programmes that we offer, we have a large base of audiences, ranging from children to working adults.

Our company has a very driven and commited workforce that are always on their toes and ready to take on any job given to them. They provide the best quality of work and always put in 101% effort for the company's clients.

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If you think you are up for the challenge and meet all our requirements and more, do send your application letter and detailed resume to:

The Human Resource Manager
MediaBiz Singapore
MediaBiz Broadcast Centre
Singapore 732156
Office Number: 62221234
Email: hrdepartment@mediabiz.sg
Website: http://mediabiz.com.sg

Cheers!