I have garnered over 20 years of experience in the fields of media and journalism, B2B and B2C communications, marketing, branding, business development and investment promotion within the financial services, tourism and hospitality, and media sectors, and established myself as a multi-skilled, highly motivated and effectively bilingual communications and marketing communications specialist with a vast network of local and international media contacts, and a wide spectrum of core competencies including PR and corporate communications; internal and employee communications; marketing and branding; advertising and media buy; media relations and engagement (local and international); digital and social media channel campaigns and communications; event management, and issues management and crisis communications, among others.
I am equally competent at managing and driving an integrated marketing and communications campaign on the local and global level; hosting an international press conference or a gala event; presenting to Ministers and foreign dignataries, and reading a TV news bulletin beamed ‘live’ to tens of millions of audiences across the Asia-Pacific region.
I have spearheaded integrated communications, media and marketing campaigns for major national and international events and projects including:
• HSBC Women's Champions (2011 – 2013) • The inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore (2010) • Global launch of the new Singapore destination brand, YourSingapore • International launch of the integrated resorts, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa (2010) • APEC or Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit (2009) • Singapore Airshow 2008 and 2010 • Champions of the Earth (the United Nations Environment Programme awards for exemplary environmental activists - 2006, 2007 and 2008) • ASEAN Tourism Forum (2007 and 2008) • The Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group (2006) • Cirque Du Soleil (Quidam) in Singapore (2006) • World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) Singapore 2005 and 2006
Digital Media Experience:
I am well-versed at leveraging social and digital media technology, platforms and channels to build brand cache and drive sales and revenue from products, services and experiences in the tourism, hospitality and banking, and automotive industries.
Over the years, I have honed excellent management abilities, creative skills and technical proficiency in this field. I am adept at driving impactful SEM and SEO campaigns that aim to optimise leads and increase sales funnel conversion rate, and gathering and leveraging analytics on the reach and impact of marketing and promotional activities and campaigns.
My present and past responsibilities, and achievements in this area span the following: • Commission, produce, vet and publish compelling web content via the organisation's propriety content management system • Contributed to the successful launch and revamp, and day-to-day maintenance and optimimsation of five companies' external and internal websites: 1. The Singapore Tourism Board (www.yoursingapore.com) 2. HSBC Singapore (www.hsbc.com.sg) 3. Marsh & McLennan Companies (www.mmc.com)
• Notably, I was an integral part of a strategic team in the Singapore Tourism Board which launched Singapore's digital media destination brand, YourSingapore, in March 2010. YourSingapore characterises the unique truth of Singapore – that its concentration of offerings is easily accessible and user-friendly, empowering travellers to easily personalise their own Singapore experience according to their desires and preferences.
I was tasked with the following business objectives: • Develop the digital brand and media strategy • Help local and international industry partners, Singaporeans and overseas visitors to understand the new brand identity. • Secure the acceptance and endorsement of local and international industry partners and Singaporeans. • Motivate Singaporeans to embrace the new brand.
Key Media and Marketing Campaigns:
• Youth Olympic Games (August 2010) My team collaborated with the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports (MCYS) to embark on an international media campaign comprising press conferences, press releases, media statements and direct pitching to international media agencies to announce Singapore’s successful bid to be the host city for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2010. Leading up to the staging of the YOG in August 2010, we worked closely with the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, MCYS and fellow government agencies and private sector partners to leverage this high-profile international event to galvanise Singapore’s vision to be a centre for sporting excellence and to bolster Singapore’s standing as a compelling destination for major international events.
• APEC Singapore 2009 (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit), October and November 2010 Working closely with my team, we organised a host of press conferences and media previews for APEC Singapore 2009 which garnered significant local and international media coverage. These included: Press Briefing on APEC Leaders' Week & Overview of Singapore Evening (19 Oct 2009); Press Briefing on Singapore Evening – Concert and Waterfront Dining (21 Oct 2009); A media preview of the dress rehearsal of the Singapore Evening concert; a site walk-through of the Waterfront Dining area for the local media (13 Nov 2009) at The Esplanade – Theatres by the Bay, and a press briefing to showcase the gastronomical offerings that were presented and served to APEC Leaders, Ministers and Senior Officials (10 Nov 2009) at the International Media Centre at Suntec City Convention Centre. We also organised themed media familiarisation tours and programmes (along the themes of gastronomy/culinary arts, nature/eco-tourism and arts and culture) for the accredited APEC Singapore 2009 international media (approximately 1,500 media in total).
• The Singapore Tourism Board Tourism Industry Conference, March 2010 The Tourism Industry Conference is the STB's biggest and most prominent tourism industry event of the year. It aims to be a collaborative industry platform for the tourism and travel trade industry to congregate and explore future-oriented perspectives on the development of tourism in Singapore. At the conference, the STB unveiled the new destination brand, YourSingapore, and shared its outlook for the tourism industry as well as plans for 2010. I led a team of three managers to manage and organise this conference, working closely with the venue, Resorts World Sentosa, and our professional event organiser, Pico, to maximise limited resources and organise the conference itself, the launch of the new destination brand, five industry breakout sessions after the conference, as well as a press conference for local and international media.
• Integrated Resorts Communications The Integrated Resorts (IRs) communications portfolio has honed my issue management and crisis communications skills. My role was multi-faceted and cross-functional, and I had to operate within tight deadlines and demanding situations to deliver whole-of-government communications efforts that required complex and intricate project management know-how, synergistic inter-agency and public-private sector collaborations.
At the point that the portfolio was assigned to me in April 2009, Resorts World Sentosa was preparing to launch its first phase of operations and there was no framework of inter-agency alignmentandcollaborationonpubliccommsforIR-relatedissuespre-opening andpost-opening. I was tasked with the formulation and formation of the incipient IROC (Integrated Resorts Operational Committee) Comms Sub-Group which later morphed into the current Integrated Resorts Public Comms Taskforce (IRPCT).
I laid the foundation of the first inter-agency comms taskforce and undertook the following initiatives: 1. Consolidate and align member agencies' holding lines and key messaging for issues that would likely be raised by the IRs or media and public. 2. Fornulate and implement common SOPs for the management of Guest-of-Honour (GOH) requests and the calibration of GOH representation at IR events. 3. Fornulate a roadmap of events, announcements or policy initiatives so as to synchronise and synergise member agencies' key milestones, PR activities and attendant key messaging. 4. Consolidate a schedule of critical milestones (optimal timeline) of both IRs for contingency planning. As Deputy Co-Chair of the IRPCT, my role was to ensure the smooth and seamless coordination and alignment of comms messaging and activities among the agencies and vis-a-vis the IRs. I also formulated a set of crisis comms SOPs to mitigate and manage inflammatory issues such as the proposed whale shark exhibit in Resorts World Sentosa and the phased/progressive opening of the two IRs. Other IR related issues which I have managed include: the opening of the two IRs, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa; delays in approvals for licence applications eg casino licences; traffic and accessibility (manage public expectations of congestions and inconveniences); social ills and safeguards (manage public expectations of casino crimes and social safeguards eg casino entry levies), and manpower issues (manage public/industry/IRs' expectations of the ratio of local versus foreign employees).
• Singapore Airshow (February 2008) The inaugural Singapore Airshow (19 – 24 Feb 2008), organised by Singapore Airshow and Events Pte Ltd, was an iconic event for Singapore’s aviation, logistics and transport engineering sector. I initiated the organization of an international media familiarization programme and sought the buy-in of Singapore Airshow and Events Pte Ltd. The objective of the programme was to leverage the event to showcase Singapore’s appeal as a MICE destination for large-scale and iconic events, reinforce Singapore’s standing as an exchange capital and regional hub for the aviation, logistics and transport engineering sectors, and profile the new Changi Exhibition Centre, Asia’s largest purpose-built air show site. I mobilized the STB’s international network of Regional Offices to disseminate strategic media materials eg corporate factsheets and press releases, and led my team in organising an international media familiarization visit comprising 21 journalists from key overseas MICE markets including India, North America, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam. Estimated Media Value/Return on Investment for the programme: SGD1 million
• IMF/ World Bank Group Annual Meetings (or Singapore 2006) in September 2006 I spearheaded pan-regional and global media and communications strategies and media relations activities and initiatives undertaken by the STB which was the lead agency for Singapore 2006 social events and functions, and accommodation and hospitality. I led a team in organizing press conferences; commissioning MediaCorp to produce a news documentary video aimed at raising the profile of Singapore as a leading MICE destination (a copy of the video is available upon request); liaising with top political figures and heads of banking and financial institutions to solicit quotes and testimonials; handling media queries from media agencies around the world; producing press releases, editorials and advertorials; managing international media familiarization visits for MICE and business journalists from Europe and North America, as well as soliciting retail and F & B deals and promotions for 16,000 S2006 delegates.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Inaugural Champions of the Earth Awards 2006 and 2007 in April 2006, 2007 & 2008 I was in charge of communications and media strategies aimed at garnering extensive local and global media coverage for the awards, which were anchored in Singapore for the first time outside of the United States. I led a team which works closely with the United Nations Environment Programme team based in Nairobi and the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources to undertake media campaigns, and organize press conferences and media events at the venue, Shangri La Hotel, as well as media familiarisation trips for journalists from the world over eg UK, North America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle-East.
• ASEAN Tourism Forum 2007 (ATF 2007 – 30 January 2007) I conceptualised, produced and delivered a 15-minute 'live' presentation on Singapore's key tourism developments and dynamic transformation as a leading leisure and business destination to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Tourism Ministers from ASEAN countries, and the Secretary- General of ASEAN Mr Ong Keng Yong, at the ATF Opening Ceremony at Raffles City Convention Centre on 30 January 2007. The presentation was telecast 'live' on Channel NewsAsia to regional countries and covered on the front page of major English language newspapers such as The Business Times on 31 January 2007.
• ASEAN Food Trail 2007 (9 July 2007) Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Singapore Tourism Board, the ASEAN Food Trail which was launched on 9 July 2007 showcased the culinary and cultural unity and diversity of ASEAN at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, as part of the ASEAN 40th anniversary celebrations. The then Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Information, Communication and the Arts, Dr Balaji Sadasivan, was the Guest-of-Honour. The event was well-attended by ambassadors representing the ASEAN countries and prominent members of the ASEAN business communities. I led a team of six tasked with conceptualizing and managing the event across the whole spectrum, including media relations. I was also emcee and host of the event.
• 13th ASEAN Summit – Spouses’ Official Programme (20 November 2007) Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Singapore Tourism Board, the 13th ASEAN Summit Spouses’ Official Programme was a specially customised hospitality programme conceived and curated for the spouses of ASEAN Leaders (including Ministers, Heads of State and Ambassadors) who were congregating in Singapore for the 13th ASEAN Summit. The spouses were hosted to lunch by Mrs Lee Hsien Loong at the iconic National Museum of Singapore. The key highlight and focal point of the programme preceding the luncheon was the “Postcards Across ASEAN” competition award ceremony. I led a team of seven tasked with conceptualising and managing the event across the whole spectrum, particularly PR and media relations. I was also the master of ceremony and host of the event.