Assistant Director As an integral cornerstone of leadership competency development advocated by HR for management staff, I had the opportunity to build a multi-faceted career in tourism through exposure to different portfolios. These divisions include:
Media Relations and Communications: BTMICE (Business Travel, Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions) and Services (Education & Healthcare) Communications, Integrated Resorts and Cruise
Business Development: Arts (Lifestyle & Events division)
As the Assistant Director of the Communications Department, I was in charge of a team of five Managers and three Senior Officers responsible for the communications needs of five key tourism business units of the Board – Business Travel and MICE, Education Services and Healthcare Services, Integrated Resorts and Cruise. Job functions include:
Spearheading media relations, public communications and media events such as press conferences and launches, as well as the global media and communications strategies of all three business units.
Synchronizing the communications aims/strategies and deliverables of STB’s Headquarters and 26 Regional Offices in key markets across the world.
Drafting and vetting of Senior Management’s and Ministry of Trade and Industry Ministers’ speeches and public addresses; Accompanying Senior Management and Ministry of Trade and Industry Ministers to key official functions and events, while providing on-ground media management and communications support
Handling & responding to local and international media queries across leisure, MICE, travel trade, health and education publications and channels.
Strategic development, drafting and vetting of media FAQs, key messages, talking points and press releases, etc.
Managing the STB’s communications activities and campaigns to garner mindshare and international media coverage of dynamic tourism developments that are integral to the transformation of Singapore’s tourism landscape.
Top-line communications and media campaigns and projects which I managed include:
Launch of the new destination brand, YourSingapore, in Singapore, Berlin, Beijing, New York, London and Kuala Lumpur (March 2010 to present)
The Singapore Tourism Board Tourism Industry Conference 2010
International Monetary Fund/World Bank Group annual meetings in Singapore (September 2006) - Sole STB-appointed representative in the Media & Communications Taskforce of the S2006 (IMF/WB meetings) organizing committee led by the Monetary Authority of Singapore
ASEAN Tourism Forum (January 2007)
United Nations Environment Programme’s “Champions of the Earth” Award Ceremony 2006, 2007 and 2008
International MICE and tourism tradeshows including:
ITB Berlin (one of the world’s largest travel trade fairs) 2006, 2008 and 2010
EIBTM 2006 and 2007 (The Global Meetings & Incentive Exhibition), Barcelona
IMEX 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 (The Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events), Frankfurt
AIME (Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo), Melbourne (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009)
ITB Asia Memorandum of Understanding Signing between Messe Berlin and STB, and Press Conference officiated by the Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr S Iswaran (Dec 2007) and announcement of Messe Berlin’s strategic alliance with Meeting Professionals International at ITB Berlin (March 2008)
The Singapore Business Events Awards 2006, 2007 and 2008
Singapore Education Awards 2006 and 2007 officiated by the Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr S Iswaran, and the Minister of the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports, Vivian Balakrishnan respectively.
ASEAN Tourism Forum (January 2007)ASEAN Food Trail 2007 (9 July 2007)13th ASEAN Summit – Spouses’ Official Programme (20 November 2007)
Asian Aerospace 2006
International Furniture Fair 2006
Food & Hotel Asia 2006 and 2008
MICE Asia 2006
World Wildlife Fund launch of its regional HQ in Singapore
Appointment of the STB’s retainer PR agencies in Frankfurt and London (2007 and 2010)