Media, marketing and PR campaigns
Singapore’s successful bid for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) and subsequent global communications campaigns revolving around the YOG (August 2010)
Launch of the new destination brand, YourSingapore
APEC 2009 – Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit
Singapore 2006 which encompassed the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group
Champions of the Earth (the United Nations Environment Programme awards for exemplary environmental activists - April 2006, 2007 and 2008)
ASEAN Tourism Forum (2007 and 2008)
13th ASEAN Summit
Singapore Airshow 2008 and 2010
Cirque Du Soleil (Quidam) in Singapore (2006)
World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) Singapore 2005 and 2006
Botero in Singapore visual art exhibition (2006)
MAMMA MIA! (2006)
Sotheby’s arts auctions (2005 and 2006)
ARTSingapore (2005 and 2006)
Reflections
In my position as the Senior Vice President and Deputy Head of Group Communications, HSBC Singapore, I managed a team of nine Assistant Vice-Presidents and Vice-Presidents managing internal (corporate communications), external communications (marketing communications, media relations and PR) and CSR.
Prior to that role, as the Assistant Director of the Communications Division of the Singapore Tourism Board, I led a team of five Managers and three Senior Officers, and we were responsible for the communications and publicity needs of three key tourism business units including Business Travel and MICE (Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions), Integrated Resorts and Cruise. Before a re-organisation of the Communications Division in April 2009, my department was also tasked with the communications needs of the Education and Healthcare Services business units (Feb 2006 to April 2009).
I represented the STB in the Media and Communications Taskforce of Singapore 2006 or the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group as well as the Publicity Committee of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Singapore 2009, helmed by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA). I also formulated and delivered presentations to ASEAN tourism Ministers, ambassadors and political leaders, and served as emcee/master of ceremony for major pan-regional events such as the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2007, 13th ASEAN Summit Spouses’ Official Programme, and ASEAN Food Trail 2007.
I conceptualised and wrote speeches delivered by the Ministers for Trade and Industry including Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry; Mr S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, as well as the senior management of the Singapore Tourism Board for key events including: ITB Asia 2008 and 2009; the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the International Cruise Terminal (2009); Champions of the Earth 2006, 2007 and 2008; Bex Asia 2008 (building and construction industry trade event); Food and Hotel Asia 2007, 2008 and 2009; Tyrexpo 2008; AAMA-Tex (apparel machinery and accessories) 2008; SIGGRAPH Asia 2008 (computer graphics and interactive techniques); Games Convention Asia 2007; Safety & Security Asia; Asia Biofuels Conference; JIAM (International Apparel Machinery Tradeshow) 2008; Singapore Business Events Awards 2006, 2007 and 2008; Singapore Education Awards 2006 and 2007; HospiMedica 2006, 2007 and 2008, and CFO Summit 2006.
I developed strategic messaging and brand positioning for Singapore as a premium MICE and leisure destination, and regional hub for education and healthcare services, and organized international media familiarization programmes for journalists from leading media agencies from all over the world, and press conferences on the global stage eg at international tradeshows.
Additionally, I acquired extensive global communications experience, and was attuned to in-market cultural sensitivities and nuances which are key considerations in executing global media campaigns. In alignment with the Board’s global mandate, my team synchronized the communications strategies and deliverables of HQ and the Board’s 26 Regional Offices in key markets across the world (including Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and Middle East).
I also spearheaded above-the-line and below-the-line advertising and promotion budgets of over S$100,000 (Singapore 2006 or the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group; Cirque Du Soleil’s Quidam; MAMMA MIA!; WOMAD 2005 and 2006; Botero in Singapore exhibition, etc), supervised multi-million dollar infrastructural projects such as Marina Bay Sands development plans (arts and entertainment, and MICE attractions and facilities) and a S$40 million project to redevelop Capitol Theatre into a world-class performing arts centre.
As Head (Assistant Director) of the Arts Department of the Singapore Tourism Board (2004 – 2005), I identified global opportunities and led investment promotion missions representing the Board and Singapore Inc. to overseas markets such as London and Edinburgh (Edinburgh Arts Festival, August 2004), Basel (Art Basel) and Venice (Venice Biennale, June 2005), and to promote Singapore as a pro-business environment and top investment destination to museums, top producers, show impresarios and event management companies such as Guggenheim Museum, Cameron Mackintosh, Really Useful Group (Andrew Lloyd Webber), IMG Artists, Clear Channel and Art Basel (MCH Exhibitions).
Under my stewardship, my team successfully signed contracts with Real World, the organizers of WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) to anchor this international world music and dance festival in Singapore for three consecutive years (2006 – 2008), and with the international impresario company, Lunchbox Productions, to stage three blockbuster musicals in Singapore
include Phantom of the Opera (2007), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2007) and We will Rock You (2008).
Over the course of my career as a print, radio and TV journalist, correspondent and PR practitioner, I garnered an extensive network and contact database of local and international media from all sectors and cultivated my knowledge of a wide range of subjects including politics, business and financial news, lifestyle and leisure, science and technology, biomedical sciences, banking and finance, aviation, and infocomms, etc.
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 industries.
Over the years, I have garnered excellent management abilities, creative skills and technical proficiency in this field. I am adept at analysing demographic data, consumer and market trends, and studying site rankings to identify market opportunities and gather statistics on the impact of marketing and promotional activities and campaigns.
My previous 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 of three companies' external (consumer and industry) and internal websites – the Singapore Tourism Board, HSBC Singapore and Marsh & McLennan.
Consistently deliver web/online projects to schedule, ensuring management's satisfaction and developing high profile of the business
Notably, I was an integral part of a strategic team in the Singapore Tourism Board that launched Singapore's new 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.
I led my team to launch the new brand domestically at the Singapore Tourism Board's Tourism Industry Conference held at Resorts World Sentosa on 5 March 2010, as well as internationally at ITB Berlin, a major international tourism tradeshow, on 10 and 11 March 2010 via a press conference for German and international MICE and travel trade media at the Singapore pavilion as well as a launch party, Singapore Night, which showcased made-in-Singapore cuisines, a fashion show featuring designs by the local label, alldressedup, and 'live' music. Subsequently, I worked closely with STB's Regional Offices and their PR agencies in key markets worldwide to launch the brand and organise press conferences and media events in Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, New York (Times Square) and London. My workscope for this project spanned a wide gamut from the conceptualisation and execution of the PR and communications s strategies to the conceptualisation and production of a comprehensive suite of comms materials including speeches, press releases, media FAQs, key messages and factsheets etc to the organisation of press conferences and launch events in Singapore and worldwide.