Starting a new company and trying to make it work is more important than trying to make it big. So it’s important to approach each business opportunity that comes your way with the right attitude. I don’t believe in second-chances. For me, it’s now or never, and I adopt a “can-do” attitude.
Last year, I managed several high profile media events, including a familiarisation trip for members of the overseas media visiting Thailand and two overseas press conferences. These were large jobs, which I had to organise on top of running the content strategy and production for my company’s main account, which requires the management of a team of six.
Initially, I thought that organising a fam trip for eight international journalists and writers would be a piece of cake. I’ve long been a member of the media myself, and over the years have attended countless fam trips and press conferences. Surely it was just a matter of sending out invitations, making some calls to book accommodation and transportation, and organising dinners and sightseeing trips?
How wrong I was. The fact is that organising a four-day/three-night fam trip for the MICE media required meticulous attention to detail. The ultimate goal was to ensure that my guests arrived safely and had a great first impression of the country. What’s more they had to leave having had a great time. I came across the same issues when I had to organise press conferences about Thailand, outside the country.
How do you make sure that your the event is well-received, and results in great coverage? You can’t leave anything to chance, and every element of an event has to be carefully planned, with contingency plans if things go wrong. After all, it’s my reputation on the line and the reputation of my clients too.
My main aim was to showcase Thailand as a top business events destination, which not only boasts state-of-the-art facilities but also a rich history with unique culture and traditions. The familiarisation trips also had to promote the kingdom’s royal projects as unique locations for incentive events. So I took on more team members, and oversaw every detail of the trip. This meant inspecting the hotels and restaurants, choosing original souvenirs for my guests and tasting the food they would eat. No stone was left unturned and it was like running a mental marathon every day. One minute I was sending my invitations to the media, the next I was preparing content. It was non-stop.
When the days of the event actually came, I had to take on several roles throughout the day. I was a tour guide, a bellboy, an emcee and even a waitress at times. You have to be willing to wear all these hats. I had a great team behind me and great business partners overseas who helped make sure that the press conferences went smoothly.
You know your hard work has paid off when events garner in-depth and positive coverage in the media and important publications. And I knew it was a success when I was asked to do it all again the next year.
Sirima Eamtako is managing director of The Amiris Co and consultant for the Bangkok Writer
