Making It Happen
Organising an event on an international scale is a mammoth task — more so when the event is a first of its kind. Meet some of the faces behind the Singapore International Water Week 2008.
Interviews Aaron Lye
MICHAEL TOH
GENERAL MANAGER, SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL WATER WEEK
He and his team ensured the Water Week ran smoothly. The father of one has been with PUB since 1993.
THE MISSION: “We want to develop Singapore into a global hydrohub, a centre for
water and water-related events. In the past, we organised smaller water conventions and events and brought in academics, technology experts and companies, but we wanted to create a Singapore event where we could have something for everybody in the water industry. Therein lies the genesis of Singapore International Water Week.”
THE PROCESS: “The Water Week was an initiative of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and PUB. The challenge for us and other agencies whom we worked with was to see how it could complement other water shows around the world. Those shows are giants in their own right and we were just starting out, so we wanted to see where our niche could be.
“We identified water technology and business solutions as areas we could focus on as Singapore is a showcase for that. We really wanted to show people how Singaporeans are enjoying their water resources, even though it’s limited. Forty years ago, we were struggling to meet our water needs, but now we’re actually meeting them and enjoying our waterbodies at the same time.”
THE CHALLENGES: “Being the first Water Week, putting together the event was a challenge as we had two other major events held concurrently: the World Cities Summit and East Asia Summit Conference on Liveable Cities, organised jointly by the Civil Service College, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
THE HIGH POINTS: “A bond developed among the various committees and a lot of friendships were made. My team, with the help of many others in PUB, was in charge of the day-to-day running of the event, and we worked together with our partners to coordinate and make sure the delegates were taken care of and had an enjoyable experience.”
THE DEFINING MOMENT: “Realising my team and I had the determination to make Water Week succeed, put it together and garner the support of the government. We also managed to get strong support from organisations like the International Water Association, International Desalination Association, Singapore Water Association and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.”
THE FUTURE: “We had a good start; feedback has been positive and more than 8,500 people attended the event. The challenge now is to come up with new ideas and continue to engage the leaders of the world to come to Singapore to discuss water issues. We’re already working hard for the next Singapore International Water Week, to make it the global platform for water solutions.”
WONG MAI YUN
DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER (COMMUNICATIONS), SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL WATER WEEK
A relative newcomer to PUB, she joined the organisation in February 2008
THE PROCESS: “We identified three main publicity phases. We wanted to raiseawareness of the event, profile Singapore as a global hydrohub and call for action to participate in or attend the Water Week. Among other things, we ran print ads in newspapers and trade magazines, sent regular e-newsletters, produced a high-quality pre-event book for distribution to potential attendees and got our official broadcast partner, CNBC, to air TV commercials across the Asia-Pacific region.
“As we moved closer to the date, we hyped up the festivity spirit and pitched stories to the media. During the actual event, we continued to help journalists line up interviews with speakers. We also formed a small editorial team internally to produce the Show Daily, the Water Week's daily newsletter, which was distributed to delegates to keep them informed of developments and activities.”
THE CHALLENGES: “Being an inaugural event, there was no template for my colleagues and I to follow. Another challenge was the coordination with various external parties. This was especially tricky as the Water Week was held in conjunction with two other events, the World Cities Summit and East Asia Summit Conference for Liveable Cities, and involved coordinating some areas of the publicity with other ministries.”
THE HIGH POINTS: “I had strong support from my Water Week team-mates and PUB’s Communications team. I also received great help from an intern who stuck by me through thick and thin! More than 200 journalists representing about 100 media outlets attended the event and we received more than 400 local and international media reports between March and July 2008. We also received good feedback for the Show Daily.”
THE DEFINING MOMENT: “There have been some memorable ones, such as Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize winner Dr Andrew Benedek telling me I’ve worked him very hard because I lined up so many interviews for him, and commending us for a fantastic publicity job.”
THE FUTURE: “We’re still shaping the programme for the next Water Week so it’s premature to reveal publicity plans. Currently, the nomination for the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2009 is open and we’re working on materials which we want to send to delegates who attended the 2008 event and to those we want to attract for 2009.”
DICK LEE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR & COMPOSER
The celebrity musician-composer penned the Singapore International Water Week theme song ‘Alive’ and served as creative director of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize award ceremony and banquet.
THE MISSION: “I am honoured to write the Water Week theme song and to conceptualise the dinner for the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize award ceremony and banquet. The Singapore International Water Week is an important landmark event not just for Singapore but also for the global environmental movement.”
THE PROCESS: “The inspiration behind ‘Alive’ is about recognising how precious our world is and how we must come together to keep it the way it is. When I was asked to write this song, I asked myself what water meant to me and what it means to people. Water is more than just a chemical composed of hydrogen and oxygen. It is a means of financial support to some, a source of beauty to others, but to everyone, water is life.
“I wanted to show how water is in everything, from the skies to the trees, to the oceans and the mountains. I also wanted it to be an emotional yet grand song that will resonate in the hearts of those who care for the future of our world and inspire them to never stop their good work.
“As for the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize award ceremony and banquet, there were many details to look into, from the stage design to the flower centerpieces on each table. I enjoyed working on every aspect to create a cohesive whole.”
THE CHALLENGES: “The hardest part with any show to be performed for a multinational audience is finding that common thread everyone can relate to. For the Water Week, finding a commonality was a little easier as all the delegates shared a common passion for water conservation and the betterment of our environment.”
WORD ON THE GROUND
What did participants think of the Singapore International Water Week?
"I enjoyed very much the first Singapore International Water Week. It was a very successful event. I liked the integration of topics related to water technology, management, regulation and business.”
- Prof Menachem Elimelech
Roberto Goizueta Professor of Environmental and Chemical Engineering (Yale University)
"Singapore International Water Week provided a new format for the water industry in Asia. As a first conference it exceeded all expectations and it is poised to become the ‘best practice’ conference for the region.”
- Dr David Garman
President/Chairman, International Water Association
"In the entire human history, no two countries have ever gone to war because of water, and it is very unlikely that this could happen during the next several decades.
“These views were substantiated during the first Singapore International Water Week which showed that solutions to the water problems of the world already exist. We already have the knowledge, experience and technology to solve these problems. What we need is better water governance.
By focusing on solutions, the Water Week has done the world of water a great service. If the first Water Week is any indication, there could be no doubt that within a few years it will be the remier water event of the world. This will not be unlike what Singapore has already shown to the world, that within a brief period of history, it is possible to radically transform an average case of urban water management to one of the best in the world, if not the best.”
- Prof Asit K Biswas
Stockholm Water Prize winner 2006, President, Third World Centre for Water Management, Mexico, and Distinguished Visiting Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore
"I am confident that the Singapore International Water Week brought substantial benefits for government leaders and experts in the water sectors, and I would like once again to reiterate our sincere appreciation to the event organisers, and our colleagues at the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in Singapore for their kind hospitality and warm welcome.”
- H E Fahmi Bin Ali Al-Jowder
Minister, Ministry of Works and Electricity & Water Authority, Bahrain
ALBERT LIM
VIP DELEGATE CHAUFFEUR, C&P RENT-A-CAR PTE LTD
VIP delegates travelling around Singapore were in safe hands with this veteran at the wheel.
THE MISSION: “When I found out I was assigned to the Singapore International Water Week, I was pretty excited. My company explained to me what the event was about and told me to prepare for the job.”
THE PROCESS: “We had to go for training on vehicle handling and defensive driving. We also had to be prepared for delegates asking us about Singapore. Usually, visitors will ask about our attractions, so we had to have the necessary information.”
THE EXPERIENCE: “I got to drive a Mercedes E-class that was specially provided by Cycle & Carriage for this event. I started the day with a vehicle check before meeting the delegates and driving them to their various conventions. It was interesting to take delegates to places we don’t usually go to, like the Changi Water Reclamation Plant and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.”
THE DEFINING MOMENT: “I managed to get a glimpse of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. It was pretty exciting because you don’t get to see him in person very often.”
THE FUTURE: “If I get the chance, I would definitely do this again. Events like the Water Week are good for Singapore because we are a small country and we always need to try something new in order to progress.”
OH ZHI HONG
STUDENT VOLUNTEER, REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC
This second-year student from the School of Hospitality is pursuing a Diploma in Integrated Events Management.
THE MISSION: “As a Singapore International Water Week student volunteer, I was tasked with packing goodie bags and served as an usher for delegates. I feel honoured to be placed in the frontline and given a chance to interact with delegates from various countries.”
THE PROCESS: “We were given roles based on our abilities and interests. When I attended the pre-training course prior to the event, I found out I would be ushering delegates who are important stakeholders of the event. Thanks to this training, I was better equipped to answer general questions likely to be asked by delegates.”
THE EXPERIENCE: “I was delighted to greet ministers and mayors from different countries. Witnessing first-hand a largescale event being planned and executed was a great learning experience for me.”
