Events and Such

Got caught in an unusual jam today..thanks the Le Tour De Langkawi. Planned very carefully to avoid the jam from yesterday and yet it happened.

Which got me to thinking on how Malaysians operate.. do we have the foresight to handle major events?

Having the course of the Tour running thru our major roads on a weekday is not the issue here. Its the plannning and the foresight of the organisers that should be brought to task for causing such massive inconvenience to the public and ultimately bad publicity for the event. Publicity? Hah! nobody even knew it was the Tour that was causing this headache!

Seen enough to know that this was a slip-shot-ly handled logistic. Organisers were more concerned about how much they were getting out of this rather then having the pride of a well thought off event.

Was at the Maybank Malaysian Open yesterday. Blatant disorganization galore with poor crowd control, poor signages, quality of food dropped, overwrought organisers and distressed looking sponsors. This is the 3rd (!!) year this event is organised and still we cant get it right. OK..so major sponsor cut the freakin budget but thats no excuse to shortchange the public and the sponsors.

Am into events as well and am glad that my partners take pride in the execution over profits. There are the usual clients who haggle over price. Very simple...if we can deliver the goods to OUR standards, we take the job. If not...walk away. Rather no business then bad business.

Heard that Levi's 501 had organised a Sting concert for the launch of their new jeans. Anybody knew about it? Hardly. Sting had initially refused to perform because paying ticket buyers came up to a measely 500!! At the end the organisers persuaded him to sing a FEW songs for the benefit for those who bought the tickets. Gracious as he was, he obliged.Sting! in Malaysia! and nobody knew about it!!! Lets not even get into the fiasco that was the Kings of Tennis in Penang..

Sarah Brightman is up next. Her LAST performance here was a logistical disaster as well as the organisers didnt get the dimensions of the stage correct and her stage oveflowed into the Royal Box...wouldnt be surprised if the organisers get wrong AGAIN this year...sheez!

God knows every event has its problems but if these screw ups are too basic and banal to be forgiven. Take pride in your work for God's sake...before its too late.