Malaysia played host to the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2008, hailed as the best ever in its history. Meeting Planner talks to Dato’ Dan E Khoo, CEO of WCIT 2008 Sdn Bhd, the event organiser.
In May 2008, 3,313 delegates converged in Kuala Lumpur for the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2008, the largest-ever gathering of global leaders and decision makers on information and communications technology (ICT) for an event of this nature.
A Lucky Start
It was way back in 2002 when the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) and the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry Malaysia (PIKOM) took the first steps to bid for WCIT. Often billed as the Olympics of ICT, WCIT is a biennial event that brings together the world’s leaders in business, government and academia to impact economic and social development through the exchange of policies and ideas on technology.
WCIT is owned by the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA), which is a consortium of nearly 70 information technology (IT) industry associations from economies around the world. Each economy is represented by one member and in Malaysia, that member is PIKOM. PIKOM is also a member of the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO).
Dato’ Dan E Khoo, CEO of WCIT 2008 Sdn Bhd and also Vice President of MDeC says, “Typically, when it comes to Asia’s turn to host WCIT, ASOCIO will make a recommendation from amongst its members to WITSA to be the host. So far, WITSA has never rejected ASOCIO’s previous recommendations. For example, the ones held in Asia Pacific such as Japan, Australia and Taipei had been recommended by ASOCIO to WITSA. So, obviously for us to clear the first hurdle, we had to win the nomination of ASOCIO.”
Work began in 2002 to prepare the early plans and also to lobby for the support of ASOCIO’s members. Among the Asian countries that were keen to bid were India, Singapore and Malaysia, but it eventually boiled down to a two-horse race between India and Malaysia.
It was evident that both India and Malaysia had their own merits, as ASOCIO’s members voted equally for both countries, even after two rounds of voting. Eventually, the decision had to be made through the flip of a coin, and lady luck was smiling at Malaysia. So, in 2003, at the ASOCIO officers’ meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal, Malaysia was selected as the nominee for the Asian host. ASOCIO then communicated their recommendation to WITSA and it was accepted. At WCIT 2004 in Athens, Malaysia was announced as the host for the 2008 event and at the closing ceremony of WCIT 2006 in Austin, the WCIT crystal was handed over to Malaysia, as witnessed by then Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. That set the stage for Kuala Lumpur to be the first city in south east asia to host the event. Austin was at that time acknowledged to be the best ever WCIT and in delivering his closing speech, the Prime Minister declared that Malaysia will host the best ever WCIT in 2008.
The Real Work Begins
WCIT 2008 was jointly organised by MDeC and PIKOM, with the support of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). MDeC and PIKOM joined forces to form a management company WCIT 2008 Sdn Bhd and Dato’ Khoo was appointed as the CEO.
Work began in earnest with an ever growing team laying the groundwork for the event from mid-2006 right through 2007. Members of the team reached out to the target audience on the domestic as well as international front.
Time Pressure
“There were obviously many challenges. The traditional lead time for an event of this magnitude is roughly about four years. I had a much shorter timeframe as I only took over as the CEO about 18 months before the event,” says Dato’ Khoo.
Setting the Targets
A typical WCIT attracts about 1,800 delegates and generates sponsorships worth US$4 million to US$6 million. The WCIT 2008 team decided to set more aggressive goals and aimed for 2,500 delegates, 100 speakers and US$8 million in sponsorships. With such ambitious targets, coupled with the knowledge that some of the previous events had generated insufficient sponsorships and delegates, the pressure to perform was intense.
Creating a Strategy and Building a Framework
Being a blue ocean strategy practitioner, one of the first things Dato’ Khoo did was to put together a strategy and considered all the functional areas that had to be worked on. The team first built a framework and then put into place all the elements required to ensure a successful event.
“We looked at all the things that needed to be done and we put them together in a functional map. From the functionality, we identified the eight departmental teams required, which were sales, service, program, marketing, logistics, enterprise project management, experience and ancillary activities,” explains Dato’ Khoo.
The 8 Departmental Teams
• Sales Team
• Service Team
• Program Team
• Marketing Team
• Logistics Team
• Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Team
• Experience Team
• Ancillary Activities Team
“From each department, we broke it down into the necessary things that needed to be done, before, during and after the event. There were slightly more than 120 functional areas. From there, we mapped out 600 to 700 milestones that needed to be achieved, with their respective deadlines. Beneath those milestones were 3,000 to 4,000 activities that had to be monitored and carried out. Layer after layer, we dissected everything in detail,” he elaborates.
Recruiting Good People for the Short Term
One of the major challenges was the task of hiring capable people for only a short term. “When I took over, we had to recruit a new team and to train people on the job. As this was a short term attachment of about 18 months, we had to hire people on contract and after the event was over, they had to part company with us,” says Dato’ Khoo.
As most people who hold good jobs will not leave their jobs just for a short stint, the recruitment had to be done by painting a different picture, beyond monetary rewards. Most of the people who joined wanted to learn and experience from a global event and wanted to contribute to the country. Furthermore, there was the rare opportunity to rub shoulders with highly successful and prominent people who were the speakers and delegates.
The company started with only six staffs due to financial constraints but eventually enlarged its team to 43 fulltime staffs. As this small number wouldn’t be able to manage thousands of delegates and provide a meaningful experience, the company recruited 400 volunteers by advertising on its website and also by putting up posters at colleges and universities. In addition, there were also collaborations with various government agencies and the secondment of MDeC’s and PIKOM’s staffs to the event.
Reaching Out to Sponsors
The early stages were spent on reaching out to potential sponsors. As sponsorship dollars were not carried forward from the previous event, the team had to work from scratch by approaching potential sponsors, largely on a one-to-one basis through direct mail and also meeting up directly with them.
Recruiting Delegates
The delegates and visitors, however, had to be sought via multiple avenues that reached out to the mass market. The company signed up numerous media organisations as their partners. Among those were CNBC, on a global basis, and Astro, on the local front. In addition to broadcast media, print media organisations such as newspapers and magazines were also roped in. The company advertised the event on global TV channels such as CNN and CNBC, in the newspapers, in magazines such as Fortune and The Economist, and also in the Malaysian print media and TV, radio, billboards and buntings.
“Quite a hefty part of the advertising was sponsored by our media partners. We also used the online medium, by targeting specific databases of various organisations and our partners, to reach out to their members and contacts. These parties included WITSA, ASOCIO, MATRADE, MITI and PIKOM’s and MDeC’s own contacts,” reveals Dato’ Khoo.
The response was overwhelming once sufficient momentum was gained. Registration was closed one month early as full capacity had been reached but even after that, more people wanted to sign up. The company eventually sold 3,313 tickets even though the venue could only accommodate 3,000 delegates, but that didn’t pose any problems as there were so many things happening at the same time.
Friendly Malaysian Hospitality
Concerted efforts were made to ensure that everyone enjoyed friendly Malaysian hospitality and was treated to a world class experience. All the delegates were met at the airport upon arrival by volunteers who worked on shifts, while the VVIPs were taken to the lounge first before they were transported to their hotels.
“We organised one-to-one hosting for the VVIPs to provide personal attention. We had CEOs of top ICT companies who volunteered to become hosts to the VVIPs while they were in the country. BMW sponsored the use of their new cars to chauffeur the VVIPs around in comfort,” explains Dato’ Khoo.
At the next level, the company organised one-to-ten hosting and also for group servicing, there were ushers, usherettes and volunteers who came in to provide an additional level of experience. The delegates were feted to dinners every evening and also cultural dances and performances during the intermissions between speakers.
A series of ancillary activities were also organised to provide delegates with an all-encompassing experience. These include a golf tournament at renowned golf course Saujana Golf and Country Club. The company also organised technical tours to Cyberjaya, to showcase MSC Malaysia, as well as tours to some of the states that were sponsors. The delegates’ spouses were treated to visits to the Handicraft Complex, Batu Caves, Sungai Tinggi Homestay and the Royal Selangor Pewter Gallery, through the spouse programme. At the end of the conference, delegates were driven back to the airport, for a complete hospitality package.
The Fruits of Labour
WCIT 2008 surpassed all previous expectations in size and scope. George C. Newstrom, Outgoing Chairman of WITSA, had this to say about the event: “By any measure, this is the largest and best ever World Congress on Information Technology.”
WCIT 2008 was the anchor event which was supported by several other events. In total, there were five core and eight satellite events that attracted a total of 50,000 participants, comprising 7,405 delegates and 42,659 exhibition visitors from more than 92 countries. WCIT 2008 itself brought in 3,313 delegates, including 539 from the media, against the average of 1,800. The event raised US$11.12 million in sponsorships from 81 partners, against US$6 million from the previous event in Austin. 100,000 sq ft of exhibition space was sold out, compared to about a quarter of that size in Austin.
WCIT 2008 featured 105 speakers, including some of the most admired names in industry, such as Bill Gates (via holographic technology); Dr J. Craig Venter, the celebrity genome scientist; Intel Corporation’s Chairman Dato’ Dr Craig Barrett; Google’s Dr Vinton G. Cerf, one of the fathers of the Internet, and many others.
B2B deals, investments and sales secured amounted to roughly RM8.3 billion, that led to about 20,000 jobs being created. In addition, 1,023 structured business meetings were organised, where the business opportunities listed was to the tune of RM3 billion.
Dato’ Khoo is relieved that they were able to carry out an event that pleased all its stakeholders and even its sponsors. To add a feather to his cap, Dato’ Khoo was also elected the new chairman of WITSA.
Advice to Future Conference Organisers
For Dato’ Khoo, it’s not enough just to do the right thing. “It’s important to do the right thing, do them right, and also to do them at the right time. For example, recruiting delegates is the right thing to do, but if you were to do it two years before the event, it wouldn’t be the right time to do it, simply because nobody signs up so far ahead,” he explains.
What was crucial to the success of the event? Dato’ Khoo opines that in the end, it’s the people who make it happen. “But for them to make it happen, they must feel that what they’re doing is meaningful and they must be in an environment that nurtures and motivates them as well. If everyone’s moving together in the right direction, then wonderful things can be achieved. But if they’re all over the place and don’t know what they’re supposed to do, then things can spiral down very quickly. Nothing is perfect. There’ll be challenges along the way, but it’s how you overcome them that decides the outcome,” he concludes.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
