On the 1^st and 2^nd of August, 2018, the Phoenix Contact SEA team organized Highlights Workshop 2018, a product-driven event for all our staff as well as distributors within Southeast Asia. The main purpose of this workshop is to enable participants to familiarize themselves with our new products. Accompanied by our guest speakers from Germany, the organizers and presenters worked really hard to make this event a huge success. (Hey, planning and execution of a large-scale event isn’t always as easy as it seems!)

Besides planning the program schedule, we also had to source for suitable locations for the event. After analysing our options, we have decided to hold the event at the same location as Highlights Workshop 2017 last year, which was at Changi Village Hotel. Miscellaneous preparations such as décor also had to be done, such as blowing balloons and arranging LED coloured lights. If you think that’s tedious, it was nothing compared to the preparations needed on the event day itself! Organizers have to be up really early to ensure everything is smooth-flowing, and that there are minimal hiccups throughout the event.

On the first day of the workshop, the confusion began, especially with regards to directions. Although the entire program list had been printed out on the agenda, some participants still took a fair bit of time to figure things out. Some were asking us where the washrooms were, while others could not find their respective venues. Splitting up a huge group into four different teams (unlike last year) has its benefits, such as encouraging more feedback in smaller groups. However, we realise that with separate venues, especially during different timings, clarity is key when it comes to directions. While we were able to usher participants into their respective rooms, time would be spent better if they could figure it out themselves on the spot. For example, we should have placed a signboard at the central reception area to indicate the directions to each room, as well as the washroom. On the second day, it was less haphazard as participants already knew what to expect.

The sharing sessions were extremely informative. Most participants preferred being in smaller groups, rather than in a large, combined group. More people were willing to ask questions and share their opinions with others. Each group was rotated evenly throughout their time slots and everyone had a chance to listen to every single speaker. Distributors also got a chance to meet their competition (a.k.a. other distributors) during this workshop, and discuss relevant experiences and challenges faced.

During the prize presentation ceremony, we handed out the ‘Long Service Distributor’ Awards as tokens of appreciation, to distributors who have worked with us for 20 years or more. Yes, we have been established that long! Additionally, other awards such as huge, successful SEA projects were handed out to the appropriate country representatives.

We did have some negative feedback about the food served during the tea-break, as well as during lunch/dinner time. Not everyone found the quality or taste of the food up to their expectations (we can’t please everybody!), though we can only learn from this and improve on it in the years to come.

Highlights Workshop 2018 would not be a success without the organizers, our fellow colleagues and our beloved distributors. We hope to see you again next year. Till then, your feedback is definitely appreciated.