ICP final reflection

-ICP Final reflection-

I really learnt and gained a lot by organising this project; in terms of collaborating and communication skills, usage of adequate communication in different situation and to different personae, and more importantly is that this project provide me a actual opportunity to practice and apply on what I have learnt throughout this three years.


I'm interested in both PR and media, especially in event management and film making, so this event is like a scale-down project which I will possibly be working on in the future, and working in the group of six is also the other great opportunity for me to collaborate with people from different background and professions before I jump into the real work.


Organising this project actually made me discovered the strength and weakness of mine which i didn't realize before. I always thought that I'm considered as quite a straight- forward person. But in organising this project, I found that I'm a bit indecisive and concern about others' feeling too much, even if that might the right thing to do. I'm a pacifist, I'd like to have a harmony group collaboration, maybe that's one of the reasons that made me hesitate to speak up the new ideas or insist my idea.


I also discovered my unexpected strength in working on this project, as I mentioned in the previous post, I'm not only a media component in the group, but also responsible for getting sponsorship, which is more about PR work. Working on sponsorship made me realise that I'm actually more patient than I though, because approach sponsors takes times, and to get them reply takes even more longer. Although there are lot more 'NO or brush off" than 'Yes' replied, I still stick at my job and keep trying, which I'm quite proud of myself.


I also found that working in a big group has its advantages and disadvantages. It is indeed good to have variety within a group because we can critically discuss from different perspectives, and which can reduce possibility of making mistakes.


However, the communication always takes time in working with a big group, and different communication methods need to be used in different situation. For example, our group have venue and cost problems occurred in the middle of the organisation, therefore we meet up for face-to-face discussion more often than others. And our group blog is also be mostly functioned effectively as a bulletin board; announces the decision been made in the meeting and updates of progress in individual role.

Take an insight into this inter-disciplinary collaboration in general, I felt that we could have done better if everyone collaborate more in not only their profession. Everyone in my group are great, they all stick with their own profession and get their jobs done well, but on the other hand, which also somehow limited the potential idea and plan.

People don’t really give advice outside their profession because they believe that people majoring in a particular stream will have definite better knowledge of it. indeed, it could be true, but it could also vanish exciting discussion and great ideas. I know I have sounded very contradictory, but it is the where this course contradictory I guess. :P

As being a Professional Communication student who specialised in media and PR, I'm capable to work in both areas and basic journalism works. But I was assigned to do media work at the beginning because we have too many people can do PR works (3 from Prof Comm and one from PR) and also, I'm the one have relevant t media skills and have taken media courses


Although my designated role is in media, I also assist in PR fields because organising this event required a lot of PR works, and also the media's work is just a small part of our event, which will only be executed on the event that night. And more importantly, I actually found myself more interested in doing PR than media in this project; I enjoyed contacting people, organising the venue...etc.


Overall, I’m satisfied with my job as being PR and media component in the group, and I'm happy to work on both event dvd (media) and getting sponsorship (PR). They might not be the most significant and brilliant ones, but are the two of the essentials made this event complete and run well. Besides, this two areas are both I'm specialised in my final year, so this project really give me chance to employ my skills and knowledge in this two fields.


Next, the most important thing I have learnt about organising such a event is always to have a back-up plan and work simultaneously. We have encountered similar problems throughout the whole organizing process –No Back Up Plan- and also because we didn’t work simultaneously, therefore once we stuck with one, which will also delay the rest as well. We spent a lot of time on waiting one’s reply, rather than working simultaneously, which is a good lesson I learnt from organizing this project.


Overall, I'm contended and pleased that what we have done had made this event came up successfully, and I do gain a lot throughout the whole organising procedure.