Rewind back when the first time I can work internationally (year 2015)..
This opportunity is rare.. But because of this, I get more opportunities..
This opportunity is rare.. But because of this, I get more opportunities..
This is the first step and there it goes for the rest of the events that I have gone through from 2014-2020.
People said the event field is stressful, tired, bla bla bla.. But I found the excitement, achievement, the joy when I started my first volunteer event back then during college time.
I have found my passion which is work and travel. The journey start from year 2011.
YEAR 2011
I was in my Diploma year, was deciding weather to continue my degree studies. Anyway this is not the point I wanted to share. During college journey, over the weekend I will always find some part time job (earn some side pocket money). And then I saw a post in need of crew/volunteer for events during these days/time/ given allowances or entitlements by committing to it. So I sign up for it. Every month without fail I will be volunteering. From this volunteering I get to know a lot people and this very special person, her name is Nik.
She is the reason I can keep continue volunteering for many sports events. She is the reason I join an event called ATP Malaysia Open Tennis. She is the reason I got my internship and my first event job.
Volunteering in ATP Malaysia Open Tennis is the most wise choice that I have ever made. Despite I have to skip classes to go volunteering but is worth it. 😛 I was assigned to help in credential department. Which the task is to produce credential tag access to players/medias/staffs/contractors/and more. So I was assisting Alina & Joelah (Credential Manager at that time). I can't remember much as this was my first time and I just do whatever manager asked me to do.
YEAR 2012I am repeating again to be volunteer in ATP Malaysia Open Tennis for my 2nd time. This time I can remember that, I was isolated into a small room, I was given 70% - 80% trust to handle the credential department by myself (I don't know what to do, I created some of my own system). By the way, the event was held in Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil now known as Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil, the court was man build by contractors, was amazed by it.
YEAR 2013Surprises, I been told to take up the manager role. Meaning to said, I am fully in charge of credential department. Since then I been chop, sign, seal to manage credential matter forever (for the IMG team I meant). Yea, so I took up the challenge and go for it. I am not sure how I survive, but thank god I have Red Crescent volunteering skills that I have learn and also come out with my own system to manage the credential department. Thank god, bosses are impress with my work. They happy, I am happy. 😏 Why I keep stress out this ATP Malaysia Open Tennis job only because it will link back to the earlier story (work internationally).
YEAR 2014
This year I have internship that I need to go through. I was supposed to go Singapore for internship but long short story, my internship takes place in Malaysia in this company called Hivelocity Events Sdn Bhd. Which is introduced by Nik again. So I went through the process same like other universities/college student. Before my internship almost end, boss offered me a full time job. After my internship end, I will graduate from Degree studies. Without hesitating, I agreed to the offered. There goes my working life. Oh, few things happen that was, I just started working, and I got bonus from the company (the first and last!!). Then the company name was change from Hivelocity Events Sdn Bhd to World Endurance Malaysia Sdn Bhd (because the company main event was Ironman Malaysia after then).
Events that I have been involved (mostly running events):
- Malaysia Women Marathon
- Malaysia Breakfast Day
- Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya
- Standard Charter Kuala Lumpur
- Sundown Malaysia
- Shimano Highway Challenge
- Great Eastern Live Great Run
- Johor Baharu 10K
- Ironman Malaysia Langkawi
- TIME Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya
Working in this company, there is up and down. Happy and sad moment. Joy and tearful moment. Because of this full time job, I couldn't commit to ATP Malaysia Open 2014. They have to find replacement. Although I was not with IMG team, but I know bits of bit of rumors what happen in credential department. They was saying the new guy that they hired was a mess, have to fired and re-hired again, and more. Sorry for the team, but I have a full time job to work on.
YEAR 2015
I decided to resign from the company and go with freelance. My last day with the company was April 2015. After that, I a bit like free bird looking for freelance job. So this time, I commit back to ATP event, but longer period. Help out in operations while waiting for credential work to be done. Forgot to mention, because ATP happens in the month of September every year, during my birthday week, so IMG team will celebrate my birthday every year. Not only me, there is 3-4 staff their birthday fall in the month of September too. But sadly to said ATP Malaysia Open Tennis will held in Malaysia for the last time because government doesn't want to renew the contract collaboration. So in year 2016, ATP Malaysia Open will be held in Chengdu, China. 
Because I have the close relationship with IMG Team, I have build the trust with them, Operation Director, Tinny asked me to help out in WTA Shenzhen Open 2016. I was like, my dream came through. I can work internationally. I was told to go for almost 3 weeks. I am so happy and excited. So I need to apply for visa/ prepare clothing as is winter time when I go over/ ask around of my friends what should I prepare. Day by day pass, its my time to go. Cause is my first time, my mom send me personally to airport and make sure I enter the departure hall. During check in luggage, my luggage overweight.. 😜 I have to take out some stuff and asked mom to bring back home.
After 4 hours+ flight, I have arrived Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. FYI, this first time I am going together with another friend named Cheah. He is frequent flyer and work with IMG for quite some time. So for him is just normal overseas working trip. Again because is first time for me everything, so I go with the flow. Adjust to the situation and environment. Overall, I am very happy I knew this IMG team, that I have this kind of opportunity; get to know more friends; get to explore more. By the way, 1 disadvantage that I have is I can't read Chinese. If I can read Chinese, they will assign more task for me to do. But because if this, I have limited task, need to always dependent on translation.
random group photo
signature lamb dish in Futian
this is the credential tag I am producing
YEAR 2016
I am celebrate Christmas 2015 & New Year 2016 in Shenzhen. Because the event will start first week for January. The event went smooth, everything went well. There is a little time after we packed up everything, managed to go around Shenzhen city by taking their public transport (of course with the guide from the local staff). 
Team Dinner
Walk around the city
Get to experience business flight
After I came back from Shenzhen, Tinny have few job line up. Glad to be involve with her.
March 2016 - Powerman Malaysia happening at Dataran Putrajaya. Since I am in freelance, so I agree to help out this company called E-Plus Entertainment Productions (M) Sdn Bhd. I help out this job about 2 months. Travel back and forth to office - venue - home. It's the 1st time for this company to organize this event. Powerman is Duathlon event which include run-cycle-run. So I knew Jerry aka Event Manger of this company aka Event Director for this event. Since after that, Powerman Malaysia has become Jerry's baby (meaning this event will be always in-charge by him)
Powerman Malaysia 2016
I still remember, the most horror Race Pack Collection. As we are using manual system, using google drive. Link among the laptops. Meaning to said if the internet system is down, then we couldn't synchronize our files. And because of this manual system, it slow down the collection. Participants are complaining everywhere.
Besides that, the timing chip is huge, it cannot fit into the race bib package. The volunteer have to take timing chip, bib number, T-Shirt & goodies bag separately. Apart from that, I have to deal with missing timing chip/volunteer mistaken given somebody else timing chip.
Race pack collection ended, next day is show time. All the hard-work, sleepless night, will be paid off. It's a new experience to handle biggest duathlon ever in Asia. We broke Guinness World Records. At the end, most of us become zombie after the race ended.
After done and dust with Powerman Malaysia, it's time for me to rest. E-Plus boss want to offered me a full time job. This time I kind of hesitated because I want to follow Tinny's footsteps to be freelancer and get project jobs. But because I have tried for half year in 2015, it is really difficult, as a newbies. Not much contact, really hard to survive with just 1-2 projects in hand. So I accept the full time job with condition, I can follow Tinny if she have other projects on-going. And I have agreed to help out in Spartan Race Malaysia, after that I can join E-Plus as full time staff. Boss accept the condition. So officially I joined E-Plus Entertainment company since March 2016 until March 2019. Jerry was my Event Manager.
TO BE CONTINUE WORKING JOURNEY PART 2
