How did you land this position?
Having started out as a Sales Manager (MICE) at a previous five-star hotel, I was at the right place at the right time as the Shangri-La, Hotel Singapore had newly created the role of events revenue manager and was looking for someone with experience in both MICE and revenue management. I was lucky enough to have completed my internship as a revenue management intern at Shangri-La, Pudong back in 2010 and this was the perfect opportunity for me expand my business acumen by taking on a more strategic role as it deals with forecasting, pricing and demand analysis, among the other things that I do.
What do you do on a daily basis?
My main role is to maximise the hotel’s events revenue, both in the short- and long-run. I ensure that our products are priced appropriately in relation to the demand, and how I determine the latter is via extrapolation of past data and combining it with what we have on the books. Daily, I work very closely with my director of events to ensure that she has good data to make decisions on how the department will be able to achieve its targets, and drive revenue generation the extra mile.
What do you find most exciting in this role?
The most exciting aspect is that it is still in its early stages of development, unlike revenue management for rooms. Unlike in Northern America or Europe, not many hotels here in Asia have a dedicated events revenue nanager to assist the MICE and events department so I have free-reign to apply what I have learnt in my previous positions.
What’s even more exciting is seeing the fruition of your efforts at the end of the month when the figures are extra robust and healthy. At the same time, it is also a challenge for me as I will have to set the standard and benchmarks for all of our other properties to follow.
What advice would you give to someone looking to specialise in MICE revenue management
Be meticulous with the details. The MICE specialist must be able to cover all bases and bring up points which even the organiser themselves may have overlooked. In my line of work, information is power and with it, you will be able to provide the operations team with a seamless handover to prevent mistakes. Most importantly, have fun while you’re at it. This will naturally translate to you being a happier person and being able to give your all, which in turn converts to guest satisfaction.
