Interview Flashcards
Please introduce yourself.
I have been working in the event management field for 10 years and I specialise in leading teams to help event organisers and contractors executing variety of events at the venue. In the past few years and recently at AWE, I received positive feedbacks from organisers not only from large-scale exhibition, but also international concerts (like Blackpink), international conferences, government events (LCGE Lots Drawing Events).
Other than that, I was the project leader for a few advancement projects back in HKCEC (like E-Vehicle Pass), replacing a mechanism used for 30 years, saving 80,000+ paper each year. In this project, I designed & delivered training and materials to 100+ colleagues front & back of the house and 100+ organizers. Right now I am also actively assisting the E-coupon project.
Also, I participated in a few leadership development programs as company representative, received a few awards and became mentors and coach for junior staff and undergraduates. I have been able to be a panel speaker sharing to over 2000+ audiences online as well as being filmed on company LinkedIn. Recently I am also coaching a few new joiners in executing events at AWE.
In fact, I have prepared some of the event and project references I have worked on here.
Please state 3 reasons why you think that are capable for applying Senior Manager
Hard | Soft | Passionate
I believe I am a good candidate for this position because I possess the hard, soft skills as a leader and is passionate to be a Senior Manager.
Hard Skill (Event Execution | Industrial Knowledge | Reliability)
- I am experienced to lead various operation departments to host large-scale events like Hofex, Jewellery show, Cosomprof, REO government events back in HKCEC. These experiences is beneficial. I can make good use of this operation knowledge and experience and bring it to the team at AWE, I also took lead to organize a few special events like Fitness & Wellness Expo where I spent tons of time to work with organizer to make the race happen during COVID, the very famous and popular Blackpink concert where there are a lot of technical issues (rigging / trusses / power planet) to work with. I am convinced that on event execution part, I am experience enough to be a senior manager.
Soft Skill (People Skill | Leadership | Shouldering ability)
For soft skill set, my ability to work well with diverse team, motivating teams and delegating tasks that fit each person’s skills to groom them. Currently guide new joiners in hosting events with the consideration of their strength & weaknesses. Taking Wiki Expo as example, Vincent is my partner. He had relatively more experience in F&B side, then I assigned him tasks to follow-up Nuva luncheon and the overall transportation arrangement so that he gets to know more how VO is working. In the meantime, I shared a lot of useful tips in exhibition field from setup till move-out and e-coupon knowledge with him throughout the event. Vincent, concert cabling for all events. At the end, organizer shared positive feedback for both of us. Grooming and coaching is one of the skill set senior manager should possess.
Passionate
In additional, I am very passionate to be a Senior Manager. I believe it is a great opportunity to use my skills and experience to make a positive impact to the team to the company. I have a passion to share everything I know to the team, for example, I brought a few teammates during exhibition built-in, concert & conference setup and share all the useful tips and pitfalls when coordinating related events. I am confident in cultivating a positive work environment of trust and collaboration to enhance team morale and increase team engagement. Team diversity is essential so that different perspectives are represented can be heard. Through my understanding to the EPM team and different teams’ operation, I can lead by example set the right tone for working environment to achieve win-win situation.
Why would you like to apply Senior Manager position?
Why do you wish to change your position in AWE? Why Senior Manager?
A challenging role that provides me opportunities to make uses of my skillset and experience to make a difference and drive results as management level to the team.
Take on more high-level tasks and long term goals for team member
- Able to take on more complicated event (e.g entire centre)
- Make use of my skillset and experience to groom teammates to handle more complicated events
Help make big picture decision
- Proactively sharing industrial knowledge & experience (GS exp, MSW charges, off-site usage)
- Example: E-Vehicle pass project sharing
Foster positive working environment to enhance team morale & team engagement
- Encourage open discussion and collaboration to enhance team efficiency and knowledge
- Relatively passive in sharing ideas & opinions, but they are willing to talk to me
Please state difference between AWE & HKCEC
Event Flexibility
Support Ratio
Employee Experience
Two venue differences help make big picture decision and facilitate the communication with event organizers
Please share the most challenging situation you have experienced, how you handled it.
Event experience (REO, Hofex, TDC Food Expo, Blackpink, Fitness, etc)
- REO
> Risk Management | Complexity | Demanding Requests
> Leadership (Job division) - Fitness
> Lack of Exp in Exh | Lack of Exp in AWE | COVID
> Industrial Knowledge, People Skill, Problem Solving Skill
Among all other candidates, why are you the best candidate?
-Understanding of the event industry and practical event knowledge
-Understanding of EPM team
-Respect from teammate and cross department
How do you improve your team and department as Senior Manager?
以身作則
- Demonstrate a good role model to be followed
- 紀律上面無遲到 Tasks delivered on time or before time 基本
- Handle 過不少 Event 包括 Blackpink / Innovating HK / Wiki / Fitness / NCT, etc
- Compliment from 不同主辦機構 (e.g Fitness Expo / Wiki Expo / Shooting Stars)及不同部門同事 (FM Kay schedule 好清晰 / VO Paula 有心準備 / Mandy host meeting 做得好)
- 展現俾同事睇點樣同主辦及我地團隊溝通as 佢地 Working Partners 同時維持良好工作溝通關係 & earn their respect
Best practices alignment (when 正面環境 is here)
- Encourage open-minded discussion (don’t judge, ask why more)
- Different BG, different knowledge, align of best practices
- Offer flexibility, give them ways to handle to ensure a 舒服既環境下工作
- Build 共識 to work together as a team
Change & Risk Management
- More responsibilities as Senior Manager including company big picture decision & team sustainability
- Sharing my industrial knowledge to the team to facilitate big picture decision making (MSW Charges / General Security Handling)
- Training & Development Opportunities for team sustainabilty (if no $$ can pay, what envionrment would staff like?)
What do you see yourself in 5 years?
- Richer Industrial knowledge
- More experience in people skill and grooming
- Able to handle 1 - 2 large project other than event execution
1st-2th years: Equip myself with more knowledge in various types of events
3rd-5th years: Groom & coach junior colleagues in handling more variety of events as well as people skill for team sustainability
Throughout different project handling to work with different people
So that can achieve one step more in my career progression
Please state the challenges faced by senior manager, how you plan to tackle them.
Leading former peers
> Show Competence
> Delegate tasks in an appropriate way
> Ask Questions
Managing conflicts within your team
> Actively listening to fully understand the situation and avoid assumptions
> Find a place where you can discuss the conflict in private. It’s important that all parties involved have the opportunity to share their side and listen to what others have to say
> Bring people together to for open discussion to identify common ground (opportunity to speak)
Balancing diversity and personalities in teams
Greater diversity of personalities means a greater balance of strengths and weaknesses.
- Get to know the team
- Identify common ground area
- Make everyone feel valued respected and have the same opportunities as others
Could you state one of your weaknesses
Ambitious person, tend to strive for excellence for most of the tasks. When tasks are given, I am very excited to make a difference to the tasks to tell everyone that I am capable of doing a task in a nice way and to stand out. And over the years, I realize that this sometimes this may give pressure to my co-workers and the team. It’s something I know I have to work on it, to think from the team perspective. Think in a way that, if you are capable, people will see over the time.
Other than self-reflecting the issues, in fact recently I have been reading a few books, one is called How to win friends and influence people, Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense. Through the books. I’ve picked up a lot of techniques and tools.
And of course, I am always open to any coaching from you that can help me to become a better leader for the company.
Can you tell us your experience leading teams, how have you motivated and inspired your team members to achieve their goals
Event & Project, different occasions to lead teams.
Leading Vincent to handle Wiki Finance Expo & Jason Chan Concert.
- Set clear goals & objective (Shuttle Buses & Nuva, organizer F&B arrangement)
- Give them spaces but guidance (Instead of micro managing & give you clearly show that you trust them the get the work done in their own way // Jason Chan trust him handle events but remind pitfalls - Storage spaces / VIP lounge usage)
- Don’t Judge but ask why (Nuva table arrangement, coordinate with Gordon directly; come up with solution I didn’t thk of)
Successful event, organizer praised Vincent.
How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team
Lead by Example
Encourage Collaboration
Reward & Recognition
Provide an example of a time when you had to make a very difficult decision.
I am having a client-facing role, the most difficult decisions I make at my job often relate to resolving customer issues while also adhering to company policy. I always want to provide customers with an excellent experience, but I also have a responsibility to support the company’s business model and uphold policies.
Situation: Fitness Expo, counter-weight for inflatable arch
Conflict: Organizer wishes to place water barrier as counter weight but we rejected due to possible safety hazard issues
Handling: Demonstrate industrial sense & knowledge and explain detail to organizer why it’s needed (recent mirror incident; concert practices)
Solution: Stone with cloth to cover
Reflect: All TPPE show how to handle better
Your strength
- My real strength is my ability to truly understand what organiser wants. I pride myself on my reputation to creating engaging and compelling content that i know your audience loves and wants to share.
Flexibility & Adaptability
- Flexibility & adaptability on handling events & task delegation
- Tone Music (Admission Check) & Fitness Expo (Police Check) & Wiki (Coin Machine)
- Shooting Star (CBS Lighting incident/ Garnet work on Hall 3 setting & signage)
Proactiveness
- Understand the more I do the faster I learn, not only for my events but also my observation through out others events
- Take up role AA backdrop / Children Bookfair / AIA VIP Lounge // Prg Rig mother trusses & join RPE inspection // CP1 vehicle entry process
Understanding of team & industry
- Understand the culture and environment here, which helps me plan for fostering positive environment; teammates strength & weakness, how to best utilize teammates for long-term success
- Plus overall venue operator (HKCEC - Marshalling App/ Kai Tak Sports Ground), Ticketing agencies, contractor knowledge
Adaptable (able to showcase my adaptability in the change of environment with a nice balance control from best practices of two venues; rigging work coordination; how to show joint effort instead of EPM take lead to make some decision, all these gain respect with team members)
Please share your achievement / contribution to team last year.
對公司團隊 有咩貢獻 & Achievement
短短一年期間，頭半年時間疫情期間，未有好多 Event Handling 處理，所以用左其他方式Contribute to公司, 等 Event Return 時候, 以身作則做一個 Good Role Model 俾同事學習,
當中包括
1) 主動分享同應用過往工作經驗同Best Practices 俾公司
- 主動同當時 Supervisor Yvonne 建議分享會展 Venue Features / Special Project (E-Vehicle Pass) 俾各大Department 了解, 唔單止有助於2期發展, 亦有助於同係兩館都有活動既主辦單位溝通及有助於我地 Project Development
- 而係 Event planning 上面都有例子係可以應用到依D Knowledge, 例如Fitness Expo F&B sampling warning signs / Tone Music Ticket Seating Handling 等等
2) 以身作則做一個 Good Role Model 俾同事學習
- 紀律上面無遲到 Tasks delivered on time or before time 基本
- Handle 過不少 Event 包括 Blackpink / Innovating HK / Wiki / Fitness / NCT, etc
- Compliment from 不同主辦機構 (e.g Fitness Expo / Wiki Expo / Shooting Stars)及不同部門同事 (FM Kay schedule 好清晰 / VO Paula 有心準備 / Mandy host meeting 做得好)
- 展現俾同事睇點樣同主辦及我地團隊溝通as 佢地 Working Partners 同時維持良好工作溝通關係 & earn their respect
3) 不同 Side Projects 幫助Team 發展
> E-Coupon / Contractor Guide / Seat Riser Sightline Guide / AA Backdrop / Hybrid Meeting Room / Carpet / Private Meeting Cube
Way forward
- Proper training session to team about Exhibition Brief (in which current senior didn’t do so)
- Standard and team alignment on event handling (e.g: Followspot / Cabling / Insurance)
