Assignment 7

The International Week

In this report I will be discussing and outlining the content of each seminar I
attended during International Days. In addition to this, I will be giving a short
reflection as to why I chose the particular seminars that I did and also share my
opinion on them in the form of a reflection. I will be doing this by going through
each seminar I attended chronologically, which were as follows:

Event Management: Holly Cybulski

Balanced Scorecards as a management tool: Heli Leskinen
Global Citizenship: Mandy Binken & Joris van Heeringen

Event Management: Holly Cybulski

This seminar was one of the three keynote speakers in which we had to attend
one of. To be honest, the reason as to why I chose this particular seminar was
simply because it was the best out of the keynote seminars, which all did not
really interest me. After having attended the seminar however, it did exceed my
expectations. The speaker, Holly Cybulski, was a captivating and down to earth
woman with a prestigious repertoire in the Event Management industry. She
engaged her large audience in an entertaining manner, which is something I find
imperative for all public speakers.
The speakers core message was to make clear the important functions and traits
of a good Event Manager and the problems that may arise within the job. Ms
Cybulski introduced this by referring to a case study which she encountered
herself, regarding a tussle between Colin Farrell and the paparazzi at the Toronto
Film Festival which she was managing. She exclaimed that this tussle was her
own fault and that similar unexpected issues are mainly the fault of the event
manager because they did not plan ahead. Thus leading to her key word of
advice: Its hidden in the details. Additionally, the speaker also outlined some
tips to event management:
1) Why Factor: This rule insinuates that there needs to be a reason or goal
for every event. A reason for the investment if you will. The main objective
governs every other decision.
2) 10% Rule: This means allocating a margin of error of time and money and
material things.
3) Virtue is in the detail: This relates to the event itself. It has to be
different, it has to be memorable. Every detail has to be planned in order
for the best possible outcome.
4) Importance of relationships: See everyone as a partner and not a
supplier, you never know who you will be working with later.
5) How to build a dream team: This means clearly defining rules and
ensuring good communication between team members.
6) Was the mission accomplished: Measuring the response of media,
guests, hosts. Were the objectives met? And was it a successful
investment?

Sebastian Kotyla

Assignment 7
Even though event management is a career path I do not foresee myself
entering later in life, I did however realise I could apply the knowledge learnt to
other aspects. One of which is simply group assignments What is the goal of
this assignment? Always allocate time in case something goes wrong, do not
begin too late. Strive for the best end product. Define roles with team members,
and communicate well with each other. Then optional, was the end product
satisfactory? For what it was, it was an enjoyable and worthwhile seminar to
attend.

Balanced Scorecards as a management tool: Heli Leskinen

This seminar was one of my own choosing. The reasoning behind my decision
was that I wanted to be exposed to some practical tools that managers really
use, in this case Balanced Scorecards. Balanced Scorecards are something that
was already touched upon during my studies, but never fully elaborated as to
their usefulness. The seminar was uninspiring to say the least. The speaker, Ms
Leskinen, was lively though frequently lost direction in how she pieced together
her presentation. This is coupled with the fact that it felt just like a regular class.
That saying, I did gain insight into how the Finnish students gain a lot more
practical experience during their studies.
Ms Leskinen essentially stuck to the basics in her presentation. She began with a
well-rounded overview over facts of Finland. One thing that struck out to me
during this part of the seminar was that Finlands highest growing industry is
game development. When transitioning to the main topic, Balance Scorecards,
she mentioned what kind of companies still use this somewhat outdated
management tool; that being smaller companies who cannot afford dashboard
software. This was coupled with detailing some key acronyms when working with
BSC, such as KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and KSFs (Key Success Factors).
These acronyms work together with BSCs to make clear that the user of this
management tool must have a clear and focused end performance measure in
mind. Furthermore, Ms Leskinen framed the required steps of making a balanced
scorecard:
1) Vision and strategy: Know the vision and strategy of the firm.
2) Choose perspectives: Analyse what perspective of the company is in
need of monitoring.
3) Find strategic objectives/goals: What is the goal of monitoring?
4) Find key success factors to reach strategic goals and measure
them: After monitoring, how the information can be used to enhance
strategic goals.
After the seminar I reflected that practical tools such as Balanced Scorecards
cannot simply be learnt just through theory. I believe one needs practical hands
on experience with them in order to fully grasp its usefulness and concept.
Furthermore, I think Balance Scorecards will become even more outdated, as
analytical software is becoming cheaper and more accessible and the
competition and industry is starting to boom.

Sebastian Kotyla

Assignment 7
Global Citizenship: Mandy Binken & Joris van Heeringen

My final seminar was the one in which I was looking the most forward to: Global
Citizenship. Not only is it a topic I am truly interested and passionate about, the
speakers come from a country that I praise highly. This obviously meant that I
had high expectations for this seminar. After attending it, I can say that I felt
indifferent about its content and delivery. I found that the speakers didnt really
captivate their audience and emphasise what it truly means to be a good global
citizen. That saying, it was extremely engaging and practical.
Ms Binken and Mr Van Heeringen naturally began by giving a background to the
topic and where they came from, which was the University of Applied Sciences
The Hague. We were then asked to give our own definition of what global
citizenship means to us. One thing that struck me is that everyone gave an
answer as to what makes a good global citizen, i.e. respecting everyone and
caring for the environment. These answers also aligned with the answers of the
speakers. My opinion is that everyone is a global citizen whether they like it or
not, you are a citizen of the world. The question is are you a good one? Similar as
to how I am a citizen of Gent, but I do not utilise GFT, does that make me a good
citizen? The speakers then tested our knowledge of the world with very obscure
questions. This was then rounded up with a discussion and mind map of what it
takes to be a good global citizen.
Despite not being what I wanted it to be, it was the most interesting seminar of
the three in which I attended. This is mainly due to content bias and the
activities. I would however be lying if I said I took some practical knowledge from
the seminar except that the population of Holland owns over 500,000 caravans.
All in all, it was nice to discuss a topic I am passionate about with likeminded
students and that the concept of global citizenship is gaining popularity.

Sebastian Kotyla