Upsized Memories of a Student Organiser at SMU Patron’s Day 2024
Abirami Selvan, an undergraduate at SMU School of Economics, writes about her experience organising SMU Patron's Day 2024, which was filled with exciting activities, performances, and memorable experiences. Some of her memorable experiences include interacting with makers and introducing the Makers’ Market to the VIPs. Through organising the event, she has made many core memories, forged new friendships, and gained new experiences and learnings.
This year’s SMU Patron’s Day (PD24) was held on 2 February 2024 to commemorate SMU’s 24th year since its founding. The theme for this year’s event was ‘UPSIZED!’, and featured activities marking our University’s milestones and achievements over the years.
A regular fixture at the yearly Patron’s Day celebrations, the SMU Makers’ Market featured a variety of booths offering handmade goods and artistic services. As one of three student directors of the Makers’ Market, I had the opportunity to work with a dedicated team of students and staff mentors from the SMU Office of Student Life to curate the market according to the theme. I also got to engage with diverse makers from the SMU community, who brought with them interesting anecdotes about their business ventures.
Wearing multiple hats: from working with makers to hosting VIPs
In keeping with this year’s ‘upsize’ theme, the Makers’ Market hosted the largest number of makers ever for the event. In total, we had 33 makers – up from the usual 20 to 22 makers in the previous Patron’s Day instalments. These makers comprised undergraduates, postgraduates, alumni, and staff who sold self-made accessories, food, handicrafts, as well as lifestyle, sustainability, and technology products.
One memorable instance for me was the interaction with the makers during the selection process. Hearing their unique and inspiring stories about how their businesses started and some of the teething issues they faced was truly enlightening!
In addition to overseeing the Makers’ Market, I had the privilege of being chosen as one of the student representatives to personally introduce the Patron’s Day to invited VIPs during the event tour.
On the event day, Campus Green was bustling with excitement as huge crowds congregated at the many scrumptious F&B stalls and activity booths. However, just as the event was about to begin, there was an unexpected downpour, disrupting and delaying the pre-event Tug-of-War matches.
With that, we swiftly adapted to our wet weather plan. Our foremost priority was to ensure a clear walkway to the Makers’ Market tentages for the VIP contingent during the event tour. This proved challenging as many people sought shelter there due to the rain, leading to a minor human traffic jam.
As I was in charge of ensuring a clear passage for the VIPs, I politely requested the crowd to disperse to either side of the Makers’ Market, explaining that our guests would arrive soon. Thankfully, everyone – including curious members of the public – were very understanding and promptly cleared the walkway.
Ultimately, the tour unfolded successfully and I was able to introduce the segment, some makers and their products to our VIPs. The rain had also miraculously stopped once the tour started, allowing us to capture a group shot with the VIPs at Campus Green against the backdrop of an enormous, smiling inflatable SMOO SMOO. The unexpected turn of events was truly a last-minute blessing for us!
A rewarding experience with many lessons learnt and memories made
My involvement in PD24 was a first for me in terms of planning and organising an event of such a scale. The journey was filled with many challenges and learning opportunities, but there were numerous valuable takeaways too!
One of the challenges we faced was ensuring that the market was well represented with a wide variety of products for everyone, and coming up with themed bundles that would attract buyers.
Through this experience, I was able to refine my problem-solving skills and develop other valuable competencies. Furthermore, I am grateful for the outstanding support from an excellent team of peers and staff mentors. Together, we successfully navigated every challenge that came our way!
Overall, my involvement in Patron’s Day was definitely rewarding, yielding valuable lessons in managerial and organisational skills. Moreover, the experience provided many opportunities to cultivate friendships over the many planning nights we spent working through roadblocks and tackling problems together. It was also a huge privilege to interact with and present the Makers’ Market segment to the VIPs during the tour.
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the PD24 Organising Committee for their dedication and collaboration over the past seven months. Each of us contributed significantly to the remarkable success of this event.
From our initial bi-weekly meetings during our 2023 summer break to our meticulous coordination with various departments, such as securing sponsorship items for lucky draw prizes, every aspect of our planning worked out well in the end, despite small hiccups along the way, which we all learnt to take in our stride.
Looking back, I am tremendously proud of the hard work we put in, the countless late-night meetings, and the final sprint to ensure everything fall in place perfectly on D-day – including navigating a last minute storm quite literally!
Needless to say, I’ve made many core memories, forged new friendships, learnt fresh lessons, and gained the experience of working with a wonderful team on a major university event. PD24 has been an unforgettable ride, and we truly rocked it!
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