Nova Network’s Post

How to make education better? By bridging the gap between the classroom and the (business) world outside of it. And that is exactly what we are going to do in our second networking event with inspiring CEOs and founders, who will give you exclusive insights on how they started. So to all students in Amsterdam: Be there!!

Last Friday, I had an opportunity to have dinner with a group of IT industry leaders, among them, many are the founders of various initiatives in Malaysia's IT scenes, and to some extent, at the international level. Most of them are current thought leaders and captains in the industry. I learned a lot from the conversation and some history down the memory lane. I think most of us are the generation of PC Fairs and some ITX. If you have no idea what those terms are, you are likely the Gen Z'ers. Those are the flagship events everyone who knows about IT, and in the industry, looks forward to every year, equivalent to the early days of 11.11 if you want to compare. However, those events are now in the history books (and the Book of Records). Of course, those leading the trend then now are about the retirement age and looking forward to passing over their baton and hoping that the legacy can continue for many years to come. Some managed to find immediate successors and see the legacy continue and some others, still looking and wondering if they are still relevant. Understand the feelings and respect the expectations. The founding team must pass down the initial intention, and ensure that the vision and mission are well constructed. It is good to have a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) and it has to be one that can withstand the test of time and stay relevant and well-understood by all members. This will ensure the continuation and relevancy for the time to come. For PIKOM CIO Chapter, a chapter that was founded for the IT decision-makers (some would say they are only the key influencers due to business requirements) in the C-suite, intended to stay relevant with time, and welcome everyone who meets the requirements to join us. The industry your company is in is not important. Just for example, we have members in the financial industry, property development, and telecommunications, we also have members join us and talk about chicken and fish and sending parcels, and I do encourage you to take up Masters and DBAs occasionally. At the end of the day, we want to network with the IT practitioners, learn from each other, understand the needs and wants as well as challenges, and occasionally have a movie or dinner together before reaching out to the relevant stakeholders as one voice, to find and formulate a solution that is acceptable by all. The accompanying text translated to "Only if you don’t forget your original intention can you always achieve it. It’s easy to get your original intention, but it’s hard to keep it forever" which I would like to share with all that has a leadership responsibility.

My CEM Faculty co-teaching/internship is officially confirmed! One week from today, I'll be working with Ryan Lovell, CEM-AP and Jim Letchworth, CEM to facilitate the "Event Operations" class at #ExpoExpo... And, I hope I'm not spoiling the surprise to say that we even have a little "behind-the-scenes" tour planned so you can experience the content, first hand, for part of the afternoon... should be fun! So, if you're curious about the logistics side of exhibition management, this could be a great class for you to take... if you haven't already, click the link below to learn more and register. Note: my name is not on the "instructors list," but I think it's just because I'm not an official faculty member yet. I will definitely be teaching part of this class, supervised by Ryan/Jim, and graded on my efforts :) Also, please know that *everyone* is allowed to take CEM classes - you don't have to be a part of the CEM program (pro tip: if you aren't a part of the program, you don't even have to take the exam... just come and connect/share with your peers on topic that's relevant to your job). #MyCEMJourney #TradeShows #Logistics #ContinuingEducation

Course starting tomorrow!

Are you nearly there yet? Life is a Journey, Not a Destination This was the prompt for the junior section of a public speaking competition in Bucharest several years ago. We were so proud when one of our students won her age category, with a very thought provoking speech. What made it remarkable was that the year before, she didn’t speak a word of English. In our pursuit of success and happiness, it's easy to get caught up in the idea of reaching a specific destination in the future, rather than enjoying the journey now. So many people say, ‘I will be happy when…’ What if we shifted our perspective? Instead of fixating on the end goal, embrace the journey itself. Each moment, each experience, and each challenge we encounter shapes who we are and where we're headed. It's the twists and turns, the highs and lows, that add depth and meaning to our lives. Appreciate the journey, value the lessons learned along the way, and celebrate the growth that comes from embracing life's adventures. It's not about where we're going, but how we choose to travel the path. How is your journey going? Are you happy now, or is this something you have planned for the future? 🌄✨ #LifeIsAJourney #EmbraceTheJourney #GrowthMindset

Ever feel like the more you learn, the less you know?    That’s kind of how we feel at SENS about the ever-evolving world of technology.     Over the past decade, we've been navigating through continuous change, constantly adapting and refining our strategies with each new challenge that comes our way. 🔄    Why do we put such a strong emphasis on expanding our networking efforts, particularly at trade fairs and industry meet-ups?     It's simple: real growth is fueled by fresh insights, often sparked by the most unexpected conversations. Whether it's with suppliers or competitors, these discussions at events can lead to breakthrough innovations.    Some of our ideas were ahead of their time, and we shelved them, maybe too soon. But looking back, these weren’t just missed opportunities — they were invaluable lessons about market timing and readiness. ⏰    And let’s be honest: embracing constant change isn’t just exciting; it’s downright exhausting. However, the true beauty of innovation lies in its relentless pursuit. You're never really at the finish line — it’s an ongoing process of trial, error, and — hopefully — triumph.    💡 At SENS, we understand that to stay ahead, we must keep moving, keep learning, and most importantly, keep connecting. Each trade fair, networking event and basically every conversation is a chance to learn from others and maybe a vital opportunity to gather new insights that can redefine the future of our industry.    So, what’s your approach to staying current in an ever-changing industry?

Be creative and efficient! That is one of the principles inside VIDAA. Which is why we will not spend tens of thousands of dollars to sponsor or attend conferences and hundreds of thousands to produce promotional videos to pretend we are something we are not. The video you see here cost us exactly 0 dollars. Made internally by an employee of ours that does anything but marketing but created this movie for fun :) he definitely has the skills and creativity:) And we'll use it to promote our platform through our partners at IFA, Canton Fair, Hong Kong Fair, IBC ... And it gets the message across. Why do we go down this path? Because business is all about COST. Every dollar and every cent count. And we'd rather use our resources in a smart way - to support our partnes in making the best platform imaginable at the most affordable cost. As a platform we don’t need to be in the front , the brands we are serving should be there. We will continue to work hard to provide the best open platform to our partners and make sure it’s the most cost effective platform in the world.

✨Exciting news! My Topmate page is now live 🎉 I'm thrilled to offer mentorship and guidance on all things marketing in international markets. With 30+ years of experience and expertise gained from traveling to 28 countries and 36+ trade fairs, I'm here to help you succeed. Let's give back to our community and make the world a better place together ✨ #marketingconsulting #expertadvice #mentorship #giveback #communitysupport

NEW COMMENT HIGHLIGHT on ISC International School of Curitiba in Brazil "How small/big is your host city's airport?!?!?" Check out this school's profile page here - https://lnkd.in/ezReQajH It has 23 total comments. #internationaleducation #internationalschools #internationalschoolteaching #teachingabroad

A new report issued by the @EUSME Centre aims to give EU SMEs a comprehensive and practical overview, updated for 2024, of how to get ready and maximise the potential benefits of participating in Chinese trade fairs. This new publication has been written in collaboration with experts from the China IP SME Helpdesk, who provide practical guidance to help SMEs to best protect their hashtag #IPR when taking part in hashtag #tradefairs. The last part of the report lists major trade fairs that are relevant for and popular among EU SMEs, in different sectors and locations across China. Read more and download the report here: https://lnkd.in/eheY_c7f European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)