From conceptualising the grand opening party for The Parisian Macao Hotel to developing entire event series for Moet & Chandon and driving launches for Mercedes, Maserati, and more, Live Communication agency Uniplan lacks no luxury event projects under its belt.
In an interview with Biz Events Asia, two special event professionals share insights into the right skills, talent, and drive needed in this demanding industry.
BEA: What do you look for in a talent?
DF: The hunt for talent is much like searching for a diamond in the rough, the rules of the search only differ slightly when regarding the seniority of the mentee. When searching for a more junior profile I look mostly at where the individual’s curiosities have affected their curriculum vitae, this could be anything from hobbies to various types of commitments they have undertaken in enhancing their knowledge and understanding of the sector.
Not only does this demonstrate a self-motivated individual but it reflects a personal passion which is the driving force for success. For a more senior profile, I would pay close attention to their expertise already visible in addition to the other interests showcased by the mentee. Unfortunately, senior profiles tend to talk less about their personal investment in activities relating to their field due to their commitment to their current occupation. However, it is still important to look for that diamond in the rough, their personal assets mixed with a strong professional profile can turn a candidate into a unique talent, a great value for any company able to understand it but most importantly, a strong push for the mentee’s personal development that will reflect on the career plan.
BEA: What drives you?
DF: I believe that we all have personal and professional elements that drive our behaviour. The professional part of me is committed to the responsibility given to me, the people we hire are tied to their salaries to live and I am responsible for the stability of their employment. Me, failing, puts them in danger, and this is a huge professional driver for me.
In a more personal approach, I have always felt that I wanted to make something that matters, something that speaks to my own self-motivation. The further into your career you get, the lonelier it can become, at some points you have to become your own source of inspiration. This opens up new doors, new challenges and keeps one engaged as it empowers me and grows my self-confidence. I also look at the sources of my inspiration and try to reduce the space between them and myself each day. It can be a scale of creativity or business, in any case I keep believing that the sky is the limit and I try to prove myself right a little bit more every day.
BEA: What is the culture you have built for your team?
DF: To believe in what you do, to produce work that you are proud of and to keep your eyes on the horizon. The culture has grown around developing confidence and perspective, basically all the skills you need to drive a car!
BEA: How different do you think the new generation of event planners will be like and what do you think the industry can do to help them thrive?
DF: My belief is that we are going to see a very diversified market of talent blooming in front of our eyes. The potential of all these new areas of expertise will be like a rainbow of talent in comparison to what we are used to today. I imagine groups of event planners with more versatility, with the capacity to wear different hats more and more. Even switching between producer to account manager to creative with ease. The market needs to become as flexible as the structure that hires the new talent. It needs to be brave enough to adapt its expectations to the quality of innovation. This is going to be challenging considering we are not talking about just one-shot events, but campaigns, global strategy and brand management that stretch the scope of the talent market.
BEA: What are the key elements to building and sustaining a successful mentor-mentee relationship?
DF: Trust, empathy and resilience. It is very important to be able to let someone drive for you when you feel lost or too busy to think, you need to have trust for that. Understanding is also essential to anyone that advises a person and not a robot. You need empathy. And to last for the long ride, you need to have your own quota of resilience, simply because even with all the help you will have, you are the only one who can make it for yourself.
Hailing from France, Davy Brice Froment brings 10 years of experience working with high-level clients from the fashion and luxury sector. Hints of art around brands evolve alternately, and Davy proves to be one of the savviest to harness this to his advantage. With a preference for art-meets-brand collaboration, the Paris-born fiery gent transmutes his expertise from Givenchy to implementing all-inclusive consulting with his virtuoso.
BEA: What drives you?
SW: Creativity, ambition and adrenaline. Creating memorable events, places where people can get an extraordinary and unforgettable experience. For example, I love the thrill you get backstage during a fashion show when the lights go off, the music comes on and the models walk out. It’s so rewarding especially after long weeks of hard work. It’s the best feeling ever!
BEA: How do you make your voice heard?
SW: I believe communication and transparency is the number one key to any human relationship. So, when the dialogue is properly installed between two people, both voices are heard. Davy is very open to honest conversations, so if there is something to discuss good or bad, he listens and we find solutions together.
BEA: What are your aspirations as an event planner?
SW: My aspirations would be to create events people will remember and talk about in 40 years. I am proud to represent an international agency such as Uniplan and I strongly believe that it will bring many great opportunities in the future.
BEA: How important do you think is having a good mentor/mentee relationship and why?
SW: It’s crucial! I believe it is very important in someone’s life and career to have one. It’s all about sharing, teaching and guiding for both of them. Mentors have a lot experience and can pass on their knowledge. The mentee often comes from a new generation and can bring a new vision. It’s all about sharing and building a constructive relationship where both mentor and mentee can benefit from.
BEA: What are your mentor’s strengths?
SW: Davy is able to identify and understand the strength and weaknesses of people. That is how he works with his team, by dividing tasks in a way he gives everybody their strengths area. Not only does he focus on people’s strengths, but he also helps and finds solutions to improve the weak spots. In addition to that, he gets his team involved and always ask for every member’s opinion. I value that a lot in a mentor.
BEA: How has he shaped the way you are professionally?
SW: Being a very organised person, I always welcome tips and insightful ways of working. Davy has given me great advice in how to structure my work better. He has also taught me a lot regarding the relationship between agency and client. As two creative people, we also like to brainstorm, share ideas and bounce back on each other’s creativeness to reach the best creative concepts.
BEA: What are the key elements to building and sustaining a successful mentor-mentee relationship?
SW: For me, the recipe to a successful relationship would be honesty, respect and communication. Sharing and listening to each other without criticism also plays a big role.
Born in France and raised in between Paris and Hong Kong, Sasha Wan first got a degree in Fashion Design. After multiple internships, she decided to focus on the Communication and Marketing side of the industry and got a degree in Fashion Business and Management. After getting numerous work experience in communications, marketing and project management for various luxury brands across the globe, she decided to go back to her childhood city Hong Kong. Her skills include project management and client management, covering conceptualisation to strategising.
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