National AI Student Challenge (NAISC)

I had the opportunity to be part of the event support team for an AI Singapore competition, where I was involved in photography coverage, event logistics and design preparation. Throughout the event, I was responsible for capturing key moments through photography, designing simple visual materials such as table standees and name standees, as well as assisting with the setup and preparation of branding elements. Working behind the scenes allowed me to experience the fast paced environment of event production and understand the importance of teamwork, adaptability and communication in ensuring the event ran smoothly.

One of the most memorable parts of the experience was handling event photography. At the start, I felt both nervous and excited because I was using a Fujifilm camera that I had never used before. Before the event began, I spent time learning the camera settings on the spot and experimenting with its functions. During the event itself, one of the biggest challenges I faced was the constantly changing lighting conditions. Certain areas of the venue would suddenly become darker or brighter, requiring me to manually adjust the camera settings quickly. Since I was unfamiliar with the camera system, it became frustrating at times, especially because event photography requires fast reactions in order to capture important moments.

To overcome this challenge, I adopted a trial and error approach by continuously adjusting the settings while shooting to find what worked best for different lighting situations. I focused on capturing the moments first and planned to refine the images later during post-production editing. Another challenge I faced was the camera’s battery life, as the batteries drained quite quickly throughout the day. This meant I had to frequently switch batteries, which occasionally slowed down my workflow. Despite these challenges, the experience taught me how to stay calm under pressure, adapt quickly and make decisions efficiently during live event coverage.

Towards the end of the event, I was tasked with taking a large group photo involving around 20 teams together with the judges and crew members. This was something I had never done before and initially it felt awkward because the entire room was silent except for my own voice while I guided everyone on where to stand. The wide camera lens also made positioning everyone more challenging. However, knowing it was my responsibility, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and confidently facilitate the group photo session. In the end, I was glad I pushed myself to take on the challenge and it became one of the most rewarding moments of the event.

After the event, I reviewed over 400 photographs taken throughout the competition. I had to carefully sort through the images, select the strongest shots, and edit them for final delivery. Although the editing process was time consuming, I managed to complete everything within two days, which was something I felt very proud of. Usually, editing takes me much longer, so this experience helped me improve my workflow efficiency and turnaround time while maintaining quality.

Apart from photography, I was also involved in the pre-planning stage of the event. Together with my colleague, who was also an intern, I worked on designing the table standees and name standees for the 20 participating teams and judges. The process involved multiple rounds of refinements, adjustments, and testing before arriving at the final designs used during the event. Through this experience, I gained a better understanding of the importance of preparation, attention to detail, and collaboration when working on event materials.

Overall, this opportunity was an incredibly valuable learning experience for me. It allowed me to step outside of what I usually experience in school and apply my skills in a real-world event setting. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and experience something new, and I am also thankful for the guidance and support from my colleagues throughout the process. The success of the event was truly a team effort, and being part of it helped me grow both personally and professionally.

Attending the Day 2 event at the AI Singapore competition held at Marina Bay Sands was a valuable and exciting experience for me, especially as someone interested in the media industry. During the event, I had the opportunity to take on the role of an audio engineer for one of the smaller event spaces. My main responsibility was operating the sound mixer and monitoring the audio levels throughout the presentations to ensure that the sound quality remained clear and balanced.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was managing the different speaking volumes of each presenter. Some speakers spoke softly while others projected their voices loudly, which meant I had to constantly adjust the mixer settings manually to prevent the audio from peaking or becoming too soft. At first, this was quite difficult and stressful because I had to stay alert throughout the event. However, as the sessions continued, I gradually became more comfortable with the controls and learned how to react quickly to changes in audio levels.

Besides handling the sound levels, I was also tasked with playing background music during transition periods, such as when there were no speakers on stage or when groups were switching presentations. This helped to create a smoother and less awkward atmosphere in the room. Initially, timing the music correctly was challenging, but after gaining confidence, I managed to coordinate the transitions more effectively and keep the energy in the room consistent.

Another memorable moment during the event was when I was given a last-minute task during the prize presentation ceremony. I was asked to quickly find and play a suitable “prize ceremony” song for the award presentation. Despite the short notice, I managed to source an appropriate track within two minutes and successfully played it during the ceremony, which added excitement and energy to the presentation.

Lastly, I also had the chance to act like a “DJ” during the intervals and lunch breaks by selecting and playing songs for the audience. This was one of the most enjoyable parts of the experience for me because it allowed me to engage with the atmosphere of the event while experimenting with music choices. Overall, the event gave me hands-on experience in live audio management, taught me how to adapt quickly under pressure and strengthened my confidence in handling technical roles during live events.