Sabah Bloggers Gathering 2008 (part 1: The making of SBG 2008)

• The SBG 2008 was a blast! Well atleast that's what I think. :p
• I fell asleep for 12 hours after the SBG event... ... ... paying off all my sleep deficit... but now I feel like shit. XD
  
• Anyway this is part 1 of the SBG 2008 event from my view as 1 of the committee members.Im actually feelin abit giddy rite now... @_@
• UPDATE: OMG!!! This bloody post took me 5 hours to put up!!! My photobucket is experiencing some stupid error problem!!! 666!!!
  

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Being part of the organizing team of the SBG 2008, means one thing: planning way ahead before the event moths before it happen...




It was March 21st 2008 (2 days before my Birthday) when the core organizers of the SBG: Jacq & Daniel Franklin decided to add me in as part of the committee...

Honestly I dont know what quality they saw in me to have me on board... Unless they wanted a "hum sup" story performance for the SBG.... kof kof kof :p





But on the 25th March I was added into their little circle or organisers.





The feelin was overwhelming, coz at 1st you might think its "all fun & cool" but later realize that if you screwed up the event, then 1 whole Sabah is gonna know: you suck...

(Taken in one of our old meetings.)

The truth is, each of us dont have specific task... we are all the driver / office boy / boss & tukang angkat... but some how there was some "understanding" & luckily there were no chaos. It was a random puzzle that some how fitted well. :D

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The later dates saw us making small preparations... We knew from the start we wanted to do a lucky draw, so small meetings were held & we began looking through our contact list of who we can call to help. :)

Our venue was easy to decide, Imperial International Hotel was the 1st to approach our comittee when they heard that we planned to run the SBG. With the venue set, the search for other sponsors continues...

If got extra cash we'll hire David "Teterra" (?) to do the deco!

Meanwhile, We started putting up a facebook account: The Sabahan Bloggers Gathering in Face Book.





It was easy to find other Sabahan bloggers this way & it made our life easier when we need to announce to the world that a decision was made.

But then came the horror... "Not everyone has a facebook".

(Gasp! You dont have a face book!!!? o.o)

Thus spawned the birth of sabahbloggers.blogspot.com... if they are bloggers, we can reach them via their blog! (plus not everybody check their facebook account... kof kof ... like me... kof kof)





This wasnt easy I must say. I was the fella given the task to update the SBG blog & it was already tough, considering the fact I have 3 blogs now to juggle with... ... ... at times, I felt that the SBG post was more important that I drop my 81lions blog for the sake that more people will see the latest update too, this same sacrifice on our "daily update" was also shared by Jacq.

Then the 1st rush of fresh air came... Nuffnanag was ready to sponsor 100 bloggers to the event for FREE!!!





That was big news in both our facebook & SBG blog. Our attendance list shot from the starting 32 confirmed attendance to an overwhelming 125 (the other 25 had to pay RM20 for the event though).





Our sponsors were generally ready by this time. We had a rather good responds after the 2nd & 3rd round of "sponsorship hunting". Starbucks for one, was giving off 100 FREE coffees.





VedaBlu was giving FREE ice cream during the event!!!





1 thing that was interesting to note is: "Sponsors attract other sponsors"... with a few big name sponsors already under our belt, it was easier to attract others.

In fact, I myself was surprised when our event was listed in the Sabah Tourism website!!!






Our links to RTM's Sabah VFM also helped us get a hold of certain Sabahan singers like Ricardo & Terry Peter! We are very thankful that they are willing to perform for us. :)







Not forgetting a very sporting emcee DJ Selina Light! ^^





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The night before the event, all of us were busy packing up 100 freebies (all thanks to our sponsors).






Everyone went back late & were very much zombie on the next day...

August 2nd 2008!!!

I was there the whole day since 11am onwards, making sure some of the last minute stuff were settled & done.

Stage set up.



Backdrop set up...








Sound check by Locust Day Dream.

Making sure the sponsor logos are displayed in the TV screen...

Pro'Eve staff helping us set the balloon entrance.

I would like everyone to take note that some of committee members actually went through alot of pain the day... Jacq was actually sick that day & Fara had alot of work to attend to, she came right before the SBG started at 6pm... yet they still manage to pop up smiling & stunning for the event!




RESPECT ladies~~~!!!


Part 2 will be about the actual event itself... see ye guys soon! :)