The inaugural SHINE NOW 2019 ‘unconference’ has ended with a bang with inspiring and engaging sessions throughout the two days (18 – 19 Dec).
While most K-pop fans were probably there to catch K-Pop star Park Ji-Min up close, participants still gained many valuable insights and tips from the whole event. With a wide range of sessions that happened, here are 5 highlights from this 2-day unconference!
DAY 1 (18 Dec 2019)
- Being An Entrepreneur in Today’s Digital Landscape by Sylvia Chan
Co-Founder of Night Owl Cinematics (NOC), Sylvia Chan, talked about her journey in starting NOC in her dialogue session. She also shared more tips on content creation and managing a company. She hopes what youths can take away is to realise that it’s okay to fail as long as we learn from our mistakes and not repeat them.
- Stimulating the Right Brain: Cultivating Creativity as an Entrepreneur by Tiziana Tan
During this interactive workshop run by Tiziana Tan from Brain Juice Collective, participants learnt how to think out of the box to come up with creative solutions to any problems they face.
DAY 2 (19 Dec 2019)
- In Conversation with Park Ji-Min
Day 2 started off with K-Pop star Park Ji-Min’s keynote session. Her session was held early at 10:30am but fans came early to grab the opportunity to see her up close. The ‘savage queen’ also brought up the energy level with her relatable personality and funny remarks and sharing with us about the changes in her life from winning K-pop star to being an independent artist now.
Having left JYP entertainment just August this year, she explained that she likes getting out of her safety zone to try new things. While there may be more uncertainty as an independent artist, she believes all the ups-and-downs are what makes her the person she will be.
“How am I going to stay in a safe place and make myself grow?” – Park Ji-Min
The 22-year-old also has had her fair share of slumps. She expresses that she isn’t scared of them because they help her grow. To get out of slumps, she also advises on going out to meet your friends and talk to new people.
- A Peek Behind the Curtain: The People Responsible for Success Stories in Music by Jon Chua JX, CJ Kim, choānn (Martin Hong)
This panel had local music artiste Jon Chua, CJ Kim who has been working in the K-pop marketing industry for 9 years now and local filmmaker Martin Hong. They talked about personal branding for artists and the different creative processes. As they share their differing viewpoints, they all agree that ‘artist discipline’ is crucial for someone to succeed. The biggest takeaway is for people to always work hard to achieve their goals.
- Closing Plenary
To end off the event, local artistes RRILEY, YASAI, Narelle and K-pop artist Park Ji-min performed 3 songs each. As the closing act, Park Ji-min dominated the stage with her enticing tracks Stay Beautiful and Young해/20. She also surprised fans with a special rendition of Into The Unknown (Frozen 2 Soundtrack). She expresses how much she wanted to bring winter to Singaporean fans even though ‘it’s burning’ here.
When asked about future plans to visit Singapore again, Park Ji-min mentions her love for the food and weather here and hints at chances of returning if her fans want her to!
