IFFA and Murphy's Law

Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong
(Murphy’s Law)

My CEO from my previous company always said that to me every time he found out something wrong during his review on our result. Or sometimes during our little chit-chat, he always quotes that law to emphasize the decision which based on wrong process.

It’s quite a long time I never heard that kind of comment since my last meeting with him, before he’s been transferred to Hongkong, our regional HQ.

I nearly forgotten his lovely Murphy’s Law I visited IFFA exhibition at Kemayoran; the exhibition to boost Indonesian furniture and craft export.

Like other International Trade Fair, the first day was the opening day, where the minister opens the trade and the visitor limited only for the buyer. Other visitor or retailer usually will come on the 3rd days. No retail transaction allowed during the trade, but people know that on the last day of exhibition, the trader will sell the product to the visitor.

Since I always visit the International Trade Fair, or even participated as a trader in the International Trade Fair, then all the rules looks like the same for me. Off course there’s differentiation of rules for the trader and the visitor, but the bottom line is, everybody knows the rule and the sponsor who run the trade also knows how to apply the rules.

This time, during IFFA, the sponsor applied the new rules of attire. Visitor must wear office attire during their visit to IFFA,

Therefore when the sponsor officer did not allow me to enter the exhibition building, because I wore short pants, I didn’t mind.

But something bothering me then, firstly because the registration officer didn’t say anything when they saw my attire, secondly because I saw other visitor with jeans and T-shirt were allow to enter the building.

I was curious, therefore I went to the Information center to ask, how short the short pants rules was. She looked at my pants then said that it should be okay. So I went back to the officer who rejected me, asked the same question. He were gasp with my question then said that it was a difficult question, before told me that the length should be up to the knee and finally let me enter the exhibition arena.

The worst part, when I was in the exhibition area, I saw the exhibitor wore ¾ jeans and T-Shirt plus sandals. Then I spotted other visitor wore short pants which shorter than mine. I was speechless…

As an exhibitor in International Trade, I know that we were not allowed to wear jeans and t-shirt. We have to respect the visitor and most of all, we have to respect ourselves.
Anyway …it’s their choice, not mine.

What really bother me and concerned me was the regulation implementation. Sometimes, when we made the rule, we did not think of the possibility that will occur because of that regulation.

We never examine every single aspect before we put that “rule” into “regulation”. We just sit like the KING and voila, “this is my order, you have to follow” no matter the rule is appropriate or not.

Well ... end of the story, I told my friend who were one of the board directors and told him how silly was the regulation and how bad was the interpretation.

Note :
Written sometimes in March