I am an organizer of a programming contest that will be using some really cool technologies (HTML5, Python, OpenShift, just to name three). This will be a contest open to anyone but we would need whoever takes part to be in Singapore for the duration of the contest.

This contest will also involve children 12-years and below (in their own category using Scratch as the tool) as well as an open category covering everyone else.

This contest covers the entire gamut of users – children (the next generation coders), cool technologies, innovation, solving society’s problems).

What I would like to do is to find a way to have the President of the Republic of Singapore to be the guest of honour to present prizes to the winners when the contest is all over. President Tony Tan, in his earlier career, we a champion of education (as Minister of Education), headed up the National Research Foundation (as champion of innovation and entrepreneurship) and is the current patron of the Singapore Computer Society.

My challenge is that everyone I talk to says that “inviting the president is hard; too much protocol; too many security related issues etc”. Really? Is it so hard to invite the head of state to be the chief guest of an event focusing on things that he had championed earlier in his career?

Please tell me how I can cut to the chase and get him as the Chief Guest. Anyone? I will send an email to him directly, but I shall put this request out in public now.