Magazine of The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
January/February 2018
We’re Ready to Lead AmCham sets out key priorities for an age of disruption The Time to Act is Now: Or lose control of your destiny Bright Lights, Future City: Can a lamppost really transform Hong Kong?
COVER SPONSOR
BOOK A SCHOOL TOUR
THINKING FOR TOMORROW Applications Open for 2018/2019 – Apply Today Spaces Limited
WHOLE CHILD DEVELOPMENT BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Finding ways to keep children engaged both at school and after school can sometimes be challenging. It is important to find a school that not only motivates children but also helps build a life-long love of learning. Children often have interests that lie beyond what covered in the classroom and parents often turn to after school programs to fill in this gap. It is important to offer opportunities for children to pursue passions for their personal development. However, for parents finding the time to manage these additional activities, can also be a source of stress especially when they have multiple children which means juggling their schedules on top of their own. For many parents a school with multiple options of after school activities helps ease some of the logistical burden. Stamford American School although only opened for 5 months to date, already offers students the choice of twenty different co-curricular activities to give them exposure to different experiences and maybe discover new talents. Students are able to choose: coding, fencing, basketball, dance, Chinese calligraphy, swimming and more. Many of the activities are offered free of charge but some do have a fee which is usually about 300HKD per lesson and goes to the outside provider directly only to cover their costs the school does not charge any additional fee. Having after school activities allows students not just more exposed to new things but also allows them to have interacting time with each other and their teachers in a different environment and meet students from other classes. This can help foster their social development and a chance to shine amongst their peers when showcasing their talents.
Another worry for parents can be the safety of their children at additional programs. Since safeguarding is a priority at Stamford, all after school program providers are required to go through the same background checks and safeguard training required for all Stamford staff. This training is also not just about protecting students but ensuring the adults are able to recognize potential issues such as bullying or children who might be facing emotional problems that need adult intervention or support. Parents can rest assured that children will have the same level of safety and care they would receive during the day. Stamford will be holding a special event on March 3rd showcasing their after school activities and basketball clinics with special guest James Scott, coach of the Shanghai Sharks basketball team who joined the team by special invitation of Yao Ming. Pre-register for event details at: sais.edu.hk
Applications for 2018/2019 Open – Apply Now! SCHOOL CAMPUS
ADMISSIONS OFFICE
25 Man Fuk Road, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, Hong Kong +852 3467 4500
Suites 4005-4007, Level 40, Two Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong +852 2500 8688
www.sais.edu.hk
Connect with us:
AmChamHK Publisher Tara Joseph Editor-in-Chief Ben Richardson Managing Editor Jennifer Khoo Advertising Sales Manager Tom Chan
12
COVER STORY
New Chairman Jack Lange outlines AmCham’s key priorities for 2018
AmChamHK is a magazine of news and views for management executives and members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Its contents are independent and do not necessarily reflect the views of officers, governors or members of the Chamber. Advertising office 1904 Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Rd, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2530 6900 Fax: (852) 3753 1206 Email: amcham@amcham.org.hk Website: www.amcham.org.hk Printed by Ease Max Ltd 2A Sum Lung Industrial Building 11 Sun Yip St, Chai Wan, Hong Kong (Green Production Overseas Group) Designed by Overa Creative Tel: (852) 3596 8466 Email: ray.chau@overa.com.hk Website: www.overacreative.com
18
FUTURE OF WORK We still have the chance to steer our destiny, but we need to act now
24
SMART CITY
Can a lamppost change Hong Kong?
©The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, 2018 Library of Congress: LC 98-645652
34
Single copy price HK$50 Annual subscription HK$600/US$90
Apparel makers set their sights on East Africa
2
SUPPLY CHAINS
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2018 Vol. 50 No.1-2
AMCHAM NEWS AND VIEWS
04 President’s Memo 07 New Business Contacts COVER STORY
12 When Faced With Change
FUTURE OF WORK
08 10
Member Spotlight
64
Committee Spotlight
CHINA NEWS
40
Silicon Valley of the East
AMCHAM BALL 2018
18 What the Future Holds
44
SMART CITY
#ICYMI
24 Bright Lights, Future City
48
SUSTAINABILITY
MARKETING
30 From Good to Great SUPPLY CHAINS
34
Out of Africa
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Mark Your Calendar
50
Mardi Gras: Let the Good Times Roll!
HR Conference
Bottoms Up Betsy!
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
55
Marketing, Advertising & Communications A guide to agencies in Hong Kong
3
PRESIDENT'S MEMO Dear fellow members and friends,
AmCham needs you in 2018. We’ve enjoyed a blistering start to the year, and I’m optimistic that the rest of the year will be just as engaging all across our ever-expanding range of activities. Even before the Board had sat down to set our priorities for the year, we hosted the government’s Chief Information Officer, Allen Yeung, who explained the recently published blueprint to reshape Hong Kong’s future for the digital age. And as this magazine was going to press, AmCham members and staff were neck-deep helping to organize and promote the “Opportunity Festival.” More than 800 local school students had signed up to hear from some of the world’s leading companies – including many of our members – in a showcase of what the future of work will likely offer them in the years and decades ahead. Both events amplify the key priorities that our new Chairman Jack Lange laid out at his Inaugural Luncheon at the Murray hotel on January 19: We will focus on four areas in which we believe we can wield influence and make a measurable impact.
among U.S. companies to understand the opportunities for further investment. In this age of disruptive innovation, it is more important than ever that we draw on our collective strengths to help Hong Kong navigate through an important transformation toward a digital economy. Our first Smart City Summit in June and an evolving dialogue around the Future of Work are among the initiatives that will place AmCham at the heart of the discussion. But none of this matters without your engagement and insight. This year we are partnering with market research firm Ipsos to survey our membership to gain a definitive understanding of the issues that most concern you, and how we can best serve your interests.
This year we plan to invest more time and resources into what we feel is our core competency: U.S. advocacy. I am actually writing this letter from Washington DC, where we have been engaging with government and businesses to remind them of Hong Kong’s unique advantages as a commercial hub. Rule of law; first-class professional services; unparalleled connectivity to the world; a diverse and open society; shared values. Moreover, there is an excellent match between Hong Kong and U.S. business in technology and innovation. With Hong Kong’s government laying out its pathway toward a digital economy, there is real interest
C
M
Y
CM
MY
Regards, Tara Joseph AmCham President
CY
CMY
K
BOARD OF GOVERNORS CHAIRMAN Jack Lange VICE CHAIRMAN Robert Grieves TREASURER Owen Belman
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Jennifer Van Dale Diana David Seth Peterson Catherine Simmons Richard Weisman
GOVERNORS Donald Austin Julie Brandt Steven Xavier Chan Sanjeev Chatrath Elaine Cheung David Cruikshank
EX-OFFICIO GOVERNOR Mark Green Matthew Hosford Clara Ingen-Housz Simon Ogus Karen Reddington Anna-Marie Slot
Eric Szweda Rick Truscott Jenny Wong Patrick Wu Lennard Yong
Walter Dias PRESIDENT Tara Joseph
CHAMBER COMMITTEES Apparel & Footwear
CSR
Financial Services
Gareth Brooks Sally Peng Lynne Sprugel
Genevieve Hilton Pat Nie Woo
Rebecca Terner Lentchner Song Jia Ning
Ball Anna-Marie Slot Seth Peterson China Business Ben Simpfendorfer John Siu Communications & Marketing Anita Davis Oliver Rust
4
Education Virginia Wilson Abigail DeLessio Energy Rick Truscott John Zadkovich Entrepreneurs/SME Laurie Goldberg Cynthia Chow Environment Jim Taylor Rachel Fleishman
Food & Beverage Veronica Sze Peter Johnston People and Organizational Culture Peter Liu Wendy Zhang Infrastructure & Construction Ian Chung
Innovation & Technology
Pharmaceuticals
Trade & Investment
Leonie Valentine Patrick Kirby
Caroline Johnson Grace Lau Stephen Leung
Insurance & Healthcare
Real Estate
Hanif Kanji Amelie Dionne-Charest
Robert Johnston Edward Farrelly Colin Jones
Intellectual Property
Invest in USA
Gabriela Kennedy Victor Tse Jasper MacSlarrow
Eric Szweda
Women of Influence
Taxation
Jennifer Parks Anne O’Riordan
Law Chiann Bao Jessica Bartlett
Ivan Strunin Peter Guang Chen Wade Wagatsuma
Barrett Bingley Tatman Savio Herman Cheung David Chao Transportation & Logistics Gavin Dow
Young Professionals Jamie Ford
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
AmCham Member Referral Campaign 2017 Wa nt to int ro d u c e s o m e on e to t h e Am C h a m n e t wor k? Refer a new corporate member and receive one of these guaranteed rewards Deadline: March 31, 2018
Dining Voucher, Grissini
Bowling and F&B Package for 4 720 days Elite Plus Membership
Dining Voucher
R efe r t h e h i g h est n u m b e r of n ew m e m b e r s a n d w i n another one of the following grand prizes!
2-night Disney Explorers Lodge Deluxe package stay for 2
1-night Grand Room stay
1-night Fantastic Suite stay with breakfast for 2
Contact us today Submit referral details to: Ms. Michelle Chow mchow@amcham.org.hk (852) 2530 6925 Terms & Conditions apply, deatils: www.amcham.org.hk Free vector art via www.Vecteezy.com
www.amcham.org.hk
AMCHAM Means Business
Members Directory
Over 500 pages in three major sections, including a complete guide to chamber services, corporate sponsors and AmCham Charitable Foundation. This directory lists about 1,350 members from about 660 companies and organizations. ISBN 978-962-7422-78-5
LC 98-645651 NON-MEMBER PRICE Local Delivery HK$1500 Overseas Delivery US$195 Shipping costs: Local HK$45 (per copy) US/International US$50 (per copy)
MEMBER PRICE HK$800 US$105
AmCham Member Name: Title: Company: Address: Tel: Fax: Email: Website: copy(ies) of Members Directory Total: HK$/US$ (postage inclusive) payable to The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong check# Bank: Charge to AMEX (US$) Diners (HK$) Visa (HK$) Master Card (HK$) Cardholder's Name: Card# Expiry Date: Issuing Bank: Signature: (Not valid unless signed) The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong 1904 Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2530 6934 Email: hchung@amcham.org.hk
New Business Contacts
View our other members at: www.amcham.org.hk/memberlist
The following people are new AmCham members: American Airlines Inc Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Baker McKenzie Black & Veatch Boeing (Asia) Investment Ltd, A Subsidiary of The Boeing Company Bureau Veritas Hong Kong Ltd Chunky Onion Productions Ltd CIGNA Worldwide Life Insurance Company Limited CXA Group DHL ISC (Hong Kong) Ltd Economist Group, The ExxonMobil Hong Kong Ltd FedEx Express FTLife Insurance Company Ltd Global Institute For Tomorrow Herbalife Asia Pacific Services Limited Hinrich Foundation Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd, The
Hongkong Land Limited International School of Nanshan Shenzhen
Iron Mountain Hong Kong Ltd
Ivey Business School Kobre & Kim KPMG Make Technology Mayer Brown JSM MetLife
PVH Asia Limited Santa Fe Relocation Services Sears Holdings Global Sourcing Ltd Seko Logistics (HK) Ltd Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Investment and Development Co. Ltd. Target Global Sourcing Ltd Teneo Asia Limited The Hong Kong Standards and Testing Centre Ltd TikiTiki Bowling Bar Toys "R" Us GSO (HK) Limited
Withers
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Stacey Yocum Christina SCHÖNLEBER Jon Cowley Andy Kwok John Kinsman Laura Beth Barnes David Andrews Stella Sung Ken Wong Stephanie Herminjard Rob Koepp Jimmy Hau Emma Wright Gerard Yang Nicholas Gordon David Barlett Berenice Voets Edmond Hung Iris Wong Karen Ma Judy Au Chris Tsang Christopher nYip Helen Cheung Emily Nason Tai-Yuan Chen Sabrina Yee Cerlin Ip Raluca Popa Helen Wong Owen Lun Christina Ong Tony Lee David Lee Raymond Wong Mary O'Connor Lucy Kenneally Jay Nickerson Eva Kam Peter Hwang Tony Ting Sean Hurley Maggie Duo Michael Lok Lydia Lee William McGovern Shang Xiang Jessica Wenzell Thomas De Gregoris Katie Binns Eva Wong Jason Edgar Bobby Ying Raj Varughese Sancia Yan Valerie Bellu Anthony Barnes Nicole Xu Michelle Dawn Kist Alice Chan Lauren Chung Anthony Mak Arndt Borchert Jean-Daniel Gatignol Dallas Stahle Thomas Chan George McCormick
Sales Manager Director of Policy and Programs Partner Managing Director Managing Director, Hong Kong, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Key Account Management Lead, Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services Director Chief Distribution Officer CEO Head of Service Delivery, Asia Pacific, ISC Director Director Vice President, Human Resources, Asia Pacific Chief Executive Officer Researcher Vice President, Finance & Operations - APAC/China Marketing and Communications Director General Manager Director, Belt and Road & External Relations Head of HKUST-NYU STERN MS in Global Finance Program Program Director of Kellogg-HKUST Executive MBA Program HKUST Business School Executive Director (School Development & MSc Program) HKUST Business School, Assistant Director of MBA/MSc Career Development HKUST Business School Head of Communications and External Affairs HKUST Business School, Associate Dean (Undergraduate Student Affairs) HKUST Business School, Associate Dean & MBA Program Director HKUST Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Head of International Subsidiary Banking, Commercial Banking Division Head, Asia Business, Commercial Banking Division Head, International Subsidiary Banking, Commercial Banking Director, Business Banking, Portfolio Management, Commercial Banking Managing Director, Corporate, Commercial Banking Head of Corporate, Commercial Banking Head of Anti-Bribery & Corruption, ASP Executive Director, Projects Director of Advancement Head of Marketing Head of Admissions Head of Sales, HK Managing Director, Asia CFO, Asia VP, Human Resources, Asia Head of Legal, Asia General Manager, HK Director, Ivey Case Center (Asia) Partner Manager, IT Advisory Head of Global Marketing and Business Development Associate, Corporate & Securities Director, Office of the President, Asia Chief Agency Officer AVP, Asia Strategy & Business Development Head of Strategic Partnership Distribution Group VP, Asia IT Business Development Director Vice President Chief Operating Officer Industry Development Manager Regional Director, Category Sourcing Senior Managing Director Chief Operating Officer, APAC/Senior Managing Director General Manager, International Sales and Business Development Business Development Manager Senior Vice President - Private Brands QA Director / Shenzhen Hub Leader Finance Director Registered Foreign Lawyer
7
Where is home? I’m originally from the Basque Country, a region in the north of Spain, but I have been living abroad since 2009. Favorite place to visit in Hong Kong? Any traditional wet market. I love cooking. The concept of markets selling live seafood and fresh fruits and vegetables in the heart of the city fascinates me.
Name: Eneko Goya Job title: Sales and Business Development Director Company: Advanced Genomic Solutions (AGS) Hong Kong Industry: Biotechnology (Genetic testing) AmCham member since: June 2017
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? How many different things I have done in my life. I have lived on four different continents and worked in many different jobs. Each of them gave me valuable knowledge and experience for my career and my life. If I wasn’t a business leader, I would be… A football (soccer) player. First ever job? Selling forklifts for a well-known Japanese brand. Favorite piece of advice? “Be yourself, everyone else is taken.” – Oscar Wilde Outside the office, where can we find you? At some random football pitch, trying to emulate Ronaldinho. Bucket list items? Have a family, write a book and plant a tree... I still have a lot of things to do. What attracted you to AmCham? The dynamic and friendly business environment. The opportunity to form a great network inside and outside of the business world. Which AmCham event are we likely to find you at next? Anything related to health, life sciences or technology.
8
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HONG KONG
FAST FACTS COMMUNITY AmCham celebrates over 45 years of promoting business and fostering greater trade ties and community service in Hong Kong
ACTIVITIES Members can access more than 400 programs, seminars, and conferences each year featuring top business and government leaders, industry experts and professional facilitators who address timely and relevant business issues. MEMBERS Over 1,700 members (40 different nationalities) from over 800 organizations, including multinational firms, small and medium enterprises, entrepreneurs, and non-profit organizations. COMMITTEES Our members can join and access up to 28 different committees covering industry sectors, professional service sectors, and special segments of the membership.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong 1904 Bank of America Tower 12 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong T: (852) 2530 6900 E: amcham@amcham.org.hk www.amcham.org.hk
COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT: CHINA BUSINESS
Our
Golden Gateway Committee chairs Ben Simpfendorfer and John Siu want to help members capitalize on the expanding ocean of opportunity as Beijing ramps up its Greater Bay Area and Belt & Road initiatives
B
en Simpfendorfer’s day job is heading up Silk Road Associates, a strategic advisory firm providing data-driven insights to help clients hone their competitive edge in Asia. As new co-chairman of the China Business committee this year, this expertise will surely help deliver on the group’s agenda for the year ahead. “Our goal is to educate members on business opportunities in the Greater Bay Area,” says Simpfendorfer, co-chair alongside Cushman & Wakefield Managing Director John Siu. “We want to identify where the real commercial opportunities are in China and what they mean for businesses in Hong Kong.”
“Our goal is to educate members on business opportunities in the Greater Bay Area.” – Ben Simpfendorfer
For a hint of what 2018 promises, a look back over the previous 12 months is a good place to start. Last year was a busy one for business in China, with commercial activity driven by two central government initiatives: One Belt, One Road – now rebranded as Belt & Road Initiative – and the Greater Bay Area. As MD at global real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, Siu has been keeping a close eye on the development of both initiatives and their implications for his industry. The verdict? Last year’s momentum will only accelerate in 2018.
10
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
“OBOR, which aims to create an expansive network of roads, railways and ports connecting Asia with Africa and Europe is one of the largest economic spending plans the world has seen. It is creating enormous opportunities in the areas of infrastructure, real estate, and finance,” Siu says. Robotics and retail Artificial intelligence and robotics are a potential goldmine for investors in 2018, given China’s recently established three-year program to secure AI as a major economic driver by 2020 and to become a global leader in technology by 2030. “We expect that major domestic tech giants such as Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu will also make moves to increasingly focus on AI development in 2018,” says Siu. More opportunities await in China’s retail sector, as e-commerce giants expand in Online-to-Offline – known as O2O and which describes the growing global trend toward mixing digital and physical strategies. Consumers might order products online but pick them up at a bricks and mortar store; or they might visit a shop to try on an outfit or fiddle with a gadget, before ordering online.
“We expect that major domestic tech giants such as Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu will also make moves to increasingly focus on AI development in 2018.” – John Siu
“By using AmCham’s China Business committee as a platform, Hong Kong businesses are in a good position to capitalize on such opportunities in China.” – Ben Simpfendorfer
“Alibaba has been making significant strides in this space with its Hema supermarkets in select cities and the opening of its first shopping mall in 2017,” says Siu. JD.com announced ambitious plans to open one million convenience stores across China in the next five years, he adds. “By using AmCham’s China Business committee as a platform, Hong Kong businesses are in a good position to capitalize on such opportunities in China,” says Simpfendorfer. After revealing plans to ramp up engagement with the Chamber’s counterparts in southern China, and a focus on how Hong Kong can better participate in China’s development, he urged members to raise their concerns and suggestions to the committee at any time. “We want to hear what the Hong Kong community has to say.”
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
11
COVER STORY
When Faced With Change New Chairman Jack Lange shares AmCham’s key priorities for the year ahead
Photo: AFP Services / Vivek Prakash
I
n a world that has learned to embrace diversity and AmCham’s new Chairman, Jack Lange, said in the the nuances of society’s ever-growing complexity, it keynote speech at his Inaugural Lunch on January 19. seems strange that the answers to those really big Faced with such daunting challenges for the coming questions remain stubbornly year and beyond, the luncheon binary: Hammer, nail. Sparrow, held in the ballroom of the snail. Driving the conversation, or brand-new Murray hotel might “Advocacy and access – a silent stander-by. Leading. Left have been a glum affair. But that is where we remain behind. Lange’s address was peppered with humor and fortified with a indispensable. AmCham is Never-ending and accelerating generous dose of resolute good at advocacy… We disruption demands faster, more optimism. critical thinking from governare listened to. What we ments and those they govern, AmCham’s 47th Chairman was say makes a difference.” from businesses and their workquick to point to the many ers, from teachers, parents, and strengths that help insulate this even schoolchildren. As the city: The autonomy that comes debates rage over possible outcomes and solutions, with the One Country, Two Systems framework; free humankind risks becoming a bystander to its own flow of information; respect for and protection of extinction, so say pessimists like Elon Musk and personal and data privacy; cultural diversity, and Stephen Hawking. connectivity with the rest of the world. “We are living in a world characterized by rapid, and in many ways wrenching and disruptive, change,”
12
Add to those the blessings of our city’s unique geography, and Hong Kong is well placed to capture opportunities
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
About Our Chairman… Jack Lange grew up on a cattle farm in Virginia. After graduating from Princeton University and Harvard Law School, he began his career at the Office of the Legal Advisor of the U.S. State Department. Lange joined Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison 30 years ago, moving to Hong Kong with the firm six years later. He has since earned a formidable reputation as one of Asia’s leading legal advisers on mergers and acquisitions. Lange has served on AmCham’s board since 2014 and as President of The American Club in 2012. And by the way, he has a lovely head of hair...
AmCham, but on all similar membership organizations. While the core benefits of joining AmCham remain, most have been diminished. Networking, access to information and exposure are all made easy, free and scalable thanks to innovations such as social media platforms, big data and online search engines. “Advocacy and access – that is where we remain indispensable,” Lange said. “AmCham is good at advocacy… We are listened to. What we say makes a difference.” AmCham provides an essential and valued bridge between Hong Kong and the U.S., one that draws on a deep relationship with the Consulate General here as well as close ties with the city’s administration.
for American and global business in the economic transformation of Asia – from Hong Kong’s “Smart City” drive, closer economic integration with Southern China, and an enhanced platform for reaching markets along the Belt & Road Initiative, Lange said. Far from shrinking from the challenge of disruption, AmCham is determined to earn a seat at the top table, helping to drive the transformation. “This is a year of adapting to change in mindset, to understand what the actual opportunities are for regional businesses based here,” he said. A look in the mirror... The Board has identified four key areas in which the Chamber can wield influence and add value – U.S. advocacy; the Greater Bay Area development plan; Hong Kong’s Smart City vision; and the future of work. To begin the process, it was first necessary to understand the erosive effect technology has had not just on
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
“It is a cooperative, collaborative relationship,” he said. “The government is interested in what we have to say, and is responsive to our concerns.” Hong Kong may no longer carry the importance it held when China was emerging from decades of economic stagnation and isolation in the late 1970s. But it remains an immensely wealthy commercial and financial hub, with the potential to reap enormous gains from further development of the Pearl River Delta and its role under China’s Belt & Road plan. The key word here is "potential." “How the city will shine and lead in such a role depends to a great extent on the Hong Kong government’s wisdom in defining a smart position that adapts to new realities without diluting Hong Kong's unique strengths and core values,” Lange said. AmCham and its members have a crucial interest in helping to shape decisions that are good for China, good for Hong Kong and good for business.
13
Julie Brandt, Otis Hong Kong, AmCham Govenor; Paul Tse, Golden Crown Development Ltd. Former AmCham Chairman Jon Zinke (left); Donald Austin, AmCham Govenor (right).
Ming Lai Cheung, Philip Morris International; Eric Swezda, Troutman Sanders Hong Kong.
Darragh Paradiso, U.S. Consulate General, Hong Kong & Macau.
Chris Campbell, Aetna International (left); Andy Mahtani, Maxwells Clothiers (right).
Richard Bindrup, U.S. Consulate; Wendy Zhang, AmCham People and Organizational Culture Committee Chair.
Therese Randazzo, U.S. Consulate; Peter Liu, Asianet Consultants, AmCham People and Organizational Culture Committee Chair.
14
David Chao, Overseas Bank Limited, AmCham Trade & Investment Committee Vice Chair (left); Timothy Hogan, J.P. Morgan (right).
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Kit Mak from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (left); Marco Chung, Morgan Stanley (right). Jack Lange chats to attendees before lunch.
Jack Lange presents a gift to outgoing Chairman Walter Dias.
Jack Lange. All photos by AFP Services / Vivek Prakash
Karen Reddington, FedEx Express, AmCham Governor; Robert Grieves, Hamilton Advisors, AmCham Vice Chairman.
David Lum, U.S. Consulate General (left); Barrett Bingley, Economist Group, AmCham Trade & Investment Committee Chair (right).
Jennifer Van Dale, Eversheds Sutherland (left); Dongbiao Lin, AECOM (middle); Kimmy Lee, U.S. Consulate (right).
Evan Williams, U.S. Consulate (left); Tatman Savio, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, AmCham Trade & Investment Committee Chair (right).
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
15
U.S. Advocacy Vice Chairman Robert Grieves, founder of Hamilton Advisors, will head the Government Relations Group and U.S. Advocacy Task Force. “When we went on our D.C. Doorknock last June, it was striking how many doors had no one behind them. Trump's team is slowly filling out, but we have a lot of work to do to build the kind of working relationships that we developed over eight years under President Obama.” – Jack Lange
Smart City Julie Brandt and Leonie Valentine head the Innovation and Technology Committee and have been laying the groundwork for our first Smart City conference in June, and will be working hand in glove with Smart City Task Force Chair Rick Truscott. “Given the special contributions that American companies and other institutions – among them many of our members – are making in the development of artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning and robotics, these are areas where we think that AmCham can be a thought leader in helping to shape the Hong Kong government's policy direction.” – Jack Lange
Future of Work Jennifer Van Dale, a Partner at Eversheds, where she heads the Asia Pacific employment practice, will spearhead our initiative exploring the future of work. “Of course, the very capacious concept of ‘Smart City’ captures the objective of `Smart People.’ But we have decided to launch an initiative specifically targeted at this human side of things, which we call ‘The Future of Work’ and which will be led by a person who is already a recognized thought leader in this area.” – Jack Lange
Hong Kong, China and the Greater Bay Area Patrick Wu, the Regional Managing Director for Greater China of Duff & Phelps, will head the Greater Bay Area Task Force. “The policy for the Greater Bay Area initiative is still in a formative stage. There are still many questions about how it will work, what it will try to achieve, and what will be the benefits – as well as the potential risks – for Hong Kong. We would like to contribute our thoughts and be part of the process of answering those questions.” – Jack Lange
16
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
“Sitting on President Xi's bookshelf behind him as he gave his New Year speech was a copy of Augmented, Brett King's book in which he claims that society will be impacted by technologies that will change the world more in the next 20 years than it has been changed in the past 250 years. As extraordinary as that sounds, it does not strike me as at all outlandish.” - Jack Lange
The Singularity: Our Future or Full-Stop?
T
hat Xi Jinping put his reading choices on global display may be less an insight into the Chinese president’s literary tastes and more about the message he wants to send the world: By 2030, Beijing aims to be a world leader in artificial intelligence. If mathematician and computer scientist Vernor Vinge’s 2013 predictions prove right, that’s seven years too late.
or robins or chimpanzees. From the human point of view this change will be a throwing away of all the previous rules, perhaps in the blink of an eye, an exponential runaway beyond any hope of control. As we move closer to this point, it will loom vaster and vaster over human affairs till the notion becomes a commonplace.
“Within 30 years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence,” the former professor of mathematics and computer sciences at As time passes, we should see more symptoms. We will San Diego State University see automation replacing higher wrote in his seminal essay The and higher level jobs... Or put Coming Technological Singuanother way: The work that is “As we move closer to this larity. “Shortly after, the truly productive is the domain of human era will be ended.” a steadily smaller and more elite point, it will loom vaster fraction of humanity. and vaster over human Vinge’s work is is widely seen as having popularized the Ideas themselves should spread affairs till the notion concept of the Singularity: the ever faster, and even the most becomes a commonplace.” point at which technological radical will quickly become progress outpaces humanity’s commonplace. ability to understand or control it. You may find some of the following excerpts unsetAnd what of the arrival of the Singularity itself? tling: The precipitating event will likely be unexpected � perhaps even to the researchers involved... If networkWhen greater-than-human intelligence drives progress, ing is widespread enough (into ubiquitous embedded that progress will be much more rapid. In fact, there systems), it may seem as if our artifacts as a whole had suddenly wakened. seems no reason why progress itself would not involve the creation of still more intelligent entities � on a For all my rampant technological optimism, sometimes still-shorter time scale. I think I'd be more comfortable if I were regarding these transcendental events from 1,000 years Any intelligent machine… would not be humankind's remove... instead of 20. `tool’ � any more than humans are the tools of rabbits
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
17
THE FUTURE OF WORK
What the Future Holds
We still have the chance to steer our destiny, but we need to act now
G
eneral Electric and its German rival Siemens late last year announced plans to eliminate more than 18,000 jobs at their global power businesses as faster-than-anticipated adoption of alternative energy has left the engineering giants with too many of the wrong kind of engineers. And just weeks ago, another surprise: GE, the only original constituent of the Dow Jones Industrial Average still on the blue-chip gauge today, is considering breaking itself up. What does this all tell us about the world of work today? And what lessons might we draw about the world of work in the future? First o, the loss of so many engineering jobs provides
18
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Moore’s the merrier…
Exponential advances in technology are transforming human society — and biology IBM Quad-core z196 Intel Six-core Xeon 7400
20,000,000,000 10,000,000,000
IBM POWER6 Intel Core 2 Duo Wolfdale
1,000,000,000
AMD K10 quad-core 2M L3 Intel Itanium 2 with 9 MB cache
500,000,000
Intel Itanium 2 Madison 6M
Transistor count
50,000,000
Intel Six-core Core i7 Ivy Bridge E
Sun/Oracle 16-core SPARC T3
Intel Pentium D Smithfield AMD Six-core Opteron 2400 Intel Pentium 4 Cedar Mill AMD Barton Intel Pentium III Tualatin Sony/IBM/Toshiba Cell Intel Pentium III Coppermine
100,000,000
Intel 22-core Xeon Broadwell-E5
Intel 18-core Xeon Haswell-E5 IBM z14 Storage Controller
Intel 8-core Apple A8 Core i7 Haswell-E (dual-core ARM64 "mobile SoC")
Intel Pentium II Klamath
5,000,000
Intel 10-core Core i7 Broadwell-E Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (octa-core ARM64 "mobile SoC")
IBM z13 Storage Controller
Number of base pairs sequenced per US$
Acorn/DEC/Apple SA-110
Motorola 68040 Intel 80486
Microsoft/AMD Xbox One X (Project Scorpio) main SoC Apple A10 Fusion (quad-core ARM64 "mobile SoC")
AMD K6
Intel Pentium
1,000,000
Apple A11 Bionic (hexa-core ARM64 "mobile SoC")
Apple A8X (tri-core ARM64 "mobile SoC")
Apple A7 (dual-core ARM64 "mobile SoC")
Intel Pentium III Katmai
10,000,000
Xbox One main SoC
Intel Atom "Medfield"
32-core AMD Epyc
Oracle 32-core SPARC M7
Intel 61-core Xeon Phi IBM Six-core zEC12 IBM 12-core POWER8
IAMD K10 quad-core 6M L3
5,000,000,000
Qualcomm Centriq 2400
Intel 8-core Xeon Nehalem-EX Intel 10-core Xeon Westmere-EX
Motorola 68060
35000000
500,000
30000000 Motorola 68020 Intel 80286
100,000
25000000 20000000
50,000
ARM 6 Acorn ARM 2 WDC 65C816 Harris Corporation Novix NC4016 Motorola 6809 Intel 8085
10,000 5,000
15000000 10000000 5000000
Motorola 6800
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2015
2017
2017
2017
2017
2017
2016
2016
2016
2016
2015
2015
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2001
2008
2014
2014
2014
2014
2013
2013
2013
2013
2012
2012
2012
2011
2010
2010
2010
2009
2008
2008
2007
2007
2007
2006
2006
2005
2004
2003
2003
2001
2000
1999
1997
1997
1995
1994
1993
1991
1990
1989
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1978
1976
1974
1971
1,000
2002
0
Intel 4004
Moore's law describes how the number of transistors on integrated circuits doubles every two years or so ‒ which is a major driver of processing speed or the price of electronic products. Exponential advances in genetic analysis raise the prospect of augmented humans. Data source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor_count)
tragic proof, if it were needed, that people can become stranded assets too. The decisions that parents, teachers, education administrators and politicians made about which skills would be needed in the future, which careers would offer the most stability or ensure the highest returns, were often made decades ago.
a previously unthinkable pace, largely due to exponential developments in computing power and data analytics,” says Jennifer Van Dale, who heads up the employment practice at Eversheds Sutherland law firm in Hong Kong and is spearheading AmCham’s Future of Work initiative.
That was before the widespread adoption of the personal computer, let alone the Internet. Now, government data show more than three-quarters of Hong Kong children between 10 and 14 years old own a smartphone, devices with processing power far in advance of the PCs their parents would have used to cut their digital teeth (See graphic).
The pace of change is a cause for concern: if only because it feels so unnatural. As a species, we have evolved through the trial and error iterations of biological generations. Our big brains � aided by the precision of our fingers and thumbs � enabled the application of technology that has enabled us to escape some of the limitations of generational adaptation: the end of smallpox being a prime example.
“We are now at a point where previous advances are combined to create new technologies and industries at
We are on the cusp of even greater change. Our processing power allows machines to learn from big
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
19
Global shift in wealth…
The rich are still rich, but the poor may be getting less poor 1.45% 1.40%
Global income distribution
1975
1.20% 1.10% 1.00% 0.90% 0.80%
2003 - (Gini 68.7) 2013 - (Gini 64.9)
International Poverty Line
% of the world population at a given income level
1.30%
2015
Europe Asia and Pacific Africa North- and South America
Projection for 2035 - (Gini 61.3)
0.70% 0.60% $0.2
0.50%
$0.5
$1
$2
$5
$10
$20
$50
Daily income per capita
$100
$200
(in international-$ in 2011 prices; log axis)
0.40%
Data source: Gapminder 0.30% 0.20% 0.10% 0.01%
500 1,090 2,010 3,000 4,000 5,000 Global median Global median Global median income in 2003 income in 2013 income in 2035(projected)
7,500
10,000
14,000
Income per world citizen per year (in 2011 international dollars) Source for all data: Tomas Hellebrandt and Paolo Mauro (2015) - The Future of Worldwide Income Distribution, working paper.
data and artificial intelligence programming. Software writes software. Software tests engineering concepts at lightning speed; 3D printing allows parts to be generated on the spot. Only a few years ago, such iterations would have required specialist molds and forms forged and stamped from hot metal. These changes pose deep and existential questions about our society and the future of work: What skills will the future workforce need? Where will those skills be acquired from? What happens to those left behind by the pace of change? Who gets to benefit from the changes, and should they be required to share those gains with the less fortunate? Technological changes aren’t solely restricted to the hardware and software that combine to form our built
20
environment. Biotechnology is revolutionizing agriculture and medicine � and raising fundamental moral and societal questions over augmentation. Should genetic advances be democratized? Or will gene-enhancements become part of society’s wealth-based divisors? Indeed, some of the big drivers behind the transformation of work aren’t driven wholly by technology. Global demographics move at a glacial pace when compared with the world of microchips. Aging populations, migration and development goals will all feed into the dynamics of world labor markets, global trade and investment patterns and the growth of industries such as robotic care for the elderly. Sociological changes will be another key: diversity; the globalization of the middle class; access to information; social media; lower cost transport.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Constructive Uncertainty –
Boundless Curiosity –
The idea of constructive uncertainty is not predicated on eliminating our biases: they are as built into our minds as deeply as language and lust.
Postnormal Creativity –
We should expect that in postnormal times creativity will have a few surprises in store for us.
The ability to steer things in the right direction without the authority to do so, through social competence.
The most creative people are insatiably curious. They want to know what works and why.
Posterity, not History, nor the Future –
Freestyling –
We have to learn to dance with the robots, not to run away. However, we still need to make sure that AI is limited enough that it will still be dancewithable, and not notrunnable-away-from.
Postnormal’s new normal Futurologist Stowe Boyd’s top 10 talents to prosper in the digital age
Design Logic –
It’s not only about imagining things we desire, but also undesirable things – cautionary tales that highlight what might happen if we carelessly introduce new technologies into society.
While we need to learn from history, we must not be constrained by it, especially in a time where much of what is going on is unprecedented.
Complex Ethics –
Deep Generalists – They can ferret out the connections that build the complexity into complex systems, and grasp their interplay.
The growing clamor in the global media over these questions reflects both the spreading realization of the digital transformation, as well as the actual impact on jobs and everyday life in the here and now. But Van Dale argues that much of the media coverage paints too-stark a picture of change: the familiar and comfortable “before,” versus a bleak and apocalyptic “after.”
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Emergent Leadership –
Sensemaking – Skills that help us create unique insights critical to decision making.
All thinking touches on our sense of morality and justice. Knowledge is justified belief, so our perspective of the world and our place in it is rooted in our ethical system, whether examined or not.
“It’s more helpful to think in terms of ‘the evolution of work,’” she says. “The future of work should be viewed as a process, dependent on numerous factors, including decisions made by governments, employers and individuals.” In other words: We can all still make an impact. But to be a part of that process, we have to join the debate now.
21
“How do we educate and prepare our young people for a world in which many of the jobs that are out there now will soon be done by machines of one sort or another? What will replace those jobs, and how do we equip the next generation to deal with it?” – Jack Lange
Talent Contest E
hammer.
Hong Kong faces an acute shortage of skillsets – some in unexpected places ver thought of what it takes to work on a building site or as an elevator repairman these days? Candidates may need to be as clued up on coding as they’re handy with a
“Companies with heavy equipment are turning to candidates who are able to help Hong Kong residents navigate the city via apps and cloud-based solutions,” according to Dean Stallard, Managing Director in Hong Kong for global recruiting company Hays. “Candidates with knowledge and skills across the Internet of Things, big data, apps, wireless, cloud and software are hot property.” Buildings, power grids, buses and even street lamps are all getting smarter as the application of modern technology adds digital layers to what were previously stolidly physical industries. New sources of competition
22
for tech savvy candidates means more than 90 percent of chief information officers in Hong Kong are planning to plug gaps with short-term or temporary staff this year, according to Robert Half, another recruiting firm. “Many local professionals who would thrive in IT contract work are cautious about accepting this type of work because they are used to being employed on a permanent basis,” says Adam Johnston, the firm’s MD in Hong Kong. “Temporary work however can provide valuable experience to a resume and the ability to expose themselves to multiple new skillsets.” But it’s not just technology seeping into new industries that’s behind the talent shortfall: increased investment from Mainland China and a flood of far-reaching – and sometimes contradictory – regulatory changes are also factors. They are boosting demand for more
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Singapore is English teacher’s pet... ...while Hong Kong Fails grade Singapore 2017
Hong Kong Mainland China
2016
2015
2014
2013
0
20
40
60
80
Distance from No.1 nation: shortest bar wins. (EF EPI adjusted)
sophisticated, multilingual candidates able to navigate through complex, often cross-border assignments in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. Tongue-tied… English-language skills have fallen far behind those in Singapore – which now ranks fifth in the world according to the annual EF English Proficiency Index (See chart). Business aviation is one rapidly expanding sector where the shortfall is keenly felt. The industry globally operates in English, and the smaller operators often lack the recruiting savvy to seek out multilingual local talent who wouldn’t have considered themselves qualified to work as a pilot or aircraft technician. Some employers are now turning outside their typical recruitment pools for the new skillsets they need to
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
adapt to the changing marketplace, Stallard says. In the pharmaceutical and medical devices sector, “candidates with a creative flair rather than a medical degree are in high demand to drive marketing and sales initiatives,” he says. Old but not out… Retooling Hong Kong’s aging workforce offers another underexploited talent pool, says Oscar Venhuis, a co-founder of Hong Kong-based co-working space theDesk. In the flexible economy, employees will need to accept a continuous process of adaptation and training throughout their working lives, he says. Having one of the world’s longest life expectancies is creating its own skills shortages. Degenerative conditions linked to aging are going untreated because of a shortage of specialist medical staff.
23
SMART CITY
Bright Lights, Future City T
Can a lamppost transform Hong Kong?
he government here certainly hopes so. In December it released the long-awaited Smart City Blueprint outlining the innovation and technology goals and strategy for a happier, healthier and more competitive Hong Kong. Speaking to a packed house in PwC’s Wanchai Experience Center, Government Chief Information Officer Allen Yeung was keen to emphasize that what fuels the beating heart of any successful “smart city” is data – specifically in Hong Kong’s case, the data that’s running through submarine cables like blood through veins. “Smart” Hong Kong, Yeung told his audience, has three layers: “The first is its global interconnectivity, which puts it at the center of many important connection points. Eleven to 12 undersea cables are currently being built, and data throughput has already doubled this year.
24
Hong Kong currently hosts 40 terabytes per second in terms of throughput, but when Google and Facebook’s cables go live, this will triple… Another cable planned to go live in 2019 will put it at over 200 terabytes per second.
AmCham hosted an early-morning discussion session with Government Chief Information Officer Allen Yeung at PwC’s brand-new Experience Center in Wanchai on January 12. Leonie Valentine, Managing Director of Sales and Operations at Google Hong Kong moderated the lively session, with PwC’s head of Emerging Technologies and New Services Scott Likens.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
At Full Capacity: The Data Center
208 MW
416+ MW
200 MW
370 MW
2015
2017
Hong Kong vs Singapore Power capacity of data centers in megawatts (MW) Singapore
Hong Kong
Global interconnectivity: submarine cables Terabytes per second
200 160 120 80 40 0 2017
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
2018
2019
25
The Application: Multifunctional “Smart” Lamp posts
Wi-Fi, mobile
Smart lighting • LED • Photocell control • 0-100% dimming • On-demand lighting
App-based wireless control
Image sensing
Environmental sensing
Digital Signage
(air quality, noise)
Digital street sign
• Proximity • Pedestrian counter • Parking monitoring • Public security
• Way finding • Traffic direction • Civic info • Revenue potential
Push-to-talk system ('blue-light' services)
Water level / Flood monitoring
eVehicle / eBike charging
Source: European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC)
26
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
“This is actually more activity than Hong Kong alone can consume. The city is a regional hub through which data can go in and out within a short period of time. This is very important for the financial sector, as the short latency time translates into a lot of money.
“Along with the public and private sector, a simple project like this would all of a sudden engage 10 different civil departments.”
“The second layer is the data center. The data will arrive, but you need enough capacity to store it. We are pleased to see two new data centers being built this year, which will double Hong Kong’s capacity.
data the government hopes will transform the way we manage our city by enabling us to react and respond much faster to issues as they arise.
This basic application of smart technology may be a small step forward, but to pull it off will require a fundamental shift in Hong Kong – both in practices and in mindset.
“But the third and final layer is the most important. It is how we apply the data to managing the city.”
“Along with the public and private sector, a simple project like this would all of a sudden engage 10 different civil departments – e.g. the Environment Bureau, the Tourism Board, the Transport Department, etc. – to work together towards a common goal,” says Yeung.
Enter the multifunctional “smart” lamppost. In addition to keeping our streets lit at night, this humble device will soon be collecting real-time data about Hong Kong’s weather, pollution, traffic flow and security footage;
Smart government, Yeung said, is a relatively new concept for Hong Kong – cue gentle laughter from the audience – but it’s clear that it’s just what the city needs to smarten up.
AmChamHK 1-2 •• 2018
27
Mobility • Intelligent transport system and traffic management • Develop more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly routes • Smart airport
L iving
City of
• Wi-fi connected city • Wide availability of digital payment options • Technology-enabled healthcare and elderly support
Environment • Green and energy efficient buildings • Sustainable waste management • Pollution monitoring
28
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
People • Encourage education in STEM subjects • Promote an innovative and entrepreneurial culture
Smarts What will it take to build Hong Kong into a worldclass smart city? The Blueprint lays out instructions in six key areas: Mobility, Living, Environment, People, Government and Economy
Government • Provide open access to public data • Fund smart city infrastructure • Support adoption of technology
Economy • Promote a sharing economy • Leverage innovation and technology to strengthen Hong Kong’s current economic pillars (finance & tourism) • Develop new economic pillars
Source: HKSAR Government Smart City Blueprint
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
29
SUSTAINABILITY
From to
Good Great
Simon Ng from think tank Civic Exchange wants to upgrade Hong Kong’s transport sector by putting people at the center of it
P
icture the city of Hong Kong: a dense urban jungle of more than 7 million people going about their daily lives. Each one of those days, on average, those people take more than 13 million trips by bus, metro, ferry and taxi. Accounting for more than 90 percent of all journeys, public transport isn’t just a means to get around, it’s a way of life. “In other parts of the world, it’s a choice,” Simon Ng, Independent Consultant Fellow at Hong Kong think tank Civic Exchange, told a recent AmCham lunchtime briefing on sustainable transport. Hong Kong’s public transport system topped last year’s
Sustainable Cities Mobilities Index by design and engineering consultancy Arcadis, largely because its share of ridership is the world’s highest. Safe, efficient and affordable, it also won plaudits for the long-term viability of infrastructure investment. Metro operator MTR plows profits from real estate construction on top of its stations back into the system � a model that’s being adopted across the world.
“Sustainable development should be assessed from three angles: environmental, social and economic.”
But a stroll along the city’s harbor front reveals a dark smudge in the well-oiled system: the black clouds belching from ferries and antiquated barges. Hong Kong still depends on fossil fuels for its power supply and has failed to tackle the pollution caused by ships and the
– Simon Ng, consultant for Civic Exchange
30
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
A snapshot:
Hong Kong’s ridership pie
39%
46%
32%
15% 1981 Bus
Rail
35%
25%
32%
33%
43%
1996
2016
Other
(Other includes minibuses and ferries, as well as private cars.)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
31
HONG KONG Electric vehicles
Slashed tax waiver designed to spur EV sales
Stance on vehicle emissions
Progressively phasing out pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles by end of 2019
Bike sharing fleets
PM2.5 levels swelling fleet of cars that snarl up its streets. That pushed the city down to 53rd spot in Arcadis’ gauge of the system’s environmental impact and government plans to cut emissions.
(Beijing is at 60+ and the World Health Organization target is set at 10).
HK ~21,000
30+
Sustainability, says Ng, should be a priority in transport planning to develop a system that isn’t only good for now, but for decades to come. If Hong Kong wants to maintain its global competitiveness, then sustainable transport must become a focus, not an afterthought.
three angles: environmental, social and economic,” says Ng. In typical fashion, Hong Kong has nailed the economic aspect. Now it is time to work on the other factors.
People first “Sustainable development should be assessed from
To do this will require putting people – not cars – at the center of transport planning. This means developing
32
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
SHEN ZHEN Entire public bus fleet electric by end of 2017
China considering total ban of diesel and petrol vehicles
SZ 100,000+
“Sustainability should not just be a goal for the Transport Department alone to achieve. ” – Simon Ng
20+ So what’s driving the switch to sustainability elsewhere? A combined effort.
more options for cyclists and pedestrians, switching to clean fuels and more effective traffic management. Ng says that in other cities for example, parking is used by the government as a tool to control traffic. By comparison, Hong Kong’s low parking prices actually encourage the use of private cars.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
In other countries, emission reductions are built into national targets. “Sustainability should not just be a goal for the Transport Department alone to achieve. Hong Kong needs to embed these goals into official policy to give stakeholders the authority to act,” Ng says. It will be a slow process, but “it is the small things that start change.”
33
SUPPLY CHAINS
OUT OF AFRICA As apparel makers rethink global supply chains to cope with rising costs, concerns over worker safety and more stringent green goals, Ethiopia and the East Africa region are well positioned to proďŹ t
By Paula Sailes
Photo: Pixabay
34
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
I
n January 2014, senior PVH Corp supply chain executives Mark Green and Bill McRaith were on a mission in Africa: Find a site for a vertically integrated production center that would set the global apparel maker up for decades to come. Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda had made their shortlist. Some of the locations were so remote they needed to charter a plane.
The breakneck speed of construction reflects Ethiopia’s determination to secure foreign investment in its nascent manufacturing industry. In transforming its economy from agrarian to industrialized, Ethiopia’s goals are ambitious and aggressive: 27,000 square miles (70,000 sq. kilometers) of land have been set aside for industrial development with the aim of creating 750,000 new job opportunities by 2020.
“Mark and I are flying around Africa in these tiny little planes and even the pilots don’t know where the runways are,” recalls McRaith, Chief Supply Chain Officer for the owner of Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Arrow and other well-known brands.
For PVH, Ethiopia’s proactive approach tipped the balance: The company and some of its top suppliers began production at the Hawassa Industrial Park early last year. This marked a shift not only in PVH’s production base, but also in its business model.
In 2014, one of those planes landed on a dirt track in Hawassa, a lakeside market town in southern Ethiopia. By 2016, the government had built a fully functioning commercial runway, serviced by two Ethiopian Airlines flights a day from the capital Addis Ababa.
“Supply chain to us is having the vision of what is the next 20 years and not waiting for someone else to go and build it,” says McRaith. PVH persuaded its top suppliers to build their own
In need of a boost… Ethiopia’s trade in goods falters Merchandise trade (US$m) 2005 903 Exports -3,192 Trade balance
2010 2,330 -6,272
2015 3,050 -13,864
Top 5 partners (US$m)
Exports by product group All food items
11% 11%
Manufactured goods Other
Somalia 9%
Agricultural raw materials Fuels
-4.3%
2016 2,919 (e) -13,670
6% 62%
449
China
285
Kuwait
232
Netherlands
225
Saudi Arabia
213 Source: UNCTAD
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
35
World’s top exporters of clothing 200
15 175
160
10
10 8
6
5
120
2
US$b
112 80 40 0
-5 -6 -11 China a
Exports a
0%
0
26
22
-9
-10 18
EU (28) Bangladesh Vietnam Hong Kong
18 India
-10
-10 15
Turkey
7
6
Indonesia Cambodia
6
-15
U.S.
Annual percentage change
Includes significant shipments through processing zones.
factories and a mill in Hawassa, giving the company greater control over sourcing. As early movers in Ethiopia’s manufacturing industry, PVH intends to set the standard for sustainability and industry best-practice.
Source: WTO Secretariat
Green, EVP of Global Supply Chain at PVH and an AmCham Governor, says the park tenants hope to hire 40,000 to 60,000 workers over the next three to five years, creating more local jobs than have been generated in the past 50. “Ethiopia is becoming an important sourcing hub for PVH and we can only see the country growing in status,” he says. “Over the coming months, more
“Ethiopia is becoming an important sourcing hub for PVH and we can only see the country growing in status” – PVH’s Mark Green
36
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Target 2025 • Ethiopia is banking on rapid industrialization to become a lower middle-income country by 2025 – defined by the World Bank as having per capita income of between US$1,005 and US$3,955.
operations will establish a presence in Ethiopia, which will only strengthen the country’s future role as an apparel manufacturing hub. Finally, the establishment of commercial cotton farming in Ethiopia over time will give the country a competitive advantage over many other sourcing locations.”
• In 2016, significant investments in both manufacturing and infrastructure saw FDI in Ethiopia jump 46 percent to US$3.6 billion.
With a workforce of more than 50 million people in predominantly low-paid agricultural jobs, labor costs are highly competitive. But turning a nation of subsistence farmers into a nation of factory workers comes with its own challenges.
• Still, there’s a long way to go: with per capita income of US$660 in 2016, Ethiopia remains one of Africa’s poorest countries.
“Most people have never had to work to a timeclock before,” Green explains. “One of the ways that we are addressing this is through a soft skills training program. All workers participate in the two-week program, which covers topics ranging from how to open a bank account to timekeeping to working on a team.” In a country where more than a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, delivering on economic growth is clearly important. But so too is ensuring that the growth is inclusive, sustainable and clean.
PVH has devised its own uniquely African litmus test: On a site visit ahead of the grand opening, company executives noticed a family of hippos living in a nearby river. “If these hippos are still here in three to five years’ time,” McRaith said, “this will be a sign of whether we have done this right.”
WATCHING YOU!
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
37
Market access
Power flower Around 85 percent of the country’s energy comes from renewable sources and that number is set to rise to 100 percent over time, helping companies and their investors meet targets for transitioning to a low-carbon future.
38
The U.S. in 2015 extended the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act for a further 10 years, allowing duty-free imports of apparel from sub-Saharan Africa. The agreement provides potential investors the security they need for long-term strategic planning.
Clocking on
WHY EAST AFRICA?
Skilled labor is one of the highest costs in the clothing business. With about half of the 100 million or so Ethiopians of working age, the country has the human capital to support industry on a grand-scale – its total labor force is the world’s 13th largest, World Bank data show.
Cutting costs
Tailor made
East Africa now has some of the world’s most competitive power prices. Ethiopia has invested heavily in its energy infrastructure, bringing electricity costs down to around 4 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour in the capital, according to the World Bank. That’s about a third of the price in Shanghai.
Ethiopia’s relatively temperate climate provides another strategic advantage, as Managing Director of VF Asia Gareth Brooks explains: “It’s one of the few undeveloped places where there will be opportunity to farm cotton beside the spinning mill, beside the textile mill, beside the apparel factory, so to have a very vertically integrated industry.”
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
A CLEAN SHEET
T
“Because there’s no industry established yet in counhink of the major textile manufacturing tries like Ethiopia then we, as responsible companies, hubs in the world and Ethiopia doesn’t have the opportunity to come together and really spring immediately to mind. China remains help the government determine how best to establish the world’s largest exporter of apparel by a such an industry,” says Gareth long way, shipping US$175 billion Brooks, the Managing Director of VF worth of clothes in 2015. Bangladesh, Asia, the company behind outdoor the world’s third-largest exporter of “What we’re trying to brands such as Timberland and The clothing by value, saw its overseas do is see how can we North Face, and Co-Chair of sales jump by 6 percent to US$26 AmCham’s Apparel & Footwear billion that same year. help countries to adopt Committee. good, sustainable While Asia remains a key production base, several factors have big brands He says committee members draw on practices that are in the rethinking their strategies. Not least a wealth of experience when it comes best interest of the to creating codes of conduct in among their concerns is safety: In frontier markets. April 2013, more than 1,100 workers workforce.” died when a five-story factory build“Collectively, we have experience ing, Rana Plaza, collapsed in Bangla– VF Asia’s Gareth Brooks working in a lot of different countries, desh. It was the worst accident in the so we’re able to see good practices history of the garment industry: a and bad practices from governments. tragedy that still haunts global retailWe spend a lot of time through the AmCham commiters, and one that forced them to take a long, hard look tee talking about this: what we’re trying to do is see at their supply chains. how can we help countries to adopt good, sustainable practices that are in the best interest of the workIn an industry exposed to high levels of reputational force.” risk, the chance to establish workplace best-practice in new markets is an attractive prospect.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
39
CHINA NEWS
Silicon Valley of the East
Shenzhen’s reputation for tech is unjustifiably low-profile in the West. Journalist Johan Nylander hopes to help change that with his new e-book “Shenzhen Superstars”
Photo: Thickstock
40
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
T
here’s something surreal about the lack of global awareness surrounding Shenzhen and the technology giants the city has spawned.
Take a look at a USA Today story on January 15, in which the biggest American mass-market daily newspaper told its readers that Dutch toymaker Lego was teaming up with China’s biggest social media company. Lego, Lego, Lego: the report described in detail the privately held company’s business performance, strategy in China and rivalry with Mattel to tie up with Chinese partners for a share in the US$31 billion a year market. “Tencent is Asia’s most valuable company with a market capitalization of US$537 billion” was all the space given over to the Shenzhen tech giant. The Guardian, Independent and BBC have all recently published reports highlighting how little known the company is. “Shenzhen has emerged as a city just as important for tech development and innovation as Silicon Valley,” says Johan Nylander, a Hong Kong-based journalist who has just published an e-book that he hopes will shine a light on the city of more than 10 million people as well as dispel some myths and misconceptions. “Still, most people in the West have not even heard of the city or the world-leading firms from here. It’s rather shocking.”
Sean Liu, a China-born investment manager at the San Francisco office of venture firm Vy Capital, said he thought most people in Silicon Valley had no clue who Tencent President Martin Lau is. Liu told Bloomberg that’s “the equivalent of people not knowing who Sheryl Sandberg is if they cared about Facebook. Except that Martin Lau is even more powerful and influential within Tencent and in China’s technology community.” Nylander’s book offers readers a whistle-stop tour (yes, it’s a very compact read) of the city and the people and companies that make it tick, and give it its unique culture. A culture that is increasingly challenging the world dominance of the U.S., especially in robotics, AI and hardware. What sets this book apart from the dozens of research reports from professional services firms readily available on the Web is its reportage. Swedish-born Photo: Thickstock Nylander has a knack for unearthing the quirky side of life. At home among the misfits as he is comfortable
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
rubbing shoulders with CEOs, the picture that emerges is more nuanced. Grounded in the gutter but with views from the c-suite too, this book is as entertaining as it is informative. Johan Nylander, a Hong Kong-based Swedish journalist, has just published a book on Shenzhen and the city’s stunning rise as a center for all things tech. Appropriately, he chose to publish on the Amazon digital platform. More appropriately still, he tailored his work to the time-poor readers of today’s digital natives. AmChamHK caught up with the author recently to pose – yet more appropriately – three bullet-point questions for a quick take on a short-read. Johan, why this length? Why an e-book? How did you go about marketing it? It’s a so called short-read that will take the reader about two hours to get a good understanding of Shenzhen and Chinese startups. I’ve been getting good comments for the format, especially from business people with limited time to read. I first published it entirely as an e-book for Amazon, but have just added a paperback as many readers still prefer physical paper books. What’s the feedback been like? The response has been overwhelmingly positive. The book became the No.1 bestseller on Amazon’s China section, surpassing dragons like Henry Kissinger and Sun Tzu. It was really cool. So, what next? Now I’m writing a follow-up – or maybe several follow-ups – on the Greater Bay Area. I will definitely continue to write short-reads about China and Asia. It’s great fun. I warmly recommend all journalist friends to look into the Kindle platform for storytelling.
41
This article is based on an extract from Shenzhen Superstars – How China’s smartest city is challenging Silicon Valley by Johan Nylander Published on Amazon, Kindle version US$3.99, paperback US$7.99
Warning: Never, Ever Judge a Book By Its Cover… Naomi Wu, a.k.a. SexyCyborg, says she’s out to promote not only her home town but also the role of women in tech
By Johan Nylander
S
henzhen is home to a lively maker community, and it’s one that also has its roots in Huaqiangbei – a one-mile strip with 10-story buildings on both sides of the boulevard filled to the brim with electrical stuff, both legal and illegal – and the Pearl River Delta’s easy access to supplies. Makers are a contemporary subculture, representing a technology-based extension of do-it-yourself culture. The New York Times once called them “kitchen-table industrialists.” One of my most memorable interviews on this topic was with a young female maker, or hardware hacker, in a tech-geek café called Vive in the city’s High-tech Park district. She’s been called the world’s sexiest hacker and she certainly lives up to that reputation. Naomi Wu, also known as SexyCyborg, is a 23-year-old Shenzhen native whose do-it-yourself videos have made her a global online phenomenon. As she walks into a virtual reality gaming cafe in downtown Shenzhen wearing high leather boots, stay-up stockings, a pink miniskirt and tight top, she turns a fair number of heads. She’s not shy of parading her 1,600cc of breast implants.
42
“When people see me in these clothes, they think I’m just a bimbo,” Wu tells me as we sit down. “When they then realize that I do coding and tech stuff and make these videos, they go, ‘Wow! If she can do it, how hard can it be?’” She beams, and takes a sip from a cup of tea with a thick layer of cheese on top – a popular local drink. Naomi Wu’s videos range from step-by-step guides to setting up a 3D-printer to detailed demonstrations of how she creates high-tech wearables. They are largely meant to inspire young women to go into technology, to code and to promote China as a hub for creative technology. They’ve racked up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, Imgur, Reddit and elsewhere, earning her a reputation as a cyberpunk icon.
“When people see me in these clothes, they think I’m just a bimbo. When they then realize that I do coding and tech stuff and make these videos, they go, ‘Wow! If she can do it, how hard can it be?’” – Naomi Wu, a.k.a. SexyCyborg
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
After shooting zombies in one of the cafe’s VR simulators, we talk about how Wu joined the maker community and why she wants to inspire more women to go into technology. When asked why she initially got involved in tech, she explains that at first it was just a way to make a living but soon transformed into a passion. “It can be frustrating when I hear people on international tech sites talk about China. They say all we can do is copy, and stuff like that. That is, of course, always an issue, but we’re all working hard to improve and be more innovative. I like to show off some simple projects to demonstrate that we have a creative culture here and that we are not all clones and robots. We have interesting, eccentric people just like any other country.” She offers an interesting example of how women are getting more involved in the tech scene in China. In the 3D printing community, she says, we are starting to see more women from a crafting and cosplay background. These women, who are already familiar with prop making, digital sewing machines and vinyl cutters, are now starting to use 3D printers. “A lot of the men who buy 3D printers don’t really have a use for them. For them, it’s just a cool tech toy. They often end up just downloading Yoda heads and calibration prints without a clear use. Women are less interested in playing with the printers and are more project-focused, be it for gifts or holiday decorations. We’re starting to see not just young cosplay women, but moms and homemakers without any technical background doing detailed YouTube tutorials on fairly advanced CAD software,” she says. Companies, large and small, would benefit from more actively tapping into the local maker community to access new designs and ways of making things on a shoestring budget, she says. “It's a proven way to promote innovation and creativity,” she states. “Shenzhen is good because it’s so easy to get access to components and custom fabrication services for small or single orders. The turnaround time for both parts and services is fast.” Together we walk to her friend’s maker space, SteamHead. The room is jam-packed with all kinds of tools, apparatus and cables, as well as 3D-printers and proto-
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
types, and – of course – people busy designing or building stuff. The room reeks of creativity. The maker space and its cofounders, Benjamin “James” Simpson and Carrie Leung, a couple from San Francisco who left Silicon Valley to explore new ideas in Shenzhen, also offer maker classes for children. Here and there one can see small 3D-printed dinosaurs and other funny figures made by the kids. The maker space concept originated in Silicon Valley as a grass-roots movement shaped by ecological considerations and community-mindedness. Their aim is to stimulate collaboration and empower individuals through providing a co-working place to experiment, share and network. Today, however, California struggles to match Shenzhen’s ecosystem of makers. “What makes Shenzhen unique for maker entrepreneurs is the rapid prototyping. And because of reduced lead-times and ease of obtaining materials, we see a huge decrease in costs here. We are able to do projects for 10 dollars that in the US or elsewhere in the world would cost 100 dollars,” Simpson says. Simpson also says that Shenzhen is an ideal place for maker education. From his experience, parents here don't want their kids inheriting the jobs of their grandparents’ generation, as suppliers of cheap goods for the rest of the world. Rather, he says, parents want to see their children succeed as creators, as members of a class of people who are able to design solutions to problems. “That makes it an excellent location for maker education. We see the interest from the parents and the appetite from the kids. The raw materials and electronics are inexpensive, available and quick. Suddenly it’s affordable to let kids play with electronics, break things and make mistakes.”
43
AMCHAM BALL 2018
Mardi Gras: A Surprising History
M tian Rome.
ardi Gras today is synonymous with New Orleans, but what many people may not realize is that the colorful festival’s origins can be traced all the way back to pre-Chris-
In those days, pagan beliefs and rituals were popular and widely practiced. The earliest celebrations of Mardi Gras can be likened to the wild Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia, two occasions that permitted excessive feasting, gambling and partying.
44
Upon the arrival of Christianity in Rome, religious leaders decided to incorporate existing pagan traditions into the new faith – a move easier than eradicating them completely. Eventually, the excess and hedonism of the Mardi Gras season became a prelude to the religious season of Lent – the 40 days of penance and fasting between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. As Christianity spread from Rome to other European countries like France, Germany, Spain and England, the Mardi Gras tradition travelled with it.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Did you know? Mardi Gras, celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, literally means “Fat Tuesday.” And the word “carnival” comes from the Medieval Latin carnelevarium, which means to remove meat.
A Carnival parade float
Finding a Home in New Orleans Records show that the first American Mardi Gras was celebrated on March 2, 1703, when French explorers and brothers Iberville and Bienville landed in what is now Louisiana, just 60 miles south of New Orleans. New Orleans Mardi Gras was established in 1718.
Did you know?
Louisiana is the only American state in which Mardi Gras is a legal holiday.
By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans, but with elegant society balls – a far cry from the ostentatious parades of today.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
It wasn’t until decades later that New Orleans and other French settlements began marking the holiday with street parties, masked balls and lavish dinners.
Today, Mardi Gras – also known as Carnival – is celebrated in many Roman Catholic countries around the world on the day before the religious season of Lent begins. In addition to New Orleans, Brazil and Venice host their own versions of the holiday, boasting festivities that draw thousands of tourists and revelers every year.
45
Customs and Rituals On Mardi Gras in 1827, a group of students donned colorful costumes and danced through the streets of New Orleans, inspired by the celebrations they had observed while visiting Paris. Ten years later, the first recorded New Orleans Mardi During the annual Mardi Gras festivities, the Gras parade took place, a tradition that continues to mascot of a fat ox or cow is carried through the this day. streets of New Orleans as a parade float. This
ritual, called Boeuf Gras – French for “fatted cow,” symbolizes the ancient tradition of slaughtering one of the well-fed but unfortunate creatures before Lent.
“Krewes,” the social clubs that organize parades and parties during the Carnival first appeared in 1857, when a secret society of New Orleans businessmen called the Mistick Krewe of Comus organized a torch-lit procession with marching bands and rolling floats. Since then, krewes have been at the heart of Mardi Gras culture in making sure that party goers are always treated to a spectacular show. Other well-known customs include throwing beads and other trinkets, wearing masks, decorating floats and eating “King Cake.”
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler! Let the good times roll as you’re transported to the flamboyance and fanfare of Mardi Gras on the 14th April when the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel will be transformed into the New Orleans’ French Quarter, complete with the sights and sounds of the “Greatest Free Show on Earth.” The hotel’s five-star kitchen will serve up a delicious feast of authentic New Orleans cuisine – a tantalizing blend of French, Creole and Cajun flavors – as you are entertained by glitzy Carnival-style performances and toe-tappingly funky jazz tunes fresh from Louisiana.
business class tickets to the United States for the lucky winner. In addition, prizes valued at half a million Hong Kong dollars are up for grabs in AmCham’s most extravagant lucky-draw contest yet. On your way out, stop by the themed photo booth and instantly print out the perfect souvenir from a night you won’t want to forget.
Tech enthusiasts will enjoy the Mardi Gras-themed virtual reality game, made all the more exciting by free
Photo: Thinkstock
46
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
#ICYMI
HR Conference
On 8 December, AmCham hosted its 26th Annual Human Resources Conference at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong. Here are the highlights… Patrick Kirby with Jennifer Van Dale, AmCham Executive Committee Chair, and Partner, Head of Employment Asia at Eversheds LLP. Gold sponsor booth (KPMG).
Left to right: Sean O. Ferguson, Director of MBA Programs, HKUST Business School at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Bernie Ting, Chairman, Hong Kong Q-Mark Council; Wai-Kwong Seck, CEO-Asia Pacific, State Street Bank & Co; Karena Belin, Co-Founder, WHub.
Media partner booth (HR magazine).
Left to right: Anna Champion, Founder, The Talent Lighthouse; Mitya New, Managing Director, Leading Organisations International Co Ltd; Jane Morgan, Managing Director, HK, Golin; Bradley Hall, Senior Advisor – Human Resources, Huawei; Bernard Coulaty, Founder & CEO, MOST Engaged Consulting Ltd. Kate Bravery, Global Practices Leader, Career, Mercer.
48
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Platinum sponsor booths (Macao Government Tourism Office & Agile 1).
Left to right: Sean O. Ferguson; Penny van Niel, Independent Executive Coach; Fran Thompson, Managing Director, Pathfinder Talent Solutions; Lee Quane, Regional Director-Asia, ECA International.
Title sponsor booth (Stamford American School).
Left to right: Rosaline Koo, Founder and CEO, CXA Group; Lale Kesebi, Chief Communications Officer & Head of Strategic Engagement, Li & Fung; Jo Shum, Managing Director, Groupe SEB; Don Duquette, Executive Vice President, Learning Solutions, GP Strategies (Hong Kong) Limited; Wendy Zhang, AmCham HK Human Resources Committee Vice Chair. Left to right: Helen Colquhoun, Partner, DLA Piper; Ashley Steinhausen, Business Development Director (APAC), Agile1; Patrick Kirby, Director, Management Consulting, KPMG; Michael Gold, Editor, Asia Pacific, The Economist Intelligence Unit; Gautam Dev, Regional Director of Human Resources – Talent and Leadership (Prudential Corporation Asia), Prudential Hong Kong Limited.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
49
MARKETING
Bottoms Up
Betsy!
McCann Worldgroup’s Cathay Pacific team scooped Hong Kong’s most prestigious marketing awards with their innovative campaign around Betsy, a craft beer with altitude
S
pare a thought for the poor airline chefs next time you’re groaning over an unappetizing offer of chicken or fish at 35,000 feet. Most of us are unaware of the effort that goes into countering the impact of altitude, humidity, noise and cabin pressure on passengers’ palates – which can be impaired by up to 30 percent.
While some airlines try to adapt their food recipes to perk up the tastebuds, the team at McCann Worldgroup Hong Kong went a step further and brewed up a unique idea for their client Cathay Pacific: the world’s first beer tailored to taste best after the fasten seatbelt signs are turned off. So Betsy Beer, named after Cathay’s first aircraft, a 1946 DC-3, bubbled her way into existence. As McCann Executive Creative Director Martin Lever explains, this wasn’t simply a way of improving the
50
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
dining experience of first- and business-class passengers by tapping into the surging global popularity of craft beers. “In the airline world, there’s a problem of perceived product parity. Innovative initiatives and engaging storytelling can help brands rise above this problem,” Lever says. “That’s exactly what Betsy Beer was designed to do.” With help from a team of expert brewers, Betsy was tweaked for high-altitude. She’s about 10 percent fizzier than her sea-level rivals, adding what’s known in
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
“And with so much earned media exposure, brand awareness got a real shot in the arm in markets where traditional spend is limited.” – McCann's Martin Lever
51
the food and beverage trade as “mouthfeel.” Betsy’s made from wheat and is unfiltered, which makes her tastier – and with higher levels of vitamin B to help kick that jaded feeling after a long-haul flight. They combined Hong Kong honey and dragon fruit with Fuggle hops from Britain to marry flavors from Cathay’s home base with the beer’s U.K. launch destination.
Photos courtesy of McCann Worldgroup
Betsy proved an immediate hit with Cathay’s customers: the initial batch of 4,800 bottles ballooned to more than 50,000 after just one month. Not a bad entree into the craft brewing world. And from a marketing standpoint, the returns were staggering. McCann estimates the beer generated media coverage worth more than 100 times the campaign budget, reaching an audience of more than half a billion people. The return from spending on advertising was also about 100 times, the company says. Crucially, three-quarters of customers surveyed said the beer enhanced the Cathay experience. The campaign won McCann Worldgroup Hong Kong the Grand Kam Fan award at the HK4As – the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies in Hong Kong – late last year, as well as Kam Fan and a Gold in the Design & Crafts category. All of which garnered their client the prestigious Client of the Year title. “We started a global conversation about Cathay’s premium offering and spirit of innovation,” Lever says. “And with so much earned media exposure, brand awareness got a real shot in the arm in markets where traditional spend is limited.”
52
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Big Fish, Biggest Pond Cracking the China conundrum: how to magnify your voice in the world’s biggest marketplace
I
t’s a problem every international brand faces in China’s massive market: how to get your name known, let alone talked about and valued. Fragmented, vast, often insular: Traditional marketing strategies can mean tossing bundles of money into a bottomless well. When Cathay Pacific wanted to integrate and rebrand its Dragonair unit as Cathay Dragon its marketing team at McCann Worldgroup knew which way they had to turn, explains Executive Creative Director Martin Lever. “There’s only one way to capture imaginations across the whole of China if you have a minimal budget: think social!” They found three engaged-to-be-married travel influencers from China’s top three social travel platforms and got them to compete for a chance to be married on a Cathay Dragon flight, have a reception in Cathay’s First Class lounge, and a honeymoon trip with Cathay Pacific. Then they invited the whole of China to take part through voting and user-generated content.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
The campaign more than doubled brand awareness, with package sales 47 percent above target and earned media coverage valued at HK$2.6 million, McCann says. In addition, it generated 638 million hashtag impressions, and was the leading hashtag on Weibo’s travel category. “By having a big emotive idea strategically amplified by the right social influencers across relevant platforms, we were able to ignite a massive conversation – and drive the levels of brand and product awareness that traditional advertising channels would have struggled to deliver,” says Lever.
53
GUIDE TO
Advertising, Marketing & Communication Services
GUIDE TO
ADVERTISING, MARKETING & COMMUNICATION SERVICES
ARBA Unit I, 16/F, MG Tower, 133 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3170 1230
Mobile: (852) 9156 5174
Email: ingo.leung@arbaholdings.com
Website: www.arbaholdings.com
Key Contact: Ingo Leung, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder WHO WE ARE ARBA is a digital consultancy that helps our clients to separate digital opportunities from hype, & discover digital advantage in dynamic business environment. We design elegant & pragmatic software solutions to ensure that our clients achieve their goals & unlock their full digital potential. In 2017, WPP's marketing communication network, Ogilvy & Mather, acquired a majority stake in ARBA. WHAT WE DO We offer bespoke digital design & software engineering services, with end-to-end solutions ranging from enterprise mobile apps, responsive website & intranet, through to marketing automation, CRM & predictive analytics. We innovatively enable forward-looking clients to achieve goals such as accelerating sales process, automating marketing, & transforming business models. HOW WE HELP We share our clients' ambitions. We synthesize industry domain knowledge with expertise in strategy, user experience design, software engineering, content & analytics to help our clients thrive. We help our clients to create bespoke solutions with two core focuses – customer experience (CX) & employee experience (EX). CX focuses on the design & implementation of digital interactions that happen across the customer journey, which include the interactions that take place as customers aware, research, buy & advocate (A-R-B-A). EX focuses on the behind-the-scenes activities that enable employees to support customers & deliver CX as planned, which include internal business process, systems & tools. WHOM WE SERVE Our clients tend to be bold & ambitious business leaders, who are not satisfied with the status quo. Over the years, we have been fortunate to work with some of the leading companies in Asia, including: BNP Paribas, FWD, JETCO, Generali, Hang Seng Bank, Manulife, Prudential Corporation Asia, Rabobank, Tahoe Life, & Zurich Insurance.
Eventist Hong Kong Ltd
FleishmanHillard Hong Kong
Unit E, 10/F Success Industrial Building, 17 Sheung Hei Street Kowloon, Hong Kong
Suite 1501, Cityplaza 4, 12 Taikoo Wan Road, Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 3616 6088 Fax: (852) 3616 6076
Tel: (852) 2530 0228 Fax: (852) 2845 0363
Email: info@eventist.com Website: www.eventist.com
Key Contacts: Terry Dao, Director Edith Ho, Senior business manager Year Established: 2007 Major Business: Brand strategy, event marketing, event management, conference and exhibition management, Experiential digital and technology solutions, Interactive and creative solution. Company Overview: Eventist is a global event marketing firm that with worldwide connections, elevate client’s brand above the competition with an unwavering emphasis on excellence. In 2007, Eventist was founded in Hong Kong with the aim to provide creative and professional solutions to clients. 10 years later with 6 offices and over 100 staffs, we continue to develop bold and innovative ideas for firms in Hong Kong, France, Italy, U.K. and China. Staying in front of the trends, we offer an array of services such as brand strategy, event marketing, event, conference and exhibition management. Also, we provide experiential digital and technology solutions and interactive solutions to reach key audiences. Please visit our website www.eventist.com for more information.
56
Email: fhhk@fleishman.com Website: fleishmanhillard.com.hk
Key Contacts: Rachel Catanach, President & Sr Partner, Greater China Geoff Bilbrough, General Manager, SVP & Partner Year Established: 1996 Professional Associations: Member of the CPRFHK Major Business: Public Relations, Reputation Management, Public Affairs, Brand Marketing, Media Relations, Investor Relations, Crisis Management, Internal Communications, Social Media Management, Content Development, Influencer Relations Major Awards / Projects:
Greater China Consultancy of the Year 2017 / PRWeek Awards Asia B2B Agency of the Year (GOLD) 2017 / Marketing-Interactive Hong Kong Best Places to Work 2017 / PRWeek Best Places to Work in PR 2016-2017 / PR News Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality 2018 / Human Rights Campaign Top Companies for Women 2010-2017 / National Association for Female Executives
Company Overview: FleishmanHillard specializes in public relations, reputation management, public affairs, brand marketing, digital strategy, social engagement and content strategy. FleishmanHillard delivers on the power of true, reflecting the firm’s high values, and unique ability to guide clients through a world demanding unprecedented authenticity and transparency. FleishmanHillard is part of Omnicom Public Relations Group, and there are more than 80 FleishmanHillard offices in 30 countries, plus affiliates in 43 countries.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Gartner Hong Kong Ltd Suite 2204-06, 22/F, Berkshire House, 25 Westlands Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Website: www.gartner.com Fax: (852) 2824 6138 Tel: (852) 3402 0402 Key Contacts: Lester Owencroft, Area Vice President Year Established: 27 Sep 1994 Staff Size: 21 Company Activities: Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company. We deliver the technology-related insight necessary for our clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, we are the valuable partner to 60,000 clients in 12,000 distinct organizations. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, we work with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 5,200 associates, including 1,280 research analysts and consultants, and clients in 85 countries. Gartner Research Process Our research process embodies a way of thinking that turns complex information into insight you can use for business advantage. Research Methodologies Gartner methodologies consist of research practices, procedures and rules that distill large volumes of data into clear, precise, actionable insight so our clients can formulate plans or make difficult business decisions. Gartner for IT Leaders Gartner for IT Leaders is an indispensable strategic resource, delivering timely, reliable insight to guide your key decisions and get the most from your highest-priority initiatives. A service that more than pays for itself, it includes contract reviews that identify real savings, connections to peers who have walked in your shoes, and tools that save you time and money.
Gartner for Supply Chain Leaders The supply chain can make or break an organization's competitiveness, but with unstable raw materials costs, volatile demand patterns and rampant supply risks, using it to drive profitable growth and product innovation is no small feat. What's more, corporations must create demand-driven supply chains that embrace sustainability, or risk falling behind more innovative competitors. Gartner for Supply Chain Leaders delivers objective, actionable insight and best practices to help supply chain professionals build, manage and transform their global supply chains—maximizing productivity, minimizing risks and driving revenue and competitive advantage. Gartner for Technical Professionals Gartner for Technical Professionals delivers resources tailored to the needs of your technical architects and engineers. Written by technologists for technologists, this research provides detailed technical guidance on technical planning and architecture design. GTP benefits IT organizations to accelerate project timelines, mitigate risk and develop your staff.
GHC Asia GHC Asia Head Office (Hong Kong), 704 The Broadway, 54-62 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2810 0532
Mobile: (852) 6447 3072
Email: nicola.oldfield@ghcasia.com / info@ghcasia.com
Website: www.ghcasia.com
Key Contacts: Nicola Oldfield, Group Managing Director; Jessie Gogan, Client Services Director GHC Asia is a leading regional PR agency with offices in Hong Kong, China, Singapore and an international network of partners. Our on-the-ground teams of 60+ professionals approach everything with collaborative effort across PR, Digital and Content. We span the lifestyle and corporate sectors, with an influential reputation in hospitality, travel, F&B, luxury and property, delivering strategic, results driven campaigns.
Why GHC Asia?
Proven track record With over twenty years’ experience, our media relationships and business network is unrivalled. Industry knowledge We are travel, hospitality and lifestyle specialists - but, also skilled in telling the business story to hard-hitting top tier global media. International capability We help global brands succeed in Asia as well as support local companies who want to tell their story internationally through our affiliates in 25 countries. Creative and unique We share our creative ethos with our group partner, Hakuhodo DY Group in Japan. Specialist media and influencer contact base We have extensive relationships with local, regional and international media and KOLs covering all the key lifestyle and corporate sectors. Integrated approach Our goal is to help navigate relevant channels and platforms to create influential campaigns that change perceptions, create impressions and forge lasting connections.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
57
GUIDE TO
ADVERTISING, MARKETING & COMMUNICATION SERVICES
Hamilton Advisors
The New York Times
901A, 9/F, Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
1201 K Wah Ctr 191 Java Rd, North Point, HK
Tel: (852) 2488 8866 Email: rgrieves@hamiltonadvisorsltd.com Website: www.hamiltonadvisorsltd.com
Tel: (852) 2922 1188 Fax: (852) 2922 1190
Email: flong@nytimes.com Website: NYTimes.com
Key Contact: Robert Grieves, Chairman & CEO
Key Contacts: Helena Phua, Executive Vice President, Asia Pacific Philip P. Pan, Asia Editor, The New York Times
Year Established: 2009
Year Established: 1980
Major Business: Public Relations, Media Relations, Investor Relations, Brand and Reputation Management, Digital and Social Media, Executive Communications and Media Training
Major Business: Newspaper Publishers
Professional Associations: American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong (CPRFHK), The American Club Hong Kong, The Foreign Correspondents’ Club HK (FCC) Company Activities: Hamilton Advisors is a Hong Kong-based consultancy providing premium strategic communications services to financial institutions, listed and privately-held companies, and professional organizations. We help clients build brand and reputation, strengthen stakeholder relationships and achieve business objectives. Our team includes multicultural public relations experts with extensive experience throughout the Asia-Pacific region and in global markets.
Staff Size: 90
Major Awards / Projects: 5 Awards for Editorial Excellence 2017 from SOPA: Photography, Business Reporting, Reporting Breaking News, Opinion Writing, and Lifestyle Coverage Professional Associations: SOPA, WAN-IFRA Company Activities: The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) is a global media organization dedicated to enhancing society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information. The company is known globally for excellence in its journalism, and innovation in its print and digital storytelling and its business model. Follow news about the company at @NYTimesComm.
Hill +Knowlton Strategies Hong Kong 36/F, PCCW Tower, Taikoo Place, 979 King's Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2894 6321
Fax: (852) 2576 3551
Email: kw.lam@hkstrategies.com
Key Contacts: K W Lam, Managing Director, Hong Kong
Year Established: 1962
Website: www.hkstrategies.com Staff Size: 100
Major Business: Corporate communications, integrated marketing services, social and digital communications, crisis and issues management, financial communications, public affairs, media training Notable clients: McDonald’s, Ping An Insurance, Alibaba, HSBC, CNOOC, ZhongAn Insurance, China National Petroleum , TCL, Rolex, Korean Air, Hong Kong Airlines, BUPA, Huawei, UnionPay International and Dalian Wanda Recent Major Awards: Hill+KnowIton Strategies (H+K) is an award-winning agency, most recently recognized as Campaign Asia's Greater China Agency of the Year 2017 (bronze). In 2017, we were also proud to secure "PR Idea of the Year" at the Mumbrella Asia Awards 2017 for our work with Hong Kong Airlines. H+K has previously been awarded Asia-Pacific Consultancy of the Year by The Holmes Report, and Best Financial PR Company in Asia at the Asian Excellence Recognition Awards. Professional Associations: Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong, American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Company Activities: Hill+Knowlton Strategies is a public relations and integrated communications agency with more than 85 offices around the globe. H+K Hong Kong is home to over 100 creative strategists, content creators, digital experts, and storytellers experienced in helping clients strengthen brands, reputations and bottom lines. We understand how audiences think and engage, and recognize that in today’s ever-connected world, it’s all about business-to-human integrated communications. Whether it is investor relations, corporate communications, digital communications, or innovative marketing communication campaigns, H+K Hong Kong crafts credible and engaging ideas that deliver cut-through and measurable impact in an always-on world. We are proud to say that our in depth local knowledge, coupled with our global reach, means we are better positioned to take more Companies global than ever before.
58
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Lippincott 26th Floor, Central Plaza, 18 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2301 7540 Company Activities: Lippincott is a global creative consultancy. We bring to our clients’ toughest challenges the acumen, rigour and preparedness of a premier business consulting firm — and the spirit, courage and imagination of a world-class innovation and design agency. For the past 75 years, our global teams have partnered with the world’s leading companies to blend business acumen and pioneering creativity, a practice known today as “design thinking.” As a result, we build brands that emotionally connect, drive innovation that powers growth, and shape culture for enduring impact. We’ve taken Starbucks beyond coffee, helped Delta achieve new heights and partnered with Samsung to disrupt new categories. We help leaders succeed on the edge of change. From brand portfolio, logos and visual systems, to corporate vision, purpose and values, to rapid prototyping and Jobs-based innovation — our capabilities equip leaders with the tools to create meaningful and enduring impact. Lippincott is part of Oliver Wyman, a leading management consulting firm with offices in 50+ cities across 26 countries. This collaboration allows us to draw on deep industry knowledge and specialised expertise in strategy, operations and organisation transformation.
New Narrative Ltd. 6/F, 12P Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 8192 7768 E-mail: info@new-narrative.com Fax: (852) 3568 6342 Website: www.new-narrative.com Key contacts: Joseph Chaney, Partner Jonathan Hopfner, Partner David Line, Partner Lorraine Cushnie, Partner Year Established: 2013
Staff Size: 8
Major Business: Tailor-made content marketing, research and thought leadership campaigns for financial services and other firms active in Asia, the Middle East and beyond Professional Associations: Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong Columbia University Alumni Association New York University Alumni Association Oxford University Alumni Association Beta Gamma Sigma Company Activities: New Narrative Ltd. (n/n) is a Hong Kong and New York-based, content-focused marketing agency founded by professionals from the world’s top media organisations. The company conceptualizes and creates custom research, thought leadership and editorial campaigns across a range of formats that help its clients highlight their expertise, develop compelling voices in the marketplace and ultimately drive business growth.
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
59
GUIDE TO
ADVERTISING, MARKETING & COMMUNICATION SERVICES
OneAdvertising Rm810, 8/F, Kwong Loong Tai Building, 1016-1018 Tai Nan West Street, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2121 8500 Email: one@oneadv.com Website: http://oneadv.com/ Key Contact: Ogar Wan, Executive Creative Director and Founder Company Activities: OneAdvertising is a Branding and Advertising agency in Hong Kong of over 24 years serving a diverse portfolio of clients. Our expertise is in building and strengthening brands in everything we do, integrating branding into the core of advertising. We created the "Living Artist" brand for Procter & Gamble to engage consumers in first-tier Chinese cities; developed the Hong Kong corporate brochure for Cushman & Wakefield, from ideation to execution; produced marketing and airport-information display material to help Cathay Pacific visualize its brand; breathed fresh life into Wing Fung Financial Group’s 30-year-old brand; and created quarterly index reports for Hang Seng Indexes.
Some of Our Clients:
RFI Asia Unit B-C, 12/F, Casey Aberdeen House, 38 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2237 1661 E-mail: ask@rfi.asia Website: www.rfi.asia Key contact: Mr. Maximilian Wang, Mr. David Ko Company Activities: RFI Asia is a digital consultancy and integrated marketing agency comprising a cutting-edge team of digital strategists, creatives, scientists and technologists, brought together by a passion to change minds and influence behavior. Full-service digital arm of Ruder Finn Asia, we believe in bold visions and results-oriented digital strategy that enable our highly specialized teams covering content strategy and development, multimedia production, web and app development, immersive storytelling, and analytics. With a reputation for anchoring creativity designed with user in mind, our solutions are simple and elegant and built to scale with execution based on real-time metrics that equip brands for optimal consumer engagement and business success. Introducing BEACON, RFI Asia’s advanced Insights & Analytics suite delivering actionable intelligence that embolden brands to outperform their peers across a wide range of KPIs, from predictive insight to engagement to conversion. In good company, our clients are a robust mix of market leaders, transformation drivers and industry disrupters, including HSBC, Tencent, Swire Properties, Audi, Nike, Lee Kum Kee, McDonald’s, Prudential, L’Oréal and more. Recognized in the region by industry gatekeepers the likes of Mumbrella, PR Awards and The Holmes Report, we take pride in our award-winning work that make real impacts. Some of our clients
60
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Ruder Finn Asia Ltd 24/F Neich Tower, 128 Gloucester Road, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2521 0800 Fax: (852) 2521 7088
Email: hkoffice@ruderfinnasia.com Website: www.ruderfinnasia.com
Key Contacts: Jean-Michel Dumont, Chairman, Ruder Finn Asia Elan Shou, Regional Director of Asia Paul Yang, Deputy General Manager, Ruder Finn Hong Kong Charles Lankester, Executive Vice President, Global Reputation & Risk Management Year Established: 1989
Staff Size: 460
Professional Associations: CPRF, American Chamber, British Chamber
Major Business: Integrated communications, Reputation management, luxury sector communications, digital and social media marketing strategy & services, corporate, brand and crisis communications Company Activities: Founded in 1989, Ruder Finn Asia (www.ruderfinnasia.com) is the Asia-Pacific subsidiary of New York-based Ruder Finn (www.ruderfinn.com), a global communications consulting firm, producing award-winning work at the intersection of content, creative and digital. Ruder Finn Asia today employs close to 460 consultants in Asia-Pacific and has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore. The firm is represented across all other regional markets through a network of high quality partners. Ruder Finn Asia’s business centers on four strategic pillars: Corporate & Public Trust, Global Connectivity, Health & Wellness and Life+Style. As an integrated communication consultancy, we help our clients engage with those vital to their success, delivering meaningful, measurable, business results through inspirational, data-driven, communications counsel and solutions. Our expertise encompasses reputation management, digital and social marketing strategy, employee engagement, branding and executive skills training. Our research and analysis team provides insights and counsel in market trends, producing annual research reports including the China Luxury Forecast, Physicians Digital Outlook Survey and other publications. Ruder Finn Asia’s key clients include Almond Board of California, Bang & Olufsen, BMS, Emirates, GSK, Hermès, Jumeirah, L’Oréal, Michelin, Omron, Sanofi, VISA, Volkswagen Group and leading brands from the Kering, LVMH and Richemont Groups.
Sinclair 7/F, 299 QRC, Queen’s Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2915 1234 Email: talk@sinclaircomms.com Year Established: Key Contacts: 2009 Kiri Sinclair, Managing Director Kevin Lam, Director
Website: www.sinclaircomms.com Staff Size: Professional Associations: 35 Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong Public Relations Professionals' Association Hong Kong Marketing Society Asia
Major Business: Sinclair is a multi award-winning independent PR, social media and experiential communications agency with offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Our services include Brand Strategy, Marketing Campaigns, Media Relations, Social Media Analysis and Management, and Digital Strategy. Major Clients: Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, FITCH, Opera Hong Kong, P&T Group, Pirata Group, Pret a Manger, Prophet, PURE Group, Singapore Tourism Board, Tourism Australia, SCAD, Swire Properties, Van Cleef & Arpels Company Activities: Sinclair is a multi award-winning independent PR, social media and experiential communications agency. We work across industry and sector with one goal in mind – to create business impact for our clients through persuasive storytelling. Our ability to embrace new technologies and our bold approach to brand communications builds value, inspires action, changes opinion and grows reputation. Our expert team of strategists deliver seamlessly integrated PR programmes that ensure brands are shaping the conversations that matter. We influence. Whether you’re launching a new brand, product or service, opening into new markets or making a major announcement, we are here to help. We bring research, insight and experience together to build impactful strategy that ensures your brand is strong and understood. It’s about crafting the right content for the right people, and being consistent across every touch point. Which is why we listen closely to our clients, working in partnership to cohesively bring together digital, social, marketing and media. Why? Because an integrated strategy delivers a consistent message across all of your marketing communications channels. Asia-focused, we reach across Greater China and the region from our offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Sinclair is a hub agency for brand strategy in Asia Pacific, and leads implementation across multiple markets. We are also known for our skills and experience in bringing Hong Kong and China brands into the world spotlight. Sinclair Communications has been accredited with the following recognition: • Asia Pacific Excellence Awards 2016 – Travel & Tourism Category • Mumbrella Awards Asia 2017 – Social Media Influencer of the Year • Golden Flag Award (China) – The Best Public Influence for Content Marketing • The 13th China Golden Awards for Excellence in Public Relations (China) – Culture and Sport Communications
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
61
GUIDE TO
ADVERTISING, MARKETING & COMMUNICATION SERVICES
Strategic Public Relations Group 24/F, Admiralty Centre I, 18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2527 0490 Fax: (852) 2114 4948
Email: enquiry@sprg.com.hk Website: www.sprg.com.hk / www.sprg.asia
Key Contacts: Richard Tsang, Chairman of SPRG Eveline Wan, Senior Director – Asia
Year Established: 1995 Staff Size: 310
Major Business: Integrated PR consultancy provides IPO, investor relations, corporate marketing communications, public affairs, government relations and digital solutions. Major Clients: Abbott, AEON Stores, Asia Paper Pulp, ASM Pacific Technology, Bank J. Safra Sarasin, China Mengniu Dairy, COFCO, Coolpad, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Espirit, Fairwood, Fortune REIT, Google, HK Int’l Construction Investment Group, CWT International, K. Wah International, KFC, Kingsoft, Land Transport Authority, Lenovo, Merck, Microsoft Hong Kong, OYNX, Procter & Gamble (Taiwan), PuraPharm, Sinomax Group, The Hong Kong Institute of Director, TravelSky Technology, Tsui Wah, UC Rusal, Xinyi, Xtep, ZTE Professional Association: Partner of PROI Worldwide Company Activities: Established in 1995, Strategic Public Relations Group (SPRG) is one of the largest public relations networks in Asia and Hong Kong’s largest public relations consultancy. With 310 professionals working from 15 offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, SPRG is currently advising over 300 MNC and local clients on a retainer basis in Asia.
In the past few years, SPRG has earned over 190 regional and global accolades and over 100 CSR recognitions: • Public Relations Agency of the Year in Asia – the Stevie Awards • Public Relations Agency of the Year in Asia Pacific – the Stevie Awards • Grand Stevie Award Winner– the Stevie Awards • Asia Pacific Network of the Year – Campaign • Asia Pacific Agency of the Year – Communication Director • Asia Pacific Corporate Consultancy of the Year – the Holmes Report • Asia Pacific Financial Consultancy of the Year – the Holmes Report • Greater China Independent Agency of the Year (Silver)– Campaign • Local Hero – Public Relations Agency of the Year – Marketing Magazine • Hong Kong Consultancy of the Year – the Holmes Report • Best of Show – Agency – Marketing Magazine • Best Crisis Management Team – Marketing Magazine • Innovation in Community Relations or Public Service Communications – the Stevie Awards • Corporate Social Responsibility Programme in Asia Pacific – the Stevie Awards • Corporate Social Responsibility Programme in Asia – the Stevie Awards Founded by SPRG in 2014, Strategic CSR Network (“SCSR”) is the first and only NGO to be funded and fully supported by a PR consultancy in Hong Kong. It aims to serve as a platform for connecting corporations, NGOs and volunteers to help local people in need. As of December 2017, SCSR has already received HK$3.70M in in-kind donations from 33 corporate donors, held 90+ events with 65 community/volunteer partners and attracted an aggregate of 1,250 volunteers who contributed 3,300 service hours to serve 5,800 beneficiaries.
Voltage 1503, Wayson Commercial Building, 28 Connaught Road West, Sheung Wan Tel: (852) 9663 3023 E-mail: Hello@voltage-pr.com Website: www.voltagehk.com Key contacts: Coco Chan (Managing Director) & Dan Lun (Director) Who We are Voltage is a Hong Kong-based PR, digital and events marketing agency, specialized in delivering messages that resonate. Grounded in a proven - online, print and consumer facing - hybrid approach to communications, Voltage provides forward-thinking 360 engagement in an ever-changing media and consumer landscape. This multi-level strategy allows Voltage to propel brands through the clutter and to the forefront of Asia’s multilingual media arena – turning them into market leaders with concepts and experiences that people can relate to. What We Do MEDIA RELATIONS - Result-driven PR & Media strategy to obtain media coverage. SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY & MANAGEMENT - Customised digital strategy for online mainstream platforms. EVENT MANAGEMENT - Provide a unique event experience to your target audience. KOL CAMPAIGN - Result-driven KOL strategy to maximise online exposure.
Some of Our Clients
62
AmChamHK 1-2 • 2018
Wherever your audience is,
We help brands and the public communicate At H+K, we understand and keep up with the perpetual TV[PVU VM [VKH`»Z NSVIHS W\ISPJ >L YLÅLJ[ [OL ]VPJL VM [OL W\ISPJ H[ L]LY` PU[LYZLJ[PVU LZWLJPHSS` ^OLU HU PTWVY[HU[ KLJPZPVU PZ H[ OHUK )VHYK SL]LS )YHUK SL]LS 9LW\[H[PVU SL]LS >L OLSW V\Y JSPLU[Z JVTT\UPJH[L UV[ just what they do, but what they stand for.
www.hkstrategies.com
Hill+Knowlton Strategies. Changed and changing.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Why are our teens so anxious and Feb 14 what can be done to help them? Anxiety is the one of the most common mental-health disorders in the world today – for teens and adults. In a recent article, the NY Times stated that over the last decade anxiety has overtaken depression as the most common reason college students seek counseling services. What is causing this and what can be done about it? Join us for the second in a three-part Health & Wellness series that focuses on teen stress. Through a facilitated panel discussion and Q & A, our speakers will help us deepen our understanding of the issues and discuss ways to address them. Dr Mark Gandolfi is the senior clinical psychologist for St. John’s Cathedral Counselling Service, one of Hong Kong’s oldest and largest mental health NGOs. Stephanie Passamonte is a high school counselor at Hong Kong International School. David Sheehan has taught from Foundation to Year 10 as a class teacher, as a specialist subject teacher, additional needs support teacher and counselor. Sky Siu is Executive Director of the KELY Support Group (KELY).
Venue: The American Chamber of Commerce in HK 1904 Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Road Central, Hong Kong
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Fees: Member: HK$200 Non-member: HK$300
Dialogue with Brent Snyder, Feb 27 CEO of Competition Commission AmCham is pleased to host Brent Snyder, who was appointed in September 2017 as the CEO of the Competition Commission, to share his insight on the enforcement of Hong Kong’s Competition Ordinance to date, as well as the Competition Commission’s priorities for 2018. The Competition Ordinance came into force in December 2015; to date the Commission has launched a number of investigations and brought two cases before the Competition Tribunal. Mr. Snyder is now taking the helm, bringing a depth of experience in antitrust enforcement in the United States to the Hong Kong Commission. Please join us to learn more about Mr. Snyder’s views on the areas of focus for the Commission in the coming year. Following his presentation, there will be a fireside chat moderated by Clara Ingen-Housz, AmCham Governor, for a more in-depth discussion with Mr. Snyder.
For information, see website: www.amcham.org.hk Tel: (852) 2530 6919 Email: nyu@amcham.org.hk
Venue: The American Chamber of Commerce in HK 1904 Bank of America Tower 12 Harcourt Road, Central, HK
Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Fees: Member: HK$300 Non-member: HK$450
China’s Financial Centers Mar 13 Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai China’s exceptional economic growth since the 1980s to the present has fueled the rise of its financial centers—Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai—to top global rankings. As Asia-Pacific leader, Hong Kong is China’s window to global capital and one of the top three global financial centers, along with London and New York. Beijing is the political-regulatory center of China, and it has risen significantly as China’s banks become important global players. Shanghai is the commercial-financial center and continues its long-standing status as the Mainland’s major international center. China’s government supports stock- and bond-connect programs, FinTech, internationalization of the renminbi, and the Belt and Road Initiative and associated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). These directly and indirectly build China’s internal financial center networks and support the centers’ increasing global links, especially with London. China’s political and economic policies maintain Hong Kong as a premier global center. Join Dr. David R. Meyer of Washington University in St. Louis to learn more.
Venue: The American Chamber of Commerce in HK 1904 Bank of America Tower 12 Harcourt Road, Central, HK
Time: 12:00pm - 1:45pm
Fees: Member: HK$390 Non-member: HK$550
AP PL IC PR ATIO E-P NS RIM OP AR EN F Y-G OR RA 20 DE 18/ 8 19
Thinking for Tomorrow BOOK A SCHOOL TOUR Spaces Limited
Innovation without Compromise A space where children create and innovate while learning core math, literacy, science and foreign language skills in Spanish or Mandarin.
Measurability
Inspiration
An education that benchmarks existing skills with MAP® testing to develop individualized learning plans to support every child’s learning to lead to success.
A school where students are mentored and inspired by highly experienced faculty and industry experts to motivate students to be the leaders of tomorrow.
Applications for 2018-2019 Open – Apply Now! SCHOOL CAMPUS
ADMISSIONS OFFICE
25 Man Fuk Road, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, Hong Kong +852 3467 4500
Suites 4005-4007, Level 40, Two Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong +852 2500 8688
www.sais.edu.hk
Connect with us: