HongKongEcho 89 - Sport & Business

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Editor'sLetter

T

here’s nothing quite like summer in Hong Kong. Particularly as it marks the time of the year when we hold the French Chamber’s annual Gala Dinner.

EDITOR’S LETTER

A true celebration of the great links between the Hong Kong and French business communities, this year’s Gala Dinner was once again an occasion to enjoy some incomparable French cuisine, superb entertainment and quality time with our members, partners and guests. It was also our immense privilege to welcome Chief Executive of the HKSAR Government Mrs Carrie Lam as our Guest of Honour to deliver the opening remarks. This summer is special to me as this is my last HongKongEcho. My six years at the Chamber have been, in short, an amazing journey. It’s been an honour and a true pleasure to lead a fantastic team, driven by enthusiasm, integrity, dedication, team spirit, who strives to serve our members’ needs, putting them in the best position to network, grow their business and stay ahead of the game through our 20 committees, countless events, signature symposiums and of course this magazine itself. The Chamber has developed a great deal over these years. Our connections with local organisations continue to strengthen, allowing us to truly act as a facilitator and connector for newcomers to Hong Kong. We can be proud of key topics that we’ve driven such as female advancement in the workplace through our support of the UN HeForShe initiative. Innovation continues to be a driver of our initiatives. Our first ever Open Innovation Forum was held this year (which you can read about on page 50) while we also launched a new speaker series – The Pioneer Talks – to further open up our minds. Meanwhile social media, digitalisation and technology have been core topics throughout the year both in our own activity and through our committees. Beyond this, our business services have also expanded over the years. Our business centre now occupies three floors in Central and we’ve assisted hundreds of companies to set up and expand in Hong Kong. The French Chamber Foundation has also developed steadily. After four years of existence, the Foundation today has four Lunch Clubs and we were able to raise HK$1.6 million thanks to the generosity of our 600 guests during our annual Gala Dinner combined with the generosity of individual donors and corporations throughout the year. But it’s your commitment and input, as members, who also drive our activity and I’d like to thank you for helping to make this community what it is today. The support and guidance of our board and President Rebecca Silli have likewise been instrumental. I know that this Chamber, like Hong Kong, has an ever-bright future in front of it under the leadership of its new Executive Director, Sophie Leconte. On this note of change and renewal I invite you to dive into this edition of HongKongEcho on a topic that we’ve previously never covered – Sport & Business. Hong Kong is definitely a sport-friendly city. But is sport a real business in Hong Kong? Kick off your running shoes and take a moment to discover what the business of sport in Hong Kong is really all about. Enjoy… and farewell! Delphine Colson Executive Director French Chamber

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Contents

P.16 1 2 6

P.24

Editor’s Letter Contents La Chronique

Cover Story: Sport & Business

10 12 16 20 24 28 32 36

P.40

Sport means business Beyond imagination The wind in the sails Trails and tribulations Football factory Ahead of the game The magnificent sevens The e-sports enigma

French Chamber Highlights

40 50 54 58

Annual Gala Dinner Photos Looking Back Members Highlights New Faces

P.50 @French Chamber in Hong Kong

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LaChronique

'NO SPORT,

ONLY WHISKY AND CIGARS! Hong Kong’s history as a sporting city is undeniable. What’s less clear is how the city will react to sport’s newest frontiers. David Baverez, author of Paris-Pekin Express, explains how sport has changed the game for traditional industries and why Hong Kong is in the right place to profit.

I

f Winston Churchill and British civilisation did indeed leave a wonderful heritage to Hong Kong, its people have been nonetheless very wise to reject one of the former British Prime Minister’s foremost principles – a particular indulgence in whiskey and cigars – as a way of life. On the contrary, there has always been something of a love story between Hong Kong and sport, greatly helped by the unique juxtaposition of both seaside and mountains just a few minutes away from one of the prime financial centres in the world. Whether its hiking, surfing, rowing or sailing, among many others, the variety of sports on offer in Hong Kong

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ensures that its population’s life expectancy today remains the highest in the world at 84 years old. While Romans were already advocating mens sana in sano corpore – ‘a healthy spirit in a healthy body’ – sport in the business world has undoubtedly shifted dimensions over the last two decades, moving from essentially a niche hobby to a fast-growing global industry. It has indeed succeeded in cross-fertilising with other sectors, opening new avenues for growth, following a typical ‘blue ocean’ strategy. We can see this clearly in three highly visible forms.

The sports identity The fashion industry has seen the emergence of the new ‘lifestyle’ segment, pioneered by Puma in the 2000s, before being copied by all the big sports industry players. Nowhere is it more evident today than in mainland China, where the naturally casual attitude of Chinese people has turned it into the number one market for many of the world’s top sports brands. This year, it is even beginning to influence the luxury goods industry where trendy sneakers are the latest battlefield in the quest to conquer Chinese millennials.


E-sports are changing the game

Are you ‘wellthy?’

Meanwhile, from the 1990s the media & entertainment industry started to see the skyrocketing inflation of TV sports rights as cable TV seduced the growing army of ‘coach potatoes’ in the Western world. But, while panem et circenses (essentially, 'keeping the masses content with ample food and entertainment') has always been on the top of media gurus’ minds over the centuries, today, the emergence of e-sports seems to herald a new era. Already more than 11 billion e-sport video streamings took place in China in 2017, generating an estimated market of US$900 million, courtesy of viewers averaging 32 years old. While the Asian Games scheduled for 2022 in Hangzhou are already planning to introduce an official e-sports medal, property developers like New World Development are launching e-sports arenas in shopping malls, and some mainland municipalities have begun building e-sports stadiums.

The healthcare industry is expanding into the so-called ‘wellthness’ segment, surfing on the trend of a healthier way of life, as illustrated by the roaring success of numerous yoga chains in Hong Kong. Similarly, well-being was one of the rare areas where connected devices did indeed take off, mixing sports-related data and health monitoring. One can anticipate how sports practice is just one of the ways Asia wants to turn the Western healthcare business model upside down, replacing the overpriced Western doctor-driven approach by frugal customer-centric Asian medicine. Where Hong Kong stands How then should Hong Kong rethink its positioning vis-à-vis this booming sports industry, expected to keep on expanding its area of influence across our lives? This issue of HongKongEcho will address this question while giving numerous examples of how sport is helping to reshape some of Hong Kong’s traditionally strong industries: ‘New retail’ endeavours will no doubt benefit from lessons drawn from the success of a sport retailer like Decathlon in its innovation and designing of new experiences in its shops. Hong Kong’s banking industry should be best

placed to help introduce more professionalism into the mainland’s management of sports-related entertainment and sponsorship through the city’s shining example of Rugby Sevens. E-sport also has its role to play in the digital revolution within the context of the ‘Greater Bay Area’, with the development of the e-sport ecosystem providing career opportunities in new areas including the testing of Virtual Reality. On this point, the proximity of Shenzhen should allow the emergence of the best connected devices to monitor a mix of sports practices. All these should bring new opportunities to keep on celebrating Hong Kong’s long-established sporting tradition, in whichever forms it may take in the future, while still not forgetting to pay tribute to the late Winston Churchill and thus continuing to enjoy our whiskies and cigars in Lan Kwai Fong! David Baverez is the author of Paris-Pékin Express (Editions Francois Bourin 2017). The views expressed are purely personal.

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SPORT & BUSINESS

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THE PERFECT MATCH SPORT MEANS BUSINESS (P. 10) BEYOND IMAGINATION (P. 12) THE WIND IN THE SAILS (P. 16) TRAILS AND TRIBULATIONS (P. 20) FOOTBALL FACTORY (P. 24) AHEAD OF THE GAME (P. 28) THE MAGNIFICENT SEVENS (P. 32) THE E-SPORTS ENIGMA (P. 36)

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SPORT & BUSINESS | Sport means business

SPORT MEANS BUSINESS

Despite being better known for building skyscrapers not sports centres, Hong Kong is nonetheless a sporting city. Unbeatable natural attributes and a sporting local population, certainly. But is there a real business behind sport in Hong Kong?

S

port is one of those things in life that seems to transcend all manner of barriers. It’s probably why there’s big business to be made in it. Take a wander through Central or Wan Chai at morning, afternoon or evening and you’re likely to bump into more than a handful of sweat-soaked joggers, yoga pants-wearing millennials or business executives with a sports bag slung over their shoulder ready to hit one of the city’s gym chains that have swallowed up prime real estate in recent years. These health-conscious fat-burners are fuelling a sporting goods craze that hasn’t been seen before in this part of the world. Decathlon, the French sports retail giant, has arrived just in time. We dropped into their Mong Kok outlet to chat with Hong Kong CEO Marc Zielinski to find out how their famed innovation and fully integrated setup allows them to deliver quality products at head-turning prices on page 28. Turning heads is also what Hong Kong’s iconic Rugby Sevens does best. The three day explosion of fanatic supporters and hard-hitting rugby action is also a huge business opportunity. Global Head of Sponsorship at HSBC Tricia Weener explains that sponsorship of events like

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this need to be more meaningful in the modern era. She explains their strategy for creating true engagement on page 32. The Sevens has become something of a leading example for what Hong Kong is capable of. But there’s still plenty more the city can do according to the Commissioner for Sports of the HKSAR Government Yeung Tak Keung. He takes us through the government’s vision for the city as a sports capital and tells us the latest on the HK$31 billion Kai Tak Sports Park project on page 12. One of the more eyebrow-raising elements of the government’s 2018 budget was the HK$100 million allocated to Cyberport to develop the e-sports ecosystem in Hong Kong. On page 36 Terence Leung, Manager of Cyberport (Youth Team), shows us the location they propose to transform into a dedicated e-sports venue and we drop into visit Hong Kong’s only professional female e-sports team at their practice room in Kowloon Bay. Technology is not just a business driver for e-sport, but also for Hong Kong’s burgeoning trail running industry. Founder of the 100km TransLantau event Sabrina Dumont built one of Asia’s most recognisable races from

scratch and a business offering to match it. Technology, she says, is the latest way she’s breaking away from the competition to better please runners and sponsors alike on page 20. Where trail running events have made the most of Hong Kong’s natural attributes, we should be making more of the nature surrounding the city says Paul Blanc, Managing Director in Hong Kong of 134-year-old boating brand Groupe Beneteau. On page 16 we took one of their yachts out on the water to find out how the city should capitalise on sailing to the benefit of all. Further north, in mainland China, investment in football has reached unprecedented levels. We visited Qingyuan in the Guangdong province where the world’s largest football school is home to 2,500 Chinese students. On page 24 we meet some of these young starlets and ponder China’s ground-breaking efforts to master the beautiful game. What’s clear is that there’s no shortage of business opportunities for sport in Hong Kong. The challenge now is to truly put these on display and make sport serious business.


SPORTS AT A GLANCE FACILITIES FOR ALL

HK$57 billion allocated to sports in the HKSAR Government Budget 2018-2019

623 badminton courts 43 swimming pools 97 sports centres 234 football pitches hard surfaced

THE COST OF WATCHING SPORTS

HK$10

entry fee to Happy Valley Racecourse on race night

HK$2,380 single day ticket to Formula E Hong Kong

HK$80

Hong Kong Premier League Football ticket

HONG KONG RUGBY SEVENS

120,000

spectators across three days

400,000 pints of beer consumed across three days

HK$19,000 spent per tourist

GAY GAMES 2022 IN HONG KONG

Sources: Leisure and Cultural Services Department, HKSAR Government, Hong Kong Rugby Sevens official website, South China Morning Post

A sporting and cultural event like no other. Hong Kong will host the 2022 Gay Games, promoting diversity, inclusion and tolerance. Organisers expect 15,000 participants and 25,000 spectators to attend, bringing an estimated HK$1 billion to the local economy. See you there! HongKongEcho | 11


SPORT & BUSINESS | Beyond imagination

BEYOND IMAGINATION The Hong Kong SAR Government has poured billions into sports development. But is there a clear vision behind the money trail? Yeung Tak Keung, Commissioner for Sports, insists a comprehensive approach has put the city’s needs at the forefront and taken sport to new heights.

H

ongKongEcho: What is the HKSAR Government’s vision for Hong Kong’s future as a sporting city? Yeung Tak Keung: Our promotion of sports development takes a threepronged approach. First, we promote sports in the community, which we do by working with ‘national sports associations’ (NSAs), district sports associations, schools and other sports organisations to provide more opportunities for people to engage in sports. Some examples of this are the school sports programmes, community sports activities and the annual ‘Sport for All Day’ that we organise to get the general public more involved in sports. Secondly, we’re actively supporting elite sports development through

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targeted funding and world-class venues. Sporting role models for our young people are important and we’ve seen local athletes such as Lee Lai-shan (windsurfing), Wong Kam-po (cycling), Marco Fu (snooker), Sarah Lee (track cycling) and Wu Siu-hong (bowling) shine as great examples for Hong Kong’s youth. Finally, we’re enhancing Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s sports events capital. The high attendance rates at major sporting events show that Hong Kong people are very enthusiastic about watching high-level competitions and supporting our home-grown athletes. Major events are also important for getting the community to take part in sports and physical exercise. Take the Hong Kong Marathon, for example,

which has seen its number of participants increase by 70 since its inception – from 1,000 in 1997 to over 70,000 this year. Overall, Hong Kong is no longer solely focusing on economic success and academic excellence. More and more people are now interested in sport, arts and culture, and so on, as part of their pursuit of work-life balance and a better quality of life. HKE: What’s your role in this? Are you driving the vision or implementing it? YTK: Both indeed. As Commissioner for Sports, I’m responsible for formulating new measures to promote sports development in Hong Kong, implementing our sports policy and programmes, and planning the provision of sports and recreation facilities.


Commissioner for Sports of the HKSAR Government, Mr Yeung Tak Keung

“Hong Kong is no longer solely focusing on economic success and academic excellence.”

This requires coordination and close liaison with government bureaux and departments, in particular the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, as well as key stakeholders in the sports sector such as the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and Sports Association for the Physically Disabled, the Hong Kong Sports Institute, various NSAs, schools, coaches and athletes.

under the ‘Five-year Plan for Sports and

HKE: There has been a whole swathe of funding announcements in this year’s Budget – what are you first impressions?

financial support to the Hong Kong

YTK: I’m glad that the Government has committed substantial financial resources in the past two years to support the development of sports. In 2017, the Government earmarked over HK$50 billion for providing new or enhanced sports facilities. These include $31 billion for the Kai Tak Sports Park and $20 billion for the 26 projects

Recreation Facilities’. To cope with the increasing interest and participation in sports, there is an urgent need to provide more and better sports and recreation facilities for athletes and the general public. Existing funding programmes have also received extra allocations. The injection of $6 billion into the Elite Athletes Development Fund will deliver stable Sports Institute who currently provides comprehensive support to about 1,300 athletes, including 450 full-time athletes. The addition of $1 billion into the Arts and Sports Development Fund (Sports Portion) bumps up its total balance to $2.5 billion, allowing it to continue to support worthwhile programmes such as the ‘Five-year Development Programme for Team Sports’ and local football development.

HKE: You mention the Kai Tak Sports Park – it’s been a lengthy project: what’s the latest? YTK: It’s now in the tender stage with final submissions to be made by August. From there we’ll complete our assessment and award the design-buildoperate contract within 2018. The Sports Park will provide a main stadium, an indoor sports centre and a public sports ground with seating capacities of about 50,000, 10,000 and 5,000 spectators respectively along with a large park with outdoor courts and retail and dining facilities for public enjoyment. These are much-needed facilities for promoting community sports and hosting largescale sports events in Hong Kong. Of course, major infrastructure projects usually take some time as we need to conduct detailed technical and feasibility studies and consult the relevant parties such as District Councils, Legislative Council (from whom we obtained funding approval in June 2017) and other relevant statutory bodies. This project is no exception.

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SPORT & BUSINESS | Beyond imagination

Kai Tak Sports Park HK$31 billion allocation in latest budget 50,000 person main stadium capacity Occupying 28 hectares in Kowloon East, the Sports Park will be home to a main stadium, an indoor sports centre and a public sports ground. The project is in a tender phase with final submissions to be made by August 2018.

HKE: The Sports Park is one thing, but how do you strike the right balance between the private sector and government involvement in creating and attracting large-scale events? YTK: Commercial interest and sponsorship are essential. We’re delighted to see that the business sector has been joining hands with NSAs in hosting many successful major sports events. They have been providing a wide range of sponsorships including cash, sports science support, equipment and apparel, flight tickets, local transport, accommodation, food and beverages, insurance, media broadcasting, international publicity and telecommunication support. An event like the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is a great example of this and shows the growth in scale and standard of major sports events held here. The addition of new events in the past two years such as the Volvo Ocean Race and Formula E have also been well-received by the community. On the government side, under our ‘M’ Mark System (‘M’ for major) we help

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nurture new and existing major sports events by providing matching grants, direct grants, marketing grants and venue support where applicable. We also help pull together the private sector and NSAs for sponsor matching. The new $500 million ‘Major Sports Events Matching Grant Scheme’ will further encourage more sponsorship from the private sector and we’ll continue to look for opportunities to bring more highlevel international sports events to Hong Kong in conjunction with NSAs.

interschool competition because they

HKE: Major events may help to inspire the next generation, but is enough being done at an early educational level to promote sports to young children?

to respect rules and opponents and how

YTK: It’s never enough and more work needs to be done. I’ve been actively participating in different sports since my schooldays and I can see remarkable

would think it would be a distraction to my study. Today, however, there is widespread growth in parental support. Over the last ten years or so, more people have begun to realise how good exercise and sport are for physical and mental health, for building team spirit and leadership, for personality development including how to accept success and failure. Research has even shown that participation in sport has a positive impact on academic studies. More and more people now see the value of sport and the importance of exercise, diet and nutrition. Many parents come to support and cheer for

changes in attitudes. Thirty years ago,

their children at interschool matches

most parents wanted their children to

and junior competitions. That would

focus on academic studies and didn’t

have been beyond imagination in the

encourage them to get actively involved in sport because it wasn’t considered useful for future careers. I never told my parents I was going to play in an

old days.



SPORT & BUSINESS | The wind in the sails

THE WIND IN THE SAILS Despite Hong Kong’s abundance of water, the city has yet to make the most of one of its greatest assets. Paul Blanc, Managing Director for Asia Pacific of renowned boat manufacturer Groupe Beneteau, takes us out onto the harbour to see for ourselves.

“T

here aren’t a lot of cities in the world where you have a playground like this in front of such an iconic skyline,” says Paul Blanc, our guide for the day and Managing Director for Asia Pacific of 134-year-old French boating group Beneteau.

Furl, code zero, jibe, windlass, spinnaker. One recounts buying emergency fuel off Vietnamese fishermen during a recent jaunt between Hong Kong and Singapore. Another tells of a whimsical wander around Tahiti. For the uninitiated it’s a blur.

We’re at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in Causeway Bay looking out over Victoria Harbour; it’s resplendent, practically gleaming beneath Hong Kong’s searing summer heat. The wind is low but, for once in Hong Kong, we’re in no hurry.

But breaking down some of these barriers to a sport that’s often seen as an exclusive club for the wealthy and well-connected is part of Paul’s mission. “There are some misconceptions about sailing all over the world. Part of our job is to educate the market and get more people involved in the sport,” he says.

As we board the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 (from one of the group’s 10 brands) – a 44 foot cruiser, complete with roomy cabin space and a refined exterior deck – our fellow sailors for the day seem to switch to an entirely different language.

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Asia on the rise The broad-shouldered Breton who was himself a keen sailor in his youth – “my parents actually owned a Jeanneau

when I was a kid and later two Beneteau boats,” he explains – sees Asia as the next frontier for sailing. “Hong Kong is already quite a mature market with enthusiasts involved in both competitive racing and casual cruising. What’s interesting, though, is to see the growing involvement of the local population in the sailing community.” This is crucial to making sailing more visible. After all, if you’re not involved in the sailing world you’re unlikely to know that any major races even exist in Hong Kong. They do: The China Sea Race, The Hong Kong to Vietnam Race, The Hong Kong Yacht Club Around the Island Race are all highlights of a packed sailing calendar. But there could be plenty more according to Paul. “Hong Kong definitely could have a better strategy for hosting more of these events. The advantage is that the audience is already here.”


134 YEARS AND COUNTING Founded in 1884, Beneteau first began as a fishing boat manufacturer. With the decline of the fishing industry in the 1960s, the brand quickly shifted to producing recreational sailing boats, soon cementing their place as pioneers of French sailing innovation. These days under the Groupe Beneteau banner, the group consists of 10 brands covering all segments of the market. From 5-35m in length, sail boats to powered boats, monohull to catamarans.

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SPORT & BUSINESS | The wind in the sails

Beneteau has been active in Hong Kong sponsoring races like the Aberdeen Boat Club Four Peak Race: a 20-plus hour test of endurance as teams combine sailing with a running component upon arrival at each of the four designated peaks. “We don’t just want to sponsor races for the sake of it. We like the concept of something that opens sailing up to a different audience,” he explains. In China, a large part of the education has been through taking sailing novices like us out on the water. Casual ‘rally’

style races – “you’re racing but the most important thing is just getting to the barbecue at the finish line” – is the kind of activity this reporter can get behind. “People wanting to enjoy sailing and have fun: that’s a good market position for us,” says Paul. As we admire the satisfying orchestra of ropes, clasps and polished wood, Paul reminds us that sailing isn’t just about the pricier end of things. “In Hong Kong you have plenty of people using very affordable boats, and often they’re

“It’s also about developing a lifestyle component to the city in a way which can benefit everyone” bought between two or three people. So it’s quite accessible.” Midday hits as we edge out of Victoria Harbour, caressing the rugged western curve of Hong Kong Island. Paul steers the conversation towards the recent arrival of the world-renowned Volvo Ocean Race for the first time ever in the city. “Sport has the power to capture peoples’ imaginations. We’ve seen this already for sailing in Europe.” On this front, there’s great optimism about China’s potential for growth. Dongfeng Race Team, the Chineseowned team in the Volvo Ocean Race, features a handful of Chinese sailors as part of their commitment to boosting the sport’s profile in the mainland. Meanwhile, the China Cup – now Asia’s biggest regatta – takes place just across the border in Shenzhen. “We hope that in China there will be a major trigger of interest at some point and we feel this is likely to come from the success of a Chinese sailor in a major international event.” Getting brands on board

An iconic boat. An iconic building. Photo credit: Guy Nowell

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The business opportunities for sailing are significant, but are yet to be fully


GROUPE BENETEAU IN NUMBERS

200+ boat models 8,000 boats produced every year 15 factories (across France, Poland, Italy and the US) 7,000 employees worldwide discovered. “We noticed that brands are focusing on huge sports like golf, while sailing is still relatively underdeveloped for sponsorship. It can be an innovative way for brands to differentiate themselves.” Dongfeng is a great example. The Chinese truck brand seems an unlikely choice to splash the cash on sailing, but Paul explains it’s all about making the most of the sport’s unique opportunities. There are few sports which can offer global stopovers throughout the course of nine months everywhere from Cape Town to Auckland. Sponsors take advantage of this by inviting their business partners at each of these stopovers to experience the very best that professional sailing has to offer.

The sport’s emphasis on teamwork,

trust, safety and clean energy also make it a natural fit for brands in service industries. “When you begin sailing, you learn a lot about self-discipline. It’s very much a school of life in that sense and brands see the value in that.” Boosting the city’s appeal Part of Hong Kong’s challenge to make the most of its natural assets revolves around space. A paucity of moorings continues to discourage leisure boating, Paul explains. Plenty of ideas have been floated to improve the situation – turning underused typhoon shelters into much-needed marinas being the most logical. These additional marinas could also provide a way of boosting Hong Kong’s overall attractiveness as a metropolitan

city. “Sailing isn’t a huge industry in Hong Kong, but let’s not forget this is a city that attracts an enormous number of tourists. So it’s about developing a lifestyle component to the city in a way which can benefit everyone,” he says. As the local fishing industry declines, such developments could also provide jobs for the city’s many fishermen facing redundancy. These are just some of the talking points that would be on the agenda for a proposed boating association uniting all boating industry stakeholders in Hong Kong. It’s hard to argue with that as we pull in to our final destination at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s outpost on Middle Island, nestled in the enclave of Deep Water Bay on the southern side of Hong Kong Island; a lifetime away from the usual hustle-and-bustle of the city. “In order to make the harbour more enjoyable we should be taking a very hard look at how to better feature sailing boats along the waterfront, hand-inhand with well-designed commercial space,” says Paul. Certainly. But first: lunch.

Sailors aboard a Beneteau boat at Asia’s biggest regatta, the China Cup. Photo credit: China Cup

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SPORT & BUSINESS | Trails and tribulations

TRAILS AND TRIBULATIONS “The more people suffer, the happier they are,” says Sabrina Dumont, Co-Founder of TransLantau. But organising a gruelling 100km trail race is more complicated than that. We lace up our running shoes to talk hallucinations, logistical nightmares and trail running in the age of technology.

T

he race starts just before midnight. A horde of 2,000 trail runners do their final stretches before heading out into the pitch black darkness, small running lights clipped to their foreheads to guide their way. Awaiting them is 100 kilometres of Hong Kong’s most picturesque (once the sun rises) yet unforgiving terrain. The best of the bunch will hit the finish line in 12 hours’ time; those at the tail end have a maximum 33 hours to complete the gruelling course. Some may pause for a nap during the race

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And yes, people actually pay to do this.

Dumont, Co-Founder TransLantau, as we almost lose our footing on a particularly brittle piece of rock. She’s barely breaking a sweat, composed as we breathlessly ask what it takes to complete such an arduous race.

Thankfully we didn’t take to this year’s start line. We are, however, strolling along the first few kilometres of this year’s course – just a few hundred metres from the ferry pier in Mui Wo on Lantau Island – and it’s already draining. “This is a nice gentle start to the race without anything too technical,” says Sabrina

“The first 50 kilometres are mostly a physical challenge. The next 50 are just as much about your mental strength as anything else. You’re not racing against the clock, you’re racing against yourself,” she says, explaining that dehydration-induced hallucinations are not uncommon.

while others will sweat it out in a daze of determination. Running, hiking, descending: it’s a test of mind as much as body.


Japanese trail runner and winner of the 2016 edition of TransLantau Yoshikazu Hara checks the course profile. The elite runners carry a GPS tracker allowing organisers and spectators to track their position within a 2-3 second timeframe. Photo credit: Alexis Berg

Sabrina, who previously worked in the cosmetics industry, and her husband, a professor in marine biology, first organised the race – then known as the Lantau100 – in 2009. They launched the event as a casual side project when the sport was still in its infancy in Hong Kong with no sponsors, limited marketing and no organisation experience to count on. What they’ve built is one of Asia’s most popular trail running events with half of the competitors coming from overseas just for the occasion. Pulling the strings “It’s our passion. But we had to ask ourselves the question: How do we turn this into a viable business?” Well, first they quit their regular jobs (three years after the first edition) and started Asia Sport Connection Ltd – the company behind the race. At the same time

they started Asia’s first trail running magazine to help draw extra revenue and expand their media network. They also knew that they couldn’t survive with just one race. TransLantau has taken off, but with seven full-time staff they now organise three other regular trail events along with two road races for corporate clients. So how do you actually create a commercially successful trail race? It might sound obvious, but first you need the right course. This means designing a course which can accommodate food checkpoints roughly every 10km – all of which require vehicle access. Likewise, ensuring that a handful of the checkpoints have hot food means electricity needs to be available. This is easier said than done in the middle of a country park.

TRAILBLAZERS listed for 2018 on 51 races HKHiking.com

10,699

members of Hong Kong Trail Runners meetup group

Beyond that, you just want a tough course. “You need to do your own reconnaissance and imagine what it’ll be like for the runners. Generally the more people suffer, the happier they are!” says Sabrina, who pauses for a moment to point out one of the race’s natural obstacles – a snake – crossing our path. Adding to the organisational headaches are complications like the six permits required to use the two country parks where the race takes place – it’s public space after all – which have become an increasing hassle as the government places HongKongEcho | 21


SPORT & BUSINESS | Trails and tribulations

“It’s our passion. But we had to ask ourselves the question: How do we turn this into a viable business?” tighter regulation on where the races can take place following the sport’s surge in popularity. Then you need to attract the runners. Spreading the word of the race to an international (and local) audience requires marketing strategies, PR professionals and targeted social media campaigns. All of which means budget and personnel. After that, there are the volunteers. Roughly 250 of them are enlisted – they need specific instructions, coordination, food, and t-shirts among others things for a race that can last over 30 hours. Finally, and crucially, you need sponsors. Trail running doesn’t benefit from the kind of mass-market audience of a traditional road marathon, so Sabrina and her team are always looking for new ways to maximise visibility. A small but effective system like the automated sending – within 24 hours – of each runner’s individual photo taken during the race (thanks to technology recognising their bib number) includes the sponsor’s logo on the photo’s overlay. As runners gleefully share their photo on social media, they also offer exposure for the sponsor.

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Photo credit: Alexis Berg

The sponsorship question is more straightforward for traditional road races, Sabrina explains. Following the success of TransLantau, corporates have actively approached them to organise road races under their sponsorship – a complete reverse of the normal process for trail races. “Ultimately it comes down to pleasing the sponsors, the runners and the volunteers equally. That’s the challenge. If one of these three groups isn’t looked after properly, you’ll never have a successful race,” she says. Trail tech Technology, like that which automates the sending of personalised images, is where Sabrina sees her business investing further. They now sell such technology to other races in the region, along with other advanced timing and tracking systems which have become mainstays at the biggest races in Europe and the US. “It’s not just about differentiating our own races from the competition; it’s also about diversifying our business to make sure we remain profitable,” she says.

In trail races, where distances are monstrous, such technology can be lifesaving. One of the latest technologies they’ve purchased tracks the runners and predicts their estimated arrival time at each checkpoint based on the participant’s average speed. If they don’t arrive in time, Sabrina and her team are immediately notified, allowing them to call the runner and check on their status. Race organisers in countries like South Korea, Japan, Australia and China – where budgets far exceed those in Hong Kong – have become their biggest customers, even for simple technologies like smoothing out on-site registration with QR codes. These countries are often able to afford this thanks to government support – an area where Hong Kong is severely lacking. “The government has done very little to help trail running. What we’ve built is entirely thanks to our own initiative, but this is not entirely a negative. In some ways this means we have more freedom.”



SPORT & BUSINESS | Football factory

The Guangzhou Evergrande Football School located in Qingyuan, an hour’s drive from Guangzhou

FOOTBALL FACTORY 24 | HongKongEcho

World Cup victory and soft power domination. That’s China’s ambitions for football. We visit the world’s largest football school, just outside Guangzhou, to see how the country is reshaping the game for generations to come.


I

t’s like something out of a dream. Hogwarts-style European turrets point up to the sky. Small children in their yellow or red training outfits stroll through the perfectly manicured grounds. We’re in Qingyuan – an hour’s drive from Guangzhou – at the world’s largest football academy. With 2,500 students (roughly 200 of them female, our guide proudly informs us) and 50 football pitches, the area itself covers an astonishing 160 acres. That’s about the same size as The Forbidden City

in Beijing. Behind the mega-facility is China’s most decorated football club Guangzhou Evergrande, who poured a reported US$185 million into its construction in 2012. A curious Spanish connection Today we’re watching a training match between the under-13s and under-14s (the younger side takes a 1-0 victory after a dubious penalty). On the sidelines are two Spanish coaches, one for each respective squad. As part of an agreement with Spanish giants Real Madrid, the school is home to 24

Spanish coaches who live on site; shouts of ‘tranquilo, tranquilo!’ (‘keep calm!’) from under-13s coach José Artieda are relayed by his translator, so too his halftime instructions to the huddle of players. The passing is quick, the movement fluid. The players are clearly instructed to embrace the kind of possession-based football that has made Spain world and European champions in the past decade. “Our kids here are at a good level, but the main difference between China and Europe is that we simply don’t have HongKongEcho | 25


SPORT & BUSINESS | Football factory

enough young players to choose from here,” says José. Originally hailing from Pamplona in his native country’s north, he was formerly an academy coach at Spanish club Osasuna and has been part of the school for the past four years. “My first impression was simply ‘Wow!’ – the scale of the place is incredible,” he says, gesturing to the rows of side-by-side football fields that surround us. It’s a sweltering 34 degrees but the players seem nonplussed. “The training becomes a habit and in the end it’s not too draining,” says Zhang Li, 13, from the Sichuan province. “For sure I’d like to play professionally in Europe, but I know it won’t be that easy.”

China too would like its own Messi. President Xi Jingping is a known lover of the ‘beautiful game’ who has made his plans for Chinese football clear. Become a global footballing power by 2050 and host a World Cup on home soil. Oh, and win one too for good measure.

a four-fold increase since 2015. The investments spread much further than the country’s own shores. This year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia has seen an unprecedented seven Chinese firms enter sponsorship arrangements as Western brands shy away from the troubled governing body of world football’s crowning tournament. Chinese firms including Hisense, Dalian Wanda and Vivo are all major sponsors of the event despite the national team’s failure to qualify for this year’s edition (China has only qualified once, in 2002, losing all its group stage matches).

“China has always had the money. But now it’s starting to look at the structure needed to develop the game.”

His parents live close enough that he’s able to visit them once a week. Like all the students Zhang lives at the school, attending regular classes early in the morning and throughout the afternoon. A skilful midfielder with a low centre of gravity and the right frame to wiggle past defenders – he shyly admits his shooting needs some work – the young prospect is one of the many students on a scholarship financed by the school. Those without such assistance fork out an annual fee of roughly 60,000 yuan (US$9,200). Once the morning session wraps up, we follow the two teams to lunch at one of the school’s four cafeterias where an extensive buffet awaits. We ask a table of eight-year-olds (the school hosts children from ages 7-16) for their favourite club and are greeted by a chorus of “Barça! Barça!” – short for Barcelona. Their favourite player? Messi, obviously. 26 | HongKongEcho

The business of the round ball

Since such proclamations Chinese investment in football has soared, both at home and abroad (despite a recent and very public clampdown on domestic overspending). In 2017’s main transfer window, Chinese clubs spent US$400 million on player transfer fees –

Likewise, mainland businesses have purchased majority stakes in all manner of European clubs. The Financial Times estimates over US$2.5 billion has been spent by Chinese tycoons across 20 European clubs since 2014. From iconic giants like Italy’s Internazionale and AC Milan to smaller – albeit historic


One of the school’s 24 Spanish coaches instructs his players with the help of a translator.

– clubs like Auxerre in France and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the United Kingdom. A seat at the table of the world’s most popular sport is costly (little-known mainland businessman Li Yonghong’s takeover of AC Milan cost a cool US$797 million) and in the volatile, capital intensive world of football it’s unlikely any of this is intended to turn real profit. What it does buy is the kind of globally legitimate soft power China is looking for, while simultaneously acquiring the right sports business acumen and structural know-how that could eventually boost China’s own domestic competition. Making it “China has always had the money. But now it’s starting to look at the structure needed to develop the game with a school like this. That’s part of my job

here: to build the right football culture,” says José. His squad of players will soon be heading to Spain to continue their footballing education for the next two years, allowing them to test themselves against the very best. When they come back they’ll be vying for a handful of professional contracts.

to freshen up before class. Rousing but

“I want to become a professional player and have a career in football,” says Lu Junhui, 13, in his dormitory room that he shares with five others of his age. He’s just awoken from the short rest allocated to the students after lunch before regular afternoon classes begin.

age of 11 to join the club after seeing a

The décor is basic yet tidy. Two rows of elevated bunkbeds sit back-to-back, each with a studying desk underneath. In the hallway outside are racks of small, colourful football boots. The boys take turns to use the solitary shower and basin attached to the rear of the room

delicate traditional music plays through the speakers to mark the beginning of the afternoon’s lessons. “If there’s the opportunity I’d like to play abroad, preferably in Europe,” says Lu, who left his parents at the tender television advertisement. “But if it’s not possible, I’d be happy to play in China.” It’s a recurrent theme for all the young students we speak to, but the reality is many will not make the grade, even at home. “We’re not expecting to find the next Messi. Developing a football culture is a step-by-step process,” explains José. “If one or two of my players goes on to be professional then that’s already a success.”

HongKongEcho | 27


SPORT & BUSINESS | Ahead of the game

AHEAD OF THE GAME Quality products at affordable prices. We’ve heard it all before. But global French sport retailer Decathlon has the innovations to back it up. Hong Kong CEO Marc Zielinski takes us for a lap around their Mong Kok outlet to find out how.

M

idday in Mong Kok. We descend from the furious pedestrian madness and into French sport megaretailer Decathlon’s shining, pristine basement outlet. Hong Kong CEO Marc Zielinski strides over to greet us before we even know it’s him. An athletic figure who wouldn’t look out of place taking to the start line of the Tour de France, his casual t-shirt and chino combination makes us do a double take as we realise he’s not simply another sales staff on the floor.

28 | HongKongEcho

“We don’t really have a traditional office,” he says by way of introduction, gesturing to the store’s bright surrounds, “It’s important for us – even as management – to be right in the middle of the action.” The store itself is busy yet refreshingly spacious. By the entrance a couple inspects a range of camping materials, poking knowledgably at an array of tents and sleeping mats. Deeper into the labyrinth of sporting goods, an office worker on his lunchbreak performs the

awkward parade of someone trying on new sneakers. It’s business as usual. Better late than never The mega-brand’s arrival in Hong Kong in late 2017 had been a long time coming. Marc first arrived in the city 18 years ago when Decathlon was on the lookout for the right entry points into the Chinese market. The decision to not set up then wasn’t a question of rockethigh rents – “although it was already


Marc Zielinski, Hong Kong CEO of Decathlon

expensive, even in those days,” he adds – rather the supply chain simply wasn’t adequate. Instead, they bucked the trend of most retailers and went straight to the mainland, where they now operate 250 stores. With their supply chain in China firmly established, the time was then right to open in Hong Kong. While Decathlon is undoubtedly a household name in France (where they have 310 stores) and Europe (where they have a whopping total of 821), the latest challenge is to convince Hong Kong that they’re the real deal. “We have room for progress on this front. People might automatically think that because the products are affordable, they can’t also be good quality,” he says, noting the advantages of being present in the store at all times. “I see it firsthand: people pay a lot of attention to the quality of products. They’re selective and they know what they’re buying. So we need to take the time to explain who we are and why we can bring that level of quality at that price.”

Being a fully integrated company allows Decathlon to be present along the whole value chain, explains Marc. In other words, they control everything from design to retail to logistics, registering an impressive 40-something patents per year. “We’re obsessed by making sport accessible. It’s more than just a business model; I’d say it’s a deep conviction.” It sounds a little lofty, yes, but it’s hard to argue with the power of their innovations to actually achieve such ambitions. Throughout our conversation, Marc, who first began with the company during his student days 30 years ago, namedrops their famed ‘Easybreath’ mask – among other innovations – which have made serious ground in re-imagining how an entire activity can be practiced.

“I don’t think too much about our retail competitors. Our biggest competition is the internet, it’s video games, it’s inactivity.”

Rows of the patented full-face snorkelling mask hang on one of the store’s walls; there’s an alien beauty to them, a kind of hallmark simplicity found in all great innovations. “We read our customer reviews – good and bad – and we see that people are buying a device like this HongKongEcho | 29


SPORT & BUSINESS | Ahead of the game

who would have never tried snorkelling before. That’s what we’re all about. It’s our obsession.” On that point Marc is quick to remind us that being challenged by customers – or, he corrects himself, “sports users” – is driving their innovations more than ever today. “We want to develop our products for each sport in the markets where the users are the most demanding,” he explains. While most of their research and development remains in France, their badminton range is led by a team in China while India is leading the creation of their new cricketing brand. “It’s also a question of having the right sales staff for each sport,” Marc adds. “We don’t really recruit normal salespeople, we only choose people who actually practise a particular sport.” Having 70 sports under one roof makes this a challenge. “For example, we didn’t find someone to be a leader for our fishing range, so we simply didn’t open it.” Move over luxury Hong Kong has always been a city of multiple facades; misconceptions, hidden treasures, paradoxes. Marc, who’s regularly up before sunrise to cycle his

30 | HongKongEcho

favourite Peak-to-Shek-O route, is glad to see a greater uptake in sports in the city famed for skyscrapers rather than snorkelling. “People are practicing more and more sport. Not only that, but they’re willing to invest in all the right equipment. This is definitely a trend we see both here in Hong Kong and in China.” The proof, too, is in the high streets. When Adidas set up its Hong Kong flagship store across three floors on Queen’s Road Central in 2015, replacing previous luxury brand tenants Coach, it was something of a watershed moment for sports retailers. That’s not to mention the increasing presence of luxury brands within the sportswear domain. “If it’s only for fashion purposes, it simply won’t be enough to succeed,” he remarks. But overall he believes the presence of multiple players in sports retail is only positive for growing the market as a whole. “I don’t think too much about our retail competitors. Our biggest competition is the internet, it’s video games, it’s inactivity.”


Decathlon in numbers

80,000

employees worldwide

â‚Ź11 billion

turnover (2017)

310 stores in France

40 patents

registered per year Created in 1976 in Lille, France

HongKongEcho | 31


SPORT & BUSINESS | The magnificent sevens

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN(S)

Sports sponsorship in the modern era is a whole new ballgame. Empty branding no longer cuts it. Tricia Weener, Global Head of Sponsorship at HSBC, takes us beyond the raucous party atmosphere and corporate wining & dining of Hong Kong Rugby Sevens to tackle the real drivers for investing in sport.

32 | HongKongEcho


“We’ve pushed very hard to have the female edition of the Sevens running in parallel with the men’s competition to ensure it receives maximum exposure.”

H

ongKongEcho: Sports sponsorship is clearly a huge focus for HSBC – but how do you actually go about deciding which sports should be included in your portfolio? Tricia Weener: To take a step back, first we look at what our customers and future customers are passionate about. Of course sport is a big part of peoples’ lives across the world, so that’s the first point. Then in terms of rationale for which sports we decide to get involved with, we have a very clear decision criteria. There needs to be a strong alignment with the brand, potential business opportunities, growth of the sport itself and finally, we’re always keen to invest in sports that we feel will benefit the community and that we can help to grow at a grassroots level. So for the Sevens, it really became a priority for us in 2010 when we took over

the sponsorship of the series worldwide – although we’d been involved in the Hong Kong edition dating back to the 1990s. While Hong Kong is very much the jewel in the crown for the Sevens, the global series allows us to cover a number of our priority markets such as Dubai, Vancouver, London, Singapore and Sydney. This is obviously very important for the business side of the event where we’re able to entertain our clients. Growth of the sport is another key factor. An interesting element of this is the growing female interest in the sport which, admittedly, is not something you’d immediately associate with rugby. But we’ve pushed very hard to have the female edition of the Sevens running in parallel with the men’s competition to ensure it receives maximum exposure. The Sevens is more family friendly than typical rugby union, so that’s the right

positioning for us. And of course, Rugby Sevens is a way for us to reach out to the community while also contributing to its growth at a grassroots level. HKE: Is it fair however that Rugby Sevens is sometimes perceived as a primarily Western-focused event? How does this fit into your brand positioning and how you aim to benefit the community? TW: It’s a fair challenge. There is still a bias and we recognise that. But while it’s something you might see in Hong Kong, it’s not necessarily reflected in the other markets where we support the Sevens. We’re also pleased to see significant growth in terms of local attendance at the Hong Kong edition and I think it’s important to underscore some of the community initiatives we have in place to better reach the local population. For example, this year we hosted a commuHongKongEcho | 33


SPORT & BUSINESS | The magnificent sevens

nity day with Tung Wah Hospitals where we had 800 people come along to the village, enjoy the ‘Try Rugby’ area and the other hospitality throughout the day. We also brought the ‘Try Rugby’ initiative right into Hysan Place this year to get thousands of families involved and try a sport they maybe wouldn’t have otherwise. On this point, you can also look at the grassroots initiatives we’ve put in place for our support of golf in China. As part of our partnership with the World Golf Championships in Shanghai we’ve been running programs to get more kids into the sport and, as the years have gone by, many of them are now reaching competitive levels in the game. Being able to trace that development is very rewarding and simply from a wellness perspective this is great to see.

34 | HongKongEcho

HKE: How far does HSBC get involved in terms of the actual organisation of an event like Hong Kong Rugby Sevens? TW: Essentially the event itself is organised by the Hong Kong Rugby Federation. Of course we work very closely with them and are always having conversations about things that we want to improve or change. While they organise the tournament itself we complement it with our own hospitality initiatives, events, community days and grassroots programmes that I’ve mentioned. HKE: On that front, is there a danger that brands simply put money behind an event without any real engagement? TW: That trap definitely exists. However, my feeling is that the vast majority of global brands are quite aware of avoiding this and they develop fully fledged

programs for the sports partnerships they enter into. Actually, we consciously use the term ‘partnership’ as ‘sponsorship’ implies simply attaching your logo to an event with no real engagement. The real danger comes from the fact that the way we broadcast events these days is changing so much. The mental availability of the audience is no longer the same and this means you no longer get the same benefit from simply branding an event with your logo. It needs to go much further than this. Another important thing to remember is that business is business. The whole point of entering into these partnerships is to drive change or growth in your business, particularly around revenue. So you need to consider sports partnerships more broadly than just putting your logo on an event. That’s the key.



SPORT & BUSINESS | The e-sports enigma

THE E-SPORTS ENIGMA

Multimillion dollar sponsorship deals. Commentators, superstars, groupies. Tens of millions of spectators. It sounds like your average sport, yet it isn’t. This is e-sport – and Hong Kong wants to play its part.

Chan Ka-ching or ‘Deer’ as she’s known in-game – leader of PandaCute

“T

o make a career in e-sports you need to set yourself clear goals and take it seriously. This isn’t all ‘fun and games’,” says Chan Ka-ching, leader of Hong Kong’s only professional female gaming team, PandaCute. The game? League of Legends – a multiplayer online battle game with a global following. The stakes? Surprisingly high. The 20-year-old and her teammates are at their practice room in Kowloon Bay, where they spend at least seven hours a day perfecting their skills with their full-time coach. The blinds are down

36 | HongKongEcho

for optimal lighting, keyboards ripple in rhythm.

take advantage of any possible weaknesses while instantaneously making complicated decisions based on in-game dynamics.

They began playing casually at local tournaments before catching the eye of Global Esports, the company behind PandaCute. They’re paid a full-time salary and are now sponsored by gaming hardware giants Razer.

It’s why most professional gamers are aged between 17-25. Those in their early twenties are already considered ‘old’ and may retire to shift into commentating or coaching roles.

But it’s just pointing and clicking a mouse, right? To the untrained eye, perhaps. Watch the girls closely and you’ll see elite-level muscle memory at work. Endless hours of practice allow them to make pixel-level accurate mouse movements without a moment’s thought and with staggering reaction speeds. During a fight, a professional boxer may adjust their feet, body shape and distance to their opponent by the second based on multiple factors (fatigue, opponent’s reach, punching style, etc.). Professional gamers are likewise reading various indicators in their opponents, using pinpoint mouse movements and keyboard combinations to constantly

Hours are spent analysing past matches, studying opponents, and formulating future strategy. The team travels throughout the region to compete, where they’re mobbed by adoring fans. They even recently spent a full month in Taiwan to train alongside other top-level professionals. “You need to sacrifice a lot, including quality time with family,” says Chan. An industry in its own right Whether you like it or not, e-sport is gaining ground in its legitimacy. E-sports will be part of the 2022 Asian Games, and it’s just the start. “This is a huge step forward,” remarks Chan. 360 million people watched one of the major League of Legends tournaments in May 2017. The NFL Superbowl that year had only 111 million viewers. Meanwhile Twitch, an e-sports streaming


“We hope that we can show to the mass public that e-sports brings about positive values and that there are real careers to be made in the industry.” platform purchased by Amazon in 2014, boasts 15 million daily viewers. Tencent has likewise made recent investments totalling US$1.1 billion in live-streaming platforms Huya and Douyu for Chinese audiences. “Corporates are starting to understand that e-sport is a true industry with a number of entry points across the value chain,” says Terence Leung, Manager of Cyberport (Youth Team). As part of the latest Hong Kong budget, the HKSAR Government earmarked HK$100 million for Cyberport to develop Hong Kong’s e-sports ecosystem. Half of this will go towards developing a dedicated e-sports venue within Cyberport.

technologies like Augmented and Virtual Reality. “E-sports is a relatively new emerging industry in Hong Kong. We hope that, through various events, initiatives and partnerships with industry players, we can show to the mass public that esports brings about positive values and that there are real careers to be made in the industry. This is a golden opportu-

nity for Hong Kong,” says Terence. Chan hopes PandaCute, as Hong Kong’s first female professional gaming team, can play its own part in shifting some of the negative perceptions around e-sport. “There are many people from the older generation who have misconceptions about professional gaming. We hope that, in time, they can be more openminded.”

The team averages seven hours practice a day at their practice room in Kowloon Bay

Hong Kong lags well behind neighbouring China and e-sport pioneers Korea, producing few professionals and hosting no recognisable international tournaments. A dedicated venue could change this, taking advantage of the city’s geographical position to host large scale regional events. The ecosystem Cyberport aims to develop ranges from event production professionals, game developers, commentators, streaming platforms, professional gamers and startups investing in new HongKongEcho | 37


FrenchChamber

HongKongEcho | 38


FrenchChamberFoundation

French Chamber Highlights 40 Gala 50 Looking Back

· Open Innovation Forum recap

· Bourgogne-Franche-Comté delegation visits Hong Kong

· HeForShe Thematic Champions share best practices

· French Chamber organises Intermat ASEAN &

Concrete Asia 2018 press conference · L’Oréal shares ethical best practices with our CSR Committee

54 Members’ Highlights 58 New Faces

39 | HongKongEcho


GalaDinner

AN ‘ELIXIR’ TO TREAT THE SENSES Remarkable food, enchanting décor and great company, the French Chamber in Hong Kong’s annual Gala Dinner is an occasion to celebrate the strong bonds between the Hong Kong and French business communities. Amongst the 600 VIP attendees are our friends, partners and members who contribute to this important relationship. This year, guests entered a world of elegance – the world of perfume. A truly French endeavour, perfume embodies the creativity, passion and emotion that define France. Under the title ‘Elixir’ we paid homage to the senses, inviting guests to smell, touch and taste their way through the opening tunnel – complete with a full six metre long bouquet installation – all the way to the cocktail reception. To open proceedings Master of Ceremony Stefan Leyshon wowed the audience with his unmistakable magic tricks, slipping from one costume to another in the blink of an eye. President of the French Chamber, Mrs Rebecca Silli, then welcomed guests to another edition of the French Chamber’s Gala Dinner. It was of course our great privilege to welcome the Chief Executive of the HKSAR Government Mrs Carrie Lam as our Guest of Honour to deliver the opening remarks. It was perfect timing as she mentioned her first official visit to France as Chief Executive taking place two weeks later. The Consul General for France in Hong Kong and Macau, Mr Eric Berti, echoed this when he joined the Master of Ceremony on stage for a conversation where Mr Berti reminisced on the scents which will stay in his memories from his time in Hong Kong. Two Star Michelin Chef Philippe Mille, hailing from Domaine Les Crayères in the Champagne region, prepared a truly regional menu to excite the guests’ senses including roast lobster with hints of pink Champagne and a mango cream with saffron of Champagne. A great meal can only be made better by exquisite wines. We were treated to the exceptional Château de Santenay, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru ‘Morgeot’ (2015) and the Château Meyney, Saint-Estèphe (2011) from Crédit Agricole Grand Crus to make the night that much more festive.

Of course, the evening is about more than fine dining. Mr Jonathan Stone, Chairman of Asian Art at Christie’s led the live auction with five unique experiences up for grabs before launching the generosity wave. Some of the prizes offered included an ultimate (all-inclusive) Dior experience in Paris to visit their famed atelier and seats at their upcoming live show, and a VIP tour of the Grand Musée du Parfum in Paris including a one-on-one meeting with legendary perfumer-creator Jean-Claude Ellena. All proceeds from this, as well as the silent auction, go towards the French Chamber Foundation and its work helping low-income workers in Hong Kong. Thanks to the generosity of our guests, HK$1.6 million was raised from the auctions and the generosity wave. A further HK$1 million was extremely generously donated by the Foundation’s Honorary President, Cecilia Cheung who presented the cheque to the Foundation’s President Jean-Baptiste Dabadie on stage. A warm thankyou to our sponsors and partners, as well as our guests for their participation and for making this wonderful Gala a great success. And not to forget our table bookers: VIP Tables: BNP PARIBAS, CAPGEMINI ASIA PACIFIC, CARTIER, CRÉDIT AGRICOLE CIB, DRAGAGES HONG KONG, KERING, LVMH, MOËT HENNESSY, NATIXIS, PERNOD RICARD, RICHEMONT, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC GOLD Tables: AIR FRANCE, BANQUE TRANSATLANTIQUE, BYME ENGINEERING (HK) LTD, CAPGEMINI ASIA PACIFIC, CRÉDIT AGRICOLE CIB, DRAGAGES HONG KONG, HID GLOBAL, IPSOS, L’ORÉAL HONG KONG LIMITED, PALO IT HONG KONG, SAINT LAURENT, SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE, VAN CLEEF & ARPELS SILVER Tables: AU COEUR DU LUXE (ACDL), ATAL ENGINEERING GROUP, CHANEL, CLASSIC FINE FOODS, DRAGAGES HONG KONG, GEODIS, HERMÈS, JCDECAUX CITYSCAPE, STMICROELECTRONICS, TOMMY HILFIGER, VSL INTRAFOR See you next year!

Special thanks to our partners

Thank you to our live auction sponsors

40 | HongKongEcho


Thank you to our silent auction sponsors ART

Antoine RAMEAU

BEAUTY

CELEBRATION

ELEGANCE

HongKongEcho | 41


GalaDinner

Thank you to our silent auction sponsors EXPEDITION

EXPERIENCE

LIFESTYLE

SPARKLES

Thank you to our goodie bags sponsors

42 | HongKongEcho


THE COCKTAIL

Dr Aron Harilela & Mrs Harilela

Mrs Rebecca Silli, Mr Eric Berti and our Guest Of Honour Mrs Carrie Lam

Mrs Cheng and Mr & Mrs Chellaram

Mr Edwin Pun, Ms Mariko Lee, Mr Luc-Francois Salvador, Mrs Elisabeth Cassegrain and Ms Pansy Tsang

Mr Philippe Guettat, Mrs Rebecca Silli, Mr Frantz Hotton and Mr Ludovic Ledru

Mrs & Mr Bocquet

Mr & Mrs Richard and Mrs & Mr Villepelet

Mr Marco Vigano and Saint Laurent guests

HongKongEcho | 43


GalaDinner

Mrs Delphine Colson and the French Chamber Team

Mrs & Mr Saint-André

Mr Morineaux and Mrs & Mr Leconte

Mr Jason Poon and Cartier guests

Mr Mélinette, Foundation volunteers, Mrs & Mr de Quatrebarbes, Mr Colson and Mrs Mélinette

Mr & Mrs Guinebert

44 | HongKongEcho

Mrs Lisa Wong and L’Oréal guests

Mrs & Mr Y.S. Tang

Ms Emilie Bay & Mr Yoann El Jaouhari

Mrs Siney Kwok & Mr K.H. Lai


Mrs Berina Chu & Mr Jean-Pierre Ting

THE DINNER

Hermès guests

Mrs & Mr Neveux

Mr Bosco Ho Hin Ngai, Mrs Olivia Lo Tai Chuen, Mrs Carrie-Lam, Mr Eric Berti and Mrs Cecilia Cheung

Mr Carlo Imo & Kering guests

Mr & Mrs Fondeur

Mr & Mrs Bouas-Laurent

Mr Paul Yang and Mrs & Mr Fok

Mrs & Mr Clark

HongKongEcho | 45


GalaDinner

Mr Otto Poon

Ms Eva Yu & L’Oréal guests

Mr Michel Roy

Mrs Francesca Bampo, Mrs Stéphanie Couette and Mr Philippe Baumlin

Mr James Paton

Schneider guests and Mr Eric Berti

46 | HongKongEcho

Mr & Mrs Martin

Mr Francois Morel

Mr Herman Wan and Ms Gloria Seto

Mr & Mrs Bonnet

Mr Christopher Cahill & Geodis guests

Mrs Laura-Flore Faye, Mr Frédéric Chardot and Mrs Miggi Paton

Mrs Laurence Ouaknine and Mr André Marzlof


THE STAGE

Mr Stefan Leyshon

Mrs Rebecca Silli, President of the French Chamber

The Hon Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of HKSAR Government

Chef Philippe Mille and Grand Hyatt team

Mr Eric Berti, Consul of France in HK and Macau

Chef Philippe Mille

Aerial performance

HongKongEcho | 47


GalaDinner

Foundation’s video with Mr Diego Dultzin

Mrs Cecilia Cheung, Mr Jean-Baptiste Dabadie and Mr Jonathan Stone

Mr Jonathan Stone, Chairman of Asian Art at Christies

Giving back to Hong Kong The French Chamber’s annual Gala Dinner is also a way to give back to the local community through supporting the French Chamber Foundation.

The French Chamber’s annual Gala Dinner is the

the evening. A special thankyou to the Honorary

primary way for the French Chamber Foundation

President of the Foundation, Mrs Cecilia

to raise funds for its valuable work helping low-

Cheung, for making an exceptional donation of

income workers in Hong Kong.

HK$1 million on the night to bring the total funds

Thanks to the generosity of the guests, real differences are able to be made to underprivileged workers across Hong Kong. Learn more about the French Foundation’s work at www.fcf.hk

raised to HK$2.6 million. Once again, the French Chamber members and their guests dug deep to give back to the local

During the evening, Mrs Cecilia Cheung and

community. All proceeds from the live and silent

Mr Jean-Baptise Dabadie, President of the

auctions throughout the night go towards the

Foundation took to the stage to explain that

Foundation to allow it to operate its four Lunch

the Foundation’s Lunch Clubs are not just

Club locations across Hong Kong.

about providing healthy meals at an affordable price. These locations provide job matching

Thanks to the auctions and the generosity

services, skills training and an important sense

wave, a total of HK$1.6 million was raised on

of community to those who attend.

Mrs Cecilia Cheung, Mr Jean-Baptiste Dabadie, Mr Jonathan Stone and Foundation volunteers

48 | HongKongEcho

Silent auction sponsored by Asian Tigers

Mr Arnold Chan

Chamber


AFTER PARTY

Saint Laurent guests

Mr Frank Cancelloni and Tommy Hilfiger guests

Mr & Mrs Pouezat

Mr Enrico Vietti & Mrs Gaud Pariset, Ms Maureen Chan, Mr Pierandrea Minafra

DJ Paddington

Mrs Charlotte Judet, Mrs Valerie Sun and Mrs Marjorie Coulet

HongKongEcho | 49


LookingBack

Open Innovation Forum: From success stories to Asia’s future

120-plus participants at our inaugural Open Innovation Forum at Hysan Place

Our first-ever Open Innovation Forum took place on 24 April, welcoming large

innovation. The right people and mind-set from the beginning is essential.

corporates, startups and thought leaders from the world of open innovation. But mostly what you’ll need is time. Time to bridge communication gaps A whirlwind matchmaking session between a handful of startups and large corporates kicked things off, pairing the parties together depending on

between corporates and startups, time to learn how each other operates and time to address the real business problems at stake.

their expertise or solutions proposed. With pitches made, business cards exchanged and connections forged, the remaining guests joined us at Hysan Place for the afternoon’s conference.

Hearing from companies who’ve made the leap into open innovation already, we presented the many avenues for undertaking open innovation

Thank you to our top-notch speakers and panellists on the day: Matthew Ng (DBS Bank), Brandon Chung (SuperCharger), Bianca Ho (Clare.AI), Philip Poon (Fidelity International), Elsa Lee-Reid (BNP Paribas Cardif), Stephane Duguet (Thales Group), Dr Simon W.L. LAW (HKUST), Mathieu Toulemonde

in an ever-changing business environment. Our hard-hitting speakers and

(Agorize Asia), Anita Varshney (SAP), Marine Boris (Decathlon), Bonnie

panellists covered everything from accelerator models, corporate and

Cheung (500 Startups), Dr Toa Charm (Cyberport), Jan Smejkal (Startup

startup collaboration, open innovation challenges, corporate and university

Grind), Marco Pellerey (The Hive), Gram Milosevic (WHub) and our Master of

collaboration, managing innovation departments and what’s ahead for Asia’s

Ceremony Anson Bailey (KPMG).

open innovation ecosystem. A special thanks to our partner for the event Agorize Asia, our valuable What to take away? Well, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to open

50 | HongKongEcho

sponsor DBS Bank, as well as KMPG and Pernod Ricard for their support.


Some key insights • Corporates need to clearly identify the business problem when collaborating with a startup and make sure the project goes through. Don’t diverge between multiple projects. • The core objective of open innovation in Asia today is generating business growth. • Managers need to take the risk to invest in technology; while knowing that sometimes projects fail French Chamber organising team and speakers

Jan Smejkal (Startup Grind), Dr Toa Charm (Cyberport), Gram Milosevic (WHub) Bonnie Cheung (500 Startups) and Marco Pellerey (The Hive Worldwide) discuss Asia’s open innovation future.

Open Innovation Forum organizing teamHo and speakers Philip Poon (Fidelity International), Bianca (Clare.AI) and Brandon Chung (SuperCharger)

Anson Bailey (KPMG) with Mathieu Toulemonde (Agorize Asia)

HongKongEcho | 51


LookingBack

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté delegation visits Hong Kong

Back row (left to right): Mr Johnny Wan, Mr Ronnie Ho JP, Mr Joe Wong, Mrs Paule Ignatio, Mrs Rebecca Silli, Mr Stephen Phillips, Mr Gary Poon. Front row (left to right): Mr Patrick Ayache, Mrs Marie-Guite Dufay, Mr Paul Chan, Mr Remy Laurent

France at its finest. That was the tagline for the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region delegates’ five day whirlwind visit to Hong Kong led by its President Marie-Guite Dufay. To help promote the region to Hong Kong’s public and private sectors, the French Chamber in Hong Kong was engaged to organise official meetings, visits, a luncheon with government representatives including Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po and an exclusive press conference. We set up meetings with our trusted local partners including the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the French Consulate in Hong Kong, as well as a guided tour of Veolia’s sustainable sludge treatment facility T-Park with Deputy Operation Manager Laurent Chainard from Veolia.

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region delegation’s press conference at the China Club

The press conference we arranged with targeted media outlets provided extra coverage of the region’s expertise and plans to attract an increasing number of tourists from Asia. The region’s already longstanding partnership with Hong Kong is set to be further enhanced across the economy, technology, wine, tourism, and much more following the merging of the two neighbouring regions of Bourgogne and Franche-Comté in 2016. For more information on the Chamber’s services organising business missions such as this, contact Jing Lei (jing.lei@fccihk.com)

L’Oreal shares ethical best practices with our CSR Committee Under the initiative of the French Chamber’s CSR Committee, Emmanuel Lulin, Senior Vice-President and Chief Ethics Officer at L’Oréal, addressed the company’s Code of Ethics to our members on 23 April, raising ethical awareness in the workplace by giving an insightful presentation. Representing loyalty and trust, L’Oréal takes pride in their strong ethical culture that every successful business should incorporate.

Mr Lulin began the subject by introducing the four core values - Integrity, Respect, Courage and Transparency - as L’Oréal’s Ethical Principles, and emphasising the importance of leading a business with “respect”. He also encouraged our members to “feel free to speak up in the workplace” because, essentially, ethical practices demand openness.

Participants were also presented with real-life scenarios of ethical dilemmas to see how they would have reacted in such challenging situations, making for some eye-opening examples of the difficulties ethical questions can pose. This is surely a subject which will become increasingly relevant in modern business.

52 | HongKongEcho

Emmanuel Lulin from L’Oréal


French Chamber organises Intermat ASEAN & Concrete Asia 2018 press conference Two major construction trade fairs in Hong Kong, Intermat ASEAN and Concrete Asia, who are both members of Promosalons (an organisation which promotes French trade fairs), engaged the French Chamber to organise their latest press conference announcing their upcoming programmes.

Using its extensive network across all professional sectors and organisation expertise, the French Chamber brought together 30 VIPs from the construction sector to spread the word about the upcoming trade fairs.

30 VIPs from the construction sector attended the press conference held at the Bankers Club

Taking place from 6 – 8 September 2018, Intermat ASEAN 2018 and Concrete

opportunity for you to explore the latest industry trends as well as to meet

Asia 2018 will feature more than 500 companies and brands, targeting 9,000

leading companies and brands in the region. This is the perfect occasion to

trade professionals from the APAC region. This annual event provides the

reach one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-growing economies.

HeForShe Thematic Champions share best practices Following the success of the French Chamber’s 2018 HeForShe conference on International Women’s Day, we invited one of HeForShe’s Thematic Champions, Danone Early Life Nutrition, to share their best practices with our community. Kevin Bush, General Manager at Danone Early Life Nutrition in Hong Kong, spoke to a full house at the French Chamber about how to create a familyfriendly workplace to advance gender equality. “One of the biggest roadblocks for women in the careers in Hong Kong is related to having a baby,” explained Kevin, noting that 56% of Danone’s leadership team is female while women represent 66% of their business Kevin shared some of the initiatives the company has put in place to support mothers and caregivers in particular: 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave, flexible working hours for new mothers, 10 days of fully paid leave for secondary caregivers and two well-equipped breastfeeding rooms in the office. These are the kind of tangible steps companies can take if they’re serious about creating real change towards gender equality. We look forward to hosting more HeForShe workshops in the future and in partnership with the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce to keep our community up to date with the best corporate practices for female advancement in the workplace.

HongKongEcho | 53


Members'Highlights

Bolloré Logistics crowned Best Green Logistics Operator at the 2018 AFLAS Awards Presented on 15 May at the 2018 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards (AFLAS) organised by Asia Cargo News and held in Shanghai at the Wanda Reign on the Bund, Bolloré Logistics received – for the second consecutive year – the Best Green Logistics Operator award in front of the transport and logistics community. Mr Stéphane Guesnier, Regional Director at Bolloré Logistics Greater China, was honoured to receive the award on behalf of the company as presented by Mr Eddie Chui, Assistant General Manager, Aviation Logistics of Airport Authority Hong Kong. “Bolloré Logistics is truly honored to have received this ‘Best Green Logistics Operator’ award for the second year in a row, as we keep extending our efforts towards more sustainability throughout the region,” mentioned Mr Stéphane Guesnier. “Our Asia-Pacific teams are fully engaged to promote green solutions to customers, but also to raise awareness internally through various local green staff activities,” he added.

Organised annually by Asia Cargo News – the only newspaper covering logistics and cargo supply chains in the Asia-Pacific region – this event recognises transport and logistics service providers for their excellence in service quality, innovation, customer relationship management and reliability. Thousands of shippers and customers voted for the 2018 AFLAS winners, therefore truly reflecting the opinion of the industry experts. The nomination criteria followed a technical evaluation. At first, the top eight firms in each category were short-listed; after which, the top three firms in each made up the final shortlist.

www.bollore-logistics.com

Chanel’s Coco Game Center lands in Hong Kong After already visiting Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore, Chanel’s unique Coco Game Center dropped into Hong Kong from 31 May to 18 June at Pacific House, 20 Queen’s Road, Central. An opening party kicked things off with celebrities including Hins Cheung, Khalil Fong, Fiona Sit, Stephanie Au, Heidi Lee, Elva Ni, Anjaylia Chan and Evelyn Choi who were invited to join the exclusive beauty challenges and experience the gaming fun. The much sought-after beauty games included the grenade volley in the Rouge Coco universe, the interactive olfactory experience with four ‘Chance’ scents, The Bubble Game at which players aim for and catch beauty gifts, and the thrilling photo-taking Beauty Ride. As well as all this, Chanel makeup professionals were on hand to help guests try on ‘Chance Three Moods’ and six new shades of ‘Rouge Allure Ink’ which were exclusively prelaunched at the Coco Game Center.

www.chanel.com/en_HK

54 | HongKongEcho


Equiom celebrates success at the WealthBriefingAsia Awards 2018 Leading international professional services provider Equiom has been named

Group commented: ‘Today marks a milestone in our awards history,

best Independent Trust Company or Fiduciary – Southeast Asia in the

having been recognised by WealthBriefing for the very first time. I am

Private Client category at the WealthBriefingAsia Awards 2018. Showcasing

immensely proud of the team in Asia for contributing to this outstanding

the top providers in the global private banking, wealth management and

achievement. These awards saw Equiom competing against some of

trusted advisor communities, the awards recognise companies, teams

the industry’s top names. Our success demonstrates our position as a

and individuals which the panel of judges deemed to have demonstrated

leader in the sector and our dedication to client service excellence.’

innovation and excellence. WealthBriefingAsia is the Asia-focused daily news and analysis site of The prestigious ceremony was held at the Westin Singapore on 31st May

the WealthBriefing Network, a news and research platform for the global

2018 and attracted over 300 senior banking and wealth management

wealth management sector.

professionals. Among the attendees were Wendy Yeo, Trust Director and Serene Tan, Client Relationship Manager, both from Equiom Singapore. Jo Andrews, Head of Business Development - Middle East and Asia at Equiom

www.equiomgroup.com

HongKongEcho | 55


Members'Highlights

French International School promoting sport for life

The benefits of practicing a sport, whatever the level or intensity, are well documented. Instilling a love of sport at a young age is intended to ensure that students continue to enjoy the contribution that exercise makes to overall wellbeing long after they have graduated. While at school, students are encouraged to develop their physical abilities and try their hand at many different individual and team sports. In addition to the health benefits, their involvement in sport plays a role in shaping their personal development. The Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE - Agence pour l’enseignement français à l’étranger) is tasked with providing an education for French children abroad as well as promoting the French language and culture overseas. French International School (FIS) students around the world benefit from opportunities for collaboration and exchange that may not exist elsewhere. Particular to Hong Kong, FIS also has an International Stream where teaching

fundraising, reporting and photography to get a real flavour of team work and

is in English and culminates in IGCSE and International Baccalaureate

compromise. The event was such a success that Hong Kong will once again

certification.

be hosts in 2019!

In the Asia Pacific Region, there are 33 AEFE schools located in 16 countries

Another sport-focussed community event for FIS Hong Kong is the school’s

and every year a number of regional inter-school events, including sports

annual Run Against Hunger, a charity event to raise funds for Action contre la

competitions, take place. These contests allow like-minded students to

Faim. Staff, students, parents and friends are sponsored for each lap of the

join together, encourage team spirit, friendly rivalry and independence. In

track they run. This year more than 350 runners clocked up a total of 3,860

2018 students competed in Bangkok for soccer, Shanghai for swimming,

laps over the morning raising HK$56,000 – a wonderful example of sport for

Singapore for rugby, volleyball and climbing and Hong Kong for athletics –

a good cause.

amazing opportunities to visit new places and enjoy new experiences. Sport encourages students to challenge themselves, work together and be As the host school organises every aspect of the participants’ visits from

fair, characteristics that will stand them in good stead for their futures as

arrival to departure, there are multiple opportunities for the whole school

global citizens.

community to get involved. The scale of these competitions varies; the 2018 Asia-Pacific Athletics Games hosted by FIS Hong Kong saw more than 200 students from six different schools compete over two days in 87 events at the Tseung Kwan O Sports stadium! Not only did the athletes on the track have the chance to impress, staff and parents volunteered their time and expertise, and host students assisted with event organisation and planning,

56 | HongKongEcho

www.fis.edu.hk


Gide advises Semir on the acquisition of premium children’s fashion leader Kidiliz Gide acted as lead counsel to Zhejiang Semir Garment Co., Ltd. (Semir

The Gide team is led by partners Thomas Urlacher in Paris and Fan Jiannian

Garment), the leader in kidswear fashion in China, on its acquisition of the

in Shanghai, with the assistance of senior associate Xavier Lecomte and

Kidiliz Group, the European leader in premium children’s fashion with brands

associates Bai Yiran and Bao Ningying on corporate aspects, partner Jean-

such as Catimini, Absorba, Z, Paul Smith Junior, and Kenzo Kids, for EUR

Hyacinthe de Mitry, associates Adelaïde de Laguiche and Nicolas Le Pays du

110 million.

Teilleul on IP law aspects, counsel Franck Audran and associate Wenceslas Chelini on antitrust aspects, partner Stanislas Dwernicki and associate

The two groups, with about EUR 2 billion in combined sales, announced they

Louis Delestrée on real estate aspects, and associate Eva Kopelman on

signed a put option agreement on 3 May and are set to enter an equity transfer

employment law aspects.

agreement following customary consultation procedures under French law. Upon completion of the transaction, Semir Garment will acquire the entire Kidiliz Group with the support of its management to form the world’s secondlargest pure player in children’s fashion.

www.gide.com

Gide’s advice covered all aspects of the transaction, including deal structuring, legal due diligence, drafting and negotiation of the equity transfer agreement, as well as corporate and labour matters.

HongKongEcho | 57


NewFaces

WELCOME TO THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE FRENCH CHAMBER NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS MEDIATROPY (HK) LIMITED

BENETEAU GROUP ASIA PACIFIC LTD

Paul BLANC Managing Director

As the boating industry’s global market leader, Groupe Beneteau, through its Boat division’s 10 brands, offers over 200 recreational boat models serving its customers’ diverse navigational needs and uses, from sailing to motorboating, monohulls and catamarans.

Mediatropy is a full service digital agency specialised in hospitality and luxury brands.

Pierre DE LUCA Managing Director

MERCER

RETOUT IBS

Mercer is a global consulting leader in Human Capital Management helping clients advance the health, wealth and careers of their most vital asset – their people.

RETOUT IBS has been specifically designed as a dedicated platform to assist foreign Companies & Investors with their French inbound investments and business strategy. Cedric KONOPKA CEO

Eric DELTOUR Director

TÜV RHEINLAND HONG KONG LTD

Martin FAN Managing Director

Nicoals BOUVIER General Manager, Products Operations / Inspection Services

58 | HongKongEcho

An internationally renowned independent third-party testing, inspection and certification organisation, TÜV Rheinland possesses more than 140 years of experience, has 500 service locations in 69 countries on 5 continents, employs over 19,600 people worldwide, and provides professional service support to clients around the world.

WE COMMUNICATIONS WE is a fiercely independent communications agency with more than 800 staff across 100 markets worldwide. We believe all brands are in motion relative to the geography they operate in, the industry they are a part of, and the stakeholders critical to their success. Anne GERONIMI Regional Head of brands and Managing Director, HK


NEW ENTREPRENEUR MEMBERS ASIAMARINE

BAUNAT

Our core business ranges through the following distinctive yacht activities:

BAUNAT supplies high-quality diamond jewellery designed and produced in Antwerp. Thanks to its innovative, cleansweep methods, the jewellery expert has succeeded in bringing diamond jewellery to the market at unbeatable prices, without sacrificing quality.

- Luxury Yacht Charter in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia - Fractional / Syndicate Yacht Ownership in Asia Pacific Eric NOYEL CEO & Founder

- Yacht Dealership - Yacht Management

GALTON VOYSEY

HEY TRAVELISTA

Galton Voysey transforms products, brands and businesses with simple, remarkable ideas.

Hey Travelista is an on-line travel platform which allows our members access to 5 star and unique hotels/ resorts packages at exceptional value, with incredible value added inclusions.

Marine ANTIKAINEN CEO

Tony T.LOW Foudner, CEO, Chairman

JEMOCRACY

JUNGLEWP LIMITED

Jemocracy is a Hong Kong based brand on a mission to make jewellery the new office staple. Designed for professional women, our pieces will color up your office palette and make you speak your mind.

More than a hosting company, JungleWP is a startup that teams up with Web experts, and Industry leaders to provide the simplest WordPress experience, and to better your online business presence.

Myriam LE SOURNE Co-Founder / Director

Batiste DRONIOU Founder & Art Gallerist

Wanwan XU Hong Kong Branch Manager

Pedro PAQUEMAR CEO & Co-Founder

L'EPICERIE FINE HK

MADEI CREATIONS PTE LTD

L’Epicerie Fine HK is an Art Gallery specialised in Street Art. It aims to promote the street art movement in Hong Kong by representing several artists, setting up pop-up exhibitions and showrooms, working on commissioned and special projects.

MADEI CREATIONS Pte Ltd, provide baby furniture. Created in Singapore in 2014, by 3 French partners, MADEI CREATIONS Ptd Ltd today sale his baby furniture THÉO™ in Europe and Asia by his French brand THÉO™ acquired in 2014.

Denis REQUIS Corporate Managing Director

WHAT'SIN FRUIT BOX

Normann GANY Director

Jacques DERREUMAUX Director

WHAT’sIN Fruit Box specialises in delivering surprise fresh fruits baskets at the doorstep of families, individuals and corporations.

HongKongEcho | 59


The French Chamber of Commerce wishes to thank its Patron Members:

THE FRENCH CHAMBER 21/F, On Hing Building, 1 On Hing Terrace, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2523 6818

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - C HIEF EDITOR Delphine COLSON

communications@fccihk.com www.fccihk.com

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER - EDITOR Kieran CASH

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Philippe MASSONNET

PRINTING MAGNUM (OFFSET) PRINTING CO. LTD

HEAD OF MEMBERS SERVICES Sophie LECONTE

DESIGN MANAGER Louise HO

The views expressed in the publication are not necessarily those of The French Chamber. The editor accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material submitted.




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