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Hosted by the Hong Kong Association of Southern California, the 2006 National U.S. Hong Kong Business Association (NUSHKBA) annual meeting was held at the renowned historic property of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles from September 28 to 30, 2006.
In addition to experience sharing and exchanging of ideas at the meeting, two distinguished NUSHKBA Honorary Board Members were also invited to share updated information on Hong Kong relating to the development of the NUSHKBA.
• Following the retirement of Miss Jacqueline Willis after 37 years of service in the Hong Kong Government, Miss Margaret Fong, Director-General, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs, Washington, has taken up the post of Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs, USA, on July 31, 2006. The NUSHKBA was honored that the new Hong Kong Commissioner has accepted the invitation to serve as an Honorary Board Member of the Association for 2006-07 term.
• Mr. Stephen Wong, Regional Director, Americas, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, has also agreed to continue playing supportive role as an Honorary Board Member for another term. Mr. Wong briefed the association representatives with the latest activities of the Hong Kong Federation of Business Associations Worldwide and gave an account of the programs organized by the nine Hong Kong associations in the U.S.A. with the support of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) including high-level speaker programs featuring HKTDC Chairman Peter Woo, HKSAR and China government officials.
The nine NUSHKBA Member Organizations were kept very busy in the past year in bringing many exciting and interesting programs to over 2,200 individual members located throughout the United States. To highlight some of them,
• Following the success of legal service program organized by the Hong Kong Business Association of the Midwest in October 2005, the NUSHKBA organized its first national event – Legal Service Video Conference with Hong Kong - along with the Association of Corporate Counsel, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Hong Kong Corporate Counsel Association, Hong Kong Association of Southern California as well as other supporting groups including the Association of Corporate Counsel Southern California Chapter, Hong Kong Business Association of Hawaii, Morrison & Foerster, and Watanabe Ing & Komeiji. The program was broadcasted to Los Angeles, Orange County, Hawaii and Hong Kong with almost 200 participants.
• The Hong Kong Association of Atlanta held its 11th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, September 9, 2006. Four thousand people and 52 teams participated. This was the largest turn out the event has ever had. This event has been described by many as "the best hands on diversity event in the Southeast United States!"
• The Hong Kong Business Association of Hawaii celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier at its Annual Officers and Directors Installation Banquet on March 10, 2006.
• With the geographical advantage of being located in two of the most important cities in the U.S.A., New York in the east coast and San Francisco in the west coast, the Hong Kong Association of New York and Hong Kong Association of Northern California were known for their programs featuring high profile speakers. To name a few of them, HKSAR Chief Executive Donald Tsang, HKSAR Secretary of justice Wong Yang Lung, former HKSAR Secretary of Justice Elsie Leung, and Chen Hong Senior Deputy Chief Editor and Deputy Chief Editor of "Basic Education Reference" of the Chinese Ministry of Education.
• As the newest family member of the NUSHKBA, the Philadelphia Hong Kong Trade Association reported its work with the Philadelphia University in establishing a Hong Kong Business Center at the University to serve as a resource center for both academic and business sectors.
• Working closely with the City of Dallas and the DFW airport board, the Hong Kong
Association of Northern Texas has been very involved in various international trade programs, from speaker program featuring City official to China visit mission.
• Under the leadership of new president, Benjamin Lee, and working with the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, Hong Kong Trade Development Council and other local trade groups, the Hong Kong Club of Washington has delivered several speaker programs to their members with the objective to promote the Hong Kong business platform and also as part of their membership drive exercise.
• In addition to the Entrepreneur Breakfast programs, and annual Chinese New Year gala, the Hong Kong Association also took pride in bringing the first two sponsors to the NUSHKBA including the HSBC Bank as Gold Sponsor and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles as Silver Sponsor.
Some of the HKASC board members, Vice President John Coleman, Treasurer John Gilbaugh, Vice President Brian Gregson, and Orange County Chapter Chair Dennis Lee, were invited to join part of the NUSHKBA caucus meeting for a brainstorming session with the heads of other Hong Kong associations.
At the Executive Meeting, issues relating to by-laws, legal and tax matters, sponsorships, setting up of various working committees and how to use the NUSHKBA website as an effective marketing tool were reviewed.
In terms of strategic planning, both short term and long terms goals were discussed. For the near future, to tighten up co-operation among the Member Organizations in sharing of resources and programs, and to promote the NUSHKBA at programs organized by individual Member Organizations at both local and national levels. One of the first steps would be to take up a complimentary promotional stand at the World SME Expo to be held in Hong Kong concurrently with the Hong Kong Forum at the end of November, and all Member Organizations were requested to encourage their individual members to sign up and attend the Hong Kong Forum. And to explore feasibility of further collaboration among the Member Organizations in the longer run.
Gene Hanratty, Executive Director, Hong Kong Association of Atlanta, was elected to serve as president of the NUSHKBA for the 2006-2007 term. He would be assisted by Secretary General Mike Nocera (Executive Director, Hong Kong Association of New York), Treasurer Susanna Kwan (Executive Director, Hong Kong Association of Northern California), and five Vice Presidents, namely, Daniel Chen (President, Hong Kong Association of Northern Texas), Benjamin Lee (President, Hong Kong Club of Washington), Raymond Cheng (Hong Kong Association of Southern California), Donna Tso (Hong Kong Business Association of Hawaii), and Ken Wong (President, Philadelphia Hong Kong Trade Association). Dawn Haghighi (Board Member, Hong Kong Association of the Midwest) would continue to support the NUSHKBA as chairman.
To show warm Southern Californian hospitality to the heads and representatives of the other Hong Kong associations in the U.S.A. and to provide networking opportunities for its distinguished corporate members, the HKASC hosted a welcome and sponsor appreciation luncheon on Friday, September 28, 2006.
At the luncheon, appreciation plaques were presented to NUSHKBA Honorary Board Member Stephen Wong, Gold Sponsor HSBC Bank (represented by Brian Gregson), Silver Sponsor Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles (represented by Ivan Lee), Silver Sponsor Morrison & Foerster (represented by Hillel Cohn), and Silver Sponsors Hong Kong Business Association of Hawaii and Watanabe Ing & Komeiji (both represented by Laisin Lee). The NUSHKBA would like to thank all of the sponsors, particularly the HSBC Bank for its sponsorship, and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles and Hong Kong Association of Southern California for hosting the 2006 NUSHKBA Caucus Meeting in Los Angeles. | |
