Dear Members
Members of the Board of the Chinese Business Chamber (CBC), as well as some of the past presidents of the CBC, participated in a retreat last month, on the 19th -20th September at the Hilton Hotel, to brainstorm on various specific topics affecting the CBC. In addition, the newer Board members of the CBC had the opportunity to hear first-hand about the history of the CBC from the past presidents, who also shared their experience during their tenure as president. It was also an occasion for Family members of the Board and Advisory Past Presidents to get to know each other, giving it a family feel.
During the retreat, the participants reviewed the achievements of the CBC so far, and through discussions and SWOT analysis, refined the objectives of the CBC under the following themes:
- Revamp the vision and mission of the CBC;
- Increase visibility, knowhow and leverage by joining other national networks, such as the MCCI;
- Increase the number of members and activities;
- Improve communication, innovation and improvement;
- Fund raising and revenue generating activities, including approaching selected companies.
- Knowledge sharing.
Action Plans have also been set for the short term, and medium to long term, based on the conclusions of the discussions.
Guest Speaker
To end the session on an inspirational note, participants of the Board retreat attended a very enriching and interesting presentation by Mr. Patrick Ah-Teck, vice-Chairman of Gamma Group, who gave an overview of the history, challenges and success of the Gamma Group. The participants had the chance to learn about the lessons learnt through the challenges the group has overcome. A tribute was also made to the founder of Gamma Group, Mr. Carl Ah-Teck, considered as a visionary, who tragically passed away in April earlier this year.
Team Building
As a finale to the retreat, the participants and their families participated in a tug of war, and other activities on the beach, including the obligatory football match!
In Summary
The retreat was a successful one, and each member of the Board left with a better sense of purpose, renewed ties, and more motivation to bring the CBC to new heights! In addition to the serious work done, all had a good time. Some recommended that we should make this a family retreat event in the future.
Communication Team