Drums thundered and fireworks lit up the night to the cheers and applause of dignitaries and members for an auspicious start to the Chamber's 160+1 anniversary dinner on 21 September. It was an evening quite unlike any that the Chamber had celebrated for many years, as social distancing restrictions made banquets difficult to hold. But, it was an evening to remember, albeit with virtual entertainment and guests strictly adhering to covid regulations.
So although it was not quite back to normal in reality, guests were delighted to be almost back to a pre-covid atmosphere and soon filled up a wall of rainbow cards in the foyer with good wishes for Hong Kong. And for members whose peers told them they would never make it onto the cover of a magazine, they proved them wrong. Many guests, including Financial Secretary Paul Chan, took advantage of a giant cover of the Chamber's magazine, The Bulletin, to take a photo on the cover – a lifelong desire for many people to be on one of Hong Kong's oldest running business magazines!
Fun and entertainment aside, it was also a time to reflect and plan for the future. Due to covid regulations, only 120 people could attend in person. However, many former Chamber Chairmen, starting from Dr Vincent Lo who was Chair in 1991, attended virtually, and others in person, with important messages via a giant LED screen in the Island Shangri-La ballroom.
The former Chairmen's overriding message was to get the economy back on track and reopen, followed by the need to promote Hong Kong to the world and correct misperceptions and misinformation about our city.
Chamber Chairman Betty Yuen, told guests in her welcome speech that further easing of quarantine restrictions are needed urgently to get Hong Kong back on track. If this happens soon, she expects Hong Kong will be able to regain its crown as a business, financial and aviation hub, but it will take time and hard work to get that message across to businesses around the world.
"Looking to the future, I am extremely confident about the prospects for the city. Certainly, there will be challenges ahead as we emerge from the pandemic. But there are many reasons for optimism," she told guests.
The Honourable John KC Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, was guest of honour for the dinner and echoed the Chairman's optimism. He said it was a difficult balancing act to protect the public's health while at the same time minimizing the impact on the economy. He added that he was working hard on his upcoming Policy Address to steer Hong Kong's future development.
In her vote of thanks for the Chief Executive's speech, Chamber Deputy Chairman Agnes Chan said the business community was eagerly looking forward to his Policy Address next month. "We sincerely hope that the next step will be to relax the need for hotel quarantine for travelers, which I am sure would be welcomed enormously by everyone in Hong Kong," she said.
Wide support
In addition to the Chief Executive, the Financial Secretary Paul Chan; Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui; Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong; Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun; Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Bernard Chan; and Under Secretary for Housing Victor Tai, were also among the guests supporting the event.
Due to the limited number of tables, the event would not have been possible without the strong support of members sponsoring the dinner. Eight Platinum Sponsors, respectively: Chevalier Group, CK Group, CLP Power, EY, HSBC, The Jardine Matheson Group, New World Development & NWS Holdings Limited, and Swire Group. And also four Gold Sponsors, respectively: Keystone Electric Wire & Cable Co. Ltd., MTR Corporation, Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd, and Wheelock & Company.
As live entertainment remains prohibited, the Chamber reached out to the taiko band Gekko, which merges Japanese drums with Cantonese aspects, to create a drum performance especially for the evening to play to guests on the giant LED screen. The Hong Kong String Orchestra also provided music throughout the evening with classical pieces of music.
The dinner was also an opportunity to show the business community's care for the community, as all profits from a silent auction will be donated to the Society for Community Organization, or SoCO, which works with grass roots and disadvantaged communities to support them to better their lives. Items snapped up ranged from art signed by Salvador Dali to sports memorabilia to a special set of Cantonese Opera $100 notes.
The Chamber would like to thank all sponsors and guests, as well as the virtual performances, for making the event such a success.
Celebrating Members' Longevity
When the Chamber was established on 29 May 1861 by 62 business people, two of the companies at that meeting, Jardine Matheson & Co, and Standard Chartered Bank, have remained members to this day. This is a remarkable achievement.
The Chamber is also older than HSBC, which was established in 1865 and joined the Chamber in the same year. It has been a loyal member ever since.
Another member who has been with the Chamber for over 150 years is prominent German trading firm Melchers, which joined the Chamber in 1869.
To honour these companies, Chamber Chairman Betty Yuen presented these long-standing members with a Certificate of Appreciation.
Dr YK Pang, Deputy Managing Director, Jardine Matheson Ltd., said Jardines was proud to carry on this tradition, especially given that the founding Chairman of the Chamber was Alexander Percival of Jardine Matheson.
Peter Wong, Chairman of HSBC, joked that both he and HSBC were among the oldest Chamber members, but was honoured to have been able to contribute to the Chamber and Hong Kong over the years.
Benjamin Hung, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong, was on a business trip, while Anton Melchers, who was in Shanghai, were unable to travel, but prepared special video messages for the audience.
Thank you to our Platinum Sponsors, respectively: Chevalier Group, CK Group, CLP Power, EY, HSBC, The Jardine Matheson Group, New World Development & NWS Holdings Limited, and Swire Group. And Gold Sponsors, respectively: Keystone Electric Wire & Cable Co. Ltd., MTR Corporation, Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd, and Wheelock & Company, for making the event possible.