Jan 2016

Message from Dave Chang, Past Chair

 

Dear Members and Friends of CoreNet Global,
 
As we enter into 2016, I would like to acknowledge the many accomplishments we have collectively achieved together as a chapter and to extend a sincere thank you to you for continually entrusting CoreNet Global as the organization and forum to meet locally, globally and virtually to develop networks, share knowledge, and learn and thrive professionally.

It has been an extraordinarily challenging year. While the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at a steady 5.4% in 2015–16, negative risks to growth dominate, especially the possibility of a sharper slowdown in China or larger spillovers from the changing composition of China’s demand. From a corporate real estate perspective, occupiers are being asked to toughen the emphasis on efficiency and cost management, to unlock further value in real estate portfolios, and step up the focus on risk and compliance.
 
A difficult year to be sure, and one that required a juggling act of balancing short-term gains and long-term vision. Against this backdrop, the CoreNet Chapter of Hong Kong has had some noteworthy achievements to share and celebrate this year:
 
· We continue to keep a consistently high membership base, with a 5% year-on-year increase versus last year and high member renewal rate, a testament to the added and sustained value from CoreNet Global and the Hong Kong Chapter. This year’s membership has seen wider diversity from Young Leaders and ‘non-traditional’ real estate sectors adding fresh perspectives.
 
· We hosted over 12 learning and networking opportunities this year, including unique, first-time events such as CRE Perspectives in Technology with end user members from Singapore and Tokyo (thanks to Cisco’s video conferencing); CoRE Fundamentals to drive baseline CRE knowledge and learning; and Rain, Steam, and Speed to understand the future of the data center in 2020. Our events showcased a wide variety of learning opportunities across the CRE spectrum for our broad membership base.
 
· We again exceeded expectations at our signature event The Light On The Dark Side in November. Post-event surveys revealed very positive anecdotal feedback demonstrating that a powerful staff value proposition and strong change management continues to be hot topics for any major move across Hong Kong.
 
· Our successful Young Leaders (YL) value proposition, including an YL Think Tank to drive new ideas and concepts and our successful YL Breakfast Series, a superb opportunity to link young professionals with senior CRE executives from diverse organizations, including Li & Fung and HSBC. This has provided an intimate, risk-free environment for candid Q&A opportunities for professionals under 35 years old (or those young at heart).
 
All in all, it has been a very strong and memorable year. As a result, the Hong Kong Chapter was short-listed as a Top 3 CoreNet Chapter globally where we were recognized for raising the profile of corporate real estate locally and the profession’s contributions to enterprise success.
 
This could not have been made possible without the unwavering support from our Charter Sponsors (Arcadis, Cushman & Wakefield, and Steelcase) and our membership base who continue to support us in a number of ways, from serving as speakers and panelists at our events to offering ideas and concepts to develop our annual agenda.
 
If the events from this year excite you and you’d like to take on an active role on the Board and chapter committees, please let me know – we want to connect with those wanting to get involved. Volunteerism is the lifeblood of this organization and we would most certainly welcome new faces in key roles.            

I look forward to seeing you again in 2016, either at our upcoming chapter events or at the Asia Pacific Summit on ‘The Bigger Picture’ covering geopolitics, economics, and the environment, hosted in Singapore from 22-24 March 2016.
 
As always, I invite you to reach out to me should you have any questions, challenges or needs that we can address. On behalf of the entire Hong Kong Chapter Board, I extend our very best wishes for a happy New Year and memorable moments shared with family and friends.

Best,

Dave Chang
Past-Chair | CoreNet Global, Hong Kong Chapter