I love hong kong

CEBU, Philippines – After my South African experience together with CCCI trade mission delegates last September, I was privileged to travel to Hong Kong for a week. This time, it is through the courtesy of my new employer, Global Carrier Phils., Inc., an international freight forwarding company.

Every time I hear about Hong Kong, it’s always associated with shopping, tall buildings with scintillating lights, sightseeing at their world renowned tourist spots such as Hong Kong Disneyland, cable car rides and the busy streets in Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui, where you can find awesome pasalubongs for family, relatives and friends.

But that’s not the only purpose of my visit to Hong Kong. Together with my Managing Director, Ms. Carmel de Pio-Salvador, her husband Gino and Eleanor, our partner in Davao, we attended the 6th Annual Sino – International Freight Forwarders Conference held at the spacious Asia World Expo in Hong Kong from June 11-14, 2009.

The 6th Sino International Conference is where top independent international logistics companies from all over the world come together to network and explore opportunities for growth with existing and new business partners. The conference is organized jointly by the China International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFA) – under the leadership of the Ministry of Commerce of China and representing the freight forwarders’ industry nationwide – and World Cargo Alliance (WCA Family of Logistic Networks), the world’s most powerful organization of independent forwarders.

I was overwhelmed by the number of attendees, 1,500 delegates from 140 countries and regions. The event has become such a global success story because it features unrivaled facilities for face-to-face networking via the unique One-on-One Meetings Scheduler. We were able to arrange 25-minute meetings with potential partners of our choice before we even left our office to travel to the event. Approximately more than 20,000 individual face-to-face meetings took place at the 6th Sino International Conference.

Well, enough of the business side. We were hesitant to tour Hong Kong because of the much publicized swine flu, but to my great surprise, it was business as usual in Hong Kong! Right after our arrival in the evening of June 10, we immediately went to the famous Mong Kok where shoppers from all walks of life flock to shop for the best bargains. Hundreds of little stalls line this busy street. Carts bulge with goods from casual clothing to mobile phones and watches.

Aside from the cheaper stuffs, I also went to Tsim Sha Tsui where the flagship stores of the world’s leading luxury brands are found. Tsim Sha Tsui is a major tourist hub in metropolitan Hong Kong, with many shops and restaurants that cater to tourists. Many of the museums in the territory are located in the area. It also has the highest concentration of hotels in Hong Kong. I dropped by the spectacular harbor area with shimmering lights that cover the tall buildings from afar. After all the long walking in the busy streets of Hong Kong, I tried their Chinese massage to relieve my body pains and my tired feet.

I would like to thank my directors for giving me an opportunity to travel. I really Love Hong Kong!