The Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao cordially invite you to a special event, dedicated to one of the most iconic Italian Chefs of all time, Gualtiero Marchesi.

Gualtiero Marchesi is considered to be the founder of modern Italian cuisine. During his extraordinary career, he shaped the idea of Italian fine dining, redefining and personalizing the Italian regional cooking and created a revolutionary Italian model. He was also the first Italian chef being awarded three Michelin star.

It is with honour that we would like to invite you to join us in celebrating his legacy on Monday, November 19th.

During this event, the movie “The Great Italian” will be shown in order to celebrate his greatness and genius in the culinary world. Food inspired by  Marchesi’s signature dishes will be served after the screening.

Handling tax audit requires not only technical competence on tax legislation but also a robust strategic approach.  There are different ways in getting the tax audit case settled and they could provide different outcomes. Hence, it is critical to have knowledge of the common approaches in handling tax audit and the skills in negotiation with the Inland Revenue Department (“IRD”) in order to manage the tax exposure and the penalty involved at a reasonably acceptable level.

Join this seminar and get to know more about the common approaches in handling tax audit including formulation of settlement basis and negotiation tactics with the IRD.  The penalty provisions of the Inland Revenue Ordinance will also be explained.  In the end, there is a case sharing section to pinpoint what has been explained during the seminar.

– Common tax audit approaches

– Formulation of settlement basis

– Negotiation tactics

– Penalty provision and consideration

– Case sharing

About the Speaker

Wilson Cheng, Partner, Hong Kong Business Tax Services / Tax Controversy Services, EY

Wilson is the Tax Controversy Leader in Hong Kong, with around 20 years of Hong Kong corporate tax advisory experiences. He provides a wide spectrum of tax controversy services to conglomerates, listed companies as well as the US and European-based multinational corporations. He has extensive experiences in dealing with Hong Kong tax authorities, for example assisting corporations in settling pro-longed tax disputes on contentious tax issues in Hong Kong.  More recently, he advised his clients on new tax incentives scheme in Hong Kong and then assisted them to obtain an advance ruling from the Hong Kong tax authorities.  His other tax experiences include group structure rationalization and restructuring, cross-border transaction planning and compliance, IPO review and restructuring. Wilson also has diverse industry experiences, including automotive and transportation, diversified industrial products, technology, entertainment, media and telecommunications sectors.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Watson’s Wine, is delighted to invite you to a very exceptional wine tasting event sampling some of the highest quality Italian wines from Santa Barbara Winery.

Let your taste buds loose over the finest wines produced in the southern hemisphere, and embrace the last moment cooling off the summer with a gorgeous outdoor pool at The Conrad Hotel.

Join us now and get ready to be sipping a variety of flavours of wine around the pool.

About the Winery

Passion, mixed with a respect for the land and the determination to innovate are foundations on which Santa Barbara winery is built. Each harvest is an important test of their grapes, respecting the traditions and the history of the land they farm, yet applying new concepts to vine-growing by thinning and having an obsessive attention to the health of the plants.

The event will be hosted by Ms. Elena Lorenzetti, Director of Santa Barbara.

The US-China Trade War. Geopolitical fractures. Job uncertainty in the face of technological advances. Hardly cause for celebration, and yet PwC’s 21st Global CEO Survey has revealed great faith and optimism regarding the global business environment among chief executives worldwide.

Join us for this special CEO panel discussion to find out why these corporate leaders are remaining positive for the year ahead. From the prospects for economic growth to the challenges in building a workforce in the modern era, you’ll hear a comprehensive roundup of what’s shaping the perspective of CEOs in Asia today.

About the Speakers

Diane Boogaard, CEO, Head of Asia at Rabobank Hong Kong

Diane is Rabobank’s Chief Executive Officer, Asia. Based in Hong Kong since September 2017, she is responsible for managing Rabobank’s operations and activities in Asia. She combines this role with the General Manager’s role for the Rabobank Hong Kong Branch. Ms. Diane Boogaard has an extensive career in banking and commodity trade finance.  She joined Rabobank in 2006 as the Global Head of Trade and Commodity Finance for Rabobank.

Yoann El Jaouhari, Managing Director Hong Kong & Macau of JCDecaux Cityscape

Yoann El Jaouhari has nearly 20 years’ experience working within the media, research and advertising industry, gained through a number of positions he has held in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Yoann holds a master’s degree in Economics Engineering and Statistics awarded by 2 Universities in France and in the UK.

Glenn Lutz, CEO, Arcadis Asia of ARCADIS ASIA

Glenn has over 24 years of experience in the engineering and construction of complex capital projects, corporate business transformation and organizational management. In his current role, as Chief Executive Officer for Arcadis Asia, Glenn leads the eleven-country region in delivering robust financial performance and sustainable growth. Under his direction, he has increased the emphasis on operational excellence, accelerating the integration of Arcadis’ global service offerings, strengthening our People First culture and enhancing client focus.

Leonie Valentine, Managing Director Sales & Operations of Google

Leonie has over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and operations. She joined Google in 2014 as APAC Director of Customer Experience. Prior to joining Google, Leonie was Executive Vice President, Customer Service & Operations at CSL Limited. Earlier, she held the position of Chief of Staff for Telstra International Group, and was a member of the Executive Leadership Team charged with managing Telstra Corp’s business growth and assets outside of Australia and New Zealand.

Ruud Sommerhalder, Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited

Ruud relocated to Hong Kong in September 2017 as the leader for PwC‘s Asia insurance practice. Additionally, Ruud is also the lead relationship partner for a global European insurance company operating across the Asia region. Before moving to Hong Kong, Ruud held similar leadership roles for PwC on major European insurers in Germany and in The Netherlands. Ruud started his career as an academic teaching international and European taxation in 1989 at the Erasmus University and did a PhD.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is delighted to invite you to be our guest at an exclusive shopping event at Italian legwear and beachwear brand Calzedonia.

On November 22 (Thursday), Calzedonia will be hosting a private sale at their store located in the heart of Central, where guests will have the chance to discover Calzedonia’s fashionable Fall/Winter collection, offering the best in legwear.

RSVP now to enjoy 20% off the entire collection for one night only during this exclusive evening of fun!

The Italian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Emporio Armani, is glad to invite you to a not-to-be-missed in-store event where you will be able to discover the Fall/Winter Collections.

Start the week off right and beat the Monday blues by enjoying up to 40% discount on their seasonal collections.

RSVP is a must in order to receive an exclusive door gift Digital Capsule backpack.

About Emporio Armani

Launched by Giorgio Armani as a pioneering line in 1981, Emporio Armani is specifically intended for the younger generation. Today, the world-renowned brand has a strong experimental and metropolitan style, which while reflecting all of the characteristics of elegance typical of the Armani aesthetic, consciously expresses them in a contemporary design language. The iconic logo – the stylised eagle – continues to be a symbol of belonging and sharing, a meeting point that leaves room for freedom of expression.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to invite you to the 69th edition of the Intercham Young Professionals Networking Cocktail.

Join us at this inspiring networking night, where some of the most active Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong will be present. Grab the chance to meet and share experiences with other young students and professionals while enjoying an exquisite cocktail.

All proceeds of the night will be donated to the Intercham Scholarship Fund.

*Please note that no ticket will be sold at the door and that there will be no admission without tickets.

Which are the conditions that most affect growth? How can firms maintain a sustained level of growth for many years? And which are the most common mistakes capable of undermining the fundamentals of growth?

Today the Italian Chamber of Commerce will have the pleasure to host Andrew Brent from Think Again Growth Limited, author of “The Growth Director’s Secret”, which was shortlisted in the UK for the CMI’s Management Book of the Year Award 2018 and the Business Book Awards 2018.

At this event, Andy will talk about some of the topics in his book, with especial reference to China, which takes the latest research in neuroscience and looks at lessons for consumers, brands and marketers. In detail, we’ll discuss:

• The Growth Paradox: the strange fact that, despite its crucial importance to medium/long-term success, only around 10% of companies grow profitably for any sustained period. We’ll explore the organisational/cultural factors that contribute to this strange paradox and how these can be avoided.
• The Focus Failure, in other words, how companies often fail to differentiate between low-potential and high-potential customer groups, the common segmentation mistakes that lead to this huge inefficiency, and how to get customer targeting right.
• The Big Growth Mistake, namely the common failure of understanding about how consumers make purchase decisions and choose between brands that cause many companies to sub-optimize their growth potential, and how new insights emerging from the world of neuroscience are revolutionising the way companies position themselves to grow profitably.

About the Speaker

Andrew Brent, Founding Partner, Think Again Growth

Andrew Brent is an experienced executive board member, strategist and marketer who has held senior roles in major blue-chip companies in the UK and around the world. Andy spent 13 years at Procter and Gamble in senior marketing roles in the UK and Europe before moving into retailing as Marketing Director at Iceland Frozen Foods. He spent six years in Asia in senior strategic roles for Hutchison Whampoa, helping build businesses across Asia.  

Back in the UK, Andy was CMO for Burger King International, overseeing the global expansion of this business, he spent three years as Marketing Director at Boots the Chemist in the UK, and then held CMO roles at Sky broadcasting and at Barclays Bank. Andy is a founding partner of Think Again Growth, a strategic consultancy which uses cutting-edge neuroscience-based market mapping and behavioural insights tools to help businesses position themselves to deliver significant, sustainable, profitable growth. He is also the author of ‘The Growth Director’s Secret’ published by Bloomsbury and nominated for FT/McKinsey Business Book of the Year 2017, Chartered Institute of Marketing Business Book of the Year 2017 and Business Book Awards Book of the Year 2018.

SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) represent an important trade source for Hong Kong.

Since branch-based transactions are increasingly leaving the city banks, Hong Kong, a global leader in banking and finance, is bracing for the arrival of so-called virtual banks — financial institutions without physical branches where all transactions are online.

Considering that, is digital-only banking an alternative? Is it a viable option for the needs of SMEs in the future?

The speakers will introduce the audience to the advantages and limits provided by digital banking, with a focus on streamlining the relationship with credit institutions.

About the Speakers

Filippo Buzzi, Head of Italian Desk at Fidinam (Hong Kong) Limited 

During his career, Filippo has worked in Switzerland, United Kingdom, Mainland China and Hong Kong. After graduating in Political and Economic Sciences, he studied in both London (University of London) and Amsterdam, at the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (IBFD), where he has built his competence in international taxation. Filippo is bilingual in Italian and English.

Riccardo Capelvenere, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Currenxie 

Riccardo has extensive experience in investment banking and asset management. He has held senior roles at Spear, Leeds & Kellogg, Goldman Sachs and quantitative hedge fund JCH Capital. Riccardo is also a Responsible Officer under the HK SFC for Types 1, 4 and 9 regulated activities. He grew up in Hong Kong and holds a B.Eng in Aeronautical Engineering from City, University of London.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Retail Committee are happy to invite you to join us for a breakfast seminar on the latest trend regarding social media.

The advent of social media has profoundly changed the way brands market their products, and influencer marketing has created more and more confusion. After years of experimentation across sectors, social media and influencer marketing have created stories of success and failure. New brands have gained visibility thanks to their social media posts, some others have lost some of their customers because of mistakes in playing the brand-influencer matching game. Chinese social media platforms are becoming more and more relevant for travel retail, and KOLs are leaving space to micro-influencers. How to stay up to date with the fast-pace changing digital landscape?

Gathering different players within the digital marketing arena,  from brands to influencers,  and branding agencies, this panel aims to share best practices and variables to consider while defining a digital marketing strategy.

About the Speakers

Filippo Gori, CEO Asia Pacific, Roberto Cavalli

Filippo Gori is a fashion professional with a finance and consulting background. After having worked 3 years in management consulting he joined GE Energy where he worked 3 years in FP&A. Soon after he began his journey in fashion, working for Emilio Pucci (Retail Controller), Gucci (Greater China CFO) and Replay (CEO Apac). In 2016 Filippo joined Vip.com as BD Director for international brands and established a profitable business in less than one year. In 2017 Filippo joined Roberto Cavalli, in one year and a half he opened in 3 new markets and increased the store network from 2 to 20 across Asia. In 2019 most of Asia markets will be reopened either through DOS or franchisee partnerships.

Simone Mazzucato, Founder and Creative Director, Mazzucato Design

Simone Mazzucato is Creative Director and Founder of Mazzucato Design, a brand driven by the slogan ‘Never Boring’, which aims to completely reinvent the watch market with products based on a truly innovative concept. Graduated in industrial design from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, began his career at Locman, an Italian brand that rose to worldwide acclaim in the early 2000s. Some years later he took on the role of chief designer at the Morellato and Sector Group, where he was responsible for fashion (Roberto Cavalli, Just Cavalli, John Galliano and Miss Sixty), classic (Philip Watch) and sports (Sector, Maserati and Pirelli) watch brands.

ChauKei Ngai, Modern Yogini

ChauKei is now a modern yogini, she grew up in Canada graduated in Psychology in York University, recently moved back to Hong Kong which is one of the places she called home. She studied in Yoga Therapy and Ayurvedic medicine, Bikram Yoga, and Ana Forrest Yoga. She has been teaching yoga worldwide since 2006. In 2013, she won the prestigious International Yoga Sports Federation Championship, the world’s largest international yoga competition with participants from over 25 countries. A two time Silver medalist and one time Bronze medalist Chaukei became the first champion to have earned all three medals. Just as significant is the fact that she became the first mother to become World Yoga Champion. You will find her teaching in her charming studio YogaUP in Discovery Bay, Hong Kong.

Gabriele Zanoni, Creative Director and Partner, Branding Records

Gabriele is Creative Director and Partner at Branding Records, a full service creative agency working with clients across different sectors. He is in charge of creative operations, supervision of strategic design projects, coordination of the in-house creative team, and client management. Prior to Branding Records, Gabriele worked for more than 10 years in the design field for both local and international brands and agencies in Hong Kong, managing projects for Ogilvy & Mather, LVMH, and Starbucks, among many more. Gabriele holds a Master Degree in Design for Innovation from the Politecnico di Milano (Italy), and also studied at the Universidade Lusiada de Lisboa (Portugal). In Europe, he received  several awards for his creative design.

About the Moderator

Stefano Passarello, CEO Hawksford NE Asia and compulsive multi-discipline athlete

Managing Director NE Asia – Hawksford Group, Stefano Passarello is a serial entrepreneur below 40 years old. He founded People & Projects, now part of Hawksford, and represented his company to speak frequently in seminars covering expertise on business, finance and startups. His speakership extends to sport roundtables on training, postural and nutrition strategies and techniques. Since 2009, Stefano is sponsored by Asics thanks to his sports achievements including the title holder of the Hong Kong Marathon HKAAA  record and No.1 age-group runner in the history of Ironman World Championship.  Stefano strongly believes in the union and direct correlation between competitive sport performances and successful business and family life – these concepts were once mutually exclusive until recently become more accepted and possibly marking a new paradigm of work-life balance.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is excited to invite you to be our guest and celebrate with a cocktail party for KIKO’s SPARKLING HOLIDAY launch at their LCX, Harbour City store.

A new collection that lets women express themselves with sparkling energy as friends light up the night for the holiday. Precious metal finishes, glitzy wow eye palettes, elegant lip shades, impactful bases… It’s feminine, glamorous, alluring – everything you want this season.

Sparkle the Christmas holiday with KIKO and come to join us!

RSVP now to enjoy an exclusive 20% off on all full price items on November 29, from 6:30PM to 8:30PM. Mark it on your calendar and don’t miss the chance.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong & Macao is proud to present you this special event, where you will have the opportunity to enjoy a warming atmosphere while tasting the best Italian delicacies as well as refined wines and beers.

The event will take place in Causeway Bay, a unique location in the heart of the city, featuring 10 Christmas themed booths partnering up with Fashion Walk at Food Street.

If you are a Christmas lover and you can’t wait to live the enchanting Christmas atmosphere, do not miss the best Christmas Market in town.

The entire Italian Community is proud to invite you to an unforgettable night of celebrations and Christmas greetings. Join the Italian Chamber of Commerce, the General Consulate of Italy, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Italian Women’s Association, the Dante Alighieri Society, Scuola Italiana Manzoni, Accademia Italiana della Cucina, and the Fogolar Furlan Hong for a special gathering, right before the Christmas holidays on Saturday, December 8th in the special surroundings of THE LOFT, in Wong Chuk Hang.

The package includes:

• Free flow of white wine, red wine, beer and gin tonic by THE LOFT
• Pass around free-flow of pasta and pizza by THE LOFT
• Free flow of gelato and sweets by 3 ITALIANI
• Free flow of PANETTONE
• DJ set
• A special Christmas goodie bag by DUBLA TRAY represented by Tablo Ltd “The homeware Italian Specialist in Hong Kong”

Early bird fee is valid until October 26th, 2018. Do not miss it and sign up now!

Christmas is around the corner, join us and let’s celebrate together the beginning of the festive season, surrounded by an enchanting atmosphere.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is glad to invite you to its annual Christmas Party at Bene Italian Kitchen, located inside the elegant Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel.

Don’t miss the chance to mingle and meet new business contacts while tasting appetizing Italian canapés and authentic wines sponsored by ASTORIA.