The Italian Chamber of Commerce is honored to invite you to the third Startup & Ecosystem Mixer dedicated to Italian startups aiming to take root in Asia.

Meet the key players of the Hong Kong innovation ecosystem along with the finalist startups from startIT.asia 2019 edition, an innovative program to promote international expansion for Italian potential startups this year focusing on the field of fashion tech and retail tech.

Agenda:

6.00PM Registration and welcome

6.15PM Opening remarks

6.30PM Introduction to startIT.asia programme

6.35PM Presentation by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center

6.40PM Startups’ pitches

7.40PM Roundtable on Circular Economy, Fashion and Retail Tech

8.35PM Closing remarks

8.40PM Networking buffet and dinner

9.30PM End of the event

RSVP by July 5th.

MODERATED BY:

Robert Koepp, Chief Economist of the Corporate Network in Hong Kong for The Economist Group

Rob serves as the Chief Economist of the Corporate Network in Hong Kong for The Economist Group, parent company of the weekly publication, “The Economist”. He is an active writer, speaker, and commentator, has authored two full-length books, “Betting on China: Chinese Stocks, American Stock Markets, and the Wagers on a New Dynamic in Global Capitalism” and “Clusters of Creativity: Enduring Lessons on Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Silicon Valley and Europe’s Silicon Fen” and is very well known in the HK Corporate Community. He speaks on television and at public forums on such topics as China’s economic rise, the US-China trade war, comparative innovation models between East and West, financial markets, global technology, economic and geopolitical trends throughout Asia, and related topics concerning Asia and the world. Besides, he speaks, reads, and writes fluent Mandarin Chinese and Japanese.

PANELISTS:

Alexander Chan, Co-Director, The Mills Fabrica

Alexander Chan is currently the Co-Director of The Mills Fabrica- a leading Hong Kong-based incubator, fund and space/lab/store dedicated to promoting innovations and sustainable businesses at the intersection of technology and style (“tech style”). Alexander currently leads investments (Fabrica Fund) and also helps with incubation support and government/ policy related affairs at Fabrica.

Alexander is also an occasional contributor to SCMP, HKFP and Stand News in Hong Kong where he writes on issues related to innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

Edouard Blanchard, Global partner, SBT Human Matter(s)

Edwin Keh, CEO, The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textile and Apparel

Mr. Keh is the CEO of The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel. He is also on Faculty at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where he teaches supply chain operations.

Until April 2010 Edwin was the SVP COO of Wal-Mart Global Procurement. Prior to Wal-Mart Edwin managed a consulting group that has done work for companies on the supply chain, manufacturing, and product design. The practice also did work for non-profit organizations and charities. Edwin co-founded the Consortium For Operational Excellence in Greater China (COER GC). The Consortium is sponsored by the Wharton School and Tsinghua University.

Edwin had a career as a senior executive with several US consumer goods and retail companies. He was the Managing Director of Payless ShoeSource International, Donna Karan International, and Country Road Australia. He also worked for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Edwin serves on multiple industry and educational boards. He advises several other social enterprises.

Edwin is the 2011 recipient of the Production and Operations Management Society’s Martin K. Starr Excellence in Production and Operations Management Practice Award and is on the Debrett’s Hong Kong 100 as one of the most influential people in Technology and Digital sector.

Filippo Gori, Managing Director, Geox Asia Pacific Limited

Filippo Gori, is a fashion professional with 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.

Michelle Lee, Marketing & E-Commerce Director, The R Collective 

Michelle has over 10 years of fashion retail and e-commerce experience, ranging from buying, product development, marketing, e-commerce to operations. Starting off with global e-commerce businesses, she later moved to ethical fashion retail to continue her focus on reducing fashion’s environmental impact.

Stefano Passarello, Managing Director, Hawksford NE Asia

He 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 sports 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.

Vincenzo Antonetti, Head of Promotion and Development of Innovation – International Network, Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center

Graduated with honor in Economics from the University of Turin, he also has a master’s degree in Banking & Finance at SDA Luigi Bocconi. With a strong banking experience, Vincenzo joined the Innovation Center of Intesa Sanpaolo in 2014. Previously Vincenzo has been involved in different fields spanning from Sales Department (Branch Manager) to pricing analysis (Senior Pricing Analyst) for the Italian Market, from Strategic Marketing Department to Customer Satisfaction and Market Research Division.

With Responsibility of the Promotion and Development of Innovation – International Network at the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, he has the aim to support innovative projects of the Bank, creating new business opportunities for international Company Customers, scouting new technologies and generating international collaborations in order to facilitate matchmaking.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with eeVoices, is glad to invite you to a seminar to learn more about background checks and pre-employment screening processes.

Mr Cheung and Mr Ma will share their insights on how pre-employment screening could assist business leaders, HR professionals, and business owners in increasing their probability in making the right hiring decisions. The topic covered in this session includes the followings:

• Common pitfalls and misconception in pre-employment screening
• Industry best practices in pre-employment background checks
• Case studies in different pre-employment screening programs
• The latest trend and industry-specific insights for pre-employment screening across different regions

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Christen Ma, BBA – Director of Client Relations, eeVoices Limited

MA possesses over 10-years’ experience in employment screening in the APAC region. He is experienced in assisting clients to implement thorough employment screening programs and protocols through their organization across different countries. His team currently oversees clients from 10+ countries globally assisting them with their needs. MA completed his BBA degree in Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, prior returning to Asia and he is currently an active speaker at different events to promote the standards and protocols ineffective employment screening, helping more employers to achieve “better hiring” – better hiring experience and decisions!

Chung Cheung – Senior Regional Manager, Employment Screening Division, eeVoices Limited

Since 2014, CHEUNG has been working in Employment Screening Division of eeVoices Limited, a leading employment background check organization in the Asia Pacific region. CHEUNG currently oversees the entire operations of the Greater China region, with key responsibilities in supporting key accounts as well as leading his team of Account Managers and Consultants for different screening needs. CHEUNG was graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Social Science degree in The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. With his hands-on experience in working closely with HR leaders in the Greater China region, CHEUNG often participates in different seminars in the Greater China region to share his insight and expertise.

The Italian International Kindergarten kindly invites you to the first “Soccer Day”, to be held on Saturday 29th of June, 10 am to 12:30 pm, at Wong Chuk Hang Recreation Ground Artificial Pitches.

Jointly organised with the Southern District Councilors and Southern Keen Youth, and with full support from the Consulate General of Italy to Hong Kong, the event will celebrate the kick-off of the partnership between the Italian International Kindergarten and the Inter Academy Hong Kong, a branch of the Inter Milan Youth Academy, for the extra-curricular Inter Academy Soccer courses starting in July 2019.

On the day, kids and their parents will have the opportunity to meet Inter Academy coaches and enjoy activities such as soccer training sessions and soccer challenges. In addition to the training and the soccer activities, there will be face painting, creative drawing and table soccer booths set up on the pitch.

The Italian International Kindergarten will have its own booth, where you can receive more information about our teaching approach and our admission process.

Run-down:

10:00 – 11:00 Activity starts: training and game booth, session 1

11:00 – 11:20 Official ceremony

11:20 – onwards Training and game booth, session 2

The event is free for all to attend, we look forward to welcoming you and your children and enjoying together a day of sports and family fun! After completing the soccer training, kids will receive a certificate and a souvenir.

Please scan the QR code to reserve a place for the event

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is glad to invite you to be our guest and shop together this innovative Italian fashion brand.

Geox is delighted to announce a private sale on June 26, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, at the brand’s Shop in the IFC Mall, where guests will have the chance to discover the brand’s latest collection while sipping a good glass of prosecco.

RSVP now to enjoy up to 70%!

About Geox

Geox is an Italian brand, born in the 90s thanks to the inventiveness and determination of its founder, Mario Moretti Polegato. The Geox group operates in the footwear and garments sectors. Its mission is to diffuse innovation, especially when it comes to creating technological solutions that ensure breathability and impermeability.

Geox creates, produces, promotes and distributes innovative, patented products all over the world. It operates in the men’s, women’s and children’s classic, casual, sports and fashion sectors. The company’s strong points are the unwavering focus on its Italian products, style and technology; the transfer of acquired know-how to other, complementary product types; and the qualitative and quantitative development of its international sales-network. These have all led to incredible success for Geox.

Save the date!

On June 26th, don’t miss the chance to experience a unique dinner party organized by Aqua and Peroni in collaboration with Dal Duca and Antica Barberia Italiana.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce cordially invites you to attend this seminar about the benefit that Hong Kong Companies and local financial institutions can expect from Chinese investments.

The AIIB is the newest member in the family of multilateral development banks. The Beijing-based institution launched operations in January 2016. Italy is one of 57 countries (including many other EU member states) that joined as founding members. During the process of setting up the bank, Italy and other advanced economies pushed successfully to ensure that its Articles of Agreement are fully consistent with established international standards.

The AIIB’s objective is to help reduce what international experts such as the Asian Development Bank consider to be a significant shortfall in infrastructure financing in Asia. Doing this would boost sustainable economic development in the region and foster greater convergence in environmental, social and living standards in the countries where the bank operates. In keeping with this strategy, 85% of the contributions that shareholders make to the bank count as Official Development Assistance (ODA). Investments by the AIIB place a priority on the following sectors: energy, transport, urban development, and water, especially in the region’s less-developed countries. Despite dynamic growth in recent decades, the Asia region as a whole is still home to a number of countries where annual GDP per capita remains below US$2,000. At the same time, the bank aims to intensify regional cooperation by working together closely with existing bilateral and multilateral development institutions.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Fabrizio Costa – Senior Director, Ministry of Economy and Finance of Italy (MEF)

Highly qualified, result orientated economics specialist with diversified experience in European policies, enterprise competitiveness, policy design and management, intergovernmental financial relations, export credits, cooperation to development and international relations. Experienced in high-level negotiations with entities of both the private and public sectors in emerging markets such as China, Russia, and Brazil. Fluent in Italian and English, conversant in French and Spanish

Fabrizio Costa took up his role as economic and financial Counsellor at the Embassy of Italy to the People’s Republic of China in 2017. His main responsibility in Beijing is keeping relations with the Ministry of Finance as well as with Chinese financial institution and investments funds. He is the AIIB focal point for Italy: promotion of AIIB mission, initiatives, and projects with the Italian community at large, facilitating policy dialogue between the Bank and Italian institutions. Among his duties also analyses and reporting on Chinese macroeconomic trends (growth, inflation, unemployment, current account, etc.) and policy developments (including fiscal, monetary, tax budget and exchange rate policies); assessment of conditions, trends and deregulatory initiatives in the Chinese banking, securities, and other financial sectors.

Beyond his years in China, Mr. Costa has held management positions at the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, at the Regional Administration of the Marche Region, at the National Agency for Inward Investment and Economic Development (Invitalia). He was also a member of the board of several public and private institutions: SACE, SIMEST SpA Committee, National Agency for Innovation, Merloni Foundation, Svim SpA. He has worked as an official in the Executive Board of the World Bank and in Italy’s Ministry of the Treasury.

After the great success of the first two talks, we are proud to present you the third session “The Future of Professions” given by Giovanna Melfi, founder and managing director of Metamorphosis Biz.

Have you ever thought about why location plays such a key role in many businesses? Despite the rise in technology, communication, and virtual business, location is still a major factor many HR departments take into account. Are you aware of all the implications? How is this going to change in the next 3-5 years?

This and much more will be discussed on Tuesday, June 25th. RSVP to secure your spot.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Giovanna Melfi, Founder & Managing Director, Metamorphosis Biz

Giovanna Melfi is the founder and managing director of Metamorphosis Biz, and she specializes in helping companies form talented and dynamic teams, transition into the digital world and provide an engaging customer journey.

Born in Italy and based in Hong Kong, Giovanna has more than 20 years’ management experience with top luxury brands around the world, such as Marc Jacobs, Ermenegildo Zegna, Burberry, Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Prada.

She holds a postgraduate diploma in Digital Business from Columbia Business School, certificates in Digital Communication from the MIT Sloan School of Management and in Orchestrating Winning Performance from IMD Business School, and now she serves as vice president of IMD’s Hong Kong alumni club.

Passing on her knowledge, she mentors entrepreneurs through various programs, such as TechStars’ Startup Weekend, and, at times, speaks at City University’s School of Creative Media and Career Centre Hong Kong Science & Technology University.

Since September 2018, Giovanna is also managing director Asia at BeThe1, an international boutique firm specialized in human resources consulting and recruitment in the Luxury sector.

A special IYP Monday is coming!

Monday June 24th join us for an evening of culture.

It will be a book swapping night, aimed to discover new books and exchanging thoughts and opinions about them.

During this special IYP Monday, you will have the opportunity to bring 2-3 of your favorite books (English or Italian) and swap it with other guests.

Don’t miss the reunion and the chance to mingle with old and new friends.

Spend an evening enjoying good cocktails and Piadinas while exchanging culture and experiences!

On June 20th be ready to experience the impeccable taste of the Italian signature brand Salvatore Ferragamo.

We are excited to invite you to celebrate the new Salvatore Ferragamo My Bow Pop-Up Store, in Causeway Bay. Come and discover the Ferragamo Signorina perfume, a tribute to the elegance and feminine grace.

Guests will have the opportunity to buy the freshness and fizzy essence, fully embodied in the Ferragamo fragrance.

First-come, first-serve basis will be applied. Register now to enjoy 20% discounts off on all full-priced items and a special gift upon arrival.

Up until 45 years ago, women were not allowed to have an equal education as men and were infrequently admitted into higher education. Nowadays, thanks to the Feminist movement and it’s subsequent waves, in the twenty-first century, we see more and more women able to advance all the way academically. Being female is no longer a hurdle to get a higher education or to improve ourselves in order to seek a better career path.

The remaining question often being asked is: “What Now? What Next”.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong & Macao and its Women’s Leadership Network committee proudly present an inspiring after work- talk “Women in Academia”. Meet inspiring professors coming from the top educational institutes in Asia who will share their path to become where they are, the impact they have made in their perspective field, and what more they think we as the other half of the gender group need to do better to stay at the top.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Sabrina Sakhrani, Key Client Consultant, EUROMONITOR

Sabrina is based in Euromonitor International’s Hong Kong office and heads the corporate team. She has over 15 years of experience and is also the founder of 4 of her own startups, including one in luxury and one in hospitality. Her professional interests include providing insights to clients into evolving consumer values and priorities, identifying emerging trends and disruptors, and understanding the impact of digitalization and innovation. Sabrina has a degree in Business Management from John Cabot University has been with Euromonitor Hong Kong since its opening. Sabrina is a proud mother of 3 children. Having lived in Italy, UK, Japan and now Hong Kong, she is fluent in 7 languages.

Melody Manchi Chao, Associate Professor of Department of Management and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies at the School of Business and Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Melody Manchi Chao is an Associate Professor at the Department of Management and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies at the School of Business and Management, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She received her Ph.D. and M.A. degree in Social Psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and B.A. degree in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests include lay beliefs, achievement motivation, negotiation and conflict management, group processes, and intergroup relations. She currently serves on the editorial review boards of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Frontiers in Psychology, and Asian Journal of Social Psychology, and has served on the editorial review board of Management and Organization Review. She is a past winner of the Early Career Award from the International Academy of Intercultural Research, the Michael Harris Bond Award for Early Research Contributions from the Asian Association of Social Psychology, and the Seisoh Sukemune/Bruce Bain Encouragement of Early Career Research Award from the International Council of Psychologists.

Winnie Cheng, Adjunct Professor of Department of English, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Winnie Cheng is Adjunct Professor of Department of English at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She was formerly Director of Research Centre for Professional Communication in English (RCPCE) of Department of English. She is a Founding Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of the Humanities. Her research interests include conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, discourse intonation, ESP, intercultural pragmatics and communication, professional and organizational communication, and writing across the curriculum.

Veronique J. A. Lafon-Vinais, Executive Director, Career Development & Corporate Outreach Associate Professor of Business Education, Dpt of Finance, HKUST

Ms. Veronique Lafon-Vinais is a seasoned financial market professional with over 20 years of banking and capital markets experience. She has worked in all the major financial markets and has extensive experience in all the major debt markets. Veronique joined Credit Agricole in Paris in 1980 after graduating from HEC; she moved to First Chicago (now part of JP Morgan) in London in 1984 then to Chicago in 1990. In 1991 Veronique joined Union Investissements, the M&A and corporate finance subsidiary of Credit Agricole in Paris to work on various M&A and corporate finance advisory projects. Veronique moved to Hong Kong in 1994 joining First Chicago as Managing Director, Head of Financial Markets, Asia Pacific. She joined Standard Chartered Bank plc as Head of Treasury Origination in 2000 and retired from banking in 2001. She is now dedicating herself full time to education and teaching as Associate Professor of Business Education, Department of Finance, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), where she teaches in the MBA/MSc programs as well as in the Undergraduate Programs, and professional training and consulting for the finance industry. She is the Executive Director, Career Development & Corporate Outreach for the School of Business and Management at HKUST, Associate Director for the UG programs, Associate Director of the tri-degree World Bachelor in Business Program, and Project Director for the HKUST-NYU Stern MSc in Global Finance. Veronique is married with two children. She is a French national and a Hong Kong Permanent Resident.

Nasrine Seraji, Professor, AA dipl FRIBA,  Department of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong

After studying at the Architectural Association and practising in London, Seraji moved to Paris in 1989 to establish her studio where architecture is treated as both a cultural debate and a practice. Since then, she has pursued a path constantly enriched by her simultaneous engagement in architectural practice, teaching, and research. She has lectured and exhibited her work widely in Europe and North America, as well as China and South East Asia.

Between 1993 and 2001, Seraji taught at Columbia University in New York, at the Architectural Association in London as Diploma Unit Master, and Princeton University as Visiting Professor. During this time, she also taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna where she directed one of the two architecture Master Schools. Seraji was Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture at Cornell University from 2001 to 2005. In 2006, she became Dean of the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture Paris-Malaquais by Presidential decree. That same year, she returned to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna where she held the position of Professor of Ecology, Sustainability and Conservation, as well as Head of the Institute for Art and Architecture. She served as the head of the department of architecture at the University of Hong Kong where she is currently Professor in architecture.

We would like to cordially invite you to the Ulaanbaatar Property investor Tour being sponsored by Asia Pacific Investment Partners. As Mongolia’s growth continues to accelerate and the property market continues to recover on the back of surging mineral exports from Mongolia to China, the prospects for the property market in Mongolia have never looked better.

The Investor Tour will combine past present and future property developments, prime land sites, and key discussions with both expatriate thought leaders and local business and government officials providing a comprehensive overview of this unique opportunity all in a short two day period. For those who wish to stay longer to examine business or travel pursuits, we will be happy to assist and facilitate.

Should you be interested, please send an email to info@apipcorp.com or visit the website here.

Retail manufacture industry is one of the most polluting industries on earth.

In the past few years, established retailers have tried to implement sustainable practices in their supply chain, from sourcing material to monitor the process of production, to reducing energy consumption in stores, and emerging players within the industry have put sustainability as an embedded feature of their business.

Join an exclusive panel of professionals from different backgrounds involved in sustainable practices in the retail industry. From corporate policymakers to designers, the discussion will bring together stakeholders dealing with the price of sustainability across different business models, taking into consideration the impact that it may have on purchasing decision of the most conscious consumers.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Stefano Passarello, Managing Director NE Asia, Hawksford

He 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 sports 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.

Alessandro Bisagni, Founder & President, BEE Incorporation

He is the Founder and Managing Director of BEE Incorporations, a sustainability engineering consulting and technology company specializing in the creation of green and healthy buildings. BEE is a GBCI recognized LEED Proven Provider and part of USGBC’s LEED User Group for Retail. The company specializes in building simulations, commissioning, green building certification, and cloud-based building data management for ensuring ongoing performance. Alessandro has managed over 200 LEED projects, across 25 countries, with a combined GFA of over 35 million square feet. BEE is one of the most experienced green building consultancies in the retail sector worldwide. He has been recognized by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) as a Top 40 Under 40 professional class of 2016, and Tatler Hong Kong Generation T List class of 2017. He is the co-Founder of the Sustainable Buildings Collaborative (SBC) China and current Chairman of Platinum Hong Kong, two professional industry groups whose mission is to spread green building knowledge across Greater China and build ties between local LEED practitioners and the USGBC.

Elena Raho, Founder, DO IT-Ideas into Things

Hong Kong resident from 2014, raised in Turin blending Polytechnic education with a broader creative background, Elena has started “connecting the dots” of her design and product development career at Fila Sport in 2001, then progressing to operations roles at major fashion brands such as Adidas and Armani in Europe and Asia. A lively interest in market trends and entrepreneurship led her to co-found the fashion design agency DO IT Ideas Into Things (Hong Kong) in 2017 and the internationalization platform HERE Connecting Creativity in 2018 (Milan – Hong Kong), with focus on sharing design thinking values and networking opportunities globally. To spread culture around sustainable fashion – and sustainability at large – is one of our ecosystem’s priority for coming years. With always in mind that the best has yet to come!

Stefano Tordiglione, Creative Director and Founder, Stefano Tordiglione Design

Born in Napoli, Italy, Stefano Tordiglione moved to New York to work and study in the 1990s. Stefano’s interests are similarly broad, an artist with works held in distinguished private art collections, he has also worked with UNICEF as Project Manager and Art Director, organising international events held in Italy.

From there he moved into the art field, doing several installations and personal projects before relocating to Hong Kong and founding Stefano Tordiglione Design in 2010. He values the freedom that is afforded to designers in Hong Kong. He feels that truly innovative work can be achieved here.

Antonio Tripodi, Founder, Bureau Of Compliance (B.O.C.)

Antonio Tripodi is the founder of Bureau Of Compliance (B.O.C.), a department of LOMBRA Group, in 2018. Within B.O.C, Antonio is offering sustainable solutions in products and services. Born in Italy, grown up and educated in France, Antonio is also specialized in Sensory Marketing, Non-Conventional Marketing, Neuromarketing and Retail Luxury packaging and Display. These 360° vision, from development to production, allows Antonio to offers to clients an innovative strategic approach. Antonio has a unique 8-year background in Mainland China, South Asia and India combining his deep understanding of factories substratus with his expertise in sustainable materials development which provides his clients with unique advantages. He has worked side by side with top brands to introduce sustainable solutions in their retail packaging, supporting them to source sustainable materials and setting production processes focused on quality and environmental practices. As an example, FSC paper, eco-friendly laminations and PCW (post-consumer waste) contents into luxury shopping bags are under our eyes every day. Today Antonio is introducing recycled and compostable materials into the customer product proposition.

Michelle Lee, Marketing & E-Commerce Director, The R Collective 

Michelle has over 10 years of fashion retail and e-commerce experience, ranging from buying, product development, marketing, e-commerce to operations. Starting off with global e-commerce businesses, she later moved to ethical fashion retail to continue her focus on reducing fashion’s environmental impact.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is delighted to invite you to attend an exclusive evening of networking and good cocktails.

Indulge yourself over some of the highest Italian quality wines from Italian winery Marchesi di Barolo, and enjoy the summer spirit sipping by the gorgeous outdoor pool at The Conrad Hotel.

Don’t miss out on the chance to meet and connect with new people and discover the culture of Italian wines.

Set yourself up for some good time and welcome the warmer days in a whole different way.

EY and CIMA are co-organizing a “Digital Finance – Overcoming Challenges and tapping into Opportunities ahead” seminar on 11 June 2019 (Tuesday) from 2:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. at CITIC Tower, Central. During the seminar, we aim to gather business leaders and service providers of key technologies to share with the audience the challenges and opportunities brought by the digitalization of finance.

The opening remarks will be conducted by William Chen, the Chairman of HK Branch and North Asia Regional Advisory Panel of CIMA. Our guest speakers include Nelson Chow, partner of EY Performance Improvement Advisory, who will share his insights into the implementation of new technology into business functions; Rick Lee, Director of Northern Asia Region from Blue Prism to share with us the possibilities brought by RPA product as well as business leaders; Henry Fong, the Head of Business Services – Finance from Chanel Asia Pacific, and C.F. Wong, the Financial Controller / Head of Finance from GP Electronics (HK) Ltd, to share with us their experiences in overcoming challenges in implementing and integrating new technologies in their operations.

Nelson Chow, Partner, Performance Improvement Advisory, EY Greater China, will be moderating the panel discussion session where panelists will share their experiences and insights into the challenges and opportunities created by their adoption of new technologies into the business functions.

You are also cordially invited to join the cocktail party held at room 2201 after the seminar to celebrate EY’s acquisition of Mtel. Established in 1999, Mtel is an award-winning digital enabler and mobile app developer in the region. With a presence in three Greater China cities, Mtel has immense experience in the design and development of mobile, web, social applications, campaigns, digital installations and cloud platforms.

Albert Ng, China Chairman and Greater China Managing Partner of EY; Agnes Chan, EY Hong Kong & Macau Managing Partner; Willy Wong, CEO of Mtel; and Jeff Chau, COO of Mtel, together with the EY digital advisory team will be there to share with you their vision and latest work on this exciting collaboration.

It would be our great honor if you can join this event, don’t miss this opportunity to network and interact with market leaders. This seminar is by invitation only and subjects to availability of seats.

Please fill in the online registration form here to confirm your attendance on or before 6 June 2019 (Thursday). You will receive a confirmation email upon successful registration.

Here we are! The unmissable networking cocktail.

Kick off the working week with the coolest after work in Hong Kong. On Monday, June 10th don’t miss the reunion and the chance to mingle with old and new friends.

Spend an evening enjoying good cocktails and Piadinas while exchanging thoughts and experiences!

If that sounds like you, come by at Bella Lee and join us!

On June 5th the Italian Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Abrate & Sons invites you for a unique evening that no wine lover can miss.

The perfect moment calls for the perfect wine, our guests will have the pleasure to taste two variety of red wine from Piedmont, Dolcetto d’Alba and Barolo Ciabot Berton.

Ciabot Breton vineyard was founded in 1950s, on the hill of Bricco San Biagio in Piedmont. In 1961 their first Barolo was bottled and since then, they worked on increasing the quality and full potential of their vineyards. Through some minor modernization in the cellar, while keeping the traditional way favoured, the wines of Ciabot Berton have become increasingly known and widely appreciated.

Indeed you will have the chance to meet and chat with Federica Oberto, owner of the wine company, and buy the wine with an exclusive 10% discount.

Abrate & Sons will take special care of explaining more about the story behind each wine or vineyard, to make you enjoy your glass even more, in the beautiful surroundings of Stefano Tordiglione Design exclusive location!

RSVP now to secure your spot. (Limited spots available!)

Italian National Day is coming, don’t miss the chance to celebrate with us this historical Italian day, a milestone of the Italian Republic.

On June 3rd, join us for an amazing party at The Dispensary, a gorgeous lounge bar concept, located in Tai Kwun, the new Centre for Heritage and Arts in Hong Kong. During the evening you will enjoy free flow of prosecco, Aperol Spritz, red and white wine, Peroni beer and delicious canapés.

Hurry up to secure your spot for a never-ending joyful night, RSVP now to book your ticket!

The Italian Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the Business Environment Council, is proud to announce the upcoming breakfast seminar on GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS, taking place on 3 June 2019 at the BEC Office in Kowloon Tong.

The event will present an overview of four leading green building rating systems that are defining sustainability in build spaces today in Hong Kong and most commonly used in Europe. Each speaker will present an overview of the system, and provide personal insight into the application of each within a Hong Kong context. The rating systems covered will be LEED (from USA), BEAM (from Hong Kong), WELL (from USA), and Passivhause (from Germany).

The presentations will be followed by lively discussions with audience engagement on the challenges and opportunities facing the green building industry in Hong Kong.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Alessandro Bisagni, Founder & President, BEE Incorporations

Alessandro Bisagni is the Founder and Managing Director of BEE Incorporations, a sustainability engineering consulting and technology company specializing in the creation of green and healthy buildings. BEE is a GBCI recognized LEED Proven Provider and part of USGBC’s LEED User Group for Retail. The company specializes in building simulations, commissioning, green building certification, and cloud-based building data management for ensuring ongoing performance. Alessandro has managed over 200 LEED projects, across 25 countries, with a combined GFA of over 35 million square feet. BEE is one of the most experienced green building consultancies in the retail sector worldwide. Alessandro has been recognized by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) as a Top 40 Under 40 professional class of 2016, and Tatler Hong Kong Generation T List class of 2017. He is the co-Founder of the Sustainable Buildings Collaborative (SBC) China and current Chairman of Platinum Hong Kong, two professional industry groups whose mission is to spread green building knowledge across Greater China and build ties between local LEED practitioners and the USGBC.

Anne Jacobs, Head-Industry Team Construction Asia Pacific, BASF

As an expert for sustainable construction and digitalization in construction, Anne Jacobs is supporting customers as well as BASF internally. With more than 15 years of experience in green and healthy construction and a background in Architectural Engineering, she has developed a strong technical understanding. Anne has been working in international construction and research projects and is collaborating with customers to find new futureproof solutions, especially in the fields of energy saving, prefabrication and digitalization. Her first Passive House Projects date back to 2004 and she has since planned and consulted for Passive House buildings all over the world.

Rumen Yordanov, Director, Asian European Engineering Ltd.

Rumen Yordanov is an award-winning building systems and sustainability engineering consultant with experience in high-profile developments in Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Europe. Rumen is the managing director of Asian European Engineering (AEE) Ltd. His professional expertise includes HVAC systems design, energy efficiency, and building physics modeling among others. Rumen has been named by ASHRAE one of top 5 new faces of engineering and he is currently a USGBC Faculty.

Stefan Krummeck, Principal Director, TFP Farrells Ltd.

Stefan Krummeck holds over 30 years of experience designing award-winning buildings, master plans and infrastructure-related projects that have shaped towns and cities throughout the world. His portfolio of built work covers Europe, Australia, Africa, and in particular the Asia- Pacific region, where he has contributed to projects in Singapore, Hong Kong, Mainland China, South Korea, Mongolia, Dubai, and Cambodia. Stefan is responsible for leading the design of key projects through his in-depth knowledge of the design, planning, and integration of complex commercial and transportation projects through all stages of procurement. Passionate about city- making, Stefan believes in the potential of mixed-use and transit-oriented development to help transform cities into vibrant, sustainable communities which offer round-the-clock urban vitality. His academic involvement is wide-ranging. He is Vice President (Professional Development) of the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design (HKIUD) and is a member of the Academy of Urbanism. Since 2002, Stefan has been an active member of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA). In 2012 he was appointed visiting professor at the North China University of Technology. He also served as a Country Representative on the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

Ir C.F. Leung is Director — Operations of the Business Environment Council. He is a BEAM Professional, a Green Building Faculty Member, a Registered Professional Engineer, a Registered Energy Assessor, an accredited IAQ Signatory, a Chartered Engineer, a Chartered Environmentalist, a Chartered Water & Environmental Manager and a Certified Carbon Auditor Professional. Ir Leung specializes in green building advisory, carbon audit, energy efficiency, and indoor environmental quality consultancy. Ir Leung recently completed a project to transform the BEC Headquarters to become the first commercial building in Hong Kong to achieve the Platinum Rating of Provisional Assessment under the BEAM Plus Existing Buildings Version 1.2. With the introduction of environmentally friendly features and practices, the project aims to enhance the energy efficiency of the BEC Headquarters and showcase the greening of existing buildings. Ir Leung also delivers BEAM Professional training courses. He is representing BEC in the Board of Directors of BEAM Society Limited.

Simon Ng, Director — Policy & Research, Business Environment Council

Tom Uiterwaal is the Founder and CEO of Reconergy (Hong Kong) Ltd, active in the Waste-to-Energy industry both in Asia and Europe. Reconergy is focused on the UCO and biodiesel trade and turning Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into green electricity, and the proud winner of the 2017 Cathay Pacific Shooting Star award. Tom has been active in the Waste-to-Energy industry in Asia since 2008. Before moving to Asia, Tom worked for 12 years with CARGILL — the biggest food ingredients company in the world — in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Tom is also the Chairman of the Environmental & Energy Business Council of the European Chamber in Hong Kong.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to invite you to this lunch seminar given by Lorenzo Riccardi, Managing Partner of RsA Asia.

Lorenzo has always been fascinated by geo-economics, and he has combined his passion for traveling new frontiers with interest in emerging markets. He has previously traveled the entire Eurasian region overland and has combined multiple journeys covering 200 countries and territories. Along with his tours, he is collecting data and business trends on a dedicated website: www.200-economies.com.

The project focuses on the concept of G-200 to promote future change from G-20 to the global economy with investments to every developed, emerging and frontier country.

During our seminar, Lorenzo will show images and economic trends sharing his passion for traveling and the interest in doing business (with China) along the 200 economies.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Lorenzo Riccardi, Managing Partner of RsA Asia

Lorenzo Riccardi, Ph.D. researcher at Shanghai University, has long-term expertise in international consulting and emerging markets, providing clients with due diligence, tax, and advisory services. Lorenzo is a partner of the consulting firm RsA and is a member of CPA Associations in Hong Kong, Italy, US and Australia.

We have the best solution to close the month in the best way!

Thursday 30^th come to the most acclaimed venue in Hong Kong, Aqua Spirit for the coolest party of the year to celebrate the Cocktails & Ink.

Enjoy us, dress to impress and join our bartenders as they mix the cocktails with Sailor Jerry and Circuit Square Tattoo & Co with our House DJ rocking the floor.

You can’t miss this fantastic event!

The Italian Chamber of Commerce invites you to the 16th InterCham Connecting People Cocktail on 29 May. Together with The Mexican Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, we will take you to The Picada, the Latin restaurant bar in Central.

You will be mingling with plenty of friends of old and new, and maybe you will be the next one who wins the prize from the amazing lucky draw! Join us together and prepare yourself for another fun edition of this event, for you 2 drinks and canapes.

Please note that RSVP is needed and no tickets sold at the doors.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is glad to present the 2019 edition of Italian Fair at SOGO Causeway Bay Department Store.

After the great success of the 2018 edition, the Italian Fair is back in Hong Kong again!

From May 29th to June 4th, SOGO department store will transform itself and become the place where to experience the true Italian taste and lifestyle.

Don’t lose this amazing experience to have family fun, special discounts, exclusive products (namely but not only Italian food specialty, wine, table clothing, household articles) and exciting activities.

WHAT WILL YOU FIND

B2 – Freshmart will feature a special Italian corner with exclusive offers, wine tastings, and cooking shows

7F Kids – will feature fun activities powered by the Italian International Kindergarten

16F SOGO CLUB – will feature an exclusive area powered by TABLO, dedicated to the best Italian houseware. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Club will also offer YOGA classes by Fernanda Miotto, in partnership with EA7.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is honored to invite you to an exclusive cocktail party at ZUMA.

This exclusive location offers all the key ingredients for a perfect cocktail party, free flow of Shoga Spritz, delicious Italian white and red wines accompanied by Japanese canapés.

Do not miss the chance to mingle with friends for a fancy Tuesday Aperitivo.

We look forward to meeting all of you soon, kindly RSVP to reserve your spot!

A wine tasting showcasing “hidden gems” of Italy already in the market in Hong Kong and selected by 3-Star Michelin Sommelier Marino Braccu.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Emporio Armani & EA7, is glad to invite you to discover the streetwear trends of the Spring/Summer 2019 Collection.

On Friday, May 24th, join us at Emporio Armani & EA7 store in Central for a great shopping night, get up to 40% discount on the seasonal collection, and enjoy a good glass of prosecco!

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

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 stylized eagle – continues to be a symbol of belonging and sharing, a meeting point that leaves room for freedom of expression.

ABOUT EA7

Dedicated to those who practice sports with passion, the EA7 line was designed to combine performance and comfort. Born in 2004, this is a true sport brand and over the years has developed its own strong and well-defined identity. The collection features garments and accessories that combine the technical performance required for sports and the elegance of fashion, in order to bring out the style and personality of every single athlete.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend the second talk part of the series “The Future of Professions” given by Giovanna Melfi, founder and managing director of Metamorphosis Biz.

Do you consider yourself skilled for the jobs of the future? We all need to be flexible in our working patterns and pay attention to the changes that occur in our workplace and how our role has evolved.

During the talk employability and competencies will be analyzed, trying to understand how to use our set of transferable and employability skills.

Join us to learn more about it, RSVP to secure your spot.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Giovanna Melfi, Founder & Managing Director, Metamorphosis Biz

Giovanna Melfi is the founder and managing director of Metamorphosis Biz, and she specializes in helping companies form talented and dynamic teams, transition into the digital world and provide an engaging customer journey.

Born in Italy and based in Hong Kong, Giovanna has more than 20 years’ management experience with top luxury brands around the world, such as Marc Jacobs, Ermenegildo Zegna, Burberry, Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Prada.

She holds a postgraduate diploma in Digital Business from Columbia Business School, certificates in Digital Communication from the MIT Sloan School of Management and in Orchestrating Winning Performance from IMD Business School, and now she serves as vice president of IMD’s Hong Kong alumni club.

Passing on her knowledge, she mentors entrepreneurs through various programs, such as TechStars’ Startup Weekend, and, at times, speaks at City University’s School of Creative Media and Career Centre Hong Kong Science & Technology University.

Since September 2018, Giovanna is also managing director Asia at BeThe1, an international boutique firm specialized in human resources consulting and recruitment in the Luxury sector.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is glad to invite you to a special shopping night, showcasing the latest collection of the Italian design factory Alessi. This collection celebrates design as a driving force of culture with elements of transgression. The role of the company as a workshop opens the world of creativity, the modernistic collection is imbued with enthusiasm and flair.

On Wednesday, May 22nd, join us at Alessi’s store located in Landmark to enjoy 15% off on all the trendiest housewares and kitchen utensils.

RSVP now to get a free gift for all purchases of HK$1,000 and above (while stocks last).

About Alessi

The company was born in 1921 in Omegna, northern Italy, initially as a foundry for the manufacturing of brass, nickel, and iron. In almost a century of history, it gradually evolved to become one of the leading “Factories of Italian design”, capable of uniting art and industry, giving life to people’s dreams. Today Alessi is a worldwide-known brand whose mission is now one of translating its quest for the most advanced cultural, aesthetic, design and functional quality into mass production. This purpose is undertaken both by maintaining a strong link with Italian tradition and by the openness to inspiration from all over the world.

Dante Alighieri Society and the Italian Young Professionals getting together for a Monday of Italian chats, games, networking and Aperitivo.

Monday is no more Blue but Green, White and Red, come and join us!

Don’t miss it!

All participants will enjoy 10%off on any orders from the menù!

After the great success of the last Bocconi event, we are happy to announce another networking cocktail.

This will be a great way for alumni to join the Asian Regional Leaders’ visiting from Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore and the Arabian Peninsula for a night out. Don’t miss the chance to meet, socialize and exchange contacts.

On May 18th, we would invite you to enjoy an amazing buffet dinner in the astonishing Aqua, one of the most beautiful and iconic restaurants in Hong Kong.

Don’t miss an inspiring night out with our BAC network!

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is proud to support this special event by Missione Possibile.

You will meet Gerry Testori, founder of Missione Possibile, an Italian non-profit organization which supports missionary projects to ensure fundamental human rights (education, adequate medical care and freedom of thought).

Show your support by joining a meaningful night alongside a delightful performance of MP Alecx Chung, Chairman of the Hong Kong Flute Association.

100% of proceeds from the entrance ticket will be donated to Missione Possibile Hong Kong.

Start the weekend in the best way. We are happy to invite you at an exclusive shopping night event to experience the best of Calzedonia’s beachwear and swimwear whether you’ll enjoy in the waves or sunbathe at the pool.

On Friday, May 17th Calzedonia will be hosting a private sale at its store in Central.

Achieve a very stylish look with fashionable details, like flowers and bows, or beautiful jungle patterned design. With the complete summer look, you’ll be shining wherever you go!

RSVP now and get 20% off on the entire collection!

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is glad to invite you to attend this seminar, helpful to figure out how to manage your business in the best way.

The success of a business highly depends on its core structure, it can be the make or break of a business. The choice for the perfect regional corporate structure that fits the needs of the international client can be challenging and requires a globalized strategic view on setting up, recruiting and how and when to invest in branding.

Knowing the local compliance environment and the legal tools available it’s fundamental in order to optimize the Regional Strategy for Asia.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Joana Alves Cardoso, Founding Partner, JAC Lawyers

Joana is the founding partner of JAC Lawyers, a well-rounded law firm in Macao advising and guiding across a wide range of jurisdictions. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a special interest in Commercial and Corporate, Banking and Finance and Estate Planning and Family Law.

She is recognized for her ability to commit to the projects and prides herself on working closely and in a straight-forward manner with the clients.

She has solid experience with international clients in the areas of retail, technology, and distribution and works both with local and multinational corporations in commercial and corporate matters, including their strategy to enter the Macao market. She is also the President of the International Estate Planning Commission of the International Association of Lawyers (UIA) and has been an active member and guest speaker in various international panels for over 7 years in the areas of Corporate Commercial, Family Law and Estate and Tax Planning.

Asia Retail Arena is thought to engage the retail community and provide it with the latest trends in order to set directions on the future of retail.

A unique platform will be created to bring together the major players and disruptors in the retail industry to shed light on the changes and transformation that have been forging the contemporary retail landscape.

The retail landscape is changing, and shopping malls are differentiating their portfolio. New trends such as streetwear, and athleisure, pervading the collections of heritage brands. New generations have different priorities, and luxury brands have shifted from brand- to customer-centric approach to maintain their profitability. The panel will bring together professionals from the luxury industry and uprising categories to shed light on the new retail ecosystem.

PANELISTS:

Barrie Chan – Deputy Senior Director Retail, Savills

Massimo Caltagirone – Regional Director Asia Pacific, Tod’s Group

Edoardo Tocco – President Asia Pacific, Balenciaga

Filippo Gori – General Manager, Geox

Giovanni Di Salvo – Managing Director Asia Pacific, Versace

Samy Redjeb – Managing Director HK, Macau, Taiwan, Bluebell

In the luxury industry, men consumers have always been big spenders, loyal customers, very attentive to the in-store experience, but also very clear on what they want. Today, while new generations seem to tend towards experiences more than goods, studies confirm that men prefer trading up tangible goods over their female counterparts.  Gathering a panel of experts in men’s products, spanning from fashion and accessories to cosmetics, and lifestyle experiences, the discussion will provide insights on men’s consumption and upcoming trends to address the new demand.

MODERATED BY:

Anne Peirson-Smith – Assistant Professor, City University of Hong Kong

PANELISTS:

Alan See – Director, The Armoury Group Ltd.

Andrea Casavecchia – Regional Director, Santoni Asia Ltd

Sabrina Sakhrani – Senior Key Client Consultant, EUROMONITOR

Jean CJ Lee – Founder / CEO, Vacant Label

Rex Cheuk – Business Development Director, HK, Macau & SEA, Tmall Global, Alibaba Group

Millennials and GEN Z are big spenders, however, they are more willing to invest in “intangible” goods, bringing to the table of discussion words such as “passions” and “experiences”. From hospitality to gourmet brands, consumers are now looking for brands matching their lifestyle. The panel will gather professionals from hospitality and brands’ representative to discuss how they are addressing the new customers’ needs.

MODERATED BY:

Markus Schuckert – Associate Professor, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University – School of Tourism & Management

PANELISTS:

Laurent de Rougemont – Managing Director, Davidoff of Geneva Asia Ltd.

Marco Galimberti – Managing Director, Venchi Greater China LTD

Marino Braccu – General Manager & Chief Sommelier, 8 ½ Otto & Mezzo BOMBANA Hong Kong

Kathy Gallagher – CEO, Quintessentially

Olivier D. Stocker – Chairman & CEO, Spink.

Pierre Perusset – General Manager, Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

In 2016, Jack Ma from Alibaba envisioned what today we call “new retail”. A seamless experience, which brings together online and offline to meet the needs of the new generation of digital natives. Besides the digital transforming the physical store, new retail also reflects a more informed decision-making process based on big data analytics, CRM, AI, but also the understanding of how each market is different and how communication needs to be localized. The panel will gather professional in retail with expertise in the retail & digital world to discuss the evolution of the “new retail”, and able to define the state-of-the-art in this field.

MODERATED BY:

Gianluca Cinquepalmi – Associate Chair for the School of Communication Arts & UX, SCAD

PANELISTS:

AJ Mak – Founder & CEO, Chain of Demand

Stefano Daelli – Partner, FUTUREBERRY

Antonio Colaci Vintani – Head of Digital Technology, Value Partners

Jacopo Pesavento – Founder & CEO, Branding Records

Stefano Sorrentino – Partner, Value Partners Management Consulting Hong Kong

Kai Tang – VP Sales & Business Development, Adyen

Get your chance to learn more about the retail world and to meet the speakers by joining these amazing panels.

Make sure you RSVP by April 30th to secure your spot!

*Please note that tickets for conference+lunch are now fully booked. 

Tickets for networking lunch only are still available.

**Please, note that the programme is subject to change, and will be updated continuously up to the conference.

On Thursday, May 9th, don’t miss a special Mother’s Day Celebration with POMELLATO!

20% OFF on selected items and 5-10% on regular items plus a special offer by Watson’s Wine on wines from Argiolas winery!

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is delighted to invite you to the second InterSme seminar of the year.

The wellbeing and mental health of employees is critical for maintaining sustainable levels of employee engagement, flexibility in the face of organizational changes, motivation, and innovation. By integrating a corporate wellness approach in the workplace, employers can benefit through a positive impact on productivity and business performance.

The majority of an employee’s time is spent at the workplace, and as stress levels and the need for multitasking increases, the need for a wellness program grows. Creating on-site wellness goals, and acting upon them becomes the key to tackle employee illness and stress.

During this breakfast seminar, our panelists will discuss corporate wellness based on their professional and personal experiences and give valuable insights into how SMEs can build wellness programs and create prosperous, high-performing working environments.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Jose Bezanilla, CEO, Great Place to Work, Greater China

http://greatplacetowork-cn.com/ 

Jose has been working in the area of Organisational Development Consulting and Leadership (Management) for over 18 years. He was a Partner and the Director of Business Development at Capta Organisations Development. During his experience, he has achieved with great performance activities related to leadership, innovation strategies, customer service, sales force management, selection, and training. Jose has also worked in the banking industry for ten years, as Subdirector for Marketing at Banamex’s Northwest Division.

Jose is certified as a facilitator from Capta Organisations Development and Directo Consultants. He is also certified for the management of organizational staff profiling tool DiSC, from Human Perspectives International and Inscape Publishing, in Miami, USA. He participated in the certification of Cohen Brown, in Outstanding Leadership for Sales and Proactive Banking Relations.

Jose’s training experience has covered various areas such as Leadership, Teamwork, Communication, Motivation, Decision Making, Creative Problem Solving, and Business Vision, among other topics. He has been a board member in various chambers and business organizations. He has participated in the project of training for youth leaders with development. He has lived in Europe, Mexico City, in the border region of San Diego, USA, and Tijuana, Mexico; working in international environments filled with cultural diversity.

Andrew Cox, Director of Joint Dynamics Ltd, Hong Kong

www.jointdynamics.com.hk

Andrew is a trainer, lifestyle coach and educator in health, fitness, and high performance who is leading the charge towards a shift from reactive health to proactive health. He works comprehensively with individuals, teams, and corporations on these areas and has been doing so in the Asia Pacific regions for more than twelve years. He is also a regular on Radio, and a contributor to publications internationally in his area of expertise. Some of Andrew’s credentials include Fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS – Gray Institute), Chek Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 2 and Correctional Exercise Specialist (CES NASM).

Andrew is a sought-after speaker and educator. He has presented at many of the Asian fitness conventions, given corporate health and performance workshops to many of the leading financial organizations such as Morgan Stanley and Fidelity, and also working with luxury high-end resort chains such as Four Seasons as a consultant, retreat leader, and visiting practitioner.

Malin Rigneus, Founder and Counsellor Leva Counselling Ltd https://www.levacounselling.com/

A double master graduate of Monash, UCL and a graduate of Stockholm University, Malin started her career in the field of HR, specifically within graduate recruitment. Throughout her years in the field of HR, Malin gained extensive experience from both working with large organizations such as Citigroup and Accenture, as well as with niche talent acquisition consultancies and outsourcers, such as AMS, EMDS Consulting and Euro RSCG Riley. Her experience has involved partnering with business leaders to develop and deliver talent solutions across multiple geographies.

She is the founder of Leva Counselling Ltd. that specializes in providing clients with counseling techniques and tools to increase their psychological wellbeing. Malin has experience from working with multicultural clients and in partnership with corporations to prevent ill health (e.g. burn out) and support employees as they are facing challenging times (e.g. due to organizational changes or personal issues). Innovative tailor-made programmes are designed to support employees in various areas, such as stress management, improving self-esteem and developing interpersonal skills. Malin uses a person-centered counseling approach with a combination of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) techniques to provide insights, tools, and strategies to improve individuals wellbeing.

Malin is a Graduate member of the Hong Kong Society of Counselling and Psychology and a full member of The Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association.

Two Italian excellences will be combined for an exclusive night in the amazing atmosphere of the Art Gallery – Art Futures Group.

Both characterized by tradition and innovation, Maria Conti Jewelery and Nals Margreid 1932 winery will be the protagonists of an incredible event!

On May 7th, join us in the heart of Central for an exclusive shopping evening for jewelry and wine lovers. Come to discover the new summer collection by Maria Conti Unique Jewelry while tasting fresh Italian wines from Trentino Alto Adige.

Special discounts on wines and jewelry will be available during the night – do not miss this great chance!

Save the date, another round of our IYP Mondays is here!

Join us on May 6th, at Bella Lee and meet the Board of the Italian Chamber while enjoying a couple of drinks and a delicious Italian-style Piadina.

Kick off the working week with the coolest after work in Hong Kong and enjoy an evening with your peers and make new friends along the way.

End your working week in the best way, enjoying a shopping night at a.testoni store in the heart of Admiralty!

You will have the opportunity to buy handcrafted shoes and accessories representing Italian excellence worldwide since 1929 at discounted prices while enjoying a glass of prosecco and tasty canapés.

Don’t miss this special chance to shop the elegance and freshness of a.testoni’s Spring Summer 2019 New Collection. RSVP now to get up to 30% off!

ABOUT A.TESTONI

Young Amedeo Testoni opened his first workshop in 1929, after having learned the secrets of the most important Bolognese craftsmen. Old methodologies and unique competencies formed the basis for this company, which still takes pride in selecting only the finest materials and achieving the highest quality. The brand’s philosophy aims for original technical and aesthetic solutions, and its history contains the requisites for continuous innovation and development, to affirm the future of artisan craftsmanship and ensure international recognition of modern Italian style in the world.

Motivations for smart city development are shifting – from excitement over what digital technologies have to offer to a more thoughtful consideration of how these technologies can be put to work to improve the lives of citizens. To ensure a sustainable future, cities must put liveability at the heart of development and investment plans.

To track citizens’ opinions on top priorities for smart city development going forward, KPMG China, in association with CLP Holdings, JOS, Siemens, Smart City Consortium and Wilson Group, recently launched a new report entitled Connected Cities: Citizen insights across Asia Pacific.

The report features findings from a survey of 4,192 residents in Hong Kong, Melbourne, Seoul, Shanghai, and Singapore, seeking residents’ opinions on the development areas most important to them as well as what benefits they expect as their cities become ‘smarter’. Key focus areas include transportation and mobility, building a future-focused workforce, living environment, healthcare, energy and resources and the impact of technology.

During this morning’s talk, a KPMG Partner, Marcos Chow will share our Connected Cities report highlights, followed by a panel discussion on the following topics:

• The current state of smart city development in the five cities surveyed as well as key differentiators and best practices.
• Hong Kong’s progress in six areas: smart mobility, smart living, smart environment, smart people, smart government and smart economy, as well as next steps.
• How can we apply technology to improve Hong Kong’s living environment and better manage the city’s energy and resources to build a more sustainable future.
• Other recent trends in smart city development.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Clube Ng, Founding Co-Chairman, Connected City Alliance

Clube has over 20 years in Innovation Technology. Since 2009, he actively engaged in the digital Health development in Hong Kong, Greater China, and Asia Pacific. He is deeply involved in the development of Smart City and dedicated to the Public-Private-Partnership with local and global partners in Asia, Europe, and the US to facilitate numerous Smart City Collaboration projects. In 2019, Clube has partnered with International IoT and experts to found the Connected City Alliance to promote the development and adaption of IEEE IoT Maturity Index. Since 2009, Clube has supported the development of territory-wide eHealth Record Sharing System in Hong Kong and worked with government officials and industry partners in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and Macau to organize the Greater China eHealth Forums respectively since 2011.

In 2015, Clube facilitated the incorporation of Asia eHealth Information Network as the global digital health NGO in Hong Kong, which AeHIN is fully supported by the World Health Organization.

Marcos Chow, Partner, IT Advisory, KPMG

Marcos has over 18 years of experience as an executive in technology leadership roles across Australia, ASEAN. Greater China and the US. His focus has been working with new and emerging technologies and methodologies to solve client’s business problems.

Prior, Marcos was IBM Global Business Services’ (GBS) Cloud Consulting Services Leader for Greater China.

Marcos and his team help clients on their digital and cloud (private, public and hybrid) journey by leveraging big data, A.I. and APIs / micro-services while using methodologies such as Design Thinking, Agile and Garage-Factory.

Sabine Reppert, CEO, Deon Digital Hong Kong Ltd.

Sabine has over 20 years of experience in delivering technology-driven innovation in the field of industrial automation. In 1995, Sabine started her career as a software engineer for rail automation and held various management positions for an international large-scale tech company before starting her own consultancy business in 2011. Currently, Sabine is driving the application of Blockchain, Smart Contracts and IoT for Smart Cities, Smart Supply Chains, Smart Mobility, and Fintech by running the Hong Kong chapter of the Swiss start-up Deon Digital. She is an active member of the Mettā entrepreneurs club in  Hong Kong and member of the Blockchain chapter of the Fintech Association of Hong Kong. Sabine is the founder of the meet-up group “Blockchain for Smart City”, and she holds a Master’s Degree in Mathematics from Philipps University, Germany, and specialized and software engineering and cryptography. She also obtained a second Master’s in Business Coaching and Change Management from European University of Applied Sciences in Germany and earned the “Disruptive Strategies” certificate from HBX Harvard Business School. Sabine is the author of the e-book “Breakthrough — The art and science of creating magical change by using the example of Theory U”.

Tom Uiterwall, CEO, Reconergy Ltd.

Tom is the Founder and CEO of Reconergy (Hong Kong) Ltd, active in the Waste-to-Energy industry both in Asia and Europe. Reconergy is focused on the UCO and biodiesel trade and turning Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into green electricity, and the proud winner of the 2017 Cathay Pacific Shooting Star award. Tom has been active in the Waste-to-Energy industry in Asia since 2008. Before moving to Asia, he worked for 12 years with CARGILL — the biggest food ingredients company in the world — in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Tom is also the Chairman of the Environmental & Energy Business Council of the European Chamber in Hong Kong.

Tony Wong, Assistant Government Chief Information Officer, HKSAR

Tony is experienced in coordinating work plans and implementing measures for facilitating the development of a smart city, which cover the Wi-Fi Connected City Programme for facilitating the development and promotion of Wi-Fi.HK for the public and visitors, and programmes and initiatives on digital inclusion. He is also involved in formulating strategies and implement measures for promoting the development of ICT industry. Tony is responsible for facilitating Hong Kong to develop into a regional high-tier data center hub, promoting the cooperation between the Mainland, overseas and Hong Kong on ICT and electronic commerce development, providing technical advice in handling matters relating to ICT between Hong Kong and APEC, WTO and related international bodies, and assisting in monitoring the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited and other matters relating to the administration of the domain name system in Hong Kong.

Waltraut Ritter, Managing Director, Knowledge Dialogues

Waltraut is director of Knowledge Dialogues, specializing in applied research and advisory services relating to societal and public policy issues around information, knowledge, and intellectual capital across the Asia-Pacific region and Europe. She works on projects at the intersection between universities, government, business, and society, in research areas that include knowledge-based economy in Asia, Open Data policies and public sector innovation, governance in digital/ smart cities, and Futures research. She regularly contributes to working groups of international and multilateral organizations on these topics. Waltraut is adjunct faculty in the Technology Research Project at the University of Hong Kong and was assistant professor at the Nayang Technological University. She holds an MA in Information Science and Sociology from the Free University of Berlin and an MBA in international business from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. She is a founding member of the New Club of Paris, a knowledge-economy think tank and has been serving on the Digital21 Strategy Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong SAR government from 2010-2017. She also engages in the ICT council of the European Chamber of Commerce in HK.

Austin R. Bryan, Senior Director, Innovation, CLP Holdings Limited

Austin R. Bryan joined CLP Holdings in May 2016 as Senior Director – Innovation, leading the company’s innovation & ventures strategy in the face of challenges presented by digital disruption.  He is also a Director of various subsidiary companies of the CLP Group.  Austin has been a pioneer of new services and value creation in the digital media sector for the past 10 years and is a globally recognised leader in transforming business activities in the financial and telecommunications sectors. His experience spans the creation of the first direct banking activities in Germany in the early 1990s, the introduction of virtual customer service platforms for American Express and creation of the first 3G multi-media mobile network in Australia with “3 Mobile”.  Most recently he was Vice President of Strategic Innovation at Singtel Optus, in which he led the acquisition of major digital media projects and created a US$1 billion digital media business developing and implementing new digital products and services.

On April 25th, in the occasion of the anniversary of the Italian Liberation Day, the Italian Chamber of Commerce is delighted to invite you to a special evening to celebrate with the Italian community this historical commemoration.

Join us at Spiga’s terrace, PORTICO, in the heart of Central, for a wine tasting of some of Italy’s finest vineyards offered by Abrate & Sons paired with delicious Italian canapés.

RSVP now for an enjoyable al fresco wine experience while celebrating Italy!

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is glad to invite you to attend this business seminar about the opportunities and challenges for business relocation to Vietnam.

Since the implementation of the open-door (Doi Moi) policy in 1986, the government of Vietnam has been encouraging foreign investments into the country by creating a favourable legal environment and infrastructure.

Today Vietnam boasts a large number of Industrial Parks, Economic Zones, and Export Processing Zones which have made the essential contribution to attracting investment, creating jobs and improving the economic growth of Vietnam. South Korea is one of the biggest investors, followed by Taiwan and Japan.

Under the circumstances of US-China trade war, there is also a number of interested manufacturing companies looking to relocate their productions into Vietnam and, as a consequence, there has been an increase in the industrial property market demand and supply in Vietnam.

However, for a foreign investor, there are several factors that must be considered in order to decide where to locate operations, such as the geographic location, land, labour, infrastructure, industry, business environment and incentives. Foreign investors should also consider the types of industries already existing in the area to understand the potential benefits to their own operations.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Alessandro Pedrinoni, CFO and Member of the Managing Board of Fidinam Group Worldwide

Mr Pedrinoni has gained cross-industry experience by working for world-leading management and business consulting firms. His fields of expertise comprise strategic planning, finance and performance management, business evaluations and business development. Academic credentials include an Executive MBA at Instituto de Empresa (IE) business school.

Sara Silenzi, Manager of the Italian Desk of Fidinam Hong Kong

Sara Silenzi holds a law degree from University of Parma (Italy) and a second Level Master in Business and Company Law from LUISS University Guido Carli (Rome). She passed the Italian Bar Exam in 2015. She is experienced in Italian company and tax law. Sara Silenzi has had experience in setting up companies in Vietnam.

We are happy to announce our upcoming event on April 15th for the Bocconi Alumni Association of Hong Kong.

Kick off the week with an amazing networking session, this will be a great way for alumni and students to meet and to mingle exchanging business cards or contacts.

Spend the evening with us, enjoying tasty Italian food and drinks.

Don’t miss an inspiring night out with our BAA network

Hello Spring!

Join us on April 15th, at Bella Lee, for the first IYP Mondays of the Month.

Kick off the working week with the coolest after work in Hong Kong and don’t miss the chance to mingle with old and new friends.

Spend an evening enjoying good cocktails and Piadinas while exchanging thoughts and experiences!

THE CONSCIOUS FESTIVAL By Green Is The New Black is returning to Hong Kong for its 2nd edition with the aim of empowering people with the knowledge and inspiration they need to take positive actions for their life and work.

On Saturday, April 13^th, and on Sunday, April 14^th, you will have the opportunity to participate in some game-changing talks and panels, visit the marketplace and attend interesting workshops.

The TALKS and PANELS will bring together some of the leading conscious change makers and thought leaders in Asia and beyond. The main topics that will be discussed are: live, work, consume, and travel.

You can get a 10% discount for the TALKS on Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.hk/e/the-talks-at-the-conscious-festival-by-green-is-the-new-black-hk-tickets-54718033110) with the following code: ITCHAMGITNB. Moreover, they have set up a complimentary code to redeem 2x tickets: ITCHAMCOMP.

The MARKETPLACE is a 360-degree immersive experience into living more consciously and will gather over 70 brands, artists and change-makers who are doing good in the world.

Engaging WORKSHOPS will be held by experts sharing sustainable practices and improving your overall sense of health and wellness.

Please contact us at icc@icc.org.hk for further information.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is glad to invite you to an exclusive private sale at Intimissimi store in the heart of Central.

On Friday, April 12^th, our guests will have the chance to discover the ultimate Italian lingerie brand’s new arrivals and to shop them at discounted prices while enjoying a glass of prosecco and live Dj Set music.

RSVP now to get 20% off the entire collection for one night only.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend the first talk part of the series “The Future of Professions” given by Giovanna Melfi, founder and managing director of Metamorphosis Biz.

The development of automation and artificial intelligence brings the promise of higher productivity, increased efficiencies, safety, and convenience. However, these disruptive technologies are invalidating long-held assumptions about jobs, firms, industries, and whole economies.

Even though agility and adaptation are necessary for survival, they are not sufficient: we need to change our management thinking. In fact, in order to meet the innovation challenges of the digital age, business leaders will need to put in extra time understanding how to manage the increasingly sophisticated digital landscape as well as keeping their skills updated and relevant. They need to stay up on current emerging trends and be ready to quickly adapt as ubiquitous computing, automation, and ‘smart’ digital technologies continue to transform the workplace.

Join us to learn more about how technology will be the leading driver of the change in the future of professions.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Giovanna Melfi is the founder and managing director of Metamorphosis Biz, and she specializes in helping companies form talented and dynamic teams, transition into the digital world and provide an engaging customer journey.

Born in Italy and based in Hong Kong, Giovanna has more than 20 years’ management experience with top luxury brands around the world, such as Marc Jacobs, Ermenegildo Zegna, Burberry, Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Prada.

She holds a postgraduate diploma in Digital Business from Columbia Business School, certificates in Digital Communication from the MIT Sloan School of Management and in Orchestrating Winning Performance from IMD Business School, and now she serves as vice president of IMD’s Hong Kong alumni club.

Passing on her knowledge, she mentors entrepreneurs through various programs, such as Techstars’ Startup Weekend, and, at times, speaks at City University’s School of Creative Media and Career Centre Hong Kong Science & Technology University.

Since September 2018, Giovanna is also managing director Asia at BeThe1, an international boutique firm specialized in human resources consulting and recruitment in the Luxury sector.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to invite you to attend a business seminar on the change of Permanent Establishment meaning in Hong Kong and its tax implication.

Despite being first introduced in 1940s, the concept of permanent establishment (“PE”) has started to be widely mentioned in Hong Kong, and generally worldwide, after the launch of Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project by the OECD in 2015. This program had the aim to tackle international tax avoidance by high-profile multinationals. Moreover, the enactment of Inland Revenue (Amendment No.6) Ordinance 2018 has brought a big change because it primarily implements the international standards of the BEPS package and codifies the transfer pricing principles into the Inland Revenue Ordinance (IRO).

Would this brand-new definition of PE bring more controversy or settlement of tax issues? That’s the main theme that this seminar will deepen.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

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 the client 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.

Martin Richter, Partner, Transfer Pricing Services, EY

Martin is the Partner in charge of EY’s transfer pricing practice in Hong Kong, advising clients in both Hong Kong and Mainland China.

Martin advises on a full range of different transfer pricing project types, including policy design and implementation, tax aligned restructurings, audit defence, advanced pricing agreements, as well as general compliance and documentation.  He has deep experience in advising on a multitude of intercompany transaction types, including establishing and supporting unit prices for tangible goods; fees for services; royalties/licenses/ franchises for intangibles; and financing costs for financial transactions.

Cherry Lam, Partner, Hong Kong International Tax Services, EY

Cherry has extensive experience in advising multinationals corporations on international and Hong Kong tax matters and assisted her clients in numerous global and regional projects, including principal structure planning, operating model structuring, outbound investment planning, legal entity rationalization, licensing structure planning, tax health checks, IPO structure planning etc.

She is knowledgeable in serving clients in a wide range of industry including e-commerce, technology, industrial and consumer products, hospitality, logistics and transportation.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce proudly support the meeting of the Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong, Mr. Clemente Contestabile with the Italian community in Macao.

After the welcome speech, we will have the honor to share a unique networking event with the Consul General at Bene Italian Kitchen, a welcoming Italian trattoria located inside the elegant Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel.

This event is by invitation only.

“Ospitalità Italiana – Ristoranti Italiani nel Mondo” is a worldwide project conceived by the Italian Republic’s institution Unioncamere with the support of IS.NA.R.T. and the Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad.

Come to join us at Casa Don Alfonso to witness the announcement of 2019 Ospitalità Italiana awardees. We will have the honor to have the Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macao, Clemente Contestabile, and the President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, Luca Cico, awarding the certificate to the best Italian restaurants in Macao.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to invite you to attend this business seminar helpful to tackle one of the main problems of the digital age.

Intellectual Property (IP) is a longstanding, critical concern for companies operating in China and its enforcement remains a major factor influencing their strategies and operations. Over the last 30 years, this country has made steady efforts to better protect and enforce IP rights, recording enormous progress in the improvement of its protection systems.

However, challenges remain. Infringements of IP rights especially persist due in part to the shifting of trade to online platforms which implies global reach, openness, versatility but also created fertile ground for trademark abuse. At the same time, creativity and aggressiveness of Chinese pirates are increasing and they are masters at staying one step ahead of the law and IP owners.

Our speakers will provide an overview of recent developments in Intellectual Property Protection in China and offer best practices focused on topics that range from addressing online infringements to protecting IP in the supply chain and dealing with registry pirates.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Joe Simone, Partner, SIPS

Joe Simone is the founder and a partner with SIPS and has worked on IP issues in China for over 30 years, mostly with major international law firms. Joe also contributes regularly to position papers on legislative reforms issued by trade groups and professional associations.

Yu Bo, Partner, SIPS

Yu Bo is a partner with SIPS and focuses on trademark prosecution and contentious work, including administrative, criminal and civil enforcement of clients’ IP rights in China. He also serves on the International Trademark Association’s Anti-Counterfeiting Committee.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Fogolar Furlan Hong Kong, is pleased to invite you to a Networking Cocktail evening that will improve your connections.

Join us at DiVino Patio in Wan Chai, a place where you can discover the tradition of old Italian grocery stores from the ’50s, and enjoy an evening of delicious drinks and tasty canapés while meeting and socializing with some new friends!

We look forward to seeing all of you, RSVP now to reserve your spot!

ABOUT FOGOLAR FURLAN HONG KONG

Fogolar Furlan Hong Kong is a non-profit association established in 2007 to promote the mutual knowledge and friendship between Hong Kong and Italy, as well as to contribute to worthy local and overseas causes through annual charitable donations. In 2018, the association directed an emergency donation to the Rigolato town which suffered from heavy flooding and provided assistance to the Asociación de Mujeres de Habla Hispana which has been used to support Cradle of Hope in Macau and St. Mary’s Home for Aged.

MIECF is the international gala and high-powered business matching platform in the environmental industry in East Asia. It will devote itself to the theme of “Promoting ecological civilization and green development” in 2019, to influentially promote solutions for a low carbon future. Key information about MIECF 2019 are listed below.

– Leading trade fair: one of the most influential exhibition and exchange forum for environmental industry in Asia with 12 years of history

– Visitors: around 8,000 professionals in 2018

– Industries: Renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste management, green building, green mobility, air quality, environmentally friendly products and services, soil recovery and old site decontamination, etc.

– Highlights: International focus in the “Belt & Road”, Pan-Pearl River Delta Region, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

– Business matching: Industry-specific networking and green matching platforms

EuroCham is organizing the European Pavilion at MIECF 2019. Participants will benefit from an exclusive package of booth and accommodation, speaking slots at the exhibition, round table discussions, and a strong presence under the collective image of European Pavilion.

Registrations are handled on a first-come, first served basis – so register early! Please contact Yanqing Jia at fsbc@eurocham.com.hk for registration and more Information.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is glad to invite you to be our guest at an exclusive shopping night, in collaboration with one of the best-known Italian luxury brands.

On Wednesday 27th March, Roberto Cavalli’s Hong Kong pop-up store will open its doors to let you discover the iconic exotic graphics and animal-style prints Spring/Summer 2019 collection.

Join us in the heart of TST and don’t miss this special occasion to add signature Italian glamour to every look with Roberto Cavalli’s high-quality pieces of the latest collection, enjoying the 30% off for one night only.

The Infrastructure and Construction Focus Group (ICFG) together with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Inc. (ICCPI) are organizing an Infrastructure and Construction Business Mission to Manila and Clark which will include the following activities:

• participation in the 10th Asian Development Bank Business Opportunities Fair;
• participation in PHILCONSTRUCT Luzon 2019 at Clark, Philippines;
• participation in the Launching of the Construction Industry Roadmap 2022-2030.

ADB Business Opportunities Fair (BOF) is a one-stop forum for consultants, contractors, manufacturers, and suppliers looking to provide goods and services for ADB projects.

Touted as the biggest expo of its kind in the Philippines, PHILCONSTRUCT has been defining the landscape of building and construction in the country for over two decades. It now serves as the annual meeting place for the industry’s movers and shakers, gathering hundreds of the leading suppliers and thousands of trade buyers in one venue.

The Construction Industry Roadmap 2020-2030, which focuses on four pillars – Institutions, Globalization, Productivity, and Sustainability, will be launched on 28 March 2019 at the Aseana Convention Center, at the sidelines of PHILCONSTRUCT Luzon.

Please contact Chynna Louise Riego at chynna.riego@iccpi.org.ph for registration and more Information.

Understanding of tax and accounting implications is crucial for multinational companies investing in Hong Kong.

This interesting seminar will start with a discussion on the general aspects of the Italian anti-tax haven provisions and the recent changes in the Italian tax regulations that may have an impact on Italian and European companies investing in Hong Kong. A few examples will be analyzed that more frequently affects companies and individuals doing cross-border business.

The lecture will then move on to the accounting, financial reporting and intercompany transactions complexities for companies operating in multiple countries with a special focus on local regulations.

We are glad to invite you to attend this business seminar helpful to figure out how to manage the risks of non-compliance with regulatory bodies.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Marzio Morgante, Managing Partner, Asian Tax Advisory

Marzio is a member of the Tax Consultants Register of Milan and of the Italian Register of Statutory Auditors and he has been practising in Hong Kong since 2009 when he received an LL.M. in International Tax Law from Leiden University. His experience includes tax treaties, EC tax law, Italian tax law, Hong Kong tax law, corporate reorganizations, tax planning for corporations and individuals.

Erika Mingrino, Head of Finance, Accounting & Reporting, Asian Tax Advisory

Erika graduated in Economics and Management at Luigi Bocconi University (Milan, Italy) in 2011, and before joining ATA in Hong Kong, she worked as Senior Auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Milan. Her area of expertise includes an operational and financial audit, understanding of business processes, general accounting, Italian GAAP, international Accounting standards and financial controlling.

Save the date, another round of our IYP Mondays is here! Come and join us this coming March 25th at Bella Lee.

Kick off the working week with the coolest after work in Hong Kong and don’t miss the chance to mingle with old and new friends.

Spend an evening enjoying good cocktails and Piadinas while exchanging thoughts and experiences!

The Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Italian Women’s Association are pleased to invite you to an inspiring lunch with Federica Marchionni, Secoo International C.E.O. and Group C.S.O.

Do not miss the great opportunity of meeting Federica Marchionni, a multi-talented visionary business leader with a great experience in the retail and luxury industry. Federica Marchionni has also been a guest speaker at high-caliber conferences and top academic institutions including Harvard University, Stanford University, and the Milken Institute and Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit and she is strongly committed to CSR efforts.

*Please note that this event is now Fully Booked.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Federica Marchionni, Secoo International C.E.O. and Group C.S.O.

Federica Marchionni is Secoo International C.E.O. and Group C.S.O. where she is leading the operations to further strengthen the positioning of Secoo in China as an iconic multiplatform and boost its international expansion.

With 20+ years of experience in a multitude of leading players, both public and private, online and offline, Ms. Marchionni is recognized as a visionary business leader with broad global experience in a variety of industries, geographies, and channels.

She started her career in telecommunications, working for Samsung, Phillips, and Ericsson with progressive leadership roles in marketing & sales. Before moving to the US, she was the Chief of Brand BU at Ferrari. As a Global Group Executive at Dolce&Gabbana in Milan HQ, then President of Dolce&Gabbana USA Inc., Ms. Marchionni greatly contributed to the company’s worldwide success by building, expanding and exploiting the business. As C.E.O. and a Board Director at Lands’ End, Ms. Marchionni spearheaded efforts to transform a legacy company, introducing innovation at all levels to improve competitiveness and support future expansion.

Ms. Marchionni was also a guest speaker at high-caliber conferences and top academic institutions, including Harvard and Stanford University, Fortune MPW Summit. She is strongly committed to CSR efforts.

What do the rise of platforms and the tech-savvy consumers mean for business?

Today, it is imperative that retail companies think more about digital transformation to create a truly connected enterprise to harness the power of data. Companies also need to think about how to use data responsibly to build deeper insights and relationships with their customers. As such, they must engage their customers in an open and honest dialogue about such use.

If you want to have an overview of the topic and explore some of the technology and innovative trends that are impacting business and what is in store for 2019 and beyond join our seminar on March, 21st.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Anson Bailey, Head of Consumer & Retail, ASPAC, Head of Technology, Hong Kong, KPMG China

Anson joined KPMG in Hong Kong in 1999 and is currently a Partner based in the Hong Kong office heading up the Consumer and Retail Practice. He is part of the KPMG Regional Consumer and Retail Practice Leadership team as well as being a member of the Global Technology Innovation Centre and the Cluster Leader for the Technology, Media & Telecoms Practice based in Hong Kong.

Anson has been active in driving a number of thought leadership reports and executive briefings for senior executives covering innovation and consumers in China and across Asia. He has worked with many corporates to understand the complex markets we live in and current levels of disruption being seen with recent reports.

Today, he not only mentors the next generation of go-to-market professionals at KPMG but continues to work with a growing number of C-level executives as a trusted advisor in providing the best in client innovation whilst acting as the Lead Partner for a number of strategic accounts in the consumer and technology arena across the Asia Pacific region.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao will be holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, 19th March 2019 (“EAGM”) at 5:45 PM at 81/F, Intesa Sanpaolo Hong Kong Branch, International Commerce Centre (ICC), 1 Austin Rd W, West Kowloon, Hong Kong.

For those who won’t be able to attend, please find here below some useful information regarding the voting system:

Vote by Proxy

The procedure for the appointment of a proxy is as follows:

a) A Member who cannot attend the EAGM may appoint a proxy to attend at the EAGM and to vote on his or her behalf.

b) The Member who appoints the proxy (“Appointer”) must complete a proxy form indicating the name of the person who will be his or her proxy (“Proxy Holder”).

c) The Proxy Holder cannot hold more than 3 proxies including the proxy of the Appointer.

d) The Appointer shall complete, sign and date the proxy, transmit a soft copy to the Chamber and carry the original on the EAGM day (March 19th), together with their Identity Card.

e) A Proxy Holder need not be a Member, but a Member may not appoint, and may not be appointed, as a Proxy Holder if he or she is an unfinancial member, that is, a member who is not a duly paid-up Member of the Chamber as at 31 January 2019.

PLEASE NOTE: In deciding to appoint a Proxy Holder, the Appointer bears all risks related thereto as stipulated by Article 24(d) of the Articles of Associations, including, but not limited to, rejection of the proxy on the basis that the Proxy Holder has received more than three (3) proxies. Neither the SG, nor the Chamber, takes responsibility for the Proxy Holder’s failure to carry out his or her appointment at the EAGM. It is the responsibility of each Appointer to ensure that his or her proxy will be correctly utilized by his or her Proxy Holder.

Anticipatory Voting

Anticipatory Voting may be conducted until 5:30pm on 15 March 2019 by carrying out the following steps:

a) Mark the Anticipatory Ballot Paper with your voting choices.

b) Insert the Anticipatory Ballot in a plain envelope not bearing any marking or identification and seal the plain envelope.

c) Insert the plain envelope containing the Anticipatory Ballot in an outer envelope on which, in the top left corner, is typed or clearly written in capital letters your Member name, in the case of an individual member, or your Member name and name of the representative in the case of a corporate member

d) Address the Filled Outer Envelope to the Segretario Generale, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macao, 19/F, 168 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong Upon completion of the above steps, you may either:

e) Put a stamp on the Filled Outer Envelope for sufficient postage for the Filled Outer Envelope to reach the office of the Chamber according to the place where it is posted, and post the Filled Outer Envelope in sufficient time for it to reach the Chamber by 5:30 pm on 15 March 2019.

OR

f) Deliver the Filled Outer Envelope to the Chamber Address by hand during office hours, by 5:30pm on 15 March 2019

Any Anticipatory Ballot which does not comply with the above procedure shall be invalid. If more than one Anticipatory Ballot is received from the same Member with the same voting number, all such Anticipatory Ballots shall be invalidated and remain uncounted. If more than one Anticipatory Ballot is received with the same Member’s name but different voting numbers, only the Anticipatory Ballot with the correct voting number shall be valid and counted.

Members choosing to vote by Anticipatory Voting assume all risks related to Anticipatory Voting, including the risk that a candidate for whom they have voted may withdraw from the election process after the Anticipatory Voting has been conducted. Anticipatory Voting cannot be changed or withdrawn. Members who have voted by Anticipatory Voting are not permitted to vote in person or by proxy at the EAGM.

Should you require any additional information, please contact our office.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is deeply honoured to invite you to the Joint Business Community Luncheon: 2019-2020 Budget, on March 19th. The Honourable Paul MP Chan, GBM, GBS, MH, JP Financial Secretary, The Government of the HKSAR will address the Hong Kong business community with a speech about his Budget. This Joint Business Community Luncheon is an ideal opportunity for you to learn more about his thoughts and insights behind the new Budget. You will learn directly from the Financial Secretary about the Government’s plans to steer its fiscal policy, enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness and encourage growth in innovation, technology and R&D sectors to sustain Hong Kong’s economic growth.

Companies wishing to sponsor a table will have priority in prime locations for their company, clients and guests.

Limited tables are available. Book now to avoid disappointment.

The way we live, work and play is very different today as the world becomes more interconnected. As the Internet enters the traditional domain of design and architecture, it is opening the door to a new wave of smart applications that can enhance city liveability.

At this special master talk for Italian Design Day, Prof. Carlo Ratti will address these issues through his recent projects and join local industry leaders in a thought-provoking panel discussion.

Please contact us at icc@icc.org.hk for registration and more information.

ABOUT THE ITALIAN DESIGN DAY

Italian Design Day in the World, an integrated promotion project launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, reaches its third edition with a view to highlighting the excellence and peculiarities of Italian design around the world.

100 “Ambassadors” of Italian Design – architects, designers, academics, entrepreneurs, critics, communicators – will take part in conferences, promotional events, exhibitions and meetings to present Italian industrial design, one of the distinctive sectors of Brand Italy and a key component of our exports, to an audience of experts and professionals of the sector.

On March 15th, join the Dante Alighieri Society for an unforgettable party at the LOFT!

They will celebrate the great success of their school in 2018 and the beauty of Italian Culture and Language with passion and fun!

Great friends, games, an incredible Italian food buffet and the free flow of Red and White wine is waiting for you. And of course, a lucky draw with all Italian brands will be host at the end of the evening!

There is no better way to end your working week than enjoying a night out of shopping, good music, and nice drinks, all together in the same place. On Friday, March 15th join us for an exclusive private sale at Calzedonia store in Central. Our guests will have the chance to discover and shop the new Spring/Summer Collection 2019 during an evening of groovy and funky music with a live DJ set! RSVP now to enjoy 30% off the entire collection for one night only.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce and its Italian Young Professionals are pleased to invite you to attend an inspiring talk with Alberto Forchielli, Italian Journalist & Entrepreneur.

The speaker, Alberto Forchielli, also active on his personal English-language blog (www.albertoforchielli.com) is currently dealing with dynamics and themes related to the global labor market, as well as talent and skills management at an international level with special attention to problems youth are facing and professional training. Alberto Forchielli is a regular guest on Piazza Pulita, Class CNBC, Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and on CCTV, China’s state TV station.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Founding partner of Mandarin Capital Partners, Alberto abilities to his 35 management experience in international development, particular focus on SEA (South East Asia), US and China.

Throughout the course of his multifaceted professional career, in addition to being Special Advisor to the Italian Minister of Defence, to the Italian Minister of Budget and Southern Italy and to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, he worked for the World Bank for three years, first in Washington DC and then separately via the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg.

He lived in Singapore for 5 years prior, where he was the head of Finmeccanica S.p.A for the Asia/Pacific region. He has been a member of the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) advisory board in Shanghai.

In the early nineties, general for the privatization of IRI, Forchielli managed twenty state-owned companies in diverse sectors.

His career began in Boston (USA) with the MAC Group/Gemini Consulting. He worked in Boston, London, Santiago, Lima, Milan, and he became the founder and administrator of the Italian branch. Alberto Forchielli received an MBA with honors from HarvardBusiness School and economics from the University of Bologna.

Bruce Pye, Managing Director Pure Performance Distribution Limited

Hailed from South Africa, Bruce Pye moved to Hong Kong in 1995. In 2008, he started Sportsworld, which he grew to two branches by 2010, and secured the exclusive distributorship for Garmin products for Hong Kong and Macau. In 2012, Sportsworld took a turn in its retail business and became Pure Performance Distribution Limited, to concentrate on distribution full time.

An avid marathoner and Ironman, Bruce participated in more than 10 Ironman’s, 3 Vibram 100s, Otillo Swimrun World Series amongst many others. His passion and knowledge of sports have made him one of the most influential people in the sports watch industry in Hong Kong.

Massimo Romagno, International Brand Manager, Fashion & Luxury Timepieces, Jewelry and Accessories, TIME MANAGEMENT Services, Hong Kong

Massimo is currently Global Brand Manager for the Italian brands within the portfolio of the group, with full responsibility of license management as well as maintaining control of the Group KA.

He has more than 5 years experience in business management and international trade, coordinating regional organizations for worldwide leading brands within respective industries; he has extensive expertise in markets such as South East Pacific, Middle East and Russia. He has recently taken up a new challenge in Asia, and he is based in HK.

Here we go again with IYP Mondays!

Kick off the working week with the coolest after work in Hong Kong and don’t miss the chance to mingle with old and new friends.

Spend an evening enjoying good cocktails and Piadinas while exchanging thoughts and experiences!

If that sounds like you, come by at Bella Lee and join us!

Nowadays, in an increasingly complex regulatory environment, companies may be faced with meeting multiple Know Your Customer, Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-bribery requirements.

Business Information is a cost-effective tool that helps in reducing Credit Risk & Compliance Risk. During our seminar, we will have the opportunity to better understand this process thanks to our speakers, Ms. Fion Fok from CRIF, that will share how their business intelligence is helping corporates to uncover hidden credit risk and Mr. Douglas Wolfson from Lexis Nexis, that will demonstrate how to locate financial crime compliance concerns efficiently.

Join our seminar and get to know more about how to identify qualified business partners and how to use business information to meet a company’s compliance requirement.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Fion Fok, General Manager, Hong Kong & South China Region at CRIF Hong Kong Limited

Fion Fok is responsible for developing CRIF’s Business Information business in Hong Kong and South China Region. CRIF is a global company specializing in credit bureau and business information, outsourcing and processing services, and credit solutions. It employs 4,400+ staff and serves 6,300+ financial institutions and 55,000+ business clients in 50 countries on a daily basis.

Ms. Fok has extensive experience in the field of credit and risk management solution to support enterprises’ business growth. Before joining CRIF, she has worked for D&B and EOS, which are one of the leading international providers of business information solution and financial services respectively.

Douglas Wolfson, Director, Financial Crime Compliance of LexisNexis Risk Solutions in Asia

Douglas Wolfson is Director, Financial Crime Compliance for LexisNexis Risk Solutions in Asia. Headquartered out of Hong Kong, Douglas drives the strategy and product development of the leading risk tools used by the biggest banks in the world that help to mitigate financial crime compliance issues.

Douglas has 18 years of financial services, risk management, and international business experience. His deep experience includes leading risk management departments at the world’s most recognizable financial institutions.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in International relations from Colgate University. He also is the co-founder and organizing committee member of the Blue Tie Ball in Hong Kong, an event created to raise awareness about and reduce the stigma around mental illness.

On Saturday, March 9th, don’t miss Florentia Village’s special sales!

You will have the opportunity to buy fashionable items of renowned brands like Prada, Versace, Armani, Sergio Rossi, Links of London, Lane Crawford and Folli Follie at discounted prices while enjoying a delicious glass of Prosecco.

RSVP now to get up to 20% off for one afternoon only.

For the International Women’s day, The Italian Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with The Italian Women’s Association, cordially invite you to attend a significant Apericena Night, on Friday, March 8th, with delicious snacks and canapés.

During the evening we will have the opportunity to celebrate empowering women all around the world while supporting them with a personal donation to “Home Care for Girls”.

Home Care for Girls is a charity organisation that is now sponsoring a Counseling Adventure Camp for the girls hosted at their Family Home, who were victims of abuse or come from dysfunctional families.

If you are willing to contribute to this important cause,  join us and support with meaningful action.

R.S.V.P by Monday, March 4th,  by sending an email to Cristina Carusillo at secretary@iwa.org.hk 

Founded in 1967, a revolutionary time for women’s independence, Pomellato jewelry was created with the empowered female in mind and it has always been promoting a message of hope, equality, and unity.

On March 8th, join Pomellato’s store in the heart of Central to celebrate together International Women’s Day.

Please contact Rita Toth at Ritato@aswatson.com for registration and more Information.

The development of new information technologies and global infrastructure have contributed to creating new profession figures, the Digital Nomad.

Mostly freelancer, remote workers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, influencers or designers, digital nomads are all characterized by itinerant professions that need to comply with corporate and tax regulations on a global level. That’s why is vital for them to select a friendly jurisdiction to establish their company and tax residence, in order to maximize the benefits of their traveler status.

Being such a new figure anyway represents an interesting case study from different perspectives and of course, taxation is a hot topic. If you want to know more about how these professionals face taxation according to different jurisdictions don’t miss this opportunity and join us to discover more about these new and pivotal business figures!

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

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

During his career, Filippo has worked in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Mainland China, and Hong Kong. After graduating in Italy at University of Trieste (BSc 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.

Stephen joined Up Blockchain in late 2018 as COO. He came from Deep Water Management, which he founded in 2016 to support Hong Kong-based startups, often as an interim member of the top management team. In the first half of 2018, Steve served as CEO of Lecker Labs where he won top prizes Startup Launchpad and Startup Express pitch competitions as well as admission to incubation programs in Cyberport and Milan, Italy. His managed client teams spanning New York, London, California, Canada, Malaysia, and of course several places in China.

Stephen began his time in Hong Kong with Morgan Stanley in 2010 as Risk Officer & Chief Admin Officer of the Asia Pacific Finance Division. He was previously in Dubai, where he co-founded Montgomery Woodrow, a consultancy outsourcing credit and financial control functions for lenders and investment banks across UAE. Stephen previously headed Operations and PMO for SHUAA Capital. Prior to that Stephen was based in New York City as the Finance and Operations Director for Glitnir’s North American offices in USA and Canada from their launch until the 2008 financial crisis. He graduated with an accounting bachelors degree and passed the CPA exam in 1998. He earned his MBA in 2002 from NYU Stern.

ABOUT CAMPFIRE

Campfire is evolving the way people work, live, learn and play — bringing them together to go further, faster. Founded in 2016 amidst the hustle of Hong Kong, we’re building the next generation network of shared spaces that fosters all aspects of modern life.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to invite you to attend this unique event that will see the participation of the craftsman of Gin made in Italy, Roby Marton.

Roby Marton Gin is the Italian and artisanal representation of the classic English distillate, obtained through the infusion of an unusual bouquet of 11 classic and exotic botanicals in pure neutral grain pot-stilled alcohol.

Let yourself be guided through a tasting journey which will reveal Marton’s Gin personality, discovering how its softness will fill your mouth, with flavors of red berries, licorice, and horseradish.

The cocktail selection will include:

– Divinorum (Gin, Sage’s Butter Fat Washed, Citrus and topped up with Ginger Beer);

– Kedro (Gin, Fresh Grapefruit Juice, Citrus and topped up with Cedrata).

It is an extraordinary opportunity to taste the only Italian Premium Dry Gin surrounded by the contemporary Greek atmosphere of Estiatorio Keia. Don’t miss it!

AWA WISE is a series of events in March 2019, dedicated to women who want to be inspired and empowered to develop professionally – whether re-entering the workplace, changing careers or starting their journey to entrepreneurship.

Don’t miss the chance to participate in the Grand Opening on March 5th, where four successful female leaders and global shapers give their insight into what opportunities and challenges working women will face in the future.

The discussion will touch upon topics such as the glass ceiling for women in leadership in an Asian context, and the impact future technological advances will have on employment.

For detailed information about events, speakers, sponsored and community partners, please visit the event page http://bit.ly/awawise.

On March 1st, join the Dante Alighieri Society for a nice and informal talk with Mr. Stefano Beghi, Managing Partner of the Italian Law firm GOP.

Stefano specializes in M&A, corporate and commercial law and real estate and has significant experience in assisting leading Italian and international companies, as well as family-owned businesses.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is delighted to invite you to attend this seminar about the origins, current practice, and future direction of tax law in Hong Kong.

In response to the international community’s measures to counter money laundering and tax base erosion and profit shifting, the Hong Kong Government has taken steps to complement these global efforts. The focus of the lecture will be mainly on the commercial implications of recent developments in Hong Kong taxation, and the impact these will have on both domestic and international enterprises operating in or through the region.

The audience will have the opportunity to acquire a grounding in Hong Kong tax law’s essential principles and evolution trends, therefore becoming aware of the risks and opportunities associated with the city’s rapidly evolving fiscal landscape.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Stefano Mariani, Counsel, Deacons

Stefano Mariani has a broad range of advisory and contentious tax experience. He advises on all matters of Hong Kong and international tax law, including tax-efficient structuring and restructuring, and tax appeals before the Board of Review and the higher courts. Mr Mariani speaks five languages (English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German), he is a lecturer in revenue law at Hong Kong University, and also a regular contributor to legal and industry publications, notably including the Hong Kong Law Journal, the Asia-Pacific Journal of Taxation, and the Asia-Pacific Tax Bulletin.

As fashion weeks are over, let’s kick-start the year of the pig with a toast.

Join the Retail Mixer, one of the best networking cocktails in town, and gather together with the retail players in Hong Kong.

Spend an evening enjoying good cocktails and the company of professionals working around the retail industry while exchanging ideas and experience.

香港及澳門有意大利商會非常榮幸地介紹-地道的意大利口味- 品嚐芝士和葡萄酒配對及人際網絡，此項目當中的一個專題活動意大利品嚐是由意大利經濟發展部推動和資助，經由Assocamerestero與海外的意大利商會合作實施。

地道的意大利口味旨在提高人們對使用正宗意大利DOP和IGP產品所帶來的好處和認識其在國內市場消費的倡議。

2月27日週三在香港港麗酒店享用各種美味的意大利芝士，品嚐一系列精美的葡萄酒，了解如何識別正宗的意大利芝士（DOP, DOPG, IGP) 以及如何將特定類型與不同種類的葡萄酒配對。

你亦有機會發掘獨特的港麗香港芝士館， 你可以在那裡拍照亦可見到芝士館負責人Ronal Massink, 並從屈臣氏酒莊中找到與Concetta Centanni配搭葡萄酒的所有秘密。

餐廳的特色廚師Riccardo Catarsi 和行政總廚Claudio Rossi準備了美味的特式芝士Gorgonzola意大利飯，啤酒和品酒小食，著名的Cavatelli黑淑意大利麵，因為老實說，沒有意大利麵和意大利飯就不算去過意大利。

此活動只接受邀請。

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with The Dutch Chamber of Commerce and InterCham is delighted to invite you to attend the first InterSme seminar of the year.

Having the right talent will help start-ups and SME’s flourish and grow, while getting it wrong costs money, time and affects staff morale. However, SMEs face a number of challenges. They lack resources and a dedicated HR department, leaving these responsibilities to busy owners or senior managers.

During this breakfast seminar, our expert panel will discuss topics that are crucial for managing your employees:

* How to attract the right talent for your business.

* Visa, contracts and employment law in Hong Kong.

* How to motivate and thereby retain your employees, e.g. by using an employee stock ownership plan.

Join us at this breakfast seminar to receive practical HR advice to help ensure you understand your responsibilities.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Jeffrey Broer, Founder of Kohpy Ventures

Jeffrey is a Hong Kong-based Dutch entrepreneur, a strategist with focus on technology innovation. He (co-)founded multiple businesses, the latest be Recime.io (now SmartLoop.ai), a Palo Alto-based cloud-based platform for bot development, which he exited end of 2017. He’s been living in Hong Kong for 8+ years where he founded and exited Grayscale UX design agency in 2015. As co-director of the Founder Institute Hong Kong, he helps aspiring entrepreneurs to validate their business ideas in an intensive 14-week program. With his common sense and his Dutch direct no-nonsense attitude, he’s helped companies and startups prepare for investment, product launch and growth.

Susan Lavender, Consultant Solicitor at SM & Co in association with Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli & Partners

Prior to joining SM & Co, Susan worked as a Business Consultant for GOPHK and she continues to work closely with the firm through its formal association with SM & Co. Prior to joining GOPHK, Susan worked for several international law firms in Hong Kong, dealing predominantly with Italian clients. She assisted in setting up the first representative office of an Italian law firm in the PRC and has worked as Regional In-house Legal Counsel for a major Italian multi-national and as a Canadian Federal Adjudicator in immigration matters.

A member of the Hong Kong Law Society and past member of the Bar of Québec, Susan has common law and civil law degrees from McGill University, Montreal, a 1^st Class Honours degree in Italian and Rumanian from University College London and the Postgraduate Diploma in the Law of the PRC from the University of Hong Kong. Anglo-Italian by birth, Susan is bilingual in English and Italian and fluent in French.

Chiara Bertucco, Senior Business Development Manager, Adecco

After starting her career in HR industry as HR consultant in Italy, Chiara has been working in Asia for the past 5 years, mainly being focused on account management and business development of foreign companies in China. In the latest years, Chiara has been supporting international clients from all over the world, in establishing and developing their business in  China through FESCO Adecco’s solutions for then moving to Hong Kong and becoming directly responsible for the Key Accounts of The Adecco Group and the Business Development Department in  Adecco Hong Kong.

Linda Chan, Head of Product and Content, Zegal

Linda is a practising solicitor in Hong Kong qualified in 2008. Prior to joining Zegal, she advised listed companies in corporate finance transactions and worked in the listing policy division of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Her passion to explore a “new way of doing legal” brought her to Zegal, a dynamic tech business that connects small and medium-sized businesses with top-notch legal service with the use of technology. She completed her LLB and PCLL at the University of Hong Kong.

Ivan Wong, Enterprise Solutions Consultant, Linkedin

Enterprise Solutions Consultant, focus on partnering and identifying new business opportunities with public sector users. Lead engagements with key stakeholders include multiple HK Government Bureaus and key projects around conducting research to find out workforce/ talent/ skill insights for HK as an economy, as well as promoting open data adoption and LinkedIn as a hiring and branding platform to public sector users.

IYP Mondays are back!

Kick off the working week with the coolest after work in Hong Kong. This Monday 25th, February, don’t miss the reunion and the chance to mingle with old and new friends.

Spend an evening enjoying good cocktails and Piadinas while exchanging thoughts and experiences!

If that sounds like you, come by at Bella Lee and join us!

The Italian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with its Italian Young Professionals and the Mexican Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to invite you to a night out that will redefine your networking experience.

Come and enjoy a great evening of drinks and tasty appetizers while mingling with new international friends surrounded by the tropical atmosphere of Havana, in the heart of Central.

We look forward to seeing all of you and have an amazing evening together!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Giuseppe Milito, Managing Partner and Founder of Stones International in Hong Kong and Singapore

Giuseppe Milito graduated in Political Science with a Major in International Economics from Padua University, Italy.

Since 2016, he serves his second mandate as Worldwide Practice Leader, Consumer & Retail of IIC Partners, the world’s 8th largest executive search group of which Stones International is a member firm. His track record in placing CEOs and senior functional specialists in the Fashion & Luxury, Industrial and Automotive sectors spans Asia Pacific (including China, Japan and Korea).  Before joining Stones International, Giuseppe worked for 6 years as the Practice Group Leader, Consumer & Retail for a well-known, Hong Kong-based search firm, focusing on the major Asian markets.

In Hong Kong since 1996, prior to joining the executive search industry, Giuseppe was engaged in the fashion & luxury industries, having he worked for the Benetton Group (Production Planning and Distribution of accessories and travel goods), Fila Group (Production and Distribution of watches and accessories), and later on, in 1999, by joining the German group EganaGoldpfeil, where he was in charge for the development and worldwide distribution of some of the group’s key watch brands).

The Chinese Government is well aware of Africa’s great potential and it’s launching this continent as the next economic miracle. Its diplomacy strategy started in 1990 promoting bilateral agreements and infrastructural projects.

The Chinese system, which made GDP grow by 30 times during the last 25 years and lifted 750 million people out of poverty, is suitable for being applied to the South of the world. China, as well as Africa, had to deal with poverty and low economic growth in the past.

China’s newfound prosperity is spreading beyond its borders, spawning the creation of many new factories in Africa and this looks to be just the start of a new economic boom on the continent. Indeed, African economies are growing quickly, and they will soon catch up with China’s growth rate.

Join our seminar and learn more about how Chinese investments in Africa are going to change the geopolitical trends in the near future.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Lorenzo Riccardi, Managing Partner of RsA Asia

Lorenzo Riccardi is based in Shanghai and teaches Chinese Taxation at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. During his career, he has also taught Asian taxation at Pecking University, Tongji University, Xian Jiao Tong Liverpool and Hult Business School. He is a CPA specialized in international taxation and is the author of articles and essays on issues of various kinds related to foreign investment in East Asia. 

There is no better way to end your working week than enjoying a night out of shopping, good music and nice drinks, all together in the same place.

On Friday, February 15th join us for an exclusive private sale at Intimissimi store in Central. Our guests will have the chance to discover and shop the new Spring/Summer Collection 2019 during an evening of groovy and funky music with a live DJ set.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to invite you to the 70th edition of the Intercham Young Professionals Networking Cocktail.

Meet and mingle with hundreds of professionals from 28 international business organizations in Hong Kong. Don’t miss your chance to start your new year in the right way.

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.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce and its Italian Young Professionals would like to invite you to an inspiring talk on the fintech world with David Rosa, CEO and Co-Founder of Neat.

Neat offers an innovative platform to make things easier for small businesses. It aims to change the relationship you have with financial institutions and offers experience, unlike any traditional bank.

The speaker, David Rosa (CEO and Co-Founder of Neat), will introduce the audience to how he came up with the idea of his startup and his thoughts on digital banking. The objective of this presentation is to show the details of what he concretely does as an entrepreneur and how he started his career. He will explain the great opportunities of the digital banking era and how it can change our financial life.

About the Speaker

David Rosa, Chief Executive Officer, Neat

David is a FinTech entrepreneur. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of Neat, Asia’s alternative to a traditional bank account for startups and young SMEs. David started his career at Citi where he became their youngest Managing Director in Asia. He then co-founded the Asian arm of Integral Capital Management which he sold in 2014 to focus on FinTech. Throughout his career, he has been exposed to the extremes of managing teams across times zones in complex corporate environments all the way to agile business development for startups and related pivots to find product-market fit. David holds a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and is a Responsible Officer (Types 1, 4 and 9) under the Hong Kong SFC. David has been based in Hong Kong for the last 17 years.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to invite you to an interesting afterwork talk about Cross-Industry and how to expand your business to Asia that will be given by our panelists, on Thursday 29th January at HERE Connecting Creativity 5F, Via Tortona 33, Milan, Italy.

The line up will be as follow:

6.30PM

Start-upping “Top 10 tips” | Stefano Passarello Managing Director NEA Hawksford Group, serial entrepreneur

”Italia”, branding strategy | Elena Raho Co-founder DO IT Ideas Into Things, branding & design enthusiast, storyteller

Focus: Fashion & Food Italian primacy | Sabrina Pistolato Founder Hireo Club, fashion and food business expert

Digital communication & payment methods | Filippo Merli Co-founder Laowai Agency, China social media

Innovation Technology in the Greater Bay Area | Gianluca Giorgi Founder ES Automation Consulting, robotics & AI advisor

7.30PM 

Q&A

8PM 

A glass of wine

Moderator: Giulio Laurenzano

Language: Italian

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to invite you to visit the Italian Pavillion at the Startup Impact Summit. You will have the chance to connect with the world-class startups, influencers, stakeholders and learn about innovative solutions that are changing the future of the world we live in.

Startup Impact Summit is one of the core events of StartMeUpHK Festival 2019 taking place on 25th January at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Startup Impact Summit is focused on impact, created by regional and international startups, driven by successful cases of co-innovation projects between startups and corporates while leveraging the strength of connecting the ecosystems.

Conference tracks:

Main stage will feature 30 world class speakers throughout the entire day. Attendees will have chance to listen and learn from the renowned leaders, key influencers and community builders sharing their success stories and insights on the most trending topics.

Startup Village will receive over 100 startups from all over the world showcasing their products and services. Attendees will see their latest innovations and connect to entrepreneurs from diverse industries and countries.

Open Innovation Challenge will foster collaboration between corporates, entrepreneurs and ecosystem players in Hong Kong, boost experience-sharing between all key stakeholders and enable companies to gain competitive advantage in shortening time-to-market and product life cycles thought technologies.

The Service Marketplace will bring together companies who build and/or offer important services to help startups to grow and succeed. The dedicated area will feature a roster of engaging speakers from different industries (legal, fintech, accounting.) who will deliver informative and engaging sessions aimed at sharing advice and tips with startup founders & entrepreneurs.

Six interdisciplinary workshops run by Zegal will equip the startup founders with fundraising skills, the know-how in marketing and accounting to accelerate their growth and to help them achieve their goals faster reaching financial sustainability.

WHub’s signature Job Fair will connect talented job seekers with the best HK-based tech startups. This event will bring together undergraduates, graduate students, and seasoned professionals to one space, exclusively for startups.

KPMG, one of our Chamber’s Members, is excited to invite you to join their event and learn more about how Smart Cities around the world are finding innovative solutions on city living.

The Connected Cities will be showcasing innovations for the next generation of city living. It will be featuring examples of a number of smart cities and technologies from around the world including IoT and Data Analytics to enhance a city’s liveability, workability and sustainability.

AGENDA

Join the Bocconi Alumni Community and our panelists Alex Alinia from Yasna, Christian Hensen from Freight Hub, Padraig from Tanner De Witt and Bradley Young from Silent Mode for some great talks and some delicious Italian wine!

We will dig deep into some of the most critical factors of success for a startup or a venture and give some big updates on the startup Asian ecosystem, the latest news and we will bet on which in 2019 will turn into a Unicorn (or a Pig).

PANELISTS

While asking customers what makes a brand experience successful, they often come up with a quite diverse set of answers. Some choose brands on their storytelling strategy, some others are conquered by a creative campaign able to resonate with them, or a memorable in-store experience. Some others fall for a user-friendly e-commerce website, fast delivery and nice packaging.

Regardless the sector, as customers’ expectations keep on rising, not only brands, but also vendors involved at any stage of the customer journey must stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the market and come up with innovative solutions if they want a shot at engaging newer generations, a key segment for survival.

The panel gathers professionals from different backgrounds to present the winning strategies for the successful brand. From branding strategists, to logistics partners, the discussion will bring together the players involved in a successful branded customer journey.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Ivan Perra, General Manager Asia Pacific & China, Roberto Cavalli

Jacopo Pesavento – Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Branding Records

Amy Sacks, Owner and Designer, Lucky Sole

Christian Secci, Chief International Officer, Pakpobox

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Esterina Nervino, Chief Editor Retail in Asia, Bluebell (Asia) Ltd.

Stefano Passarello, CEO and Compulsive Multi-discipline Athlete, Hawksford NE Asia

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is glad to invite you to enjoy an evening along the waterfront at the newly opened Fishteria Waterside.

Fishsteria, Fish + Hysteria, sums up the idea of the appetite for quality seafood and the commitment to great cooking. The restaurant is a stylish seafood concept by renowned Chef Owner Gianni Caprioli that aims to bring the finest and widest selection of fresh seafood in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

Join us and don’t miss the chance to taste some of the finest canapes as Lobster Bisque, Fish & Chips bites and a Mix Seafood Salad while entertaining yourself meeting new friends.

The Greater Bay Area (GBA) Innovation Road is an international project catered to innovative Italian companies willing to explore new market opportunities and internationalization prospects, with the aim of creating synergies with Hong Kong and Shenzhen companies through partnerships and technology development.

With about 70mil. inhabitants and market access to further 1,3 bn customers in China, the GBA offers plenty of opportunities. The region is a main hub for the One Belt One Road Initiative, with top-level infrastructure, many Chinese flagship companies as well as a vibrant start-up scene.

On January 16th, join the organizers of the GBA Innovation Road project and meet the selected Italian companies at the HKSTP.

AGENDA

09:00AM Registration

09:15AM Welcome remarks by Albert Wong, CEO, HKSTP

09:25AM Welcome remarks by David Chung, Under Secretary of Innovation for the HKSAR

09:35AM Welcome remarks by Clemente Contestabile, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong

09:45AM Presentation of the GBA Innovation Road organizers

09:55AM Understanding the HKSTP Technology Platforms: I&T Eco-System in Hong Kong facilitated by HKSTP

10:10AM Hong Kong Funding and Support Service to International companies

10:30AM Presentation oftheGBA Innovation Road Italian companies

12:15 – 1:00PM Networking Lunch

LIST OF SELECTED ITALIAN COMPANIES

ORGANIZERS

AGENDA

LIST OF SELECTED ITALIAN COMPANIES

ORGANIZERS

The Italian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Julius Baer, is happy to invite you to our first seminar in 2019.

From historically low levels of volatility and spectacular performance across risk assets classes in 2017, 2018 has seen a significant reversal. Key concerns on the US include the tightening bias of the Fed as well as question marks over whether the US corporate cycle has hit peak earnings growth. Across the Atlantic, rising intra-EU political tension and the phase-out of the ECB bond-buying program have pushed most Euro indices to double-digit losses for 2018. Outside the developed markets, the strengthening dollar has hit the emerging markets hard in 2018, a trend that had often been repeated in previous bear markets in the emerging world.

Finally, how can we not mention the elephant in the room – US/China relations – that have dominated headlines and pressured markets and sentiment throughout the year? In the face of rising volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, are there any bright spots we can take comfort from? How should investors be positioning themselves for 2019 and beyond? Join us at the lunch event on 11 January to get a view from esteemed speakers at Bank Julius Baer.

About the Speakers

Mark Matthews, Head Research, Asia at Bank Julius Baer

Mark Matthews is currently Head of Research Asia for Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., an appointment he has held since June 2011. With over 26 years of experience in finance and investment, Mark’s views are regularly sought by the financial journals such as CNBC and Bloomberg.  He has held senior research and sales positions in various financial institutions, including ING Barings Securities, Standard & Poor’s and Merrill Lynch. Currently based in Singapore, Mark’s understanding and knowledge of Asia stems from having lived in the region for most of his life (Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan and Sri Lanka).  He holds a MBA  from the Schulich School of Business, York University and a BA from Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada. He is fluent in French, Chinese and also speaks some Bahasa Indonesia.

Wen Han Choy, Executive Director, Private Banking International at Bank Julius Baer

Wen Han has been a private banker for over 13 years, first with UBS AG and now with Bank Julius Baer in Singapore.  Prior to banking, he worked for Singapore Economic Development Board from 2003 to 2006, promoting Singapore as an investment destination for foreign direct investment. Wen Han holds a MSc degree in Real Estate from the National University of Singapore (NUS), a BSc in Chemical Engineering and BA in French Commercial Studies from the University of Illinois, USA.  Being fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese, Wen Han has been appreciated as an effective bridge for European high-net worth individuals and family offices who invest in Asia and vice versa.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the European Chamber of Commerce invites you to join a breakfast briefing on “Accelerating Hong Kong’s Green Finance Agenda”.

Since 2016, “green finance” has been receiving growing emphasis in the policy agenda of the Hong Kong government and is covered almost daily in the media.  But what does this mean in practice for Hong Kong’s financial services businesses?  What should Hong Kong be trying to achieve out of green finance and what is the best way to get there?

One strategy for pushing the agenda, which FSBC has been championing since 2017, would be the establishment of a Green Investment Bank in Hong Kong, a specialist financial institution to scale up private investment in green infrastructure.  As Hong Kong considers its evolving role in the region, in particular, its efforts to support Belt and Road development, this move could have a significant impact on the ground.

The panel will discuss FSBC’s Green Investment Bank concept, including presentation of its most recent briefing paper on “Driving Private Financing for Green Industries in Hong Kong -The Catalytic Role of a Green Investment Bank” (authored by Alexandra Tracy, Founder and President of Hoi Ping Ventures), as well as other strategies and initiatives for accelerating progress on green finance in Hong Kong.

The Law and Technology Center at the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law and the Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy at New York University School of Law co-sponsor a conference on limitations on trademark rights. The conference brings together leading trademark experts from around the world to explore the nature and scope of those limitations from comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives. The conference will be held at the University of Hong Kong on January 7-8, 2019.

The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) sets no minimum standards for limitations on trademark rights, such as fair use and exhaustion. At the domestic level, the courts in various jurisdictions have adopted conflicting opinions on how to decide cases involving such limitations (e.g., nominative fair use). Comparative studies are therefore useful in understanding the differing legal standards for the limitations on trademark rights adopted in different jurisdictions. Moreover, conventional wisdom largely justifies trademark rights limitations from free speech or market competition perspectives, with other theoretical approaches such as social and cultural studies enjoying limited application in considering the nature and scope of those limitations. Against this backdrop, the conference organizers welcome submissions of papers developing new thoughts and theories on limitations on trademark rights by examining them through a comparative or interdisciplinary lens.

Should you be interested to join, please register at this link.

For inquiries, please contact Ms Grace Chan by email at mcgrace@hku.hk or by phone at (+852) 3917-4727.

The season for celebration is here!

The Italian Chamber of Commerce and its Young Professionals are pleased to announce that the Fourth Edition of the Official Christmas Dinner with The Young Professionals is back!

Join us for a great night of holiday cheers while enjoying a 3-course Italian menu by Sole Mio, free flow of white and red wine and beer sponsored by BEVI Hong Kong. At the end of the dinner don’t miss the chance to win an Italian gift by participating in our lucky draw.

Seats are limited, RSVP now to save your spot!

ABOUT ITALIAN YOUNG PROFESSIONALS COMMITTEE

The Italian Young Professionals committee is a group dedicated to promoting the business growth of its members through different projects and activities. Its members are all young professionals (under 35) who are taking their first steps in the business world and need to build the necessary skills to have a successful path.

ABOUT SOLE MIO ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Sole Mio is a hidden gem in the heart of Soho. For over 16 years Sole Mio represents the very best Italian cuisine that Soho has to offer. Located on the upper ground floor at 51 Elgin Street, Sole Mio makes a great entertainment space that provides privacy in a convenient and central location. Popular amongst corporates for lunch sets, happy hour and events, Sole Mio caters to parties of all sizes. From antipasti to pizzas, pasta to desserts – Sole Mio brings you a memorable dining experience with recipes that have stood the test of time. Indulge in a 3-course meal, accompanies by a boutique selection of well-chosen wines from all over the world.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with The Mast, Mozzarella Bar, is pleased to invite you to discover their newly open Bistrot in Hong Kong.

Since the festive season has officially started, don’t miss the chance to gather together and celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with great food, wine and good company.

Join us for this holiday celebration!

ABOUT THE MAST’ OF MOZZARELLA & CO.

A production laboratory, a delicatessen, a Bistrot, a cheese bar, a wine bar: all these realities collaborate to create our idea, wanted by a wide group of professionals.

The appeal grows up mixing traditional concepts and refined materials: the client comes in contact with the excellence of the Italian gastronomy.

That’s why they carefully select and expertly process raw materials in order to transfer the essence of the tradition to the first bite.

“Ospitalita’ Italiana – Ristoranti Italiani nel Mondo” is a worldwide project conceived by the Italian Republic’s institution Unioncamere with the support of IS.NA.R.T. and the Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad.

Come to join us at Conrad Hong Kong to witness the announcement of this year’s Ospitalita’ Italiana awardees. We will have the honor to have the Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macao, Clemente Contestabile, the President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, Luca Cico and the Italian Trade Commissioner, Michele Scuotto, awarding the certificate to the best Italian restaurants in Hong Kong.

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!

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 Italian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with TABLO, is pleased to invite you to a not-to-be-missed event.

Join us in this glamorous showroom in the very core of the city, where you will be conquered by the chilling atmosphere of the Italian lifestyle. It will be a fashionable and delightful shopping evening where there will be a 30% discount on all products available in Hong Kong while sipping some elegant Italian wines.

About Tablo

Tablo is the ideal link to Italian homeware companies in the APAC markets creating a successful experience. We are a dynamic and skilled Italian group with a long expertise in the APAC markets. Our unique and passionate approach assists importers and dealers in developing their activities by having a careful and thorough understanding of business objectives and goals.

Doing business in Hong Kong also means to face many bureaucratic issues concerning visa residence permits and much more. To better understand how this topic is evolving in the Italian law framework, The Italian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to invite you to a live streaming directly from Rome.

Jusweb srl, the publishing house of Investor Visa Italy, will hold a live conference to make aware entrepreneurs, pro- fessionals, patrons, and businessmen from Middle-EastandASIA, about the new Italian visa policy related to entry-visas and residence permits.

There will be some important breaking news on tax break options for those who opt for a permanent fiscal residency within Italian borders. One of the most interesting advantages is that the fixed income tax one-off total amount for one year is only one hundred thousand Euro on personal income from abroad. Jusweb conferences are conducted with a practical debriefing approach and participants can ask questions directly through the chatroom.

Free registration is required to attend the conference.

about the Speaker

Raffaele Miele, ExecutiveDirector Immigrazione.it–legaljournal and Magazine Director of Investor Visa Italy; Former Police Department Executive Director

Introduction – entry visa and investor residency permit for non-EU investors and patrons

Giulia Proietti, Civil Law Notary in Rome

Silvia has more than five years of experience in counselling and assisting internationally start-ups and corporations in Italy and in the US. She is the founder and President of Equoevento, the first organization fighting food waste at events. She is also the ‘InvestorVisa/Magazine’ Editor and Coordinator.

Donations: rules and regulations in Italy

Question time

DesignInspire is dedicated to showcase the creativity of global innovative elites, inspiration of creative brands and design projects of top creative universities and institutions. The Expo will present designers’ works, award-winning creations together with experience-led installations powered by distinctive design and innovation.

This year, DesignInspire will once again provide design-led inspiration and business opportunities to business collaborators, SMEs, government agencies, media and the public. The Expo will collaborate with Melbourne, our partner city 2018, to showcase the Australian creative spirit. Besides, the thematic pavilion – “Urbanovation” will illustrate how innovative design help shape our smart city. With other exhibit features include Global Designs, Brands, Shop, Award, Academy and the newly launched Design Supply, the three days of visit will bring our participants an all-rounded rewarding experience.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce,  in collaboration with the Italian Women’s Association and Bellissima Italia,  would like to invite you to a really special event to discover the true meaning of Christmas!

Christmas is not only Santa and candies, but helping people in need, altruism and experience the joy of sharing. What a better occasion to live its true atmosphere in a warm and chilling location? This heartwarming fair will be filled with charity stalls where you will find branded clothes, toy, accessories, watches, handicrafts, sportswear and much more.  To make it a not-to-be-missed event we could not miss Italian gourmet corners where you will find typical Italian food and wine.

Join us for a good cause and let the magic of Christmas atmosphere seduces you!

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 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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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 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!

There are many reasons for people to support green living including promoting good health and well-being and ensuring a sustainable future for all. However, there are other hidden reasons why some people, especially Asians, are keen to support green products and services. In this luncheon talk, Prof. Lisa Wan will share her latest findings in face concern and how it affects people’s reactions to green services. She will also discuss the impact of guilt and shame on personal responsibility toward green living.

For corporate firms, green products and services often reflect their unique brands as well as missions in Corporate Social Responsibility. With his decades of experience working in the energy industry, Mr. Dannis Poon will share with us how he has witnessed the transformation from traditional to green energy business in Hong Kong and overseas, and the challenges facing companies in promoting renewable energy.

About the Speakers

Prof. Lisa Wan, Assistant Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism  Management and Director, Centre for Hospitality and Real Estate Research  CUHK Business  School

Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit (GIES) 2018 invite local and overseas stakeholders to share experience and insights on how to adopt innovative technology to meet the challenges of ageing population. The event is suitable for social welfare counterparts, seniors, people with rehabilitation needs, caregivers and individuals who are interested with gerontechnology and innovation.

Following the success of the 1st edition, GIES will continue in 2018 showcasing local and foreign innovation products and ideas; to engage stakeholders to meet, to have dialogues and to be stimulated; and be the multi-stakeholders, multi-disciplinary platform for continuous collaboration. We shall feature Smart, Livable Home; Quality Caregiving, Quality Food, Smart Mobility Enablers, Integrated Health and Social Care Services; and with the transformation to digital culture, we shall see how Cloud, Internet of Things and technology in general enables social inclusion and integration to provide better support for the growing elderly people cohort in meeting their daily needs.

GIES is particularly relevant to companies and institutions specializing in:

• R&D in the field of gerontechnology;
• product design and manufacturing of elderly care appliances and devices;
• healthcare and elderly care services; and
• provisioning of smart housing.

CDI and The European House Ambrosetti now organize the second edition of the Belt and ROAD Summit in Shenzhen, China, with the objective of establishing effective connections between Eurasian leaders to lead the way for actionable cooperation and along the Belt and Road.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn, network, and access first level contacts with leading local companies in a closed-door exclusive setting. The success of the first edition, Venice 23-24 November 2017, was a tangible proof of the effectiveness of this Summit.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce is glad to present you this special Venetian wine dinner that will be held at the stunning Cipriani Hong Kong.

It will be a unique event, where you will have the occasion to live out your Venetian dream night that will include the taste of the famous wine from the island of Mazzorbo.

On this night they will recreate the enchanting atmosphere of Venice with a delicious Venetian menu.

RSVP before Oct 31

Smart and elegant dress code is well appreciated

Do not miss this fabulous night

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, 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.

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 Asian Logistics and Maritime Conference (ALMC) brings together a wide variety of logistics service providers and users, from manufacturers and distributors to retailers and brand owners, to discuss the latest trends and opportunities in Asia’s logistics, air cargo, maritime and supply-chain management industries.

2018 Edition will feature the participation of over 2,000 participants all over the world and forecast a series of seminars and talks along with networking luncheons and coffee breaks. The two main forums will focus respectively on the role of connectivity within the developing process of the Asian-pacific economy and on the revolution in logistics and supply chain management brought in by online shopping.

The event will also see the participation of Hon. Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.