China: Beijing and Shanghai

So I finally have a bit of time to catch up on the blog, so here's what happened in Beijing and Shanghai.  We'll start with the companies first, and then I'll talk about the exciting cultural activities!

Beijing:

• JD.com is the largest ecommerce business in China.  We were able to learn about the various delivery methods the company offers its customers, including packages delivered anywhere in China within 3 hours of ordering.  It was amazing!
• We also visited the Beijing Film Academy where we learned about how the school took courses from Tisch and USC to create a world-renowned program in Beijing.  The school offers classes in Cinematography, Directing, and Production.
• Dinner with Gang Li was quite an experience!  We had a multitude of toasts and the rounds of food were endless!  We all got to try Peking duck, and a few other foods...

Shanghai:

• We were lucky enough to visit General Cable again in Shanghai!  We learned about the company's commitment to safety and the logistics of running the business in China.  Julian, our host, was also very helpful in giving suggestions of subway stops to check out for food and shopping. 
• Nielsen was able to provide us with information on the typical Chinese consumer.  We also learned about the importance of brands for a Chinese consumer.  Walking around with a Gucci bag and a Starbucks cup helps make the Chinese feel as though they are part of high society.
• We visited the Unilever Customer Insights and Innovation Center in Shanghai where we gained insights into the how the company gets customer insights.  We also learned and saw first-hand the fast-paced social media world in China. 
• JWT is an advertising company that taught us that the Chinese consumers want to be modernized, not Westernized.  I think this came as a bit of a shock for many of us, but the Chinese want to protect their heritage while projecting themselves in society.  For the Chinese, instant messaging and blogging are very popular ways of communicating ideas, and there are 463 million Chinese who use mobile.  Speaking of mobile, we felt so left out on the subways because they all were using their phones for the internet, games, or texting and we had no service.
• EY was located in Shanghai World Financial Center, which is currently the tallest building in Shanghai (if not China).  We learned about EY's new branding campaign and how the company is looking to double their business by the year 2020.  We also learned about the training programs the company offers and the employee mobility between teams and countries.
• Dow Chemical was quite an eye-opening experience for many of us.  Who knew that so many products are produced by Dow Chemical?!  The company makes products in almost all sectors of business, and we had a tour of their R&D facility in Shanghai.  They were trying to explain some chemical formulas to us, and we all knew that a career in business was the perfect path for us!
• General Electric was the last company we visited on our trip.  We were able to learn more about the aviation business from an engineer and a salesman.  We learned about the business analytics of their products and got to see how they track different planes.  Very cool!

Okay, so enough about the business part. 

So we climbed the Great Wall of China!  And of course, we didn't choose the easy part, or even the slightly challenging part.  Instead, we chose the steepest part of the wall.  Boy are we out of shape!  The stairs were all shaped differently, and some were a foot tall.  After 1700+ stairs, our calves were killing.  But we all made it to the top and found a great Aussie to take our picture!

 

 

We also stopped at the Bird's Nest and Olympic Park for some photo opportunities.  Although it was a bit hazy the first time, many of us went back for better pictures.  Also a great spot for the Chinese to approach you for pictures.

 

Inside the Bird's Nest

 

The class also went to the Summer Palace with Susan and Jeri and we got a taste of what it was like to be a Chinese royal.  The palace and gardens seemed to be endless, and some people even rented a boat to go out to an island. 

 

We also stopped in Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City (with Su as our tour guide).  Was she great?  I tell you, she was great.  She also showed us where the good photo opportunities were and insisted we take pictures. 

In Shanghai, we were extremely busy with company visits, but we did get to take a river cruise.  It was so fun seeing the harbor lit up at night, and it made us wish we were staying in the beautiful city longer!

Full Recap of the Thailand Elephant Park

As a scholarship requirement, each of us had to document some aspect of the trip.  While many of us chose to blog or write a piece in the LHP newsletter, Jack Stewart found a different way to document his experience.  The elephant park was definitely a trip highlight, and his video will help us cherish the memories forever!

When in Greater China...

Be prepared for differences, including but not limited to the following:

• No access to Facebook, Twitter, or Google (who knew I had become so reliant on one search engine?) unless you 'hack in'
• Extremely slow subways (most definitely not moving at China speed)
• A quite diverse cityscape (buildings shaped in spheres, handbags, you name it)
• Tough bargaining at the markets (it's not impossible to get your price but they want to move inventory, so go in on deals with friends)
• So many pictures with Chinese people... those over 6 feet, have blonde hair, or are African American prepare yourselves for the paparazzi!  But be sure to snap a photo on tour camera, too

Andre and I met the requirements...

Obviously a short blog post, but I'm off to do some yoga in Bali, so more China posts will be coming soon! 

Also, those who flew home made it back to Cincinnati safely.  The Australia group arrived in Sydney, and the Koh Samui guys were in Phuket waiting for their private jet.

Singapore in Pictures

Quick post about what we saw in Singapore before heading to bed!  We have to be in the hotel lobby at 6:30am...

 

Where else should one partake of the Singapore Sling but at Raffles Hotel?  We stopped by for a refreshing drink! 

 

We went to the Gardens by the Bay and walked around admiring the beautifully lit trees.

 

 

 We stopped in Chinatown to see what was happening... and to prepare for our flight to Beijing.

 

The view of the Singapore Flyer from the Luxottica office.

 

Of course I had to take a picture of the weird sign, but seriously, jaywalking is a crime here.

 

Only in Singapore would you find a gondola in a shopping mall.  Did I mention this city is SO expensive?!

 

We are headed in Beijing in the morning, and will keep you updated when we arrive!

Business in Singapore

We have had such a business couple of days in Singapore, so I am using this evening before our flight to Beijing to catch up on the blog.

So here's what happened this week from a company visit standpoint:

Monday, March 24th
--- Met with Vince Ng at Samtec and he spoke to us about how Samtec is a private, debt-free company that is service-oriented.  They can get their products to customers within two business days and have a free sample program.  We were able to see the small production facility here in Singapore, and had a fabulous lunch!
--- Met with a variety of people at Luxottica, including Mattia (Director of SEAA HR), Paolo (Head of Business for SEAA), Claus (Managing Director of SEAA), Céline (Head of SEAA Marketing), and Roberto (Head of Sunglass Hut Asia).  We learned about the company's history, its brands, and opportunities and challenges of doing business in Asia.  We also learned about marketing to a variety of Asian consumers and the cost of retail space in Asia.

Tuesday, March 25th
--- Met with Peter Ter Kulve (EVP of SEAA) who spoke to us about Unilever's history and how corporate social responsibility is a part of the company's heritage.  Unilever runs the Dove True Beauty campaign, works with children in India to get them to the age of 5 with its cleanliness program and the Life Buoy soap, and helps poor women in India become fiscally independent with Project Shakti. 
--- Went to P&G and met with Will Esterle, a UC grad, about business segment performance, the life of an ex-pat in Asia, and the advantages and disadvantages of doing business in Asia.  We were also able to see their new concept for office spaces to raise productivity.

A Quick Recap: Thailand Visits

Thailand's company visits have certainly been an experience.  Most took place at the hotel, so it was great to have the opportunity to get out and explore more of Chiang Mai when we went to the companies.  Here's a quick recap of the visits from this past week.

Sunday, March 16th: 
--- Mr. Chalderchart Nakarungkul of Denchai Trading Company and the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce discussed the high quality of products and services that come from Thailand, the increasing health tourism industry, and how Thailand is the center of Asian business because of its increasing infrastructure. 
--- Mr. Phunut Thanalapanich from the Thai Hotels Association spoke to us about the association, the huge amounts of Chinese visitors, and the importance of credit cards in Thailand hotels.
--- Mr. Smith Taweelerdniti from Nithi Foods spoke to the class about Thailand's geography, different types of agriculture, and the spice industry - canning, drying, and dehydrating.

Monday, March 17th:
--- Mr. Mike Mann from the Integrated Tribal Development Project spoke to us about the hill tribe people of Thailand who grow coffee beans for Starbucks, and how Starbucks gives back to the community by donating to health clinics and schools.
--- Mr. Kittisak Somjai of the Micro Economic Development Foundation talked to us about the different types of loans available for hill tribe members, how the foundation is working to change the attitudes of the hill tribe people, and how they are working with the people to get the tribes to work together.

Tuesday, March 18th:
--- Mr. Sakchai Luangsathikul from the Thailand Board of Investment spoke to us about why Thailand is a good place for companies to invest and the investment trends of the future.
--- Mr. Ongart Kittikhunchai spoke to us about the Sunsweet Company about the canning business, particularly about corn.  For the company, corn is life.
--- Mr. Somkhit Kanokmaniphon from the CM Apparel spoke to us about the competitive market of clothing manufacturing, and how his factory is struggling to compete with the cheaper products being made in China. 

Thursday, March 20th:
--- Mr. W.K. Chow from Hana Microelectronics Public Company spoke to us about the business of creating microchips and microchip boards for various companies, such as Apple and Sony.  We were also able to meet with many of the employees during our tour of the facility.
--- Mr. Peytel Bruno of the SMV Company which is an exporting jewelry factory.  He spoke to us about the extensive process for making the jewelry, and we also got to hear from experts in finance, production, and industrial design.

It has been a great week in Thailand, and we can't wait to arrive in Singapore tomorrow!  Ashley will be headed back to Cincinnati, and we will be meeting up with Jeri.  Should be a great two more weeks!



The Hana Microelectronics Public Company

Hello Relaxation

Let's just say we are thoroughly enjoying our relaxing stay in Chiang Mai.  There are endless amounts of spas and shops, they run along the streets as far as we can see. 

Speaking of spas, we have certainly enjoyed being pampered.  Here is a rough estimate of the spa count:
- Back massage:  15
- Foot massage:  10
- Fish spa:  20

What's a fish spa, you ask?  Click here to watch!