Thank You, Thank You and Thank You - BEC 2010

As the Organizing Committee Chairman of Brand Entrepreneurs Conference 2010 which was successfully held and attended by more than 600 on 15/7/2010, I would like register a note of thanks to the incredible people who helped put this great show together, in one way or another.

This conference was a collaborative effort between the Branding Association of Malaysia and SME Corp Malaysia. This marked the second year of a fantastic partnership between SME Corp and BAM.

To organize an event of this scale required a great deal of manpower and resources. I would like to thank SME Corp Malaysia for giving BAM this wonderful opportunity to collaborate.

I feel that we, the SMEs and SMIs in Malaysia are very fortunate. SME Corp, the government agency set up to look after the well-being of small & medium enterprises, is a most incredible organization. Led by its dynamic CEO, YBhg Dato Hafsah Hashim, SME Corp is an energetic and ambitious organization committed to nothing but helping the SMEs and SMIs succeed.

Throughout the preparation of this event, I had the privilege of working with some of the great SME Corp people directly, people such as Puan Fadzilah, Encik Amin, Cik Anis, etc… there were so many of them that it is not possible for me to mention each and every one.

What truly touched me was their absolute sense of commitment and drive. We spent many months together working on this. And the night before the conference, many of them, including the IT, logistics, protocol, secretariat, program people stayed up all night just to make sure that every detail was taken care of. Bravo guys! You have earned my respect.

I would also like to thank the President of Branding Association of Malaysia, Dato Lewre Lew, for his leadership. He was the super promoter of this event and worked tirelessly in order to make BEC 2010 a success. Thank you, sir!

The Branding Association of Malaysia is more than 200 members strong now. Many of our members are well known brands both in Malaysia and abroad. The association is run by a group of dedicated volunteers who form this important committee. And so, allow me to introduce the wonderful people behind the Branding Association of Malaysia who created this and many other great events over the years:

1. Haji Yusra Bin Sabar (Rotocraft) - Our Vice President and a BAM veteran. Haji Yusra is someone who has always been well respected in the committee. Whenever he speaks, 'everybody' listens.

2. Mr Lim Eng Lee (Wood Kare) - Our Vice President; a quiet gentleman who has consistently supported BAM over the years through deeds, rather than mere words.

3. Mr Phang Kar Yew (Great Vision) - A pillar of BAM who assumes two critical portfolios and performs them well: Vice President & Acting Honorary Secretary.

4. Mr Ching Chee Pun (GBC Consulting) - Our Honorary Treasurer; fast talking and no-nonsense, he always gets things done effectively.

5. Mr Raymond Chong (Pitaberry) - This kind soul regularly supplies free Pitaberry drinks to his hard-working (and sometimes exhausted) peers during meetings and events. Bravo!

6. Mr Vincent Chew (Pensonic) - This man represents a brand which needs no introduction, plus he has the deepest and sexiest voice a man can ever dream of.

7. Mr Clement Chen (Lee Huat Plastics) - This young man is incredible. He possesses three key qualities necessary to succeed in today's world: diligence, intelligence and IT savvy.

8. Ms Angeline Tan (Citylink) - This pretty girl is bubbly and chatty. She is always able to liven up our serious and never-ending meetings by just being there.

9. Mr Michael Liew (Marrybrown) - This young man travels 400km from JB to KL every month to attend our committee meetings. I salute his commitment, dedication and driving skills.

10. Ms Sue Chan (Suchan Restaurant) - She bakes the best cakes and pies I've ever tasted. I hope she continues to feed the hungry committee members with her delicious pastries.

11. Mr Brian Ng (Revenue Harvest) - A rugged looking man who resembles John Wayne in the movie, "The Cowboys" from 1972.

12. Mr Ryan Wong (R&R Design) - A highly charged Chinese version of world renowned motivational guru, Anthony Robbins.

13. Mr Azahar (Halagel) - While this committee member was appointed not too long ago, he has already strongly demonstrated his commitment toward the association.

Without the selfless dedication and sacrifice of the above individuals for weeks - in fact, months - this event would not have been possible. Of course, I must not forget the highly dedicated Executive Secretary of BAM, Ms. Mary Anne, who continued to work day and night despite an injury on her finger. Thank you!

I would also like to thank the following sponsors and strategic partners for their generous support:

1. Celcom
2. BizSphere
3. NTV 7
4. Cari.com
5. Malaysia SME
6. Palace of the Golden Horses

However, the distinguished speakers and moderators were the real reason why the 600 participants were there at the conference. They are the best of the best of the business community in Malaysia. Over the course of this conference, they selflessly shared with us stories of how they achieved branding success in their respective fields. These great achievers are:

Distinguished Speakers:

1. Dato Sri Mohammed Shazalli, CEO of Celcom Malaysia Bhd
2. Dato Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, our homegrown astronaut
3. Dato Haji Ameer Ali Mydin, Managing Director of Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd
4. Dato Syed Amin Aljefferi, President of Malay Chamber of Commerce Kuala Lumpur
5. Dato Meer Sadik Habib, Managing Director of Habib Jewel
6. Dato Nelson Kwok, Founder & Managing Director of Nelson's Franchise
7. Mr Michael Lai, CEO of P1 Wimax
8. Mr Cheong Chia Chieh, Group Managing Director of RedHot Media International
9. Ms Winnie Loo, Founder & Senior Creative Director of A Cut Above Salons

Distinguished Moderators:

10. Dato Lewre Lew, Founder & Executive Chairman of Lewre International
11. Dato Nancy Yeoh, President & CEO of STYLO International
12. My humble self, Eric Chong, Founder & Managing Director of Erican Education Group

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank all the supportive participants who stayed until the end. Their presence illuminated the occasion and their encouragement is the fuel we need to take this Brand Entrepreneurs Conference further and higher.

Thank you to all, once again.

"Life is about constantly going beyond limits!"
- Erican Chong