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French Chamber hosts gala event
By Sam Riley |
June 17, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFC) held its annual gala dinner on the weekend, with more than 600 guests experiencing typical French style at the Pudong Shangri-La Shanghai.
The dinner alternates between Shanghai and Beijing every year and this year the theme was tradition and innovation as the wide range of business activities French companies are involved in China was celebrated.
With more than 1,300 members nationally and 600 in Shanghai alone, CCIFC President Annick de Bentzmann says the chamber was launching a number of initiatives to add to their range of member services.
Activities in the chamber are run through a number of committees that specialize in different sectors and issues. The chamber announced at Sunday's gala dinner that they will launch a committee specializing in assisting entrepreneurs.
Mrs de Bentzmann said the previous two years had seen a number of younger French entrepreneurs come to China to launch businesses in a range of industries.
"Our members are more and more very young entrepreneurs who have just come out of university and this is a trend that is quite significant in Shanghai as well as in the south," Mrs de Bentzmann says.
The committee will look at a range of services to cater for the needs of these entrepreneurs that will be conducted out of the chamber's offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), Wuhan (Hubei Province), Kunming (Yunnan Province), Dalian (Liaoning Province) and Tianjin.
CCIFC already offers a range of member services including commercial support, domiciliation, HR support, publications and events, and Mrs de Bentzmann says they want to find out how to tailor services to the specific needs of entrepreneurs.
Since it was established in 1992, CCIFC has also developed expertise in supporting French companies looking to establish business in China.
Along with the new committee the chamber also announced at the dinner that they will promote French Polynesia through a special charter flight from Shanghai to Tahiti during the October holiday.
The flight will carry a delegation of 200 members of the Chinese and French business communities interested in investment opportunities in this region.
A number of Tahitian companies will also be sending representatives during the holiday to establish business opportunities in China.
It continues a strong collaboration between the French Chamber and the Polynesian Chamber, which held a French Polynesian week at the France Pavilion at the Expo in mid May.
Regional collaborations have also been central various regional chambers.
Mrs de Bentzmann says chamber leaders from across Asia were deciding on regional cooperation arrangements in a meeting last week.
According to Bentzmann, chamber leaders from a number of Asian countries have decided to provide a range of services to assist members who have regional interests across northern and southeast Asia.
CCIFC Vice President Olivier Dubuis says its members are based across a wide array of industries including banking, legal and financial services, fashion and luxury goods, and a range of manufacturing and light industrial sectors.
Dubuis says the Shanghai office has a range of working groups covering topics from intellectual property to research and development. The groups provide a range of activities to members to help them deal with the fast-changing business landscape in China.
He says having a format for young entrepreneurs in Shanghai will help them share information and improve their business operations.
"We hope to provide a way for young entrepreneurs to share their experiences and to help them to make contacts with various established companies in China who might be able to provide ideas and support," Dubuis says.
At the dinner guests enjoyed a four-course meal as well as a range of entertainment from French and Chinese performers.
After a cocktail reception the dinner kicked off with a fashion show from graduates of the International Fashion Academy. Designers showcased a selection of their creations from their graduating show held last year.
IFA was established in 2002 and is an offshoot of IFA Paris, one of the world's foremost fashion schools.
IFA Chairman Patrick Kouzmine says the college based in Shanghai has more than 800 students.
"Our students show great technical ability and are learning the creative and design aspects of the fashion industry as well, although this takes more time to develop," he says.
"Technical skills are very important because you can make a beautiful dress but if it falls apart it is a failure," Kouzmine says.
Other performers included opera singer Sebastien Fournier, who sang a range of works from Gregorian and baroque styles of music, and Xiaojie Cristau, who played a crystal baschet, an acoustic glass organ.
The organ was invented by French musicians and artists Bernard and Francoise Baschet. It consists of 54 glass rods that the player rubs to provide vibrations, which are amplified through large wooden and metal disks.
Some guests also won prizes in the lucky draw giveaways including accommodation at a range of Sofitel hotels in China and Asia, as well as free flights from Air France.
The dinner alternates between Shanghai and Beijing every year and this year the theme was tradition and innovation as the wide range of business activities French companies are involved in China was celebrated.
With more than 1,300 members nationally and 600 in Shanghai alone, CCIFC President Annick de Bentzmann says the chamber was launching a number of initiatives to add to their range of member services.
Activities in the chamber are run through a number of committees that specialize in different sectors and issues. The chamber announced at Sunday's gala dinner that they will launch a committee specializing in assisting entrepreneurs.
Mrs de Bentzmann said the previous two years had seen a number of younger French entrepreneurs come to China to launch businesses in a range of industries.
"Our members are more and more very young entrepreneurs who have just come out of university and this is a trend that is quite significant in Shanghai as well as in the south," Mrs de Bentzmann says.
The committee will look at a range of services to cater for the needs of these entrepreneurs that will be conducted out of the chamber's offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), Wuhan (Hubei Province), Kunming (Yunnan Province), Dalian (Liaoning Province) and Tianjin.
CCIFC already offers a range of member services including commercial support, domiciliation, HR support, publications and events, and Mrs de Bentzmann says they want to find out how to tailor services to the specific needs of entrepreneurs.
Since it was established in 1992, CCIFC has also developed expertise in supporting French companies looking to establish business in China.
Along with the new committee the chamber also announced at the dinner that they will promote French Polynesia through a special charter flight from Shanghai to Tahiti during the October holiday.
The flight will carry a delegation of 200 members of the Chinese and French business communities interested in investment opportunities in this region.
A number of Tahitian companies will also be sending representatives during the holiday to establish business opportunities in China.
It continues a strong collaboration between the French Chamber and the Polynesian Chamber, which held a French Polynesian week at the France Pavilion at the Expo in mid May.
Regional collaborations have also been central various regional chambers.
Mrs de Bentzmann says chamber leaders from across Asia were deciding on regional cooperation arrangements in a meeting last week.
According to Bentzmann, chamber leaders from a number of Asian countries have decided to provide a range of services to assist members who have regional interests across northern and southeast Asia.
CCIFC Vice President Olivier Dubuis says its members are based across a wide array of industries including banking, legal and financial services, fashion and luxury goods, and a range of manufacturing and light industrial sectors.
Dubuis says the Shanghai office has a range of working groups covering topics from intellectual property to research and development. The groups provide a range of activities to members to help them deal with the fast-changing business landscape in China.
He says having a format for young entrepreneurs in Shanghai will help them share information and improve their business operations.
"We hope to provide a way for young entrepreneurs to share their experiences and to help them to make contacts with various established companies in China who might be able to provide ideas and support," Dubuis says.
At the dinner guests enjoyed a four-course meal as well as a range of entertainment from French and Chinese performers.
After a cocktail reception the dinner kicked off with a fashion show from graduates of the International Fashion Academy. Designers showcased a selection of their creations from their graduating show held last year.
IFA was established in 2002 and is an offshoot of IFA Paris, one of the world's foremost fashion schools.
IFA Chairman Patrick Kouzmine says the college based in Shanghai has more than 800 students.
"Our students show great technical ability and are learning the creative and design aspects of the fashion industry as well, although this takes more time to develop," he says.
"Technical skills are very important because you can make a beautiful dress but if it falls apart it is a failure," Kouzmine says.
Other performers included opera singer Sebastien Fournier, who sang a range of works from Gregorian and baroque styles of music, and Xiaojie Cristau, who played a crystal baschet, an acoustic glass organ.
The organ was invented by French musicians and artists Bernard and Francoise Baschet. It consists of 54 glass rods that the player rubs to provide vibrations, which are amplified through large wooden and metal disks.
Some guests also won prizes in the lucky draw giveaways including accommodation at a range of Sofitel hotels in China and Asia, as well as free flights from Air France.
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