Blog post by Josh Lodestro, GMBA '20
While I have been to Hong Kong before, for many of my classmates, this is their first time to Hong Kong. For some, it is even their first trip to Asia. The different sights, sounds, and food stand out as such a difference from Washington, DC.
On our first night together, we decided to jump head first into the culture and try Chinese hot pot at Haidilao. The spices of the soup and delicate meat made for a truly memorable first night in Hong Kong!
As much as us students would like the trip to be all pleasure and no business, we immediately began to work the following day with professional meetings around Hong Kong. We were able to meet with the city’s Planning Department to discuss how such a vast and expansive city like Hong Kong came to be the icon that it is today. We met with finance heavyweights like Broadridge and Visa. We also had meetings with Marriott, the American Chamber of Commerce, and Deloitte, to name only a few. Being able to immerse yourself in the business perspective of this side of the world is a truly unique experience to CAP.
On our second day in Hong Kong, all of the teams met their client in person for the first time. For my team, Regal Hotels, we were able to tour many of their properties and meet with front-line staff from the hotel. We gained a more in-depth perspective about the hotels themselves and the hospitality industry in Hong Kong that we could never have gotten from a video conference. When we returned to our hotel for the evening, we had to reevaluate our recommendations and adapt them to the realities on the ground. This is a challenge that we had to work on steadfastly to ensure that we were delivering value to the client.
In between our busy working schedule, G&EE arranged for exciting and insightful cultural tours so we can better get to know the city of Hong Kong and its people. We were able to see the iconic Symphony of Lights, an absolute must for anyone visiting Hong Kong. We were able to experience the unique architecture of Hong Kong up close with a tour of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. One cannot appreciate how unique Hong Kong is without being here up close and personal.
After more than a week of long nights reworking our recommendations and our presentation, we will wake up tomorrow and deliver the final presentation to the client, bringing the most critical portion of CAP to an end.
