An inside look at the “social learning and networking” aspects of the Asia Business Continuity Conference

In this issue of “Focus,” we interviewed Henry Ee, Chairman of the Asia Business Continuity Conference to provide insights on what makes the ABCC one of the most successful and unique Business Continuity Management (BCM) events in the region.

  

Knowledge transfer on a different level

Knowledge transfer may be defined as the” art and science of communicating and instilling knowledge from one individual to another by means of mentoring, training, documentation and other forms of collaboration.”

This process is essential to any progressing group or organization as it brings experts, researchers and decision makers in the same platform for learning, development and such initiatives.

For a training and consultancy firm, knowledge transfer naturally sits at the very core of its “existence.” This holds true for Business Continuity Planning Asia Pte Ltd (BCP Asia), the region’s leading BCM training and consultancy provider, which has for years rendered quality services and held successful BCM events to conduct effective knowledge transfer. And one of these events is the much-celebrated Asia Business Continuity Conference (ABCC).

“The ABCC is indeed very in line with what we do best, which is training and consultancy, and is in fact developed out of the same concept. The only difference is that, in the ABCC, we conduct knowledge transfer on a much larger scale,” said Henry Ee, Managing Director of BCP Asia and ABCC Chairman.

Expectedly, some would say that this concept is nothing new. Conferences and such events are, in fact, held for such purposes. However, for Henry, it is not really the venue or platform that matters but “who” conducts it.

“Our delegates are not only the best in the industry but they are those that have knowledge to share that businesses in Asia can find relevant and applicable. We also provide firsthand information on the topics to be discussed. On the subject of the ISO22301, for example, the person to discuss on this is our very own Associate Director Victor Ng – who we believe is the best person to provide tips on this as we are the first training and consultant firm in the region to be ISO22301-certified,” he said.

Another important aspect is the “approach” used to conducting knowledge transfer during the ABCC. According to Henry, effective knowledge transfer also relies on “how” it is conducted.

“We have always considered our participants as colleagues and friends in the industry. For this reason, we put a bit of a personal touch on the way we accommodate and handle their enquiries during the conference. We also ensure that the information and tips we provide them are relevant – which is easier for us because we are very familiar with the issues and concerns dealt with by businesses in Asia,” he added.

  

Experience sharing

This year, BCP Asia has added a new portion in the conference which is called the “Experience Sharing Session.”
This very special segment of the 10th ABCC aims to provide both those who are new to BCM and those organizations that have already a BCM program in place valuable tips on how to begin with their “BCM journey” or how to further improve on their BCM efforts.

“Due to the increase in interest among businesses in the region (on BCM), we believe that it is just appropriate to provide a segment which tackles the issues and challenges that one normally encounters in the various stages of BCM. To be honest, there is still a lot of confusion out there on how to really begin with BCM or what to do next, and it is most necessary that we paint a very clear picture for the benefit of practitioners – and would be practitioners – in the region,” said Henry.

For this purpose, the delegate tasked to lead the session is that of a highly credible industry leader who is very familiar with the “twists and turns” of embarking towards BCM certification and most suitable to provide valuable tips to participants.

“To lead the experience sharing session is Mr. Tay Ter Long, Executive Director at Langdon & Seah Singapore Pte Ltd, and he is like many of those who at first had many questions about BCM and encountered many challenges. But he and his team overcame those challenges and their organization has now attained a BCM-certification. I truly believe that participants will benefit from the valuable tips and information that he will be sharing during this session,” he said.

  

Learning… while networking

All in all, the ABCC is the perfect venue to increase one’s knowledge and contacts in the industry. In fact, it is for this reason that this one of a kind event continues to receive many positive remarks from attendees and speakers alike.

“What is really most rewarding for us is the fact that the conference brings together regional and international delegates to learn actually learn from one another. It is really encouraging to see a local practitioner exchanging ideas and updates with a practitioner from a country such as the UK, and then remaining in contact even after the event. It is one of the reasons why the ABCC continues to be such a successful BCM event,” said Henry.

Asked whether the success of the ABCC means anything to the status of BCM in Asia, Henry explained that there are also other aspects of the conference that would lead one to indeed believe that BCM is set to “boom” in the region.

“Aside from the tremendous support that we have received for the ABCC, there are also changes and developments that are now taking place which can only lead to the further growth and progress of BCM in Asia. In fact, this is the main focus of the 10th ABCC and we are very excited to share valuable information on this with this year’s participants. That said, I would like to invite our valued readers to join us in the 10th ABCC which will be held on 1 November at the Marina Mandarin Singapore. It is one BCM event that is surely not to be missed,” he said

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To register to the 10th Asia Business Continuity Conference, you may send an email to enquiry@bcpasia.com
For more details about the event, please visit www.bcmconference.com.

 

About the Author:
Both the interview and article is by Glen Oliver, Writer for the Business Continuity Planning Asia Pte Ltd (BCP Asia). For comments, queries or suggestions, you may contact them at enquiry@bcpasia.com