Forum Chair:
David I. Matheson QC
Forum Co-Chairs:
Lenore Gibson National Chair, HKCBA
Frank Monteiro President, HKCBA Toronto
Honourary Chair:
Bassanio So Director, HKETO Canada
Honourary Advisors:
Barry Macdonald Chair, Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide Immediate Past National Chair, HKCBA
Robert J. Armstrong President, Armstrong Trade & Logistics Advisory Services
Organizing Committee: (Toronto)
Frank Monteiro President, HKCBA Toronto
Anita Kwan Immediate Past President, HKCBA Toronto
Annie Kwok Director, HKCBA Toronto Section
Andrew Yui Honourary Director, HKCBA
Ross Cronin Cathay Pacific Airways Limited
Samantha Moulsdale Executive Director, HKCBA Toronto
Organizing Committee: (National)
David Pohl President, HKCBA Vancouver
Audrey Kwan President, HKCBA Calgary
Frankie Lee President, HKCBA Edmonton
Dale Botting HKCBA Representative, Saskatchewan
Dave Spiers President, HKCBA Winnipeg
Carmel Tse HKCBA Representative, London (Ontario)
Alison Nankivell President, HKCBA Ottawa
Josh Miller President, HKCBA Montreal
Kam Chung President, HKCBA Halifax
Mitch Kowalski National Vice Chair HKCBA
Peter Yeung National Director HKCBA
Dorothy Jean Mar National Director HKCBA
Forum Management:
Robert Brown CEO
Tel: (416) 366-2642 Fax: (416) 366-1569 Email: canhkforum07@hkcba.com bob@hkcba.com

THE HKCBA STORY

 

The Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA), one of the largest bi-lateral trade associations in Canada, has approximately 1,300 members in 8 active Sections in major cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax) - and Representatives in Hong Kong, Regina Saskatchewan and London Ontario - together with strong dynamic connections to 31 similar trade groups in 23 countries around the world through the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide (FHKBAW).

 

HKCBA exists to encourage two-way trade between Canada and Hong Kong, to provide a forum for discussion of trade issues involving Hong Kong and Canada, and to promote policies - by both governments - that will lead to expanded trade and closer ties between the two. It does this by sponsoring meetings and professional presentations on topics of interest, leading trade delegations, and by organizing cultural exchanges.

 

The organization originated with a series of informal discussions among participants at the Pacific Rim Opportunities Conference held in Calgary in 1983. This initial discussion included John Treleaven, then Canada's Senior Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong, Len Dunning, the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Robert Issenman, a prominent attorney in Montreal, and Martin Glynn, then a Vice-President of the Hongkong Bank of Canada (now HSBC Bank Canada) in Vancouver.

 

In August 1984 the HKCBA was incorporated as a non-profit Canadian corporation. In late 1984 the first three sections were formed, in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, headed up by Martin Glynn, Robert Brown (then Vice President Central and Eastern Canada with the Hongkong Bank of Canada), and Robert Issenman, respectively.

 

New sections were developed in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Saskatoon, St. John's and Winnipeg in 1985 and 1986. And in Halifax in 1987.

 

The need for a national office to co-ordinate the activities of, and facilitate communication among, these sections was soon apparent, and a national office was established in 1986, with Robert Brown of Toronto as the first National President.

 

The establishment of the Association coincided with a period of growing immigration from Hong Kong to Canada, and the Association's membership quickly increased. In more recent years, many things have changed, most importantly of course - Hong Kong is now part of China. But the focus of HKCBA has not wavered in all these years - HKCBA exists to assist its members to do business together, between Canada and Hong Kong, and through Hong Kong to the rest of China and South East Asia.

 

HKCBA members are owners or managers of small or medium sized businesses trading with Hong Kong, China and South East Asia, trade related enterprises, and professionals - mainly lawyers, bankers and accountants - who are involved in international trade.

 

Each section is responsible for its own programs. The activities include meetings and networking events, presentations by leading international and local authorities, workshops and seminars on trade-related topics for the benefit of members, trade delegations and trade missions, briefings and submissions for the federal and provincial governments, and a wide variety of cultural and social events.

 

The National Office co-ordinates activities that affect the entire organization, and acts as the national voice of the Association. It is often consulted on questions related to doing business with Hong Kong, and with the rest of China and the Pacific Rim through Hong Kong, and has earned a reputation as a valuable forum for serious discussion of economic issues affecting the region. The National Office is also a valuable point of contact for Hong Kong companies interested in expanding their markets in North America.

 

The HKCBA is Hong Kong's largest and most active overseas trade association. It is actively supported by all members of the "Hong Kong Family" here in Canada, including the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and Invest Hong Kong. The HKCBA was also one of the driving forces behind the formation of the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide, an organization established in November 2000 to develop closer ties among the now 31 bi-lateral Hong Kong trade associations around the world. Through the Federation, members of the HKCBA have a point of contact and a source of local trade information in 23 countries. The first Chairman of the Federation for 2000-2002 was HKCBA's own Maxwell Brotman, then HKCBA's National Chair. HKCBA continues to be well represented on the Federation's Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

HKCBA MILESTONES:

1983	First discussions about forming the HKCBA
1984	Incorporated as a non-profit corporation
1984	First Sections (Chapters) organized, inaugural meetings held, in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal
1985/ 1986	New Sections formed in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Saskatoon/Regina, St. John's and Winnipeg
1987	New Section formed in Halifax - HKCBA now has 10 sections in every region of Canada
1989	New Section formed in London Ontario
1991	First official HKCBA delegation to Hong Kong for Festival Canada, a trade promotion sponsored by the Canadian government
1992	Festival Hong Kong in Canada, sponsored by the Hong Kong government
1993	HKCBA holds its annual general meeting in Hong Kong for the first time, visits Shenzhen special economic zone in China. Regular annual general meetings have since been held in Hong Kong.
1998	HKCBA National Web Site - www.hkcba.com - launched
1999	HKCBA participates in the Pacific Rim Forum organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, which brought together seven Pacific Rim Hong Kong Associations (Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hawaii, Southern and Northern California and Canada).
2000	HKCBA leads in establishing the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide; Maxwell Brotman, the National Chair of the HKCBA, elected as first chairman of the Federation. First Annual "Hong Kong Forum" held in Hong Kong - November 2000 - HKCBA leads largest delegation.
2001	HKCBA organizes its first Annual "HKCBA Canada Day in Hong Kong" - at the time of the Hong Kong Forum.
2004	HKCBA leads the Federation's 2004 Hong Kong Forum registration with the largest delegation of over 100 HKCBA members.
2005	HKCBA holds the first Annual "Canada-Hong Kong Business Forum" Monday May 30th 2005 in Ottawa - with the theme - "Your Smart Link to China: Hong Kong" - and is awarded the Federation's "Outstanding Initiative Award" for 2005. HKCBA again leads largest delegation with over 140 HKCBA members participating.
2006	HKCBA holds second Annual "Canada-Hong Kong Business Forum" on May 29th and 30th 2006 in Winnipeg - again with the theme - "Your Smart Link to China: Hong Kong" - and again winning the Federation's "Outstanding Initiative Award" for 2006. HKCBA expands reach with cooperation on PRD events. HKCBA has over 170 members attend the 7th Annual Hong Kong Forum and SME World Expo. Retiring HKCBA National Chair Barry Macdonald is elected Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide.
2007	HKCBA's third "Canada-Hong Kong Business Forum" will be held in Toronto on Monday April 23rd 2007 - again expanding our scope to the PAN PRD - with the theme "A Winning China Strategy for Canada: Hong Kong and Fujian" - The Forum's, and HKCBA's focus, very much remains "Your Smart Link in China: Hong Kong".

HKCBA NATIONAL OFFICE
The Hong Kong-Canada Business Association

National Office Hong Kong Trade Centre 9 Temperance Street, 2nd Floor TORONTO, Ontario M5H 1Y6

National Executive Director Office 508 Lisgar Street Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 5H3 nationaled@hkcba.com

National Chair:	Lenore Gibson
National Executive Director:	Grace Xin
Executive Committee:	Lenore Gibson, National Chair
	Mitch Kowalski, National Vice Chair
	Barry Macdonald, Immediate Past National Chair
	Peter Yeung, Governor, Past National Chair
Treasurer:	Sam Yeung
Secretary:	David Pohl
Directors-at-Large	Henry Fetigan
	Dorothy Jean Mar

SECTION PRESIDENTS:

Vancouver:	David Pohl	www.hkcba.com/vancouver
Edmonton:	Frankie Lee	www.hkcba.com/edmonton
Calgary:	Audrey Kwan	www.hkcba.com/calgary
Winnipeg:	David Spiers	www.hkcba.com/winnipeg
Toronto:	Anita Kwan	www.hkcba.com/toronto
Ottawa:	Alison Nankivell	www.hkcba.com/ottawa
Montreal:	Josh Miller	www.hkcba.com/montreal
Halifax:	Kam Chung	www.hkcba.com/halifax
London Ontario Representative:	Carmel Tse	ctse@qint.com
Saskatchewan Representative:	Dale Botting	dbotting@sasktrade.sk.ca
Hong Kong Representative:	T S Chan	chants@ln.edu.hk

HKCBA'S PARTNER ORGANIZATION IN HONG KONG:

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
Web Site: http://www.cancham.org
Contact us at: http://www.cancham.org/asp/contact_front.asp
Suite 1301, Kenwick Centre
32 Hollywood Road
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2110-8700
Fax: (852) 2110-8701

Bernard Pouliot - Chairman of the Board of Governors
Victor Apps - President
Charles Ng - Executive Director - charles_ng@cancham.org

HKCBA IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF:

THE FEDERATION

The Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide is a unique network of 31 Hong Kong Business Associations in 23 countries with over 10,000 individual associates.

These Hong Kong Business Associations were started by overseas traders, buyers and professionals, who have strong business links to Hong Kong in their respective countries, for the purpose of networking and exchanging of business information and ideas. Each of these Associations has their own individual members who are top business people and SMEs in their home country. They are Hong Kong's closest allies and partners in the world market.

With the help of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC), these Associations formed the Federation of Hong Kong Business Association Worldwide in November 2000. The Federation aims to achieve synergy among the global network of Hong Kong Business Associations. It provides an effective base for member associations to network and exchange information, thereby, generating business opportunities.

MISSION

To promote global co-operation, communication exchange and synergy among the Hong Kong business associations worldwide.

To provide a unified global voice that will enhance business and investment opportunities in and through Hong Kong.

OUR SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE HONG KONG TOURISM BOARD

OUR SPONSORS

OUR FORUM PARTNERS Ministry of Economic Development and Trade   THE BRITISH CANADIAN CHAMBER OF TRADE AND COMMERCE