After clinching the Gold Award in the HSBC Young IT Entrepreneur Awards 2004-2005 in Malaysia, the Gold Award winners went on to Hong Kong for the regional competition. Thereafter, they were treated to a week-long trip to Seattle, USA. They share their unforgettable experience with doctorjob here.

It's not often that one gets a fully-paid trip to other countries like Hong Kong and the US. Furthermore, a visit to big corporations such as Microsoft and Boeing was in the itinerary. Three recent graduates, Ch’ng Hock Kung, Wong Yuen Meng and Freda Wong were the lucky ones to win such a trip but they didn't win it by chance. It's through their hard work, creativity and determination that won them the trip. (Read about how they won the competition in Business Courses NOW! issue 9)

In Hong Kong
The HSBC Young IT Entrepreneur Awards is an annual competition that invites diploma and degree students to submit a creative and viable business idea involving the use of technology. This competition is run simultaneously in three other Asian countries as well ?Hong Kong, the Philippines and Thailand. And this year, the Gold Awards winners from each country competed against each other to win the ‘Best of the Best?Award. ‘Although we lost in this regional competition, we learnt so much from the other participants. The standard of the competition was definitely at a higher level and we were so impressed by the other teams?approach towards the presentation,?says Yuen Meng.
‘Due to the busy schedule arranged by HSBC, we had to spend most of our evenings practising for the presentation. The trip was just four days and we spent most of the time preparing for the competition but in between, we did manage to squeeze in some time for some shopping,?add Hock Kung and Freda.

Park Forest

‘Seattling?in
The team was under tremendous pressure during the competition so it is understandable when Freda shared that after the competition, they felt very relieved and were able to relax a little bit. They were also very excited about their trip to Seattle in USA. According to Yuen Meng, the first two days of the trip were spent at the Charles Lathrop Park Experimental Forest, known simply as Pack Forest, a reserved forest that belongs to University of Washington. ‘It was really nice as we had fine weather and a peaceful environment. We did a lot of leadership and team building activities and had so much fun. It was also a great opportunity to know the other team members in the competition better,?says Freda. ‘We were fully occupied with so many ‘natural?activities like the campfire and games,?adds Hock Kung.

Next was the trip to Mount Rainier, Hock Kung's favourite. ‘Prior to the trip, I expected to see and experience things that cannot be found in Malaysia, and the sight-seeing trip to Mount Rainier really did it for me. The mountain is a stratovolcano, which is composed of both hardened lava and volcanic ash. It is one of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen. It was covered with snow and the sight was so breathtaking that I wish I could climb the mountain,?Hock Kung fondly recalls.

Chateau Ste Michelle (Washington State's oldest winery)

A wonderful learning experience
After Pack Forest and Mt. Rainier, the team stayed in the University of Washington. ‘Basically the mornings were filled with seminars and talks, followed by company visits to Microsoft, Boeing, Seattle Times (the largest circulating daily newspaper in Washington state) printing plant, Tully's Coffee (Starbuck's closest competitor in Washington) and Chateau Ste Michelle (Washington State's oldest winery) in the afternoons. In the evenings, we were left to explore Seattle on our own,?says Freda. ‘One of the talks was very motivational as we learnt more about our personalities, whether we fall under the category of amiable, expressive, analytic or driver. The talk taught me how to deal with people, especially new acquaintances as I begin to see how everyone is so different,?she adds.
 

Musuem of Flight in Seattle

The University of Washington, according to Yuen Meng is a very conducive place for students to study in. ‘It is a very huge university; many times larger than our oldest university, the University of Malaya. They have large libraries and very comfortable hostels. To me, I learnt that the cultural exchange that took place during the trip is very precious. Not only the cultural exchange among ourselves, but also the diverse cultures of the American society. America is indeed a very liberal society and many of the Asian taboos are considered a norm there. The trip really opened my eyes to the rich cultures that each country has,?shares Yuen Meng.

For Hock Kung, he really cherished the opportunity they had for the company tours. ‘It was really an enlightening experience to be exposed to the latest technology in Seattle, and to see the operation of multinational companies. I also got to learn about the important traits that one should have if he or she wants to work in such a big company.?This trio certainly have gained a lot from the trips as they all got their first job barely a month after returning from the trip.

Malaysian delegates

Want to be like them? The HSBC Young Entrepreneur Awards 2005-2006 is now open for registration. Log on to www.hsbc.com.my and find out how to submit your business idea. If you want to read more about the recent top three winners?ideas, get hold of the following Courses NOW! magazines: Business issue 9, Engineering issue 7 and IT issue 7.