“All in all, a tiny compact location – Hong Kong in the heart of Asia”
written by Wayne Brown
Descending on Hong Kong – the heart of Asia
Having just spent a week in HK with 400 leaders of our organization reminded me not to take our surroundings for granted. Living here in Asia at this moment in history is a true blessing. Surrounded by countries that desperately try to establish and rebrand themselves from the label of developing nations, it is spurring innovation and helping industries like ours thrive.
View from the deck of the 12 month old, 5 star Kerry Hotel, in Hung Hom Bay, on Kowloon side of Hong Kong.
This was home for us during the Leadership conference.
For most participants, the event was a rare opportunity to relax a little, away from daily business rigors. To network with colleagues and listen to our Leaders speak about performance and future direction.
Those that call the region home (from AP) it was an opportunity to showcase our developments during the past 12 months. Mostly through digital technology and most state of the art, best practice for our company and perhaps industry.
Rapidly changing world around us…
The world is certainly changing rapidly, driven by technological developments and the threat from converging platforms in IoT, 5G, quantum computing, Internet 3.0, and AI. Convergence and integration of these systems, which may only be months or, worst case, two years, away will certainly reshape our lives and the way we do business.
While our industry, for the most part, does not operate with leading-edge technology, there is a great likelihood that significant change will occur in the preceding years. Predicting what that looks like is outside of my skillset and best left for those disruptors directly involved. However, standing still and waiting to see the outcome isn’t an option. It takes time to set direction and gear up to steer the change required throughout an organization, with our people, mindsets, systems, and processes.
For the Boomers and Generation X among us, we carry an additional challenge, that is to stay current with equipment, terminology, and our way of working.
What does the near future hold for us …
Our industry is heavily invested in this already. It’s exciting to think what traditional functions such as Manufacturing, Installation, and Service might look like in the short space of 5 years from now.
For anyone wanting to know more, our Innovators blogs are helpful. And a close friend Pierre Njeim who is deep in the topic, would be happy to hear from you. Check out his blog “Elevators – not only a box that goes up and down.” Another interesting source is through Peter Diamandis and his “Abundance Insider” blog – peter@diamandis.com
Lets explore Hong Kong – the heart of Asia
Let’s step back to our conference participants – they came from across the globe to experience our hospitality. And Hong Kong didn’t disappoint. Moderate temperatures greeted everyone as they stepped off their flight, weary but expectant. Eager to seek out what Hong Kong was waiting to offer.
The experience typically begins with the narrow streets and height of buildings, the crowded sidewalks, bustling streets.
Hawkers offerings massages at every turn and on both sides of the Victoria Harbour.
Connection with China Mainland
Many of the Kowloon locals take the opportunity to travel frequently across the border into Shenzhen, China. It`s an equally bustling megacity but with a marginally cheaper cost of living. Shenzhen boasts the largest production and supply of electronic components in the world.
But for the short-term visitor, Hong Kong offers ample to occupy your days and entertain you at night.
The magnificent and abundant views are available when sitting on one of the Star ferries. They criss-cross every 10 minutes between Admiralty and Wan Chai piers on the island and TST, Kowloon.
Many overseas visitors found their way from the Kerry Hotel through the crowded streets of TST and onto the Star Ferries across to Central.
Along the way, they enjoyed the local sights, shopping, hordes of people, street hawkers, and clear skies (for the most part).
Once reaching Central, it was only a short stroll through more narrow, crowded streets and additional must-visit locations.
Ascend the hillside by cable car to Victoria Peak or the Peak. It offers fantastic views of the surrounding high-value residential properties and down to Central , Lamma Island and other surrounding islands.
Naturally, much of this exploration occurred at night, given our daytime conference schedule. Sampling the nightlife (bars) Lan Kwai Fong or restaurants’ selection via the mid-level escalators became a treat for anyone with a sense of adventure. Others staggered back to the hotel as the sun was starting to rise over the hills. Did you want to learn more about the nightlife ?
The more family-oriented among us are not left out either. There’s plenty to keep you occupied with two world-class amusement parks on your doorstep. Disneyland & Ocean Park. And of course, there is the food. Hong Kong, of course, is famous for its variety – local specialties together with almost every other cuisine you could imagine.
All in all, a tiny compact location in the heart of Asia…
In most cases, the challenge is not what to see but which sight to see first. For this, grab a local colleague and set sail. Just remember to come back with your head in the game for the next day’s activities.
And so to the elevator-escalator diehards…
According To CTBUH study Hong Kong is ranked #1 in China, Asia and globally for the most buildings exceeding a height of 150 meters. . Three hundred fifty-three of them with one more presently under construction. Of these, 6 exceed 300 meters, with the tallest of them being the 108 floor International Commerce Centre topping off at 484 meters.
With approximately 65,000 units under maintenance and with an average age of 17-18 years, 75% of which are residential. Hong Kong is a city of mega modernization potential – both for buildings and elevator/escalators.
Key landmarks projects…
The 5 tallest buildings:
- 484m, 112 floor International Commerce Centre – 83 elevators with fastest @ 9m/s
- 412m, 94 floor Two International Finance Centre – 62 elevators with fastest @ 10.6m/s
- 374m, 81 floor Central Plaza – 39 elevators
- 367m, 76 floor Bank of China Tower – 49 elevators
- 346m, 76 floor The Centre – 41 elevators with fastest @ 12m/s
Other significant projects:
- Hong Kong International airport – with large combination of elevators and escalators
- Mid-level escalators – climbing some 106 metres
- Numerous large shopping centre complexes on Island and Kowloon sides
And to my wrap up and take-aways …
Until next time, stay safe and keep learning
