Full Transcript of Podcast

Daniel: Hi. This is Daniel Lafontaine. We are here tonight for a special event: KBC 9.9. We’re going to talk tonight about Evening of New Traditions happening this Friday. To get everybody excited about the event, we have one of the main organizers with us tonight, William Sisson. We also have another gentleman, Waleed Mansoor. We’re going to talk to William tonight.

First of all, let’s have a better introduction.

Waleed: Yeah. Okay, my name is Waleed. I work for Samsung Electronics. I’ve been in Korea for five years and really looking forward to the event coming Friday. I have some questions for William here.

Daniel: Very good. And William?

William: Okay, good. Well, my name’s William Sisson and I’m a senior consultant in executive search, and I’ve been here for four years and we’re really excited about this event coming up on Friday.

Daniel: Excellent. How is everything going, William? How many people have already signed up?

William: Well, as of today, we have almost 100 people signed up. That’s not including the number of people from our sponsors, nor does it include some specially invited guests. So we have about 100 people and it’s really a good sign. We still have another week to go. I would like to see 200 there, but I’m happy with 100.

Daniel: I sure hope there are at least 200 people, with your 100 people plus extra sponsors and everything else. I’m going to be there.

William: Right now, I think we’re probably at like 120, 130.

Daniel: Really?

Waleed: And still one week to go. People will, I think... will catch up, word of mouth will spread and people will come up.

William: Yeah. I’ve got some responses that the people, “Oh, I’m coming,” but they haven’t signed up yet. So I still have some CEOs that haven’t signed up, etc.

Waleed: Yeah. I looked at the event description and it looks like a very nicely organized event at a very nice place. But, isn’t it a little too informal? I was thinking that maybe they’ll have some informatory speeches or some other informatory material about people who are just looking to start business right now. The event says they have a music performance and there is some little speech at the beginning, but nothing more formal.

William: Waleed, have you been there before?

Waleed: I haven’t been to that place, but I will surely go this Friday.

William: Oh, it’s really beautiful. It’s just a traditional hanuk. The whole idea of the event is to keep it informal because the Seoul Global Business Support Center does formal presentations about establishing a business in Korea, giving business advice, etc. So this is an offline place and event where people can just network and get to know other expatriates.

We found a strong missing piece in Seoul, Korea where there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for cross-cultural or cross-country networking. It usually seemed like if the Europeans got together, they were just with Europeans. If Americans got together with AmCham, they were just with AmCham people. So they never crossed or got to know other people in a business setting like we’re planning for next Friday.

Daniel: That’s true. Since I’ve been here, 11 years, there’s really nothing like that. Like you said, with the Chambers or the American Chambers or the European Chambers, they have events, but it’s always focused on themselves. To make an event like this a success, what do you need to consider?

William: Well, I think you need to consider if you’re going to participate that you can’t be shy, you have to bring business cards or at least some sort of contact information printed. I go to so many networking events and business functions, and you usually see the same people there and then when new people show up, they’re just almost inundated with all these other people who are the traditional networkers.

But in an event like this, you’re really going to have an opportunity to meet and talk with other people that you’ve probably never seen or you may have had some contact with. And because it is more social or relaxed than it is in a formal lecture setting or a breakfast meeting or something like that, it gives a better opportunity to actually talk and meet and get to know people. So that’s really what the whole objective is.

But people, you have to not be shy. If you want to meet someone that someone else knows, ask to be introduced. The whole purpose of this is for all of us to network together.

Daniel: When you’re talking about networking, I think that’s one of Korea’s – as a society – is so very good at. It’s just like their networking system is like from the elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, university, their different jobs. They go out every week with their job workers. They connect with the other people that they know so that they can… Waleed, any other questions?

Waleed: It’s really looking like an informal event, but people have to be open and go and talk to other people and just not stick to their own group of people as William mentioned. The other question that I had in mind. Are you guys providing any – he already pointed out it’s an informal event, but any other brochure or booklet that people could take home, a list of people who came there or a list of businesses that other people are running? Any other booklet or brochure about other businesses run by…

William: Okay. Well, actually, the sponsors will be bringing materials, individual people will not because basically this, like I said, informal. It’s not a time to market your business except in a networking situation. So if you wanted everybody’s phone number, email address, then I would say you would have to go to everybody.

Waleed: And ask them. Yeah.

William: As an organizer, we do have that information and eventually, after this, we will set up a website and post photos and videos, etc. and then maybe a list of the participants. But to really get a full list, I think you just need to go meet people.

Daniel: That’s very good. Actually, we’re up to almost nine minutes now. Any last thoughts?

Waleed: Yeah. I’m really looking forward to see all the people and, as William pointed out, we all should be open with people and exchange information and build the kind of tempo and momentum that they’ve already built at Korean Business Center.

Daniel: And William, I know you worked very hard. I’ve talked to Steve and this has been a huge event for you. Any last words on what you want to talk about?

William: Well, I really want to see people come. Signing up for it and then actually showing up is two different things. So I really wanted to see a strong attendance here. Because this is fairly new and it hasn’t been done in a while in Korea, this could be a big step for us to move forward where this kind of international, global networking event here will turn into 200, 500, 1,000 people in the future.

So this is just the very beginning of I think a very long-standing tradition that can’t be accomplished by the other chambers, organizations in Korea.

Daniel: Very good. I think you very much, both of you. This is Daniel Lafontaine with KBC 9.9 with Daniel. I hope you enjoyed our discussion tonight and talk to you next time.