I guess we saw it coming.
We simply had to hold the half-yearly Homecoming event outside of NUS.
The limited availability of conducive seminar rooms and conference facilities in NUS seemed to hold back the growing community of our NOC Alumni, not to mention that few of us actually relish going back to a place we “hated” with utmost gusto due to the crippling projects, exams and dry lectures.
The only way was out, and up, to a central location befitting our growing stature and alumni size.
Where else better than Suntec City that will be good enough even for IMF and World Bank folks, come September. Held at the Suntec Guild House, the 2nd Homecoming event of 2006 boasts a more professional setting in the heart of the city with a outdoor rooftop BBQ party at the end of the event to boot!
Programme Schedule
This Homecoming represents a departure from the panel breakout sessions we had this January at Fratello’s in NUS.
Where the focus in January was more on alumni members sharing their experiences in small speaker panels of divergent career paths such as Mgmt Consulting, IT and Entrepreneurship, the August event focused more on entrepreneurship, with our celebrated Varun (NCSV 3) of Tencube and Yiping (NCBV2) of World Indigo of business plan competition fame adding on to Jason Teo’s (NCSV 1) inspiring story of dropping out of school (Master’s degree) and our heavyweight “celebrity” entrepreneur from Shanghai — Virgina Cha, Chairperson and CEO of Wove Holdings and also a consulting professor at NOC Shanghai.
Virginia’s story of “Reality Check: Overcoming the Odds of becoming an Entrepreneur” offered sneak peeks for non-NCSH alumni in understanding the immense rewards awaiting opportunity hunters in the competitive yet pulsating business climate of China. Her tale in revamping a failing business to a star investor’s choice in a mere 6 months warranted the attention of aspiring entrepreneurs. I, for one, was almost jumping out of my seat to impulsely ask for a job and join her in her next venture, a highly lucrative (albeit on paper) real estate development of Tsinghua Science Park. With the rising property prices and increasing need for research facilities to raise the R&D needs of industry and academia, this deal appeared to be headed for great success.
More updates on the event coming soon as the pics roll in on Flickr.
Admin Note: The writer, Bjorn Lee, is from NCSV 6. Click here for his personal blog.
