Photos and roundup: Employee Benefits Asia 2017, Hong Kong

Organised by Human Resources, the Employee Benefits Asia 2017 conference in Hong Kong saw close to 200 attendees gaining insights into some of the biggest C&B trends and challenges through a series of keynote presentations, case studies, and panel discussions.

Back for its third year, the event was produced by Francis Lee and was curated to bring together HR heads and business leaders to discuss the latest developments in rewards strategies. Held on 11 May 2017 at The Mira Hong Kong; here are the photos and highlights of Employee Benefits Asia 2017, Hong Kong.

Check out photos from the event here.

The event was started off by Fiona Woo, vice-president, global human resources, Schneider Electric with a keynote on getting your company’s human capital ready for the future. She told the room: "We focus on talent development, simply because we know that developing talent for the future is important for the company. We want to identify those who bring more business value and development value, so that we can invest more in them."

Next on stage was Peter Crewe, chief executive officer, group corporate solutions, AIA Group. He spoke to the delegates about helping employees achieve longer, healthier and better working lives. He said: "All of you can craft the future of your employees. It’s how you collaborate with vendors and business partners that can make a difference."

Crewe pointed out the importance of working with the right partners for employers to get the best, most cost-effective services for their staff. Additionally, he explained how AIA is working with stakeholders to keep the cost of medical benefits manageable. “The costs of benefit programmes are escalating. As an employer and service provider, we have a responsibility to control that cost," he said.

After a short break, Andrew Keith, chief operating officer, Deacons, took to the stage to discuss perks, benefits, and how much they really matter.

Next, the conference saw a panel discusion on the role of well-being in performance.

Moderator Aalok Gupta, HR and organisation effectiveness expert, was joined on stage by panellists Thomas Lee, chief corporate solutions officer, AIA Hong Kong; Sadia Liu, head of human resources – HK/TW/SG and organisation development lead – AP, Knorr-Bremse Asia Pacific; and Angie Sung, head of human resources, Hong Kong and Macau, Hilti (Hong Kong).

The panellists discussed the nature of stress, and how good stress management can play a role in helping companies achieve business growth.

Before lunch, Sadia Liu remained on stage for an exclusive interview on creating a workplace that talents want to belong to. Hosting the interview was Jerene Ang, senior journalist, Human Resources magazine.

After lunch, delegates were welcomed back with another exclusive interview. Josephine Lee, vice-president – human resources and administration at CFL Enterprise, joined Human Resources magazine journalist Laura Fransen on stage to talk about healthy recipes for an engaged workforce.

Check out photos from the event here.

Next, Kevin Jones, Hong Kong country manager for Aetna International took to the stage. He drew upon his 34 years of experience in the international medical and health insurance markets to present delegates with a case study on cost-effective innovations in the industry.

Following that, Cecilia Deasy, regional consulting leader, CXA Group spoke to the delegates about how to get the most out of your health and wellness budgets.

She talked about the possibilities medical technology brings and said: "We're aiming for a shift from reactive and sick-based policies, to proactive and preventive ones."

After that, four HR leaders shared their ideas on formulating expatriation programmes in a panel discussion led by senior journalist Jerene Ang. She was joined on stage by Andrew Keith, chief operating officer, Deacons; Fiona Woo, vice-president, global human resources, Schneider Electric; Barbara Lam, manager, enterprise mobility, Asia Pacific, Avery Dennison; and Josephine Lee, vice-president – human resources and administration, CFL Enterprise.

In response to a question from the audience, the panellists spoke about some of the challenges with repatriation. They agreed that often, the challenges can be similar to those faced when sending the employee on the expat assignment. "Repatriation is expatriation," Keith said.

After a quick break, delegates welcomed the next speaker, Julien Lauden, co-founder of Fit Eat In. Lauden shared practical advice and insights on integrating fitness and nutrition programmes into your working environment.

He said that in Hong Kong's busy working culture, companies need to give employees permission to take care of themselves.

The final speaker of the day was Syed Asim Hussain, co-founder of Black Sheep Restaurants. He started of by thanking the room, saying that HR are the unsung heroes of the corporate world whose work often goes unappreciated, before addressing the topic of creating commitment in an industry with high turnover rates.

Check out photos from the event here.

The Human Resources team would like to thank all sponsors, exhibitors, and partners who contributed to the success of Employee Benefits Asia 2017, Hong Kong:

Platinum Sponsor:AIA Group

Gold Sponsor:CXA Group

Silver Sponsor:Aetna International

Exhibitor:Total Loyalty Company

Event Sponsors:FlexSystemPolyVision EyeCare Centres