By Kevin Taylor, President, BT Asia, Middle East and Africa & Global Logistics
Our work in AMEA is one of our proudest achievements, from our initial investment in the area, to our case studies of the individual organisations, such as the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and the tangible impact that some of our technology is having. It’s been another exciting week for the BT AMEA team, as we prepare for the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens — the most anticipated event in the Asia sporting calendar.
We’re the proud sponsors of the Wales National Sevens Squad for the 2013/14 IRB HSBS Sevens World Series. It’s a great way of promoting our brand within the emerging markets, where six of the nine tournaments are hosted in AMEA, as well as supporting exciting sporting activity.
The Hong Kong Sevens is an impressive tournament, supported and watched by many senior decision makers from some of our 500 clients in the region as well as several thousand rugby fans.
Ieuan Evans, a former Wales rugby union player and Warren Gatland, former New Zealand rugby player and current head coach of Wales and the British Lions.
We’ve been present at the event for over a decade, and each year, we get to choose a different British theme to decorate our box. In 2012, understandably, we had an Olympic theme; 2013 saw the London Underground taking centre stage; and this year, we’re celebrating with a Welsh theme, showing the meeting of the Chinese and Welsh dragons.
The Hong Kong event showcases the pinnacle of rugby sevens talent with the BT box attended by over 150 of Asia’s most influential decision makers. This provides us with the precious chance to meet with customers in an informal setting. Of course, we mostly chat about the rugby, but understandably, the topic of business does crop up occasionally. The event is the perfect way to highlight the fact that our investments go beyond individual companies, and penetrate much deeper, into the heart of the region. It’s a great place to draw attention to the real savings that our technology can offer, such as the 100,000 tonnes of CO2 and £80,000 that can be saved by our video conferencing solutions.
Rugby is a sport not held by boundaries, and one that is firmly rooted in teamwork; using people’s individual talents and skills to deliver a winning strategy. No one player can win the World Series and it’s the same when it comes to globalisation strategies; there isn’t one person or organisation that will ‘come out on top’ — everyone has a role to play and success comes from having a long-term, sustainable view of the future. Communication is how we can make sure that we don’t drop the ball. It’s a way of making sure that we properly engage in the game.
The rugby sevens tournament is a great opportunity to meet with contacts, both old and new, fill them in on what we’ve been doing recently, and give them a chance to let us know the challenges they’re facing, their concerns, and the areas where they’re having great success. Here at BT, we’re not ones to stay distant: we like to tackle things face on, be available and get our heads in the scrum.
Read more about our kick off in the region here.