China - Beyond the Olympics

The 2008 Beijing Olympics have significantly changed China in its economic presence, culture and environment. These changes will bring new opportunities to people inside and outside of China, and to many of us in Silicon Valley. The 2008 HYSTA Annual Conference has invited experts who run multinational businesses and insiders with firsthand experience in China to share their insights on the opportunities and challenges the Olympics have brought to China.

This year’s conference will include notable speakers such as Deepak Advani, Chief Marketing Officer of Lenovo, Jack Gao, CEO of STAR China and Vice President of News Corporation, and Harry Shum, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft. In 2008, Lenovo became China’s first non-monopoly private company to be ranked among Fortune Magazine’s top 500 enterprises; and their sponsorship of the Beijing Olympics has brought the Lenovo brand to a historical new height, with a lasting impact well beyond the Olympics. Two years ago, the media giant, News Corporation, recruited seasoned executive Jack Gao, former president of Microsoft China and Autodesk, to help them enter the China media market, which is heavily regulated and may be the most challenging sector in China to get into. Harry Shum is one of the founding members of Microsoft Research Asia in Beijing and oversaw its research activities and the lab's collaborations with universities in the Asia Pacific region. Harry is now responsible for search product development at Microsoft. From the talks of these three leaders, you will gain tremendous insight about how they have navigated through the dynamic market and how they view the Beijing Olympics as an opportunity to drive their businesses to another level.

This one-day conference consists of a morning and an afternoon session. Participants can choose from two different interactive morning sessions. The first is called the “China Track” where participants will gain insight into new trends in market entry and exit for doing business in China and how to effectively outsource business to China. The second track is called the “VC Investing and Entrepreneurship Track”. Participants in this track will learn about investment and financing opportunities that exist in China and how to manage Chinese start-ups. The afternoon panels will provide “An Inside Look at China’s Domestic Growth Engine” and discuss “The Implications of China’s Growing Economic Strength on the World Stage”.

Other than the business outlook, we will also address the social, cultural, and environmental implications post- Beijing Olympics. The Olympics have created attention and controversy to new ideas and issues. Our speakers will share their views about how we should define strategies to integrate these variables into business planning.

On a personal note, I strongly believe in the value HYSTA can create, because I have benefited immensely from it. Six years ago, I participated in HYSTA’s Annual Conference as an attendee. Aside from what I learned from the speakers and fellow attendees about how to grow a company in a sustainable way, I also successfully raised the B-round financing for TeleNav from the contacts I made at the conference.

On behalf of our team of speakers, volunteers, and sponsors who are doing their best to bring a positive impact to HYSTA’s members and our community, I would like to extend you our warmest welcome to the 2008 HYSTA Annual Conference.

Thank you,

HP Jin
HYSTA Vice President and 2008 Annual Conference Chairman
CEO, TeleNav