Best wishes for the year 2021

Best wishes for the year 2021
from the Benelux Chamber of Commerce

Dear members, dear sponsors, dear friends of the Benelux Chamber,

As 2020 and its part of the challenges are now over, we start the new year 2021 with hope and trust. We would like to take some time to reflect on the past challenging months: when the pandemic started at the beginning of the year, the Chamber recognized the need for Connection and our responsibility in supporting our Community.

With our Covid19 Experts Program, we were one of the first Chambers to reach out to our members one by one, proposing practical webinars on the Covid response and relaying official information about the crisis. We got in touch with around 100 people from 45 different Benelux companies stranded outside China to help them re-enter China. Through our relationship with the German Chamber, we secured several seats in their charter flights back to China. In 2021, we will carry on with our Covid19 communication program.

The rise of technology in 2020 has also allowed us to Connect with a larger Community in Asia and the Benelux: for example, we collaborated with 9 Benelux Chambers in Asia through webinars and joint social media publications. While being creative to respond to the new normal, we also took the time to launch a new visual identity. Having a new logo is a great occasion to affirm our Vision, Mission and Values. Now, our logo is aligned with who we are and a promise for a bright future for the Chamber.

All of this is made possible thanks to our members and sponsors. Although we have experienced a decrease in expats in China, we are happy that our sponsors have renewed their trust in the Chamber. Moreover, a new platinum sponsor has joined the Chamber in Shanghai: Alibaba Cloud. We are also grateful to the Consulates General of the Kingdoms of the Netherlands and Belgium, and of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg for their continuous support and trust.

Looking at 2021, our Chamber will have its 20 years anniversary! We will make sure to celebrate this appropriately. We also plan to implement a new CRM system, in collaboration with the Belgian firm Odoo, to further professionalize the service to our members. We will continue to foster a more integrative, diverse and multicultural Chamber, starting with new directors in our Board. Finally, we are looking forward to see our Benelux House take some shape that can further benefit our Chamber and Community!

In 2021, more than ever, the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in China is the partner for Benelux companies entering China and for Chinese companies expanding in the Benelux. Guided by our “4C Strategy”, we will continue to provide relevant, unique, qualitative and valuable Connections, Content and Community building, based on our research, network and experience, as well as that of our members. We are looking forward to further intensify the collaboration with our partners in China.

Dear friends, we wish you and your loved ones a good start of the year 2021. Stay safe!