RISE 2018: Hong Kong
Christopher KL Lau
RISE continues to the perfect meeting point of some of the greatest minds in technology, networking and business and the 2018 edition in Hong Kong was no different.
Some of the world’s truly innovative and forward thinking individuals and companies shared ideas, swapped contacts and shared information for three energetic, frenetic and valuable days.
One of the ideals behind RISE is the rapid diffusion of ideas; as some concepts and observations, borne out of conversations, can plant the initial seed of a product or company which can grow and develop further.
RISE facilitates this dissemination of information through its various talks, seminars, break-out sessions and casual meeting points; these include proactive sessions such as the Panda Conference, Pub Summits, Start-Up University, Growth Summit and more.
RISE 2018 attendees are constantly full of praise for the benefits of attending the conference and the benefits it includes. Jimmy Shum, Head of Finance at Vectr Ventures shared his views on a very successful RISE 2018 conference in Hong Kong.
"This year's conference brought together an eclectic group of individuals that all contributed a unique perspective to the world of startups and technology. The event provided a fantastic platform for startup founders, investors and guest speakers from all over the world to engage with one another.
The event was also beneficial to the Hong Kong startup ecosystem. I met a few attendees who were visiting Hong Kong for the very first time just to participate at the conference. They were impressed with the energy, passion, innovation, support and most importantly, being able to make meaningful connections with individuals that are really driving the industry."
Janice Ng, Head of Financial Services at the Department of International Trade for the British Consulate, commented and said that the 2018 edition of RISE had surpassed all previous editions.
"I thought the content of this year's Rise surpassed previous years and my own expectations. It was a unique melting pot of people from all walks of life; the content was truly intriguing to many in and outside the tech universe."
This year's RISE also had a touch of the celebrity and "Hollywood" feel as actor John Cho was also at the conference along with co-star Michelle La, to promote their new thriller "Searching."
The film explores a father's search for his daughter amid the myriad forms of different social media and internet search engines which have engulfed the world. The premise of the film is to explore the great advances that the internet has brought to society which can also be eclipsed by the darker side of the web. Cho spoke about the film and how it was to play a character of a father who realises he does not know his daughter as well as he thinks.
"I suppose it was kind of easy to relate too as I have children of my own. Though they are not quite old enough to be on social media. And with my ten year old, I feel that he is trying to individualise himself, already."
He went onto say:
"This film ("Searching") is a thriller and this is why I signed onto do it. I did not have any interest in breaking new ground in cinema which is what this film ended up doing. It was the script first and foremost and if that did not work, and if the emotional through line was not there, then I don't think the movie works at all and then it is a gimmick but it was a story of a father and family which was trying to become whole again and the challenge was, can we do it in this format."
This modern and fast-paced world has become enveloped by the internet and social media and those who don't follow and track the trends will simply lose out.
There is no doubt that RISE 2019 will simply develop, grow and evolve from the 2018 edition and will continue to be at the forefront of technology in the Asian region.
For information on RISE 2019 see riseconf.com
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