2009 Annual Meeting: Cambodia
Our 8th Annual Network Meeting was held at the Allson Angkor Paradise Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia from 18-20 February 2009. Click to view photos from our Welcome Reception, Gala Dinner and Meeting Room.
Wow! What a family we have become. The Hotel Manager, George Teh stated that he had never before seen such a friendly and warm group. Here is our ‘family’ group photo ….
We welcomed many new faces and every meeting brings more collective cheer and a closer-knit framework upon which to build our future together.
Our Cocktail Evening was perfect for hugging old and greeting new friends. We ate, drank, watched Ansara dances and socialised for 3 hours before the warm weather encouraged several delegates to take a refreshing dip in the pool!
The meeting began with official updates from the UFO Head Office and our annual Award Ceremony. We then declared an end to the world recession by taking part in dynamic discussions on how our companies can survive 2009!
Many good ideas came from this session and will be implemented over the coming months. Our first section of 1-2-1 meetings then kicked off with our delegates showing their dedication and focus to building business together.
After lunch, we went in pre-arranged groups (to break up old friends and ensure that all delegates are networking to the maximum) to visit the Angkor Wat Temples. Despite the warm weather, the majority of delegates were as in awe of the extensive wall decorations as me. It is amazing that these beautiful temples were made in the early 12th century. Wow! We truly experienced one of the Seven Wonders of the World and shared an afternoon to remember. A quick shower and we were off again. Our fabulous convoy of 50 tuk-tuks took us to a local authentic restaurant, the Koulen II. We were then able to relax and enjoy the evening with friends.
Day 2 began with a presentation from Rashid of Dynami Aviation and then we discussed some interesting and important subjects including our Quality Control Survey and Multiple Memberships. The remainder of the day were 1-2-1 Meetings, and I was very impressed by the ability of our delegates to smile and network again and again, despite any fatigue setting in.
In the evening we set off for our Farewell Banquet at the Prasad Kravan Temple. As we settled down to dinner we were entertained by various shows, bands and dances. Then a birthday surprise ... Simcha of Barshan International (UFO Israel) surprised her husband Nissim with a speech and recording for his 50th birthday. We then welcomed our other delegates who also shared February birthdays to the stage for presents, hugs and laughter. We finished the evening with the conga dance around the magnificent setting ... a dance chain of many nationalities and full of smiles, great fun.
Our final day in the meeting room began with the UFO Foundation raffle, which proudly raised over USD 3000 for the Kingsway Education Charity in Uganda. Mr. Frank Muramura (UFO Uganda) accepted the donation as the Proprietor of the charity, which was established to raise funds for financially unable children living in Uganda. Raffle gifts were generously donated from our Members in Romania, Netherlands, Japan, Kenya, Dubai, New Zealand and Iran.
We then announced our venue for our 2010 Annual Meeting and Any Other Business session. Our African Members congregated on the stage to help us understand that although most continents are suffering from the global credit crunch, in fact Africa is finding life much easier. There are many unrecognised opportunities in this area and the UFO Head Office will be working closely with our Africa partners over the coming months to ensure that all Members are aware of the developing business in this area. Click to view photos from our Welcome Reception, Gala Dinner and Meeting Room.
