By Hans Ebert @HansEbertMusic Visit: www.hans-ebert.com
Sunday was a huge success in many different ways for the multi layered Hong Kong Jockey Club starring the best in Group 1 international horse racing, something very apt considering this was the culmination of HKIR week.
There was the domination of the Japanese raiders, the quintet of winners ridden by the brilliant Hong Kong-based Brazilian magic man Joao Moreira and a record turnover of over HK$1.7 billion.
What does any of this mean to non-race goers? Well, despite the ongoing protests and a city cloaked in fear, the HKJC made a decision- a decision to lead from the front and have this week of the very best in horse racing happen.
The chief architect in making this event happen: HKJC CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. He never wavered.
Personally speaking, and not because he’s a good friend, there’s no better leader than him in Hong Kong. He’s the total package- decisive, multi-dimensional, able to change with the times, approachable, diplomatic, inspiring, and someone who truly lives up to being customercentric by getting out there to know and meet us “common folk”.
As for the HKJC, it’s a non-profit organisation. But what does this mean and how does this work, especially the Club’s Charities Trust?
Has the HKJC Annual Report been fully understood by those who SHOULD understand it- meaning the people of Hong Kong?
Should this be presented in a different way? A more consumer friendly way?
Years ago when in advertising, we presented the marketing gurus at the Club at the time with a campaign that showed what Hong Kong would look like without the all the buildings and everything these buildings home, thanks to the HKJC.
The presentation was a bust. Why? Possibly lack of vision. Perhaps we were off strategy. Perhaps we were ahead of our time and got ahead of ourselves? It happens.
Turnover figures and the wins of Sunday won’t mean much to this city’s many non-racegoers.
This is where, the Hong Kong Jockey Club might be underselling all the good it does for the community- all the good it’s done and continues to do.
At a time when priorities in life have changed- and not for the better- perhaps there’s a need to look at what more the HKJC and its Charities Trust can do for the current and next generations.
Hong Kong today is rebuilding its future. It’s going to take time. Most of the world is trying to do the same as there’s a sudden and huge generation gap that’s created chaos, anger and a weird social media driven world.
For a horse racing club that’s much more than a horse racing club to work towards creating a better future for Hong Kong’s next generation could be the biggest winner of them all…
It’s something that might even inspire the world to make changes for the better- changes to benefit the children growing up in a world where life’s priorities and innocence have been lost to irrelevance and second hand news that’s taking many into an abyss of nothingness.
It’s time to let the sun shine in. And the HKJC can be a key player in making this happen- for Hong Kong and let it inspire the world. Inspiration is in short supply these days…
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