Hong Kong creativity shines through as 13 teams shortlisted for JOS Innovation Awards 2018-19

Hong Kong, China, March 11, 2019 /ChinaNewswire.com/ - Closed door learning and sharing session with JOS, Manulife, Hong Kong Maxim’s Group and Sino Group

JOS, a technology solutions provider for Asia’s changing environment, and its partners, Manulife, Hong Kong Maxim's Group[1] and Sino Group have announced the shortlisted teams in the annual JOS Innovation Awards. At a kick-off ceremony held today, the thirteen teams, numbering over forty students, participated in a learning and sharing session about customer experience challenges found in the technology, insurance, food beverage services and property sectors.

All those shortlisted can now look forward to the battle round on 12 April 2019 where four teams will walk away with HK$30,000 each and win a place on the JOS Innovation Awards 2018-19 mentorship programme. Industry pundits from JOS, Manulife, Hong Kong Maxim’s Group and Sino Group will provide valuable insights into learning and what it takes to succeed in business together with potentially offering internships.

“This year, the JOS Innovation Awards yet again attracted high calibre entries from students who approached the customer experience theme with great enthusiasm and creativity. There were some amazing ideas put forward and it was very hard to determine the shortlisted entries,” said Eric Or, Managing Director, Greater China, JOS. “Today’s sharing session allowed executives and students a common platform to voice their thoughts on current and future customer experience trends and how these may be addressed.”

The Awards themselves are designed to demonstrate creative thinking and problem solving skills to everyday business challenges. The JOS Innovation Awards 2018-19 attracted over fifty teams of between two and five university students in Hong Kong all examining the customer experience challenge and coming up with solutions for JOS, Manulife, Hong Kong Maxim’s Group and Sino Group.

"Especially impressive was how the entrants highlighted specific issues associated with the insurance sector and showed an understanding of the critical role our agents play in the customer experience journey,” said Francesco Lagutaine, Chief Marketing and Experience Design Officer, Manulife Asia. “Manulife is focused on helping people make decisions easier and their lives better and leveraging technology to deliver on this. We’re excited to see the ideas the students present after gaining more understanding of our industry and customers."

During the kick-off ceremony, representatives from JOS, Manulife, Maxim’s Caterers Limited, and Sino Group took part in a panel discussion on customer experience, the challenges faced, trends and spoke about the JOS Innovation Award submissions. The session also provided the teams with genuine insights and learnings from Hong Kong business leaders in a closed-door setting.

"The customer journey is evolving in an increasingly tech-savvy world where everything is available at our fingertips. This is the same for the food and beverage industry with customers opting for diversity, speed and convenience. This requires innovative ways to understand the customers’ decision-making process. We are excited to gain inspiration from all the entries as this brings us even closer to customers and further enhances the overall customer experience," said Louis Mah, Director of Information Technology, Hong Kong Maxim's Group.

“The JOS Innovation Awards entries provide us with valuable insights to keep the customer experience fresh and relevant in the new era, particular at our properties. These enable us to identify areas for improvement and to harness technology to enhance the Sino Experience,” said Andrew Young, Associate Director (Innovation), Sino Group.

“There are over twenty thousand students graduating from Hong Kong universities every year who look to gravitate towards companies they perceive to have the strongest brands. This perception is shaped, in part, by the experience they have received as customers. Thus, the customer experience theme has allowed every participant to address issues they have experienced and to find a solution,” said Eric from JOS.