Superheroes Adventure 2014

It was that time of the year again for yet another LDC Superheroes Adventures. Only this time our little “adventure” was much closer at home. This year, we chose Berjaya Times Square Hotel for our Annual BE Outing @ Weekend Getaway.

After a quick checked-in to our rooms, we were then walked together to CEO Neway Karaoke at Fahrenheit Bukit Bintang for our first planned activity – karaoke / dinner. It was the main event that everyone was looking forward to. Unfortunately Nita couldn’t join us, so she had missed all the actions.

It was really a night to be remembered for everyone. Luqman soaring vocal powerhouse and energetic ‘performances’ lightened up the atmosphere all night long. But the brightest star among all was of course none other than our resident singer, Kyra. We were basked in the lush vocal timbre and charismatic personality of the soulful, captivating singer that she is.

Shahrul was the first one to leave due to ‘family commitment’ but the rest of us, we continued chilling out, singing to our hearts’ contents, and eating until the wee hours of the morning. An opportunity to hang out together like this is rare - like finding an albino big foot in the wild, so we were really let everything hung loose.

We called it a night around 4am. Everyone looked super tired but we still half-heartedly promised to do breakfast and probably gym together in the morning but alas it wasn’t really meant to be. We only met each other again around 10.00am before we proceed to another activity.

Next activity was bowling. We went to Ampang Superbowl Berjaya Times Square in hope to bowl away the late morning drowsiness, unfortunately; all lanes were fully booked that day. We were slightly irritated but it didn’t hamper our spirits. A small snooker centre called Cue Station located beside the bowling alley caught our attentions. At first we were not really sure about it but after a few nudges and jolts, it turned out to be a nice surprise. I’d think Boey, Kong and Alvin enjoyed the game. I personally liked it. It was a fun first time experience for me.

Time flies when we are having fun. Next thing we know it was lunchtime and our chosen makan place was Absolut Thai on Lower Ground Berjaya Times Square. It was a cozy little place. The food was good but the companion was even better. We have invited few special guests, Ain and Ira to join us for lunch. It was a wonderful afternoon, wonderful times with friends.

We bid each other goodbyes around 2.00pm with a big smile on our faces, knowing very well in our hearts we couldn’t wait for our next ‘adventure’.

BE@UOB Convention 2014

On June 14 this year, we had our fourth BE@UOB Convention with the theme of “Seeds of Greatness”. The big idea this time is to ‘harvest the fruits of our labor by engaging our colleagues with sustainable success models and shared experiences.

This year, in term of venue, we decided to break out of usual. We chose for the first time to hold the Convention in Grand Hyatt Hotel Kuala Lumpur.  We invited both BE Champions and BE Scorecard Managers nationwide and the actual total number turned up on that day was close to 300 people.

Unlike previous events, this time around, there was no separate session for BE Champions and BE Scorecard Managers. For the day event, ‘Engagement Talk by Alphonse Peter’, all participants were sitting together. The purpose was for them to mingle and connect with each other and most importantly show the same high level of engagement and enthusiasm.

Mr. Alphonse Peter, from Knowledge Edge (M) Sdn Bhd, a distinguished speaker and renowned engagement specialist was back by popular demand. He imparted his vast knowledge and experiences to the participants in the most entertaining ways. He told jokes, shared funny stories and engaged and inspired everyone in the room all at the same time.  Everyone seemed so engrossed and drawn to his big personality.

 Among topics that he covered for the whole day programme was based on the main theme of the convention, like Select Your Seed, Prepare The Soil and Plant The Seed, Remove The Weeds and Apply The Fertilizers, Enjoy The Flowers, Protect and Enjoy The Fruits. Engagement Talk lasted until 6.00pm and the participants then were given an hour and half break before the start of the next activity, Appreciation Dinner.

Appreciation Dinner was the time for the participants to relax and let their hair down after a long, tiring day. Entertainment for the night was provided by 5 former finalists of UOBM Annual Dinner’s The Voice competition led by 2012 winner, Kyra from LDC. Apart from the entertainment line-up, in between, the winner of BE@UOB T-shirt Design Contest has also been announced. The winner of 2014 BE@UOB T-shirt Design Contest is Ms. Pak Su Meng of Retail, T&O.

The night was officially ended on 10.30pm, but of course some of them decided to stay put a little bit longer for the next ‘unofficial’ activity – karaoke! Open Karaoke session was opened to everyone until very late in the evening. Everyone was looked so happy and seemed like they had the time of their lives. We ended the 2014 BE@UOB Convention with a bang – a roaring success for the committee and team that worked really hard behind the scene.

After 4 years journey together in building an enhanced employee engagement culture in the Bank, through this once-a-year Convention, we hope that everyone will come out truly inspired and empowered. And just like what Mr. Alphonse Peter said, ‘to enjoy the fruits, we must nurture the seeds of greatness within us’. Our journey is still far from over.