 When Behringer wants to throw to party, the company is serious. It’s an all-out affair. Even with the economy in turmoil, Behringer invited the press and key dealers to join its employees first in Hong Kong and then in Zhongshan, which is in China’s Guangdong Province. The celebration? Behringer’s 20th anniversary, as well as the seventh anniversary of Behringer’s Eurotec Electronics Factory.
While in Hong Kong, guests were treated to a dinner buffet cruise with a “Symphony of Light Show.” While aboard the cruise, exquisite views of Victoria Harbor abounded.
Hong Kong was under British control until 1996. So to say its culture is unique is an understatement. It truly is east meets west. Asian architecture is prevalent. But, there is a New York deli that actually imports its food from New York City. McDonalds and Pizza Huts also litter the landscape. And that’s not to mention the main tourist area, known as “The Peak,” where you’ll find Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory, Madame Tussaud’s, and more.
But Hong Kong only covered the first day of the event: Feb. 19. Guests were ferried from Hong Kong to Zhongshan on Feb. 20 and were treated to meals, tours, and more.
 And then, on Feb. 21, Behringer stepped up its game even more. In the morning, members of the press were bussed to Behringer City, the company’s 2 million-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility. A full tour of the location lasted for two hours. Behringer City is the home to 2,800 employees. The facility is not only where the employees work, but where they live. A lunchroom, televisions, ping pong tables, a library, and a DVD room are located on the campus. And let’s not exclude a full basketball court. Basketball has become a humongous deal in China, brought on by the massive success of Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets, and, to a lesser extent, Yi Jianglin of the New Jersey Nets.
Of course, a lot of work is done at the facility as well. The plant has the capacity to produce 30,000 guitars and 60,000 speakers monthly.
Save the Biggest
For Last
The three-day event ended with a bang. Eurotec’s seventh anniversary party. If you have an impressive memory of the Music & Sound Retailer, you may recall we were in China for Eurotec’s fifth anniversary party. This is what the same author wrote during that event: “Before media and dealers walked into the catering hall, guests were serenaded by a band. Dealers and members of the media walked into the catering hall in procession style. They were greeted by a standing ovation from the Eurotec Employees.
“When the party started,” we continued, “there were speeches by [Behringer Founder] Uli Behringer and [CEO Michael] Deeb, translated from English to Chinese of course, and then out pranced dancers, singers, a fashion show, and even a ‘Mr. and Mrs. Eurotec’ contest. That was combined with a Chinese feast of Miso soup, lamb, duck, beer, etc.”
Uli Behringer and Michael Deeb are not only men who possess a massive number of frequent flyer miles. They are showmen. The three-day event Behringer hosted is how it throws parties. This year, perhaps the party was even more grandiose because of the depressing economy. And as always, the Chinese employees are as excited about the Eurotec party as a child eagerly awaiting the opportunity to open his or her presents on Christmas morning. “If anyone had asked me twenty years ago if Behringer would have 3,500 employees around the world and be one of the biggest companies in the MI market, I would have said they were nuts!” said Uli Behringer. “We owe our success to the dedication and passion of our employees who produce astounding products. We could not have achieved this level of success without the support of the press and our worldwide dealer and distributor network. We absolutely owe a debt of gratitude to our customers who understand the value we bring, and have become loyal users and advocates.”
“We enter 2009 with a solid cash position, no hard debt and near-complete control over our manufacturing and distribution channels,” said Deeb. “Over the last several years, Behringer has invested significantly to assure control over as much of our destiny as possible. We can’t say that we cornered the market on wisdom a few years ago. We simply applied sound business practices to assure a predictable future for ourselves and our customers. These decisions and activities place us now in a very stable position to not only weather this economic downturn, but to take advantage of it through expansion and acquisition.”
As the party finally dissipated early in the morning on Feb. 22, guests were bussed back to the Shangri-La Hotel, where they were able to get some shut-eye before adjusting back to the huge time disparity in the United States and getting back to work.
However, when you visit China, the culture is so unique and the trip so long that you simply cannot forget for the rest of your life.
[ pages: 1]
|
you can download this entire issue here >>
