All of us can agree that 2020 has been a unique year. A monumental year, that changed not just the course of history, but also affected our daily routines and life decisions. This year has been the most demanding for the logistics industry, due to the pressure of a raging pandemic and geopolitical variabilities.
As a young organisation, New Silk Road Network has had its own set of challenges. At the same time, what was motivating for us was to witness our members' drive to achieve extraordinary feats, in the face of one hurdle after the other. As the year comes to an end, we are filled with a sense of gratitude towards those who have supported us. We would like to take this opportunity to recap the most significant moments for our network.
Our beginnings…
The year 2020 has been momentous for our network, considering the numerous happenings that have shaped our network in so many ways. New Silk Road Network officially began operations on the 1st of January 2020. Our network geared up to open the doors to competent logistics companies that wished to work along the New Silk Road and join founding members and partners.
Soon after, we launched our website intending to make our member experience flawless. The journey of brainstorming and setting up the network in the early days has been one of the most significant memories. From there on, we have continued to expand our services and offer benefits to all.
Our Newsletter
While creating our newsletter, there were few significant aspects that we kept in mind. First, we wished to develop a network newsletter that deployed content creation and marketing in unique, yet engaging ways. Our newsletter became a balanced blend of marketing and cultivating knowledge for our readers in the logistics industry.
Our newsletter's first featured news from our members, sharing their achievements and growing capabilities. The other two sections, namely News on the Road and Homebrew, focus on contributing to the Knowledge Hub. This initiative strives to create a pool of information for the logistics industry doing business along the New Silk Road. The News on the Road includes bite-sized news items published every month that give our readers a quick overview of developments pertaining to the New Silk road. NSRN's Homebrew articles, on the other hand, are detailed explainers on topical issues that concern the logistics industry.
Finally, the highlight of our newsletter are the interviews published every month. The interviews generally cover a range of topics concerning the member company that is being interviewed. The interviews give insight into the people and their stories behind the successful business ventures they are running today. These in-depth profiles help our members to learn from each other's experiences.
Our Annual General Meeting
As September rolled in, NSRN was all geared to host its first Annual General Meeting in Warsaw. However, the road was not all that smooth to the hosting of the event. With the looming threat of the coronavirus pandemic, there was always a sliver of doubt with regards to the hosting of the event. Nevertheless, we continued our efforts and organised the 1st Annual General Meeting in a hybrid format. As many of the members were situated outside Europe and did not have the means to travel, we arranged for them to join our event remotely via iPad setups at the venue.
In the sleek and comfortable décor of the Nobu Hotel Warsaw, our members and partners gathered to make our 1st Annual General Meeting a grand success! From one-on-one meetings to a gala dinner, the event perfectly balanced business and casual encounters to give the members ample opportunities to solidify their acquaintances into business relationships. At the end of the event, we were glad to meet everyone from the network who joined us and made the event a success.
Things to remember…
With a few days left till the end of the year, we would like to take this moment to cherish the memories that took place within our network, leaving significant impressions on us. One of the first few cherished memories was meeting our founding members on the ground in China, right before establishing the company and gaining their support to start our network.
Along with that, watching our network grow into a strong community of 50 members has instilled the confidence that our network is on a steady path towards building an ecosystem for SMEs to leverage the opportunities offered by the Belt and Road Initiative.
But by far, our most cherished memory was to meet our members and partners at the cocktail reception at the first AGM. For so many months of just phone calls and zoom calls, it was refreshing to meet each other in person (with Covid-19 rules). At the end of the event, one of the most heartwarming moments was receiving congratulatory emails from our members and partners. Reading those messages motivated us to cross the benchmark we set for ourselves with the 1st Annual General Meeting.
2021: A year of possibilities
With many big and small goals to achieve, our network is continuously growing and changing. In the coming year, apart from the Annual General Meeting, NSRN is planning towards coming up with other opportunities for our members and partners to meet each other.
Apart from networking, we are also experimenting with boosting our marketing capabilities by offering novel ways to engage with our growing readership. Moreover, we are working towards reaching out to more companies interested in leveraging the New Silk Road. Finally, our long-term promise of securing the funds for those in our network is coming to fruition as the new year rolls-in.
Big announcements are around the corner for New Silk Road Network, as we endlessly work towards providing our members with a more wholesome experience. On that note, we thank all the support that has come our way, moreover during the most uncertain times this year.