Companion 2017 – The Flame Keeper: Inherit and continue the passion for bakery

As part of the "Keep the Flame of Passion" series of events by Rich Products Vietnam in 2017, the Companion program this year is named "The Flame Keeper" and was a great success, leaving a lot of nice memories and impressions on the 350 participants, who have been Rich’s long-term partners.

“Companion” is Rich Products Vietnam’s annual sightseeing and training program. This year, it was held at Muong Thanh Luxury Hotel in Da Nang for 4 days (from October 9 to 12) and consisted of interesting activities, starting from a charity event and a personnel management training course to a cake exhibition and exciting teambuilding games taking place in Da Nang and Hoi An. Last but not least was the Gala Dinner dedicated to key customers.

Day 1: “Da Nang Reunion” – The fire of love

Despite the bad weather, Rich's associates and more than 300 customers still headed for Hoa Mai Orphanage Centre.

Although it was heavily raining and the ground was muddy, the participants were eager to plant an orchard and a garden of clean vegetables for the orphans. With smiles on their faces, they believed that each seed planted would bring the children better meals. In addition, the charity also brought the children a baking kitchen with tools and ingredients that will help them pursue a baking career more easily in the future. It will be a mistake not to mention the "Rich's Wall". The wall painted with bright colors showed the scene of children happily playing in a garden. It was painted by the participants with the hope to bring relaxing moments and joy to the children during their playtime.






At Hoa Mai Orphanage Center, Rich Products Vietnam and our customers donated 5 sets of dining tables, 50 sets of children's uniforms, 1 computer and lots of books, notebooks and candy. Besides, the crew also donated to other centers within the “Da Nang Association for the Support of Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans" with gifts including: 1 display cabinet, 1 gas stove, 2 lab tables, 1 washing machine (for the Research & Development Center for Special Education) and 1 meat grinder for newborns (for the Da Nang Baby Orphanage).

At night, the participants joined a dinner party called "The Night of Reunion" dedicated to more than 300 donors who gave a helping hand at the earlier charity event "The Fire of Love.” The participants had an opportunity to take part in fun games at Phi Lu 3 Restaurant, Hai Chau District, which made the atmosphere more exciting and warmer despite the rainy and windy weather outside. This closed the first emotional day of the “Companion” program.

Day 2: “The Succession” – A useful lesson in “transferring the passion”

On the second day, Rich’s customers participated in a training course on power transferring skills and how to inherit and develop the family business model. The course was instructed by Mr. Loan Van Son. He is currently the Chief Consultant and Chairman of TOPPION - Training and Development Consulting Group - a leading organization in training, consultation and implementation to ensure results in Vietnam. With a humorous and to-the-point approach, Son touched on a number of hot issues, regarding the concerns of Rich’s customers who are long-standing bakery owners or distributors in the process of transferring their family business to the next generation.

"I found the course very helpful. Customers who have been with Rich's for over 20 years like me probably now want to transfer our business, but we are very confused and don’t know what to do. I, myself, own a family business, but I don’t have much experience in the transferring procedures. This year’s Companion program is a stepping stone for me and my children - the next generation - to have a good preparation," said Nguyen Viet Vien, owner of Lam Huong Company Ltd. in Hai Phong.

Following was the kick-off and preparation for “The Journey to Find Fire" teambuilding program, which was to take place the next day. It was a series of activities where the participants were divided into 8 teams, and their first mission was to design uniforms for their team, using an assigned color out of the following: blue, orange, pink, yellow, green, gray, black and purple.



Day 3: “The Journey to Find Fire” – Rich’s version of the Amazing Race

At 8.am, the buses wheels started to roll and the teams were given different missions at famous sight-seeing locations in Da Nang such as Linh Ung Pagoda and Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture. They later travelled to Hoi An Old Town. Under the burning heat of the Central region, the teams were still eager to complete the tasks. Unlike the “Companion” programs from other years, this was the first one where customers took part in challenging games such as solving a matrix or finding and photographing historical places. Through these activities, the participants learned the value of teamwork in order to overcome difficulties.



On the same day at the Gala Dinner, Rich’s customers appeared in beautiful outfits and got to shine and have their photos taken on Rich's red carpet. The Gala night was also time for everyone to show their admiration for the Cake and Desserts Show (CDS), which showcased numerous Asian and Western cakes. CDS offered many new and up-to-date cake trends on the market, drawing the attention of and bringing creative ideas to bakery owners all over the country.

Video of CDS:



Huynh Thi Ai Phuong (from Phuong Chi Bakery – HCMC) said: "Although I have participated in Rich's Companion program for eight years, Rich's has always amazed me with its CDS’s diversity and creativity. My favorites were the wedding cakes that looked quite luxurious. Christmas season is coming, and Rich's brought me a lot of ideas."

Following that is the announcement of “Bakery – Keep the Flame of Passion” writing contest. The winner of the competition was Nguyen Hoang Le (Lyna) from Byla Bakery (Tam Ky, Quang Nam). She received the "The Fire Pen" award. With sincerity, she retold a touching journey of nurturing and developing the passion for cakes through her essay "Giving love is receiving love." 



"When I came on stage, I started crying in the applause of everyone! I think there are always worries and difficulties behind every career that can stop us from pursuing it if we don’t have the passion and love for our jobs,” Le said after receiving the award.

Take a look at the essay “Giving love is receiving love.”

Next is the revelation of the winning team from “The Journey to Find Fire”. The hall was exploding with the constant applause and praise for the Gray team. As for Rich's, all teams were victorious for their enthusiastic participation and the flame they shared with their teammates on the journey to find the fire and reach the finish line.



Companion 2017 ended at noon on 12/10/2017, after the crew had had some relaxing time to discover Da Nang and enjoy its beautiful beaches. “Work hard, play hard” is the spirit that Rich’s customers practiced very well during this trip.

Review the activities of Companion 2017 - The Flame Keeper below:



See you, our wonderful customers, at Companion 2018!

For more information, please contact: ChamSocKhachHang@rich.com