ADVERTORIAL

After remarkably successful 2010 :

SLIM aims at greater heights

Contributes to national growth and progress:

The Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), the country’s national apex marketing body enters 2011 with greater zeal and determination to further contribute to national growth and progress through its various projects and initiatives throughout the year.

SLIM President Rohan Somawansa

This follows a phenomenal and buoyant 2010 during which SLIM implemented remarkably successful projects and expanded its reach to regions, while strengthening its educational activities.

SLIM President Rohan Somawansa said, “With Sri Lanka’s burgeoning economic expansion and growth, the country needs professional and trained marketeers to drive the economy on this road to progress.

We at SLIM are conscious of this need and are committed to playing a pivotal role in this regard. With 40+ years of service to the nation, we consistently add value and strengthen our core brand values.

This year we focus on our attention on our flagship projects and thus enhance our offering”.

Research, marketing, branding and sales are the key drivers of economic development. Understanding the importance of these key pillars, SLIM has programs to discuss and enhance each of these areas at a national level. Taking pride of place are the “Brand Excellence Awards” which is highly recognized both locally and internationally for its sound evaluation system and judging process.

Brand Excellence is also considered as the gateway for local brands to the global arena. The truly global brand in SLIM promotes is “Effies” which encourages effective advertising while “NASCO” will continue to be the premier event in Sri Lanka that recognizes sales excellence, rewarding and motivating sales professionals to achieve greater heights.

Organized by SLIM in conjunction with Nielson Company Lanka Ltd, the “Peoples Awards” is a direct feed back of the consumer to the marketers.

“This year we’re also concentrating on taking marketing to the grass roots level and thus enabling all Sri Lankans contribute to the economic prosperity. With SLIM’s expansion to Jaffna up north and Matara in the deep south, we’re touching the pulse of the masses. “Gamata Alevi Karanaya” and “Marketing Rox”, will continue to nourish the local marketeers” Somawansa said.

“Marketing Rox is a novel program to educate Sri Lankan youth of marketing as a profession through edutainment. This program was primarily conceptualized to give school leavers and potential marketeers an in-depth orientation in marketing as a career.

It has been acclaimed as a ‘Sri Lankan first’ where a professional educational institute has launched a community driven program of this nature, at a national level. “SLIM’s annual seminar was themed “Making Sri Lanka a Top Tourist Destination” as another initiative which brought key stakeholders on a common platform.

This forum took great importance with - “Visit Sri Lanka 2011” - as we open our doors to the anticipated 750 thousand foreign visitors. 2016 is also not far away with its 2.5 million tourist arrivals.

The time is thus opportune,” he said. “In 2011, we are planning to look at the tea sector, which is another great step as the national body of marketing.

Sri Lanka has an undisputed heritage with tea and has created global tea brands to the market.

Hence we believe this is another area which we should seriously look at with a long term vision of economic development,” Somawansa said.

In the pipeline are also the “SLIM CEO’s Forums” which discuss a plethora of national interest and importance. Added to this is a new project - “Experience Sharing Forum” - launched for the benefit of SLIM students.

This became extremely successful, and, as a result the final experience sharing forum was opened out to professionals as well.“We are currently revamping the entire Postgraduate Diploma Syllabus.

We’re making it contemporary and in line with the latest developments in marketing across the world as well as the changing business landscape of Sri Lanka.

All these efforts, I’m confident, will improve the quality of marketers produced in Sri Lanka and create a highly professional workforce who will contribute to national growth,” Somawansa said.

The opening of Sampath Bank Colombo Super Branch at Dharmapala Mawatha was held last week. The Chief Guest of the occasion was Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal. Here the Governor at the opening with Sampath Bank officials.

Eastern Province:

ComBank helps flood victims

Recipients of the donations with Commercial Bank officials and officers of the Sri Lanka Army.

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon recently assisted people living in flood affected areas in the Eastern Province, in a continuation of the bank’s efforts to support the community.

The bank donated stocks of the most urgently needed dry rations, water, milk powder and other essential items to these people with the help of the Sri Lanka Army.

In addition to the bank, employees of all Commercial Bank branches contributed funds for this project.

The staff of the bank’s branches at Hingurakgoda, Batticaloa and Valaichchenai helped to distribute these items.

A Spokesman for the bank said; “It is our duty to come forward and help these people in difficult times such as this.

As a bank that has always taken initiatives of this nature to provide assistance and emergency relief we are happy to be able to offer them assistance when they needed it the most.”

The Bank and its staff across the network have contributed towards many community initiatives in the past, both directly, as well as through the bank’s CSR Trust.

Among the other initiatives of the Commercial Bank’s CSR Trust are the grant of annual scholarships to undergraduates, setting up IT labs in schools, conducting programs to upgrade English education and assisting children’s homes and hospitals.

IHB certification:

Large crowds register

Registration for the Hairdressing Diploma of the internationally recognized Institute of Hairdressers and Beauticians (IHB) commenced successfully with large crowds from across Sri Lanka attending the event. Renowned hairdressers, as well as others from the industry were present at the occasion.

IHB session attendees

An introduction to the IHB certification was presented by the Sri Lanka Association of Hairdressers and Beauticians (SLAHAB) Founder President Nayana Karunaratne. Registration packs were presented by celebrated beautician Janet Balasuriya, while Chrissy Rozairo of the Chrissy’s Hair Design Studio/Academy also obtained a registration pack on behalf of her academy.

Accredited to the World Federation of Hairdressers (OMC), IHB was established with the aim of streamlining the standard of education in hairdressing and beauty therapy in the country. Formed by the Sri Lanka Association of Hairdressers and Beauticians (SLAHAB), the primary function of the Institute is to conduct hairdressing and beauty therapy examinations in English, Sinhala and Tamil, which are recognized both nationally and internationally, thus providing enhanced opportunities for local hairdressers and barbers to obtain a globally-renowned qualification in their preferred language. In this endeavour, IHB will be supported by City and Guilds, the UK based education institute.

While ensuring they maintain skills standards required by the industry the institute will set standards on par with international IVQ, Pivot Point, OMC and EU standards. IHB will prepare text books, curriculum and other study material and constantly update and maintain skills standards. The study material will be available in all three languages. Theory exams of the IHB will be held in June and December, while the practical exams will take place in July and January. Once a registration pack is obtained, a person may study on their own, or learn at their respective academies.

“This is a great privilege for hairdressers to learn in Sinhala and Tamil, and the value of the exam is essentially the practical aspect of it, which will be conducted in a very stringent manner. This is lacking at the moment in the hairdressing industry in Sri Lanka. We will be emphasizing on aspects such as health and hygiene, safety, customer care and of course the other aspects of cutting and styling,” said Nayana Karunaratne.

With Sri Lanka’s hairdressing and beauticians industry making rapid progress, there is a need for professional and quality hairdressers. Although, there are many certifications in the country, these are not recognized internationally, said Nayana. In addition, even though many possess the practical and theoretical knowledge, they lack proper qualifications. Therefore, IHB seeks to fill this void.

EDEX 2011:

Large crowds at ICASL stall

Thousands of visitors thronged the ICASL stall at the recently concluded EDEX Expo 2011 held in Colombo and Kandy with over 3000 visitors showing a keen interest in courses offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL).

The attractive ICASL stall infused with the institute’s official colours also depicted some eye-catching posters positioned across the stall, resulting in the ICASL booth bagging the runner-up award for the best domestic pavilion at the eighth EDEX Expo, held from January 22 to 24 in Colombo.

ICASL officials’ onsite estimated that more than 4,000 visitors visited the institute’s stall during the three day exhibition at the BMICH Colombo while approximately 2000 visitors visited the exhibition held at the Kandy City Centre from January 26 to 27.

Stall visitors were treated to an eco friendly bag, along with a colourful brochure which summarized the importance and other necessary details of the qualifications offered by the ICASL. The institute, which is the country’s national professional accounting body, was also the Gold sponsor at this year’s EDEX Expo, dubbed as the pioneering higher education and careers exhibition.

The ICASL used its stall as a platform to articulate the importance of obtaining the globally recognized ICASL qualification to stall visitors, while especially encouraging students both from commerce and non-commerce streams to pursue studies in the accountancy sphere at an affordable rate.

BSC in Colombo

The British School of Commerce (BSC), a BOI approved venture and a division of the London School of Commerce (LSC) Group of Colleges, opened its doors to Sri Lankan students yesterday under the patronage of the chief guest, British MP for Cities of London and Westminster, Mark Field.

Also present in Colombo for the opening were LSC Group of Colleges’ CEO, Timothy Ashanta Andradi, Cardiff University of Wales Institute, Deputy Vice Chancellor Jaqueline Hare, Cardiff University of Wales Institute Special Advisor to the Vice Chancellor and former Pro Vice Chancellor Dr John Pugh and British Council former Director of Education, Dr Neil Kemp.

UK’s London School of Commerce (LSC), the parent institution of the British School of Commerce has more than 6,000 students coming from 130 countries around the globe. The LSC takes pride in its truly international nature and its ability to very successfully operate in a globalized environment having more than 300 personnel working for LSC in Associate Colleges and offices worldwide. “Having its head office and the main campus in London, with Associate Colleges in Belgrade, Nairobi, Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur, the LSC now embarks on opening its fifth Division in Colombo, with the aim of developing the British School of Commerce as a Regional International Centre of Higher Learning, to empower the youth of Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Maldives,” said Andradi, speaking at the opening of the BSC.

Andradi said that the LSC’s Associate College in Kuala Lumpur has attracted students from 40 different countries and has contributed positively to the economy of Malaysia. “In the same manner, we strongly believe that the British School of Commerce in Colombo would positively contribute to Sri Lanka’s economy, on the one hand by saving a large amount of foreign exchange that would otherwise have gone out to foreign countries, while on the other hand, attracting a large amount of foreign exchange in to Sri Lanka by way of foreign students studying at the British School of Commerce.”

The BSC estimates that an average of 200 students from neighbouring countries would study at the British School of Commerce during the first year alone, thereby attracting a large amount of foreign exchange into Sri Lanka.