September 13 and 14, 2008
The National Feng Shui Congress took place over the course of 2 days with the theme 'Design Your Destiny, Enrich Your Life.' This was the second time that the Congress was held, and this year's event was a rousing success. It was held in Exhibition Halls 1 and 2 of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from September 13 and 14,
2008.
Day 1, September 13:
The excitement and anticipation could already be felt in the air as the doors opened at 8:00 to allow for registration and sign-in among participants. Most people, many of whom had attended Joey's events before, came early for the registration in order to grab the best seats in the house for the Congress seminars, which began at slightly after 9:30 am. The registration area was buzzing with activity as people registered their tickets in high spirits and collected their goodie bags, workbooks and material for the day. Before any of the speakers went onstage, a group of Mastery Academy crew members led the participants through a series of gentle yet rousing morning exercises to get their blood flowing. This was a fun and lighthearted moment that allowed for a few moments of entertainment and relaxation.
The Congress kicked off to a great start as Joey took to the stage to loud music that set the tone for the day. Before going into his topic, he introduced the 2 speakers for the day onstage. His first topic for the day was "Feng Shui for Wealth and Career," and the members of the audience had a clear view of him regardless of where they sat, thanks to the large projector screens set up at strategic points in the hall. For an hour, Joey held his audience captive as he told them the finer points of applying Feng Shui wealth formulas, illustrated by on-screen charts and diagrams.
Two other renowned Feng Shui experts also spoke on the first day, with Anna Sztandera coming onstage after Joey to talk about "You and Your Boss, You as the Boss: Navigating Workplace Roles with Feng Shui and BaZi." This topic went down well with the audience who were enlightened on how to use Chinese Astrology to enhance their potential, and interpersonal relationships, at the workplace. All talks were interspersed by breaks in-between, and after the lunch break it was Hung Hin Cheong's turn to take to the stage with his topic, "At the Right Time..." which delved into the topic of date selection for personal activities.
The final seminar for the Congress Day 1 saw the return of Joey, and he presented his topic titled "Character Analysis Through Face Reading" which was a hit with the audience. They loved his personal anecdotes, some of which were plain hilarious. With the help of great visuals, Joey took the audience through the stages of applying Face Reading techniques for the purpose of character study and better understanding of loved ones and the people with whom one interacts on a regular basis. Also, Joey made special mention of "facial moles" which the audience found very intriguing, and many were surprised to know that "dots" on a face could actually mean so much!
All talks ended with a short Q&A session that allowed audience members to bring up specific points of interest or curiosity that were raised during the talk. These question and answer periods were always enlightening and gave the speakers a chance to demonstrate their expertise, and a chance for audience members to enjoy a deeper sense of comprehension on the topics.
Interspersed with the talks were games that took place to get the audience moving, if only for a few minutes, and to recharge their batteries. Exciting gifts and prizes were won during these games, and some lucky people were able to go home happy!
While the Congress seminars took place, the 'Enrich Your Life' Exhibition was also taking place at Exhibition Hall 2 at the same time. This was an exhibition of products and services that was free and open to the public. Various exhibitors ranging from Semenyih Memorial Hills (the event co-sponsor), Popular Bookstores, Mah Sing Group, Dijaya Corporation, Great Eastern Life Assurance, Fujihome, Pyro Financial Designers, Times Directories, Total Image Marketing, and many others displayed their products and services to the weekend crowd.
Also, for the first time this year, the Exhibition featured a Special Events area featuring speakers on a variety of themes and topics ranging from Feng Shui, online stock trading, property investment, and others. A small stir was created at the Exhibition Hall in the MA Products booth when Joey Yap made an unprecedented appearance, casually strolling in amongst the crowd of book-buyers unexpectedly. He was deluged with questions and comments and patiently signed many books, making many of his fans very happy.
There was also an official book signing session towards the mid-afternoon, which saw a long line of people patiently waiting to get to Joey in order to get their books signed and to spend a few minutes with him. Many pictures were taken, and the crowd continued to browse about in the Exhibition Hall among the various displays. It was a chance for many to take advantage of the myriad promotions and deals on offer especially in conjunction with the Congress.
The end of Day 1 saw a special addition to the schedule. The Welcome Gala Dinner that took place at the Function Room on the 3rd Floor of the Convention Centre was specially organised by the Mastery Academy team as a token of appreciation for those who had participated. Therefore, the dinner saw a gathering of exhibitors, speakers, instructors, and special guests from abroad. Joey kicked things off with a welcome speech, thanking the exhibitors and speakers at length for their participation and support that helped make the Congress a success. Everyone then got down to some serious fun – enjoying the 8-course Chinese set dinner and happily chatting and networking. Guests were also treated to two dance performances and one singing performance, capping off what was definitely a tiring day with some entertainment and enjoyment.
Day 2, September 14:
The 2nd day began in much the same vein as the 1st, and once again it was Joey Yap who kicked things off with his topic, "Your Destiny Decoded – Unleash Your True Potential" which explored how Chinese Astrology (BaZi) can be used as personal self-development tool to encourage one's authentic potential. He was followed by Jayne Goodrick, a lively and elegant speaker who presented the topic, "Applying the Practical Eight Mansions Method: A Guide to Better Feng Shui." The audience drank in her every word on applying effective Eight Mansions for the home in a practical and convenient way.
After her talk, a surprise awaited the audience as Joey made a surprise return to the stage to answer more questions on his earlier topic on BaZi, as well as Feng Shui in general. The audience appreciated this move and really got a chance to sink their teeth into the topics and ask a variety of questions, receiving answers that were enlightening and informative.
After lunch, it was Siou Foon Lee who took to the stage to speak on "After a BaZi reading OR after a Feng Shui consult: What's next? Find out how to maximize your opportunities and Man Luck," which provided the audience with helpful tips on how to make the best of their Feng Shui consultations and utilise the information they gain to the best of their abilities.
And to round up the final day of talks, Joey took to the stage for the last time to present his closing topic on "Yin House Feng Shui," a topic that is generally misunderstood by the public. Joey explained in detail the importance of choosing a good final resting place in order to affect the descendants accordingly. Judging from the expression on their faces, the participants were happy to hear of a new perspective on this topic, and receive some instructive information on how they can actually apply it in their own lives. The Congress finale struck a high note, as Joey invited all his guest speakers and his organising teams up on stage with him to take a bow and celebrate the event's success.
The Exhibition saw a return of visitors on the 2nd day, with people coming in with their families to catch not just the amazing offers on the available products, but also to listen to the daylong free talks. The MA Products Booth continued to be a hive of activity as people came in to find more of Joey's books (some especially were keen to get one before the book signing).
In another unexpected move, Joey came to the Exhibition after the final seminar to hold yet another book signing in addition to the scheduled one, to allow for anyone who may have missed the earlier sessions to have an opportunity to meet him in person and get their books signed or their questions answered. It was clear that despite the fact that it was close to the Exhibition closing hours, this announcement made many people happy, as the stage was filled with people who were eager to get a last-minute moment with him.
The National Feng Shui Congress 2008 thus ended on a high note, and it was indeed evident that the energy was still high as people still remained in the hall even as the Exhibitors were tearing down their displays and putting away their products. The Congress was a great success thanks to the organizers, the exhibitors, the speakers, and the visitors who turned up in support – and we look forward to seeing everyone again at the next one!
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