Dear ABA members:

I earnestly hope that you, your family and your colleagues continue to be safe and healthy during these difficult and testing times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As you are all aware, the pandemic is having a massive impact not only on our daily lives but also on our businesses. It also has had far-reaching implications for business and industry associations, their members, staff, and other stakeholders. Many organizations are currently scrambling as they re-strategize cancelled events, meetings and educational opportunities on which they rely to bring our members together.

Our Association has similarly been affected by the pandemic, with several planned gatherings and training programs indefinitely postponed until the health crisis is declared as safely over. Our day-to-day activities need also to be re-thought to deal with the changes and challenges caused by the pandemic.

It is for this reason that we write to you. We would like to hear your views and insights on how our Association can continue to serve and be of value to our members under the current circumstances. Your suggestions on how to address the following matters would be much appreciated:

• How to bring members together during the period when congregating in person is not possible;
• How to assist and learn from each other as we face almost identical challenges across the region;
• How to assist the Association in dealing with some of the important issues ahead during these difficult times;
• What you deem as the impact the current situation has had on the Association and the critical things we can do together to see this through;
• How to maintain communications with and among our members to keep them intact and informed;
• How to move forward and into the future

Should you have any thoughts and perspectives on issues other than those outlined above, we would like to hear from you. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to receiving your response.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Secretary-Treasurer