HBS Goes 4K (And 6K Too)
HBS teams took part in two different charity runs last week, both of which were also a show of support to the company’s friends and convictions.
The first run, a six-kilometre one, took place on Thursday 10 September at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just outside of Paris, as part of the B2Run initiative. B2Run, owned by HBS’ shareholder Infront Sports & Media, is Europe’s biggest series of inter-company races; the run in Saint-Denis was the last of five races taking place in France this year and came on the heels of a massively successful event in Munich. The series has received strong support and praise from Human Resources personnel, who appreciate its team-building potential. HBS’ own Head of HR, Audrey Philippart, took part in the event and was enthusiastic in her praise. “It was really great to see our staff come together like this, with no regard to departments or positions in the hierarchy. The fact that the race is run between various companies helps you feel like you’re part of a cohesive unit, which is how we’d ideally like to feel all of the time,” she said after the race.
HBS sent a 16-strong team to Saint-Denis, each of whom helped support B2Run’s national partner, the Rêves charity, as well as their colleagues within Infront. As an added bonus for football-loving staff members, they were able to raise their arms in triumph within the very same stadium where the French national football team famously won the 1998 FIFA World Cup™.
Two days later, on Saturday 12 September, a similarly sized delegation attending the IBC convention in Amsterdam set off for a 4-kilometre run in Amstel Park. This second race was organised by the 4K 4Charity, which puts on similar events at various broadcast industry gatherings, with the proceeds (over 30,000 euros) split between the humanitarian organisation CARE and local Dutch charity Youth Sports Fund. The name of the event is of course a reference to the 4K resolution that will soon become an industry standard. Jörg Sander, HBS’ Chief Technical Officer and a dedicated runner, led the charge to sign up the company’s IBC attendees for the race. “I think it’s always good for us to remain aware that we are part of an industry, and even a community. Events such as this one serve to reinforce that message, that we’re all in it together, striving for the same goals, whether it’s UHD or other innovations,” said Jörg. “So the fact that we can also help other people through the charitable aspect makes it a no-brainer that we’d want to participate.”
For a short video recap of the B2Run event in Paris please click here.
