26 ΝΟΕ '18

A warm reception of Enterprise Greece hosted successfully at Hellas House.

The reception attended 300 honorable guests and elites from all walks of life. Among them were the Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs Prof. Georgios Katrougalos, the chairman and CEO of Enterprise Greece Grigorios Stergioulis, the Ambassador of Greece to China Leonidas Rokanas, the City Councillor of Athens and Member of the Finance Committee Delegate for the Cooperation with China Alexandros Modiano, Athens International Airport’s Director of Communication and Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou, the Vice Mayor of Changning District Mr. Weng Huajian (翁华建), Chinese government officials and several entrepreneurs.
The speeches that took place, were focused in the close relations between the two countries and the potential collaborations in the near future.

26 ΝΟΕ '18

The Origin of Western Civilization and Greece as a 365-day destination

In collaboration with the Museum of Cycladic Art and the Greek National Tourism Organisation, My Odyssey organised a unique B2B Travel & Culture event in Shanghai.
Several bespoke Chinese travel agencies attended the event, that took place at Hellas House a few days ago.

The main speakers of the event were:

MyOdyssey CEO, Fokion Drossos
GNTO Vice President, Aggeliki Chondromatidou
Consul General of Greece in Shanghai, Vassilis Xiros
General Manager My Odyssey (Shanghai), Aggeliki Shi

13 ΝΟΕ '18

Greece and China shake hands to promote Culture, Tourism and Friendship between the two countries.

“When Greece Meets Confucius”!

Within the framework of developing cultural exchanges between China and Greece, an important press conference took place at the Confucian Temple in Shanghai (文庙). The event was organised by Hellas Group and Confucius Temple, in a series of activities related to the International Culture Week.

Due to its great cultural significance, the event was covered by more than 50 leading Chinese media.

Among the speakers of this important event were Mr & Mrs. Kontomichalos Founder & CEO, and President of Hellas Group, Mr. James Dong, CEO of the Confucian Temple, Mrs. Aggeliki Chondromatidou, Director of Ministry of Tourism and Vice President of the Greek National Tourism Organisation and Mr. Vassilis Xiros, Consul General of Greece in Shanghai.

Hellas Group and Hejia (河加) Visas Consulting Group, one of China’s leading professional overseas investment companies signed an agreement ; a joint effort for the bilateral tourism and investment promotion between China and Greece.

Mr. Fokion Drossos, on behalf of Hellas House and My Odyssey and Mrs. Eugenia Christodoulakou, Director of Communication & Development of the Museum of Cycladic Art , signed an MOU of cultural partnership. — with Sophia Kontomichalou, Fokion Drossos and Eugenia Christodoulakos in Shanghai, China.

Among the speakers of this important event were Mr & Mrs. Kontomichalou, Mr. James Dong (CEO of the Confucian Temple), Mrs. Aggeliki Chondromatidou (Director of Ministry of Tourism and Vice President of the Greek National Tourism Organisation) and Mr. Vassilis Xiros (Consul General of Greece in Shanghai).

Mrs. Evgenia Christodoulakos (Director of Communication & Development Department) during her speech at the Confucian Temple in Shanghai. — with Eugenia Christodoulakos in Shanghai, China.

08 ΝΟΕ '18

Hellas Group promotes Tourism and Trade between Greece and China, during a special ceremony on the 7th of November organised at the CIIE exhibition.

The Opening and Signing Ceremony under the title “Imported New Technology, New Products Launch and Trading Platform” was officially launched by Orient International Group, an official recruitment partner of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) . The Director of Ministry of Tourism of Greece and Vice President of the Greek National Tourism Organisation, Mrs. Aggeliki Chondromatidou and Hellas Group’s Founder and CEO, Mr. Pavlos Kontomichalos delivered a speech.

In her speech Mrs. Chondromatidou launched the 365-Days Tour Destination Programme for Greece and announced her commitment to promote the opening of direct flights from Athens to Shanghai.

Mr. Kontomichalos , Founder and CEO of Hellas Group, delivered a speech on behalf of Greek enterprises.

“Thank you very much to the Shanghai Municipal Government, the Government of Changning District, Orient International Group to give Hellas Group such an opportunity to speak here. The company and all its brands will respond to One Belt And One Road’s call to bring the best Greek products to Shanghai and China. Through this expo, we will also cooperate with Orient International and continue to show more beautiful and better Greek products to Chinese consumers on the 365 platform. As a window for Greek enterprises in China, Hellas Group will actively promote the development of cultural exchanges, and trade cooperation. Backed by Greece and based in Shanghai, Hellas Group of companies will strive to bring not only more but also high-quality Greek products to Chinese consumers. Thank you once again to the leaders of Changning District and Orient International Group!”

The signing agreement was between Hellas Group and Xun Lian Fang (新联坊)  Import Export Company.

The Signing Ceremony was presented by Mrs. Yuan Ming (袁鸣) and covered by Xinhua News Agency, the biggest and most influential media organisation in China.

26 ΟΚΤ '18

DREAM & MEMORY: Every day life in China, now and then

The Photography Exhibition‘’ Dream & Memory’’ of the China Photographers Association( CPA) organised by My Odyssey Travel inaugurated on Tuesday the 16th of October with great success in Ziller Art Space of Athens

The CEO of My Odyssey Mr. Fokion Drosos, Mr. Yang Yueluan, Vice President of the China Photographers Association (CPA), Alexandros Modiano City Councillor of Athens City Hall and Mr. Kostantinos Bassios, Research Associate at the Lab of Political Communication of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and member of the Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art, (A.I.C.A.) delivered greetings while inaugurating the exhibition according to the Chinese ritual.

In the exhibition 41 images from the rich archive of the China Photographers Association were displayed documenting the vast changes in Chinese people’s lives from the 20th to the 21st century.
In the inauguration ceremony a formal delegation from China attended as well as eminent personalities of the political, artistic and business area.

Mr. Yang Yueluan during his speech expressed his wish, that this selection of photos will be an opportunity for the Athenian public to better understand modern China.

Mr Bassios noted that while the content of the photo exhibition contains aspects of everyday life, it also acts as a documentary of a serious sociological, anthropological, cultural and, ultimately, political approach.

“Dream & Memory: Everyday life in China, now and then” is hosted in Athens during a European tour, with former station the Museum of Natural History in London.

Dream & Memory, red ribbon inauguration (from left): Mr. Zhang Chunrong, Board Member CPA, President of Photography Association Ningxia, Mr. Konstantinos Bassios Research Associate at the Lab of Political Communication of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and member of the Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art, (A.I.C.A.), Mrs. Anna Vernardou, Head of Operations My Odyssey, Mr. Yang Yueluan, Vice President CPA, Mr. Fokion Drossos, CEO My Odyssey, Mrs Salome Chondrouli, Experience Designer My Odyssey

Dream & Memory, invitees from East & West: Mr. Vaggelis Savvas, artist, Mr. Yang Yueluan, Vice President CPA, Mr. Wu Lahan, Board Member of CPA, President of Mongolia Photography Association

Dream & Memory: Mr. Konstantinos Bassios Research Associate at the Lab of Political Communication of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and member of the Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art, (A.I.C.A.), Mr. Fokion Drossos, CEO My Odyssey, Mr. Manolis Barboussis, Photographer, Athens School of Fine Arts

Dream & Memory, invitees: Mr. Leonidas Raftopoulos, Senior Developer Airline Development & Mrs. Ioanna Papadopoulou Director Communications & Marketing in Athens International Airport

Art Space Ziller. 1 Vassilikis Str.
Ag. Irinis Square, 1st floor
Duration: 16 – 23 October 2018
Opening hours: 10:00 – 17:00 daily

26 ΟΚΤ '18

DREAM & MEMORY: Every day life in China, now and then

The Photography Exhibition‘’ Dream & Memory’’ of the China Photographers Association( CPA) organised by My Odyssey Travel inaugurated on Tuesday the 16th of October with great success in Ziller Art Space of Athens.

In the exhibition 41 images from the rich archive of the China Photographers Association were displayed documenting the vast changes in Chinese people’s lives from the 20th to the 21st century.
In the inauguration ceremony a formal delegation from China attended as well as eminent personalities of the political, artistic and business area.

The CEO of My Odyssey Mr. Fokion Drosos, Mr. Yang Yueluan, Vice President of the China Photographers Association (CPA), Alexandros Modiano City Councillor of Athens City Hall and Mr. Kostantinos Bassios, Research Associate at the Lab of Political Communication of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and member of the Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art, (A.I.C.A.) delivered greetings while inaugurating the exhibition according to the Chinese ritual.

Mr. Yang Yueluan during his speech expressed his wish, that this selection of photos will be an opportunity for the Athenian public to better understand modern China.

Mr Bassios noted that while the content of the photo exhibition contains aspects of everyday life, it also acts as a documentary of a serious sociological, anthropological, cultural and, ultimately, political approach.

“Dream & Memory: Everyday life in China, now and then” is hosted in Athens during a European tour, with former station the Museum of Natural History in London.

Dream & Memory, red ribbon inauguration (from left): Mr. Zhang Chunrong, Board Member CPA, President of Photography Association Ningxia, Mr. Konstantinos Bassios Research Associate at the Lab of Political Communication of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and member of the Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art, (A.I.C.A.), Mrs. Anna Vernardou, Head of Operations My Odyssey, Mr. Yang Yueluan, Vice President CPA, Mr. Fokion Drossos, CEO My Odyssey, Mrs Salome Chondrouli, Experience Designer My Odyssey

Dream & Memory, invitees from East & West: Mr. Vaggelis Savvas, artist, Mr. Yang Yueluan, Vice President CPA, Mr. Wu Lahan, Board Member of CPA, President of Mongolia Photography Association

Dream & Memory: Mr. Konstantinos Bassios Research Associate at the Lab of Political Communication of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and member of the Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art, (A.I.C.A.), Mr. Fokion Drossos, CEO My Odyssey, Mr. Manolis Barboussis, Photographer, Athens School of Fine Arts

Dream & Memory, invitees: Mr. Leonidas Raftopoulos, Senior Developer Airline Development & Mrs. Ioanna Papadopoulou Director Communications & Marketing in Athens International Airport

Art Space Ziller. 1 Vassilikis Str.
Ag. Irinis Square, 1st floor
Duration: 16 – 23 October 2018
Opening hours: 10:00 – 17:00 daily

06 ΙΟΥΝ '18

My Odyssey Travel and Hellas Group support “Back to Athens” festival. A festival that turns Athens city into culture hotspot.

10 days, 75 artists, 9 curatorial exhibitions, events, performance, talks, screenings, parties

Hellas Group and My Odyssey Travel loyal in the vision of supporting culture, art and sharing knowledge, officially supports and partially hosts the ‘’Back to Athens’’ festival by providing the venue hall of the first floor of the headquarters, located inside a meticulously renovated 19th century neoclassical building designed by the famous German Greek architect Ernst Ziiller at 1 Vassilikis street, in Agia Irini square.

For 10 days, from June 1 – June 10, local and international artists from Greece, Austria, Germany, US, Belgium, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland unite their creative vitality at the 6th Back to Athens Festival, inhabiting empty spaces and buildings within the Athens Commercial Triangle. Back to Athens is an idea platform a transit-meeting place for artists in Athens.

Launched in 2012, Back to Athens Festival combines the city’s artistic community in a cultural get-together of events including visual arts, curatorial exhibitions, performances, music performances, screenings and more. Back to Athens is a public showcase of contemporary art and expression that boosts social awareness and restores the local community to the Athens City Center. This year’s 6th Back to Athens is organized by CHEAPART in collaboration with the Athens Commercial Triangle and Athens Intersection cultural program, implementing an ambitious agenda of cultural events.

Athens Commercial Triangle Revitalization Program
The municipality of Athens has selected part of the Commercial Triangle of Athens to implement a pilot intervention program aiming at the overall revitalization of the area. In this context, it is upgrading infrastructure, pedestrianizing an area of 110 acres, redesigning cleaning and municipal police services, and renewing urban equipment, and restores the proper functioning of the area. The program of the municipality is supported by an exclusive donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (ISN) with the coordination of the Athens Partnership.

EXHIBITION hosted at Hellas Group headquarters
#Ziller Art Space

Strange days: The anaesthetic wearing off
1 – 10.6.2018
The world changed in a manner different from what the poets wanted. The post modern man imprisoned in a world of spectacles, passivity and inactivity, sinks into an ocean of the virtual escapism.
Participating Artists: Eleanna Balesi, Lina Bebi, Dimitris Georgakopoulos, Babis Karalis, Andreas Lyberatos, Eva Marathaki, Maro Michalakakou, Nikos Michalitsianos, Nikos Papadimitriou, Aliki Pappa, Giannis Sinioroglou, George Tserionis
Curated by: Nota Koulouriotou, Andreas Vousouras

23 ΜΑΙ '18

Grand Opening of a striking landmark for Global Leaders, in Shanghai

The grand opening of Hellas House, Greek Culture & Lifestyle Center, in Shanghai on May 15, 2018 was as vibrant as the vision; a remarkable hub of Hellenic Culture in the heart of Shanghai introducing an exceptional contemporary lifestyle inspired by ancient Greek wisdom and cultural values.

Hellas House is the fulfillment of Mr. and Mrs. Pavlos Kontomichalos’s vision for a landmark hub in Asia showcasing the very best of Greek Culture, Hospitality and Gastronomy – while enticing sophisticated travelers to visit and experience Greece.

Global leadership from Asia and around the world was present in numbers in Shanghai to mark the launch of Hellas House, a milestone occasion, linking the world of influencers. Honored guest, Elena Kountoura, Minister of Tourism of the Hellenic Republic, officiated at the ribbon cutting ceremony and expressed her enthusiasm in the Hellas House initiative to share the Greek Cultural Heritage beyond borders, thanking the founders for their vision and hard work to create that unique landmark that spreads the  “Spirit of Greece” to China in a way never done before. 

Greek Minister of Tourism, Elena Kountoura

Among the celebrated guests were ambassadors and local officials of Shanghai City, as well as leading international executives, the cultural elite, entrepreneurs and global influencers. The Grand Opening Gala, held in the Eros Garden of the Hellas House heritage mansion, captured the spirit of Greece in an elegant evening of friendship and entertainment where guests enjoyed Greek cuisine and hospitality at best, as well a Greek music performed by live orchestra. The media spotlight was on this special occasion with the presence of the international journalistic community.

Pavlos Kontomichalos, founder and CEO of Hellas Group, welcomed the distinguished guests to Hellas House, which introduces a new dimension in the social landscape of Shanghai. During his speech, he emphasized the opportunity to share the Greek holistic experience which “empowers a Healthier & Happier life, inspire visitors and share knowledge on everything related to Greek culture. In 2010, after 15 years of successful business presence in Asia, the financial crisis in Greece acted as the motivation for Mr. Kontomichalos to stratigically pivot to his country – and to initiate investments in projects that showcase the Greek spirit, both its cultural and gastronomic wealth. 

President of Hellas Group, Sophia Kontomichalos & Founder and CEO, Pavlos Kontomichalos

Director of Communications Hellas Group Despina Mavridou, CEO of My Odyssey Travel Fokion Drossos,        Vice President Hellas Group Takis Skolarikis, Sophia Kontomichalos & Pavlos Kontomichalos

03 ΑΠΡ '18

Greek Independence Day Celebration at Hellas House in Shanghai

On March 23, at HELLAS HOUSE, the unique Greek Culture & Lifestyle center in Shanghai was hosted a grand celebration of the 197th Anniversary of the Independence Day of the Hellenic Republic organised by the Greek Consulate of Shangai. The Consul Generals in Shanghai, the Deputy Mayor of Shanghai, the leaders of Changning District, the royal family and elites from all walks of life gathered at the Hellas House to celebrate the National Day of Greece.
Hellas House, founded by Hellas Group in Shanghai aims to display Greek history, culture, civilisation, gastronomy while bringing Greece’s healthy lifestyle, optimistic attitude towards life and the warm hospitality of the Greeks to Chinese friends.

03 ΑΠΡ '18

The breeze for Qi Baishi’s hometown’’ exhibition, hosted in Ziller Art Space and organised by My Odyssey, inaugurated with great success

The painting exhibition inaugurated on Monday the 26th of March with great success in Ziller Art Space. The exhibition features the work of Qi Baishi, the most coveted and expensive Chinese artist in history along with significant work of art of modern Chinese artists from Xiangtan city.

In the exhibition 30 works of art are displayed in total, creatively speaking with works of contemporary Chinese artists from the artist’s birthplace, giving the visitor the opportunity to “travel” imaginatively into the unexplored western parts of the great Asian country, where nature has the leading role.

For the opening ceremony of the exhibition, a formal delegation traveled to Athens consisting of Xiangtan city officials – the birthplace of the great Chinese artist Qi Baishi -, the curators of the Qi Baishi Memorial Arts Museum, artists from the same city. The ceremony attended as well eminent personalities of the political, artistic and business field of Athens city.
Mr. Fokion Drossos, CEO of My Odyssey travel agency, Mrs. Wu Xiaoyue, Director of Pulic Relations of the Party Committee from Xiangtan city, Mr. Chen Xiaoqi, Former Director of Qi Baishi Memorial Arts Museum , Dr. Mary Marouli – Zilemenou, Chairman of the Greek Council of Unesco Clubs and Centers and Mr. Alexandro Modiano, Athens City Councillor greeted the opening ceremony.

The exhibition was organised by My Odyssey travel agency, member of Hellas Group under the auspices of Municipality of Xiangtan city and Qi Baishi Memorial Arts Museum.