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• South and South East Asia fair season off to flying start!

  More Malaysian students studying in New Zealand this year

  After a two-year hiatus ENZ successfully reintroduced the New Zealand Education Fair in to Malaysia to boost New Zealand’s profile in the market. Attracting almost 800 visitors, the fair was a marked success on the 2013 event which hosted around 100 visitors. With an overwhelming number of prospective students quickly filling the room, the ENZ team managed the influx by spontaneously hosting two “Studying in New Zealand” seminars outside the main function room.

  The fair was well supported by New Zealand education institutions and had a strong NZ Inc flavour, being opened by New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Dr John Subritzky.

  “Education is a critical part of our ever-growing relationship with Malaysia, and we are proud of our long history of providing education opportunities for Malaysians. It’s great to see more Malaysian students choosing New Zealand as their education destination, especially as this creates life-long connections between our two countries,” said Dr Subritzky.

  A prize-giving ceremony for the winners of ENZ’s ‘Think New’ Essay Writing competition and the New Zealand Marketing Strategy competition was also held. As part of his prize, the winner of the marketing strategy competition, UCSI University student Eric Kong, arrived in New Zealand recently to start his four-week internship with the Choose New Zealand alliance. We’ll bring you an update on how Eric and the other competition winners are going in the next issue of E-News.

  

   Winners of “Think New” Essay Writing and New Zealand Marketing Strategy competitions receiving their certificates and prizes.

  
  

  AboveAaaaGuests at the New Zealand Alumni Function and Networking Event in Kuala Lumpur.

  ENZ hosted an alumni reception the evening before the fair at the Residence of the New Zealand High Commission. Institutions networked with past students and with new and existing education agents.

  

  H.E. Dr. John Subritzky presented a token of appreciation to the alumni who participated in Alumni Voices project.

  The alumni reception presented an opportunity to thank two of the Malaysia alumni who took part in ‘Alumni Voices’, a project celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and ASEAN, by profiling successful alumni who credit their New Zealand education with having a strong and positive impact on their lives.

  India’s events campaign leverages the Fleming brand

  Fourteen events in 10 days – ENZ’s India team has been running on pure adrenalin to deliver a series of powerful promotional events in India and Sri Lanka, centred around the flagship fairs held across India last month.

  As part of ENZ’s wider SSEA team, ENZ India is the second team in the region to hold its New Zealand Education Fairs for the August – October season. Leveraging the profile of New Zealand Education Brand Ambassador and international cricket legend Stephen Fleming has again been a successful approach in extending New Zealand’s reach into the vast student population in India.

  ENZ India Country Manager, Jugnu Roy, worked closely with Stephen Fleming to make the most of his strong following.

  “Stephen’s brand is New Zealand’s brand – it’s about integrity, about being open and about connecting across borders. Importantly, Stephen has also made it fundamentally about the value of a New Zealand education because he understands both what we are trying to achieve and also how much his New Zealand education helped his career.”

  Using the New Zealand education fairs as the centre piece of New Zealand’s key promotional season in South Asia, the India team also delivered a series of related profile-raising activities including networking events, and round table sessions with close to 40 school principals from prominent secondary and international schools. Stephen also visited leading institutions, including top-ranked universities such as Delhi University and SRM University in Chennai where he addressed more than 2000 students. The immediate result of this visit was the flow of quality SRM students to the Chennai New Zealand Education Fair later that week.

  The fairs themselves appealed to a good pool of potential quality students, attracting over 1200 students in total. With more than 25 prominent New Zealand institutions meeting prospective students at the fairs, the New Zealand value proposition was positively championed.

  Sri Lanka has been an important market in the South Asia region, and ENZ introduced a ‘university only’ school roadshow for the first time to stimulate the market. The university representatives hadan opportunity to interact with secondary school students of two top international schools of this island country.

  Overall, New Zealand’s promotional events in India and Sri Lanka in August reached over 7,000 people.

  With New Zealand education fairs and associated events still to come in Thailand, Viet Nam and Indonesia, the SSEA team is continuing to ramp up fair fever across the region. They are always well-supported by Immigration New Zealand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and, of course, the all-important industry providers

  “South Asia and South East Asia is an enormous region and it’s an important region for international education. Our team members from Indonesia right up to India are committed to providing first-class events to raise the profile of New Zealand. Fair season is an exceptionally busy time for us and we’re always focused on providing the best events we can for New Zealand’s institutions.” Said Ziena Jalil, ENZ’s Regional Director SSEA.

  

  ENZ Brand Ambassador, Stephen Fleming welcoming students at the Delhi fair

  

  Students at the Delhi fair

  

  AUT University and others at the Chennai fair

  

  ENZ Brand Ambassador Stephen Fleming having a photo moment with students of Somaiya Institutes in Mumbai

  

  Selfies with potential students at the New Delhi fair

• Industry survey results 2015

  This year’s survey focused on the services and support delivered by ENZ. We asked you which ENZ services you have used, how important you find them to support your business objectives, and what you think of our performance in delivering them.

  The 304 survey responses we received have provided a wealth of data which we are using to refine and improve our industry service and support offerings.  

  What you told us

  Overall, you indicated you were largely satisfied with ENZ services. Eighty-one percent of respondents were satisfied the quality of ENZ’s services and support, and 70 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that ENZ services had added value to their organisation.

  Overall country reports and market intelligence were considered the most important ENZ service, followed by the International Education Snapshot Reports.

  The Education Publishers Export Growth Strategy was considered the best performing service, while Virtual Fairs was considered the weakest.

  Of all ENZ’s services and support for industry, E-News was consistently rated highly.  

  

   

  What we’re focused on

  We’re using the survey information to drive improvements across our industry service and support offerings. In addition to a range of planned changes to improve individual services, we plan to work on the following:

  • A move to differentiated services: For the first time ENZ has been able to understand the industry survey results by sector, job function, and scale of international education provision. Not surprisingly there is a clear message from the survey that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to providing industry services needs to change in order to improve the quality, value add and relevance of ENZ services. Accordingly a key focus for us in the coming year will be to better differentiate our service and support offerings to meet the diverse needs of a range of sectors and providers
  • Support for small and regionally-based institutions: We asked survey respondents to suggest what services and support ENZ should start offering to encourage their business growth. Nearly one in five responses related to enhanced support for smaller providers and for those located outside of the main centres. A second priority for us out to June 2016 is to develop a suite of online tools that can meet this need. We have started development of a prototype online toolkit with the input and guidance of a number of providers.
  • Enhanced communications: We also asked survey respondents to identify what ENZ could do to make our services and support more relevant. Thirty-eight percent of responses identified better communications and engagement. Stay tuned for the next issue of E-News which will feature a new and improved approach to our key communications channel. And don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn.
  • Market intelligence: Just behind enhanced communications, nearly one fifth of survey respondents identified better and timelier market intelligence as a key support need. We know you value country reports and market intelligence and are working on initiatives to provide more information, available online and in ways that suit industry needs.
  • Agent programme: The ENZ Recognised Agent Programme was one of the lowest rated ENZ services in respect of our performance. As indicated in previous issues of E-News, we have commissioned an external review of the ENZRA Programme. Results from that review are expected shortly and will be used as the basis for considering how to address the perceived issues with the programme.
  • Seminars and professional development events: We’re working to reshape how we deliver our seminars and professional development events to better meet the diverse needs of different sectors and to add more value through a more differentiated approach. This may involve better utilising the time of participants by offering several related topics on the same day.  

  The next Industry Survey will be held in June 2016. If you have any questions regarding the Industry Survey, please contact Sam Mackay.  

  Summary of results by sector

  

  

  

  

  

   

   

• International students in Dunedin get connected

  ‘Get Connected’ was a networking evening to launch the Job Ready Programme, which prepares international students for the transition from study to work through improving their skills and confidence in approaching prospective employers.

  Job Ready is a free, extracurricular programme designed for any tertiary international student studying in the Dunedin region. The aim of the programme is to give participants an in-depth understanding of working culture and expectations in New Zealand, and to help them develop skills that will aid them in New Zealand workplaces.

  “For many International students in New Zealand, networking is a scary and foreign business practice,” says Job Ready Coordinator, Madison Stumbles. “We wanted to create a new cultural norm – for students and businesses – where networking isn’t scary and international students have the confidence to engage with businesses looking to utilise the skills they have to offer.”

  The programme has been developed with the support of ENZ’s Regional Partnership Programme, Enterprise Dunedin, Otago Polytechnic, the University of Otago and the Otago Chamber of Commerce. 

  The event saw 15 international Job Ready ‘graduates’ engage with the potential employers in a positive and enriching atmosphere. The Minister of Immigration, Hon Michael Woodhouse, delivered the keynote speech and was joined by Education New Zealand’s Greg Scott and Enterprise Dunedin’s Export Education Coordinator, Sarah Gauthier and representatives of Dunedin’s international education providers.

  A strong turnout at the event demonstrated the level of commitment to international education in the city, and the strong understanding among all attendees of the way in which the Job Ready Programme can support local businesses in globalising their operations by creating links to skilled, international talent.

  

  Job Ready Graduate with PhD student and AD Instruments representative, Pramuk Perera.

  About the programme

  In the lead up to the event, a pilot group of 15 international students from Otago Polytechnic and the University of Otago underwent the six-week intensive Job Ready programme.

  Confidence building was the main focus over the six weeks, with a strong emphasis placed on enabling the students to polish their professional networking skills. Several interactive seminars were facilitated by members of the Dunedin business and education community, with one popular session on ‘How to network’ led by Gallaway Cook Allan’s, Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Gorman.

  At the end of the six-week programme, students were proactively arranging meetings to talk to professionals with business interests in their field of study, and two had successfully secured employment for the following year.

  With more study ahead of them, the remainder of the students credited the Job Ready Programme with boosting their confidence in finding work in New Zealand after graduation.

  “I got what I needed out of this programme – confidence, knowledge [and] a better network of potential employers,” said one participant.

  “I would like to thank those who made this programme successful as it has given us a good insight into skills and abilities to work on, which are not usually taught in university,” stated another.

  Feedback from business participants was also incredibly positive. “I overheard Roger Belton from Southern Clams commenting on how these students were so capable, and on how they could help their businesses grow into new markets,” said Sarah Gauthier, Export Education Coordinator.  “He really enjoyed meeting the students and hearing how their international business skills and multiple language abilities would help his business grow into places like Thailand and Malaysia.”

  Local Dunedin businesses represented at the event included ADInstruments, Southern Clams, PocketSmith, Mixbit, Myth, Firebrand, ANZ and Cook Wong Accountants. There was also international business representation from the Carraway Group, a Hong Kong-based financial services firm.

  

  Job Ready Coordinator Madison Stumbles with Minister Woodhouse as they presented each student with their frame able Job Ready completion certificate, signed by Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull.

  Next steps

  Planning for the next phase of the project is underway, with the next six-week programme being open to all international tertiary students in Dunedin and having an even stronger focus on engagement with local businesses.

  “I am really looking forward to see what phase two can do for Dunedin’s international students,” said Sarah Gauthier. “Secondary school engagement will be a priority and Job Ready intends to utilise the support received in the first phase to develop comprehensive material that will be applicable to all businesses and international students in New Zealand.”

  Think you’d like to do something similar in your region?  Sarah, Madison, and the Job Ready Programme partners are only too happy to share their learnings and provide hints and tips from their experience.

  Email Sarah in the first instance: sarah.gauthier@dcc.govt.nz

   

• Japanese teachers visit New Zealand schools

  Participating schools had previously indicated their interest in New Zealand through a survey put together by Air New Zealand and ENZ and also attended a seminar prior to embarking on the tour.

  Japanese teachers were the focus for this familiarisation visit in recognition of the fact that they are among the key influencers, along with alumni and agents, for Japanese students and their families when considering international study locations. The word-of-mouth promotion of New Zealand as an education destination that comes from these visits is highly effective.

  The four-day tour started off with a visit to Rotorua where we visited the agrodome at the Rotorua English Language Academy to see the famous farm show, followed by a wonderful Māori experience at Te Puia. On the second day, despite the heavy rain, we received a warm welcome at Tauranga Boys’ College and Girls’ College, visited Hobbiton and enjoyed the experience of a Kiwi farm stay in Cambridge. The third day saw us visit the Waitomo glow warm cave and Waikato University, where the boys’ rugby team were hosted in July this year as part of the Game on English programme. The final day was dedicated to Auckland, where we visited Northcote College and Language International.    

  Participants were impressed by the quality of programmes and facilities offered by New Zealand schools and universities. The Cambridge farm stay in was also very well received by the teachers who considered it a uniquely New Zealand experience. Through conversations with teachers and counsellors, the Japanese teachers were also reassured by the level of support offered to international students in New Zealand. The group also had the chance to speak to some Japanese students and saw how well they integrate with New Zealand students in the classroom. A reflection of New Zealand’s emphasis on diversity, I believe. 

  With the growing demand from the high school sector in Japan, we were pleased to showcase New Zealand’s high-quality of education, along with the Kiwi lifestyle and cultural experiences. Following the trip Yamate Gakuin Junior and Senior High School in Yokohama has made a decision to send a group of students to New Zealand starting August 2016. Takigawa Boys' Junior and Senior High School in Kobe will also start offering a 3 months programme in New Zealand from 2018. 

  I look forward to facilitating more relationships between New Zealand education providers and institutions and agents in Japan in the coming year.

  I would like to sincerely thank all the institutions, local tourism offices and venues, and Air New Zealand for their support in making this programme a success.

  Misa Pitt

• Latin America a focus

  The education opportunities for New Zealand in the nation of 46 million were highlighted in the Embassy announcement, which came as the Government outlined an update on their trade strategy yesterday.

  Broadening New Zealand’s export markets in South America and South East Asia was a key theme of the update of the Business Growth Agenda (BGA) 2015/16.

  The BGA is a programme of work that supports the growth of New Zealand businesses by delivering initiatives and policy reforms that help create a more productive and competitive economy. The BGA focuses on six key “ingredients” businesses need to grow: Export markets, innovation, infrastructure, skilled and safe workplaces, natural resources, and capital. Each of these has its own programme of work. 

  International education is seen as a key pillar in the ‘Export Markets’ work stream in the BGA and the action points for the sector are:

  • Expanding the Prime Minister’s Scholarships to Asia to include Prime Minister’s Scholarships to Latin America.

  • Using the International Education Growth Fund to support the growth of revenue from education and training delivered offshore.

  • Expanding the Education New Zealand Regional Partnership Programme to accelerate the growth of international education regionally.

  • Leveraging international alumni linkages to lift the skills of our international workforce in the public and private sector.

  • Reviewing ENZ to ensure it continues to be fit for purpose and is well placed to achieve the international education industry’s medium-term goals.

  Follow this link to download copies of the Business Growth Agenda: Towards 2025 reports.

• Alumni Voices showcase NZ education across South East Asia

  The 10 filmed or ‘hero’ interviews have been a large focus, with the clips having premiered at a range of ASEAN 40 events celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and ASEAN. They’ve also screened at numerous ENZ events, including some high-profile media events in Vietnam during Minister Joyce’s recent visit, as well as various organised media gatherings across our four target markets in the region.

  Through speaking more closely with these alumni to arrange the 40 interviews, an added bonus is that we’ve been able to really strengthen our relationships with them and have brought a lot of them on as unofficial ENZ ambassadors. We’ve organised plenty of in-market media interviews and as of early September, have achieved over $200,000 worth of PR value with each individual sharing some awesome testimonials of their time spent studying in New Zealand – something that’s proving to be a really powerful message for prospective students.

  The 40 individuals were selected from a range of ASEAN countries and provide a strong mix of age, gender, industry and institutions.

  We have the likes of Dr Mazlan Othman, Project Director of the Mega Science 3.0 project in Malaysia, who became her country’s first astrophysicist after graduating from the University of Otago in 1981 and once held the position as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

  There’s Singapore’s Dr William Tan, a Massey and University of Auckland graduate who credits his time in New Zealand for launching his career which has earned him the titles of Paralympian, cancer survivor, marathon runner and neuroscientist.

  Then we have H.E Chea Serey, a Victoria University of Wellington graduate who is currently the Director General of the National Bank of Cambodia.

  Across all interviews, we found a number of common themes: New Zealand’s encouragement for critical thinking, the freedom to choose their own course of study and the warm and welcoming society.

  Click here view the videos.

• International Student Barometer results

  In the 15 April issue of E-News we reported on the results of the International Student Barometer (ISB) survey of international students studying in the English language and PTE sectors.

  ENZ commissioned ISB surveys of students at universities and Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITP) to investigate the decision-making, expectations, perceptions and experiences of over 8,000 international students enrolled with these providers. 

  The surveys feature a global benchmark which indicate how New Zealand compares to other countries offering similar levels of study. Satisfaction can also be compared to previous ISB surveys in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013.

  The good news is that overall satisfaction in the university and ITP sectors is high.

  Eighty-eight percent of ITP students surveyed were satisfied with their experience. This on par with the global benchmark and the 2013 survey. ITP students showing the highest satisfaction level were from South Africa (100 percent), Nepal (98 percent) and Sri Lanka (96 percent).

  Satisfaction at universities is also in line with the global benchmark, improving by two percent since 2013, to reach 90 percent. University students who were the most satisfied with their experience included those from Sri Lanka (98 percent), Tonga (96 percent), and England (95 percent).

  Across the board, four out of five students would recommend their institution to other students thinking of studying there.

  It’s worth noting that overall satisfaction levels vary noticeably by institution and by nationality. Each institution has received their own results to analyse and help inform the development of services and support for their student cohorts. It is important for institutions to be aware of their students’ expectations and needs - in particular, understanding and addressing the needs of the 20 percent of students who would not recommend their institution to others.  

  Generally speaking, the areas with lowest student satisfaction tend to be around costs, employment/employability and social life; many elements of which are issues for international students globally, not just in New Zealand.

  One particular point for New Zealand institutions to keep in mind is the relatively high importance students place on employment/employability factors – both during and after study. Focusing attention on aspects such as work experience and placements, learning that facilitates students’ employability, and careers advice, will help avoid a mismatch between expectations and reality in this area. It will also boost the reputations of both the institution and New Zealand education. 

  You can read the ISB ITP summary report and sector presentation.

  Read the ISB university summary report and sector presentation.

  i-Graduate’s New Zealand Director, Kyla Steenhart, presented overall findings from the ISB surveys at the New Zealand International Education Conference 2015 in Hamilton in August. Check out her presentation regarding all four sector surveys here.

• Tauranga-based group visits Korea

  E-News caught up with one of the organisers of the visit, Education Tauranga’s Anne Young.  

  What led to the decision to visit Korea as a group of institutions?

  Education Tauranga’s 2013-2017 strategy focuses strongly on collaboration between member institutions. We find that we can make more of an impact in a market as a group, and, with a diverse range of institutions participating in activities, we can demonstrate the pathways that exist within our region to cater for all levels of education.

  Korean students are enrolled in the full range of education institutions in Tauranga – from primary right through to tertiary. This is one of the reasons Education Tauranga’s Korean student numbers have continued to rise in 2015, while declining in New Zealand overall. We also attribute our success in Korea to the fact that we have committed local agents, strong local government support, highly effective links with the Korean community in the Western Bay of Plenty and institutions that provide excellent education and care to all international students, including those from Korea.

  In choosing Korea as our group visit destination, we were able to further capitalise on our already strong position in that market.  

  What are the advantages of a group visit such as this?

  The main advantage of a group visit is that it’s easier to get noticed and to secure meetings than when you’re an individual institution travelling on your own. Promotional costs can be shared, too. In our case, 21 institutions were pitching in, meaning our advertising dollar went a lot further, resulting greater numbers of prospective students at our fairs and good attendance of officials at other events.

  Having trip organisers taking care of all the planning, organising and bookings meant it was a much more efficient process for everybody. It also alleviated stress for some first time travellers to Korea who didn’t have to face many of the challenging ‘unknown factors’ that can pop up when organising your own recruitment trip.  

  What are the downsides?

  I don’t think there are any particular disadvantages to marketing as a group offshore. However, there are challenges in the logistics of dealing with such a large group, such as transport arrangements and getting everyone to where they need to be on time, as well as ensuring that planned activities are of benefit to all institutions from a range of sectors.  

  What were the highlights?

  We attracted over 400 prospective students through our fairs which was a great success for one small region of New Zealand. The students who came along were already pretty well informed about Education Tauranga’s education offerings, demonstrating that the effort that we put into advertising prior to the events hit the mark!

  Several alumni families also attended the events, and it was wonderful to see them engaging with prospective students and their families and giving their perspective on what studying in our region is like.

  The support of big New Zealand brands such as Zespri was also fantastic; their product promotion at our fair went down really well.

  Being hosted at the New Zealand Residence by the Deputy Head of Mission to Korea and Education New Zealand was also a highlight as we were able to recognise the contribution they had made to ensuring our activities were a success.  

  Are there any outcomes on the horizon or promising connections made?

  We’re hoping our visit will result in an increase in student numbers from Korea in 2016. The signs are promising so far, with many new students expressing an interest in coming here. Time will tell however!

  We have also strengthened relationships with Tauranga’s ‘friendship city’ of Ansan, with a larger study tour group coming in 2016 than came in 2015.  

  What would you do differently next time?

  The visit to Korea was our second regional group visit (we visited China together as a group in March this year) so we already had experience in what did and didn’t work and were able to iron out any issues prior to this trip.  

  Any hints and tips for together groups thinking of undertaking this sort of group visit?

  I think undertaking a visit of this kind is very effective for regions or groups of institutions. My top tips for making your visit a success are as follows:

  • Do your research and have a plan. Know exactly what activities you want to do and why

  • Involve all participating institutions in the planning process

  • Make sure you have support from local councils and your Economic Development Agency

  • Enter the market with a strong brand that all participants believe in

  • Make sure you have translated materials and have translators who know your product/region

  • The work you do prior to arrival is just as important (if not more than) as the work you will do while in country

  • Work with ENZ and local Embassy staff

  • Leverage your alumni

  • Follow up with the people you met with during the visit!

   

• ENZ’s Performance Improvement Framework review

  What’s the purpose of a PIF?

  The State Services Commission (SSC) runs PIFs to make sure government agencies are working as efficiently and effectively as possible, and that they are on track to achieve their goals in the medium-term future (over the next four years).

  This is a warts and all process; a chance to look at areas which are not working so well as well as areas where ENZ is on track. It is an opportunity to get impartial advice on how we can improve and do even better in the future.

  How will the PIF review operate?

  For ten days from 28 October, two independent reviewers will set up shop in ENZ’s Wellington office. During this time, many of ENZ’s staff will get a chance to have their say about ENZ’s performance.

  Some of you will get the opportunity to contribute to the review as well, as the reviewers will also talk to around 25-30 of ENZ’s stakeholders and customers, including a broad range of industry participants.

  We hope you’ll participate if you are approached.

  Some key questions the reviewers will consider are:

  • Where does this agency need to be in four years’ time to be all it can for New Zealand?

  • What are the challenges in getting there?

  • What are the performance challenges?  

  What happens at the end of the review?

  At the end of the process, ENZ will receive a report on its performance (using a green, amber or red rating system) and a list of recommendations.

  The PIF process is purposefully designed to be as transparent as possible. The report, and ENZ’s response to it, will be publicly available and posted on both the SSC and ENZ websites.

• Li and Dinh are moving on

  Dinh Duong

  Dinh Duong, our Market Development Manager in Ho Chi Minh City, is leaving ENZ after more than two years supporting New Zealand’s international education efforts in Viet Nam.

  Dinh has been the main point of contact for our education events and promotional activities in Viet Nam. She has worked closely with our New Zealand-based teams and the international education industry, as well as with our NZ Inc partners in Viet Nam.

  We wish Dinh all the very best with her new endeavours. ENZ is currently recruiting for a Marketing and Strategic Relations Manager for Viet Nam to drive awareness of New Zealand and to build relationships in the market.  

  Li Zhi

  Li Zhi, one of our long-serving team members in China, has decided to move on and pursue other interests.

  As many of you know, Li has been the main point of contact for events in China. Li set the bar high, running a large number of highly successful events in her time with ENZ.

  We have contracted Stephanie Sun to assist us through the Country of Honor events in October. Rosemary from our Beijing office, who many of you will know, is stepping up to assist as well.

  Regional Director – Greater China, Alex Grace, is very confident that she has the best team in place to ensure a series of successful events and is looking forward to seeing many of you soon.