Community Heroes was the theme of this year’s ICCA-TTG Passionate Breakfast on Tuesday morning, where four industry players took to the stage to talk about how they – through their organisations and personal efforts – have been positive agents of change for their local communities.
The event featured Ailynn Seah, vice president sales – MIC and association, Marina Bay Sands Singapore; Arrut Navaraj, managing director, Suan Sampran in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand; Sandy Peamsomboon, regional MICE manager, Discova in Thailand; and Nusheena Shahimi, membership development executive (Asia-Pacific), ICCA.
Seah spoke of her drive to support local communities in both her personal and corporate capacities, and projects that Marina Bay Sands and corporate clients had previously done to support needy organisations.
Arrut introduced his property’s work with local food producers and shared the successful model with other hotel and restaurant companies in Thailand, effectively creating a supportive and revenue-generating system for Thai farmers.
Sandy spoke of Discova’s long-established commitment to providing education and career opportunities for locals while accomplishing the company’s objective of offering authentic and eye-opening destination experiences.
And to hammer home the message that community support is not just the responsibility of moneyed corporations, Nusheena revealed how she found personal peace and happiness from helping impoverished communities in her home city, Kuala Lumpur, at a time when she, as a student, and her family were also struggling to make ends meet.
ICCA-TTG Passionate Breakfast made its debut at IT&CMA 2019, crafted out of a desire shared by partners ICCA and TTGmice to provide a platform for MICE and tourism industry peers to share inspirational stories on personal and professional growth.
