Time: Wednesday, 27th November, 2024, from 8:30 – 12:00 (GMT+7)
Location: Ibis Style Hotel Silom, Bangkok, Thailand
The Conference is FREE and open to public registration.
Scan the QR code or follow this link to book your seat.
The conference is organized by ASSET-H&C and IECD in South East Asia. We will discuss the topic: “Holistic Sustainability in Hospitality:From Action to Impact with Communities in Southeast Asia”. Together, the speakers and audience will try to answer these questions: Are the notions of respect for the Environment, Local Communities, and Economic Viability deeply interconnected? Can sustainable transformation thrive without local community engagement? The conference will also include a series of testimonials and practical examples from the Hospitality industry and NGO leaders.
AGENDA
Discussions will aim to:
Showcase sustainable case studies in Hospitality & Tourism across Southeast Asia context to inspire audiences to implement them within their organizations.
Help Hospitality & Tourism professionals acknowledge the deep interconnections of all sustainability dimensions (Integral Ecology)
Foster collaboration among Hospitality stakeholders toward sustainability to make real-life impact on local communities
AMERIGO TITO SESTI
Michelin Green-Star Chef
Founder at Electric Sheep Restaurant
Adopted and grew up in Bergamo Italy, Chef Amerigo developed a passion for the culinary world at an early age. He graduated prestigious Catering, Tourism and Gastronomy schools in France where he developed his technical training for professional kitchens. From 2007, he jumped around Europe, from Michelin-star restaurants to grand hotels, from trattorias to chocolateries, before crossing the Atlantic to farm the land and harvest its fruits. Then he went back to old Europe, under the wing of Jean-Michel Lorain, and flew all the way to Thailand where he’s recognized for his interpretation of creative French cuisine, integrating local ingredients.
Since 2022, Amerigo has been researching how to revolutionise its culinary operations. In addition to the ever-present quality and elegance, J’aime by Jean-Michel Lorain wants to be more eco-friendly, using local ingredients and reducing carbon footprints from their operations. They earned a Michelin Star from 2018 to 2023, and in 2024, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin Green Star, an exclusive honor given to restaurants that uphold outstanding sustainable and eco-friendly culinary?practices. More notably, Chef Amerigo also supports social enterprises and offers young Thai chefs, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, a chance to improve their skills and excel in their career from his kitchen.
In their visionary restaurant Electric Sheep at The Warehouse, Charoen Krung, Chefs duo Amerigo Tito Sesti and Yoan Martin offer a menu that blends the rich culinary heritage of the Mediterranean with carefully curated local produce, embracing sustainable practices at every step. The dishes are developed around locally sourced ingredients from small producers and passionate artisans, showcasing the best of Thailand’s bounty. On the roof, herbs and vegetables push through the soil like a quiet defiance of the barren cityscape. In a metropolis where the bond between people and the earth has withered away, Electric Sheep is more than a place to eat; it’s a place to reflect on our connection to nature, the food we consume, and the metropolis we inhabit.
JIRAPHAT BRIAND
Sustainability Leader
EXO Travel Group
As Sustainability Leader at EXO Travel, Jiraphat Briand brings a unique blend of scientific expertise and business acumen to the tourism industry. Armed with a scientific background and an MBA in Enterprise Management, she champions sustainability initiatives that bridge environmental conservation with community development. Throughout her career spanning ecology and energy sectors, Jiraphat has demonstrated that sustainability and business success can go hand in hand. At EXO Travel, she leads transformative initiatives that encompass environmental stewardship, community engagement, and sustainable supplier development. Her team’s work ranges from implementing carbon footprint reduction strategies to eliminating single-use plastics across operations. By fostering awareness and accountability among staff and stakeholders, Jiraphat ensures that responsible practices are embedded in every aspect of EXO Travel’s operations across all destinations. As a newly certified B Corp in 2023, they have raised the bar for sustainable tourism in Southeast Asia in social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Their milestone achievement includes launching the Sustainability Awards, and?celebrating innovative projects in environmental conservation, education, and cultural heritage. Through the EXO Foundation, they continue to champion initiatives that protect biodiversity, support local communities, and advocate for responsible travel practices.
CHARLOTTE MOUGINOT (DE MONTAGU)
Director – Hospitality & Catering Training Center (HCTC), a member of ASSET-H&C in Maesot, Thailand
IECD Head of Operations in South East Asia
With a deep commitment to social impact, Charlotte Mouginot has dedicated over a decade to empowering the Karen people and other ethnic minority communities in Thailand. As the Head of Operations for South-East Asia and Director of the Hospitality and Catering Training Center (HCTC) in Mae Sot, Thailand, she has spearheaded initiatives that provide vocational training to disadvantaged young adults, ensuring they gain the skills necessary for successful integration into the workforce.
Her work at HCTC exemplifies her dedication to fostering sustainable development. By managing the center’s operations and building robust partnerships, she has created pathways for over 60 students annually to transform their lives through education and hands-on experience in hospitality. Additionally, her previous roles, including project coordination in remote Karen villages, highlight her commitment to addressing critical issues such as electrification and health care, further improving the quality of life for these communities.
Charlotte’s insights into sustainable practices and her unwavering advocacy for the community will undoubtedly inspire meaningful conversations and actionable solutions at our event’s roundtable discussion.
MANADECH POLJANTUK
Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok
Currently serving as the Learning & Development Manager at Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok, Manadech brings over 20 years of extensive experience in the hospitality industry. His career has been marked by key roles within the Rooms Division and People Development at a prestigious five-star hotel chain, where he has honed his skills in delivering exceptional service and prioritizing guest satisfaction. His commitment to enhancing the guest experience is complemented by his active involvement in training and developing staff, ensuring that they embody the values of service and sustainability that are integral to the Mövenpick brand. In addition to his operational responsibilities, Manadech plays a vital role on the hotel’s Sustainability Project Committee. Here, he champions initiatives aimed at raising awareness about the shared responsibility to protect and preserve our environment. His dedication to sustainable practices not only benefits the resort but also contributes to the broader community, inspiring others to take action towards sustainability. One of the standout highlights of the Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok is its excellence in the “Green Globe Program” an internationally recognized certification that promotes sustainable tourism practices. Under Manadech’s leadership, the resort has embraced this program, implementing strategies that reduce environmental impact while enhancing guest engagement in sustainability.
NATTAKORN ASUNEE NA AYUDHAYA (TON)
General Manager
Social Enterprise Thailand
Social Enterprise Thailand is a hub for social businesses in the country, with a mission to “build a better society through social entrepreneurship.” The definition of social enterprise, by SE Thailand, is an entity that aims to solve social and environmental problems by using business which ensures efficiency and social innovation.
At the coming conference, Nattakorn Asunee Na Ayudhaya aka Ton – General Manager of Social Enterprise Thailand, will emphasize the importance of social businesses as a catalyst to drive purposeful partnerships between businesses and the community, as well as how they uniquely and effectively support and empower their member social enterprises towards sustainable growth. He will also showcase inspiring stories of their amazing members who have been making significant social impacts on their respective beneficiaries.
Ton will conduct relevant group discussions/activities to build interactive connections among the participants; and facilitate business matching activities to create an inclusive ecosystem in the hospitality and tourism industry. Through this process, the organizing team wishes to highlight the crucial role of each audience, making them feel empowered and responsible for building a better society and creating a long-term sustainable impact on the local community in Thailand, and Southeast Asia region.
Project Manager
Association of Southeast Asian Social Enterprises for Training in Hospitality & Catering (ASSET-H&C)
Phan Thanh Hà graduated from the Vietnam National Economics University with a degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management. With four years of hands-on experience in various roles within hotels and hospitality projects, she transitioned to the NGO sector, focusing on youth empowerment. In 2021, amid the pandemic and strict lockdowns in Ho Chi Minh City, she joined IECD Vietnam as a Pedagogy Coordinator at La Boulangerie Francaise, a member of the ASSET-H&C network. This role ignited her passion for vocational education and social enterprise operations. Subsequently, she became a Partnership Officer for ASSET-H&C, where she combined her love for hospitality and education by organizing impactful activities for 13 social enterprises and vocational schools across Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Over the past two years, as Project Manager at ASSET-H&C, Hà has been dedicated to developing timely and realistic projects that foster collaboration, progress, and engagement among network members, all while emphasizing sustainability and community empowerment. Known for her behind-the-scenes work for the past ASSET-H&C’s annual Public Conferences on various sustainability topics, she will take the spotlight as the facilitator for the upcoming roundtable discussion at the 2024 conference.
In the beginning of 2025, UNWTO’s World Tourism Day will be held in Malaysia, one of the fastest-developing economies in Southeast Asia, on the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”. Sustainability, in the context of the Tourism and Hospitality industry, refers not only to the practices of conducting hotel operations in an environmentally responsible and resource-efficient manner but also encompasses promoting social responsibility by supporting local communities. Adhering to ethical business practices aims both at minimizing the industry’s negative impact on the environment while maximizing its positive impact on the local economy and society1.
Every year, the ASSET-H&C invites a wide network of Hospitality professionals to its Annual Public Conference to hear and learn from experts, entrepreneurs, researchers, and influencers on a specific theme under Sustainability. Over the years, this topic has been a pinnacle theme: “Green Skills in Tourism and Hospitality” in 2021, and “Sustainable Food System in the Hospitality Industry: Where to Start?” in 2023.
Beyond the Environment-friendly mentality, such concepts as “Integral Ecology” imply that economic, social, and environmental activities are all interconnected and must be analyzed together.
Matilda Nassar, Concept: Integral Ecology. University of Notre Dame’s website: https://kellogg.nd.edu/ihd-research-lab-integral-ecology
This year’s ASSET H&C Public Conference acknowledges the deep interconnections between environmental, social, and economic dimensions, highlighting the need to prioritize the well-being of local communities alongside local economic viability.
We will also showcase inspiring examples from our upcoming 2nd edition of the Eco-Guide (to be released in 2025), featuring hotels, F&B establishments, and institutions that have successfully transformed their practices or embedded the notion of “responsibility to society” at their core. We attempt to provide tangible evidence that change is possible and motivate others to take concrete steps toward sustainability.
Networking is an awaited session in ASSET-H&C’s annual public conferences.
During the workshop session by Social Enterprise Thailand, participants will have a chance to discuss in groups about case studies, as well as a group-of-interest matching activity to connect alike minds. An open-mic Q&A session will also give participants a chance to interact with the experts and speakers.
The conference will follow by a networking lunch at Ibis Style Hotel Silom in “Canapé” style, participants can move around the high tables and discuss with the ones they are most interested and share their ideas on relevant sustainability topics.
Join us and share your thoughts: REGISTER NOW. Together, we can go further and grow stronger!
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