A platform dedicated to young talent for the hospitality industry

In 2017, Singapore saw record highs in both tourism receipts and visitor arrivals for the second time in two years, according to data by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Tourism receipts rose by 3.9% to S$26.8 billion, due primarily to growth in visitor arrivals across all top 10 markets and higher visitor arrivals from high-spending markets such as China, South Korea, US, and UK.

Clearly, the travel trade industry has a thriving market in Singapore, and the wider Asia region, and one of the leading industry platforms to develop this sector is ITB Asia.

ITB Asia is an annually-held, three-day B2B trade show and convention for the travel industry, gathering leaders from MICE, corporate, and leisure sectors with 940+ exhibitors and 11,000+ total attendees.

Now in its eleventh year in Singapore, ITB Asia will be taking place at Marina Bay Sands on 17-19 October 2018. It is organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau.

Human Resources is glad to be the media partner for the Future Leaders 2018 track taking place on 19 October 2018, from 1230-1700 hours.

Future Leaders 2018 - what you need to know before you attend

Dedicated to young talent for the hospitality industry, this forum will gather senior executives from HR and operations to provide insights on what it will take for talent to succeed in the near future.

On the agenda are mentoring sessions by two industry veterans, Stewart Fu, director of learning, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore; and Ian Wilson, senior vice president of non-gaming operations, Marina Bay Sands.

Speaking to Human Resources, Ian Wilson affirms: "The industry is undergoing significant disruption. To stay relevant, we must focus on staff engagement and learning, as well as harness data and technology to optimise productivity," as some of the priorities for employers.

Additionally, he shares his top tip for industry aspirants: "My favourite quote is: 'If you stop for lunch, you are lunch.' It summarises a mindset that we should adopt – one focused on constant progression with no complacency."

A fireside chat will follow the mentoring sessions, where Sulbi Lee, general manager, M Social Singapore, and Zak Muysken, director of guest services, InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay will take questions around climbing the hospitality ladder.

This panel will be moderated by one among the aspirant talent pool, Lee Yan Xuan, fresh graduate, Bachelor (Hons) Hospitality Business, Singapore Institute of Technology.

Sulbi Lee provides context to this much-anticipated discussion: "As technology implementation is happening quicker than ever in the hospitality industry, there is a chance to redefine service and make working in hospitality attractive again.

"I've been fortunate to have been exposed to five different industries and multiple departments through my 13 years of career but I’m still back in the hospitality business. The takeaway from the exposure is that as we see more robots, AI, tech automation co-exist within this field, the business of dealing with human emotions will be valued more and more."

Following this conversation will be another interactive panel discussion, featuring the following panelists lending their expertise to the topic of 'envisioning the future of young talent':

• Darren Ware, general manager, Carlton City Hotel Singapore
• Lavinia Rajaram, regional head of communications (Asia), Brand Expedia
• Merle Chen, chief talent officer, The Lo & Behold Group
• Ng Gian Heng, director of human resources, InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay, Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay
• Moderated by: Wimintra Jangnin, editor in chief, hotelintel.co

One of the panelists, Darren Ware, speaks to Human Resources about the role of employers in developing talent: "It is all about setting people up for success while recognising that every individual is different. As employers, it is crucial to effectively identify aspiring hospitality personalities with a growth mindset.

"By preparing these future leaders with tailored training from subject matter experts and ensuring they have access to the necessary resources and technology is giving them a head start to attaining higher levels of achievement."

The eventful day will be wrapped up with a breakout and networking session.

To attend the conference, please register at this link.

Photo / 123RF