The 2nd edition of the School of Hospitality’s industry networking conference, Hospitality Tomorrow Conference 2023 (HTC), is a platform for Republic Polytechnic (RP) and key tourism & hospitality stakeholders to collaborate and promote thought-leadership and knowledge exchange.
This year, as part of the national recovery plan to reimagine and reinvigorate local tourism and profile Singapore as an urban destination for eco-conscious travelers, HTC 2023 will bring industry and academia together to discuss on the importance of sustainability and innovation in the tourism and hospitality industry.
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Aligned with Singapore’s vision towards a sustainable and green economy in accordance with industry trends and demands
To strengthen collaborations between academia and industry, enhancing academic curriculum to align with market trends and technologies
To tap on students’ unique ideas and creativity, and co-create sustainable and innovative solutions for the hospitality and tourism sector
8:30am– 9:25amIndustry networking breakfast and registration9:25am– 9:35amOpening address
9:35am– 9:50amGuest of Honour addressMelissa OwChief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board
9:50am– 10:30amKeynote speech: Creating a sustainable experience within the tourism industryHo Kwon PingExecutive Chairman, Banyan Tree Holdings & Laguna Resorts and Hotels
10:30am– 10:50amBreak
10:50am– 11:20amKeynote speech: From climate commitment to actionSoon Sze MengChief Executive Officer, GoNetZero™
11:20am– 12:00pmKeynote panel discussion: Transitioning into a sustainable business GoNetZero™ / Google / Lo & Behold / Republic Polytechnic / SGP moderated by Money FM 89.3
12:00pm– 12:30pmMOU signing ceremony12:30pmNetworking buffet lunch
Between 2020 and 2023, Melissa was the Executive Vice President for Customer Experience, Marketing & Investment Facilitation Group at the Economic Development Board (EDB). She played a key role in transforming the organisation’s B2B sales and marketing model and drove the global promotion of Singapore’s business brand and EDB’s marketing and communications in key markets such as Europe, US, China and Japan. Through enhancing EDB’s customer engagement capabilities, she led her teams to raise new investments from foreign companies.
Prior to her secondment to EDB, Melissa held several positions in STB with the last position as Deputy Chief Executive, where she led STB to put Singapore on the world map for hosting premier events and attracting major tourism investments. As Deputy Chief Executive, she headed the Experience Development Group and the Corporate Group and was responsible for ensuring that Singapore has a strong line-up of quality tourism products spanning events, dining, retail, and sports to entertainment, new tourism concepts development, and precinct development. Melissa also oversaw STB’s corporate functions such as legal, procurement and corporate administration, finance, and human resources.
Melissa spent several years at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, where she had the opportunity to formulate and review government policies impacting the tourism sector. She has also worked for companies such as British Airways and HSBC.
Ho Kwon Ping is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings and Laguna Resorts and Hotels, and Executive Chairman of Thai Wah Public Company. All three family-owned companies are listed in Singapore and Thailand.
He was the founding Chairman of Singapore Management University (SMU), and has chaired Singapore Power and MediaCorp Singapore. He has served on the boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Diageo, Singapore Airlines, and GIC.
Among various awards, Mr Ho has received the London Business School Entrepreneurship Award; CEO of the Year at the Singapore Corporate Awards; CNBC Travel Business Leader Award; Distinguished Alumnus Award from the National University of Singapore; and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the American Creativity Association, China Hotel Investment Summit and Australia Hotel Investment Summit. Honoured for his contributions and accomplishments in the hotel industry in the Asia Pacific region and globally, Mr Ho is the only two-time recipient of Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific - HICAP’s Innovation Award (2003) and Lifetime Achievement Award (2019) in its 30-year establishment.
For his services to the country, he has been decorated with the Meritorious Service Medal and Distinguished Service Order by the Singapore Government. Mr Ho has also been conferred honorary doctorates by Johnson & Wales University and from Hong Kong Poly University.
Mr Soon is responsible for the operations, strategic direction and growth of the company’s carbon management business, GoNetZero™. He brings with him over 20 years of experience in senior executive roles and board experiences in consulting, e-commerce, payments and technology across China, Southeast Asia and the United States. In one of his previous roles, he was President, Southeast Asia of JD.com, a listed e-commerce company. He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustee of Singapore Institute of Technology.
Mr Soon holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Stanford University and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Hongbin Jeong is the presenter and the producer for The Afternoon Update show on MoneyFM 89.3. She reports on the latest market trends and movements, as well as the latest financial news. She previously worked in TV as a producer, covering international news. Hongbin graduated from Yonsei University in South Korea with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations.
Yu Lik has over 25 years of experience in the hotel industry, holding key appointments with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Langham Hotels & Resorts, and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts.
Starting his career by implementing one-stop service operations when the concept was new to the hotel industry, Yu Lik had his first addictive taste of innovation & technology.
With a passion for service innovation to enhance human touchpoints, Yu Lik has played key roles in introducing autonomous service robots & IoT solutions to Singapore hotels which are being confronted by digitalisation, manpower and sustainability challenges.
With Republic Polytechnic, Yu Lik is taking a leading role to develop pathways forward in a conservative industry, steeped in traditions, to thrive in an environment that is disruptive and non-linear, but full of opportunities.
Born into a food-oriented family, with a chef father and a vegetarian mother (opposites attract they say), Oliver has been close to food and food ethics from a very young age. After completing his formal education in Vancouver, he began as an apprentice under Robert Clark, founder of the Oceanwise program for sustainable seafood, and Quang Dang at the renowned C Restaurant. Moving back to his home city of Ottawa, he was mentored in farm-to-table by the pioneer of the movement in Canada, John Taylor.
Chef Oliver spent time at Benu in San Francisco, before moving to Australia under the tutelage of Peter Gilmore at Quay and the Apollo under Jonathan Barthlemess. There he honed his skills for 3 years, before deciding to bring his culinary pursuits elsewhere.
Together with partner Phoebe Oviedo, they founded Stovetrotter, a roving locavore pop up in which the duo traveled the globe showcasing local products from an outsider’s view, challenging various social contexts and bringing old heirloom ingredients back to the fore. This journey took them from Morocco, Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Denmark to Sri Lanka, Japan, Hungary and more.
During their residency in a small pop up in the south of France, they were headhunted by Cynthia Chua, founder of Spa Esprit Group, who loved their ethos and drive, and invited them to take the helm at Open Farm Community. The restaurant is a pioneer in the farm-to-table sustainability movement in Singapore, where unique produce is grown on our own backyard farm, creating dishes that are responsible, creative and delicious. They have since moved on to found Re:Growth with The Lo and Behold Group, where they consult for F&B operators, do travelling pop ups, and engage with a wider audience about fixing food systems focused around regeneration of the nature that surrounds us all.
Pulkit Lambah is the Team Lead for APAC Travel at Google Singapore. He is a consultative seller with over 12 years of experience. Prior to joining Google, Pulkit worked at Marsh & McLennan Companies as a Senior Manager in their Risk Management Practice. He is a graduate of the Indian School of Business, where he earned his MBA in Strategy & Leadership. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Delhi.Pulkit is passionate about helping travel companies grow and succeed. He is a trusted advisor to online travel aggregators, airlines, and hotel chains across APAC. He helps them transform their businesses and the travel ecosystem through digital transformation, marketing, and sales.
Mr Toh is the Head of NetZeroOS Business at GoNetZeroTM driving business growth and expansion across the region. NetZeroOS is a smart energy asset management digital platform, developed by Sembcorp, aimed at managing and optimising renewable energy assets.
Mr. Toh brings nearly a decade of experience in leading product development, digital transformation, and decarbonisation initiatives across various companies in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to his current position, he served 18 years at the Republic of Singapore Navy, where he played a significant role in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami relief operations. Mr Toh is also the President of the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics chapter at the Singapore Computer Society Mr Toh holds a Masters of Science in Strategic Studies from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College London. He is also a graduate of the Indonesian Navy Command and Staff College and speaks fluent Bahasa Indonesia.
Leading Singapore GP’s drive to sustainability, Sasha Rafi is integral in ensuring that the Formula 1 night race promoter is working towards its goal for a greener grand prix. In 2022, Sasha spearheaded the organisation’s first-ever carbon footprinting report.
Working together with various departments to gain a better understanding of the needs and logistics, her current biggest challenge is to develop a roadmap that will reduce emissions through meaningful strategies and solutions.
Currently in her 16th year at Singapore GP, Sasha is also the head of marketing and privacy, where she oversees the development and execution of global marketing strategies, with an emphasis on driving sales and raising the profile of the Singapore event. She also manages the development and sales of merchandise for the event and ensures compliance with privacy regulations.
These complementing roles enable her to implement a direct effect to further reduce the event’s carbon footprint and mitigate the impact on commercial and operational goals.
Prior to joining Singapore GP in 2007, Sasha was a publicist with renowned music channel MTV and also worked on Tiger Beer’s Translate initiative which showcases emerging Asian artists on the world stage.
For enquiries or assistance, please email Help-SOH@rp.edu.sg.