Recently, the Centre for Hospitality Innovation and Leadership (CHIL) and the School of Hospitality and Services Management (SHSM) at Sunway University proudly hosted a landmark event, ‘Hospitality United: Reshaping the Future’. Hospitality United brought together notable industry practitioners, academic members, alumni, and students to share the latest trends, practices, and sentiments in the hospitality and service industries. This event aimed to strengthen the relationship between the industry and academia through educational development and industry-relevant discussions. This gathering was a triumphant blend of three significant events in one exhilarating day.

The event started with an all-day hospitality-centred career fair, buzzing with opportunities and connections and student-led mocktail demonstrations. It was followed by an insightful and dynamic conference featuring a riveting panel discussion with esteemed industry leaders Michele Kwok (Co-Founder and driving force behind Soul Society Group), Victor Foo (MIHM and Certified Hotel Administrator), and Rahul Bharadwaj (Co-Founder of Anderes Fourdy Sdn Bhd). The discussion delved into the evolving challenges in our industry, especially regarding new technologies, capturing the audience's attention with depth and relevance.

Adding a dash of glamour to the proceedings, Celebrity Chef Abang Brian enthralled everyone with a captivating culinary demonstration focusing on sustainability. He delighted them with his all-banana cake and banana heart masak lemak. However, this demonstration was not just about tasty food, as it made a point about sustainability. Vegetable parts often discarded, such as banana hearts, can be integrated into recipes or used as ingredients in other meals, minimising food waste. The event also featured an engaging and interactive Classical South Indian live musical performance with the Mridangam, Ghatam and Kanjira by the Programme Leader of Master in International Hospitality Management and PhD programmes, Dr Elangkovan Narayanan, which perfectly blended information with entertainment.

The intellectual highlight of the day was a series of thought-provoking “rapid fire” talks by postgraduate students (Mr Trevor Anton, Ms Afsaneh Rostami, and Ms You Cai Zen) and SHSM alum (Mr Patrick Chong, Managing Director of Brillions International Sdn Bhd) who offered fresh perspectives, sparking lively debates on a diverse range of issues including female solo travellers, industry-academia relationships, the first pay cheque, and foreign and local staff in Malaysia's foodservice micro businesses.

As the day transitioned into the evening, an early networking session provided a perfect setting for interaction, with delectable dishes prepared by SHSM’s talented chefs adding to the charm of the occasion.

The event drew over 150 delegates, including industry professionals, academics, and students. The career fair also attracted 300 students, making it a day to remember for everyone involved in the world of hospitality. This event is also organised by the BSc (Hons) Conventions and Events Management students as part of their experiential learning and assessments, supported by the SHSM’s academic staff members. With the support of academic staff members, the student organisers executed various departmental functions for the event, ranging from digital marketing and promotions to events operations. Indeed, ‘Hospitality United: Reshaping the Future’ was not just an event but a celebration of the vibrant future of the hospitality and service industries.

Dr Gary Thomas Daniels
School of Hospitality and Service Management
Email: @email