The second iteration of the Future Leaders Forum took place at SkyCity Adelaide on Tuesday May 2, kicking off the 2023 Asia-Pacific Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE).
The under-35’s leadership event celebrated emerging talent in the industry and shared powerful career stories from those in established leadership positions.
The afternoon sessions included thought-provoking panel discussions including The Future of Real Estate and The Investors’ Outlook, as well as insightful interviews and presentations.
Hotel leaders from Accor, IHG, Choice, Marriott, Jucy Snooze and Ascott took to the stage to share their outlook and expectations on a range of issues.
The leaders spoke about the rise of AI technologies such as Chat GPT and how these can be embraced as a tool for hotels alongside the personal touch delivered by team members. They also delved into ways that hotels can differentiate themselves to become attractive employers to young people in the industry.
“We’ve got to fight to attract you to our industry; we’ve got to do a better job,” Mansfield told the young leaders in the room.
“Everyone deserves a place to be themselves, we have to remove unconscious bias and provide a place that makes everyone feel welcome.”
Accor Pacific CEO Sarah Derry shared a piece of advice for young people in the industry, saying: “Don’t wait ‘til you’re ready. Make that career move or put your hand up for something when you’re not ready because you will learn when you have the right mentors and the right people around you.”
Quest Orange Franchisee and General Manager Amy Van de Ven spoke about her journey to lead the business, becoming the youngest franchisee ever in the history of Quest at 27 years old.
“My parents have always had their own small business and watching them when I was younger, I always knew I wanted to work for myself,” she explained.
It was her open mindset and can-do attitude that helped open doors in her career, she explained.
“I said yes; I said yes to everything. I said yes to jumping in the kitchen to wash the dishes. I said yes, I want to learn reservations. Yes, I want to learn housekeeping. I just have always had a really big learning mindset and a really hands on approach to business and my learning and growth,” she said.
In a one-on-one interview with AHICE Chair and Convenor James Wilkinson, Travel and Leisure Co President and Managing Director International Operations, Wyndham Vacation Clubs, Barry Robinson, spoke about his early career which saw him move from New Zealand to Indonesia, to Jakarta, China, and beyond.
Robinson spoke of his first hospitality job behind a bar in New Zealand at the age of 13, as well as his time in China, saying it was “a really steep learning curve around culture and languages”.