Innovative Tourism Students in Spotlight at the PATA Social Entrepreneur Challenge

News Release from PATA

A View Of The City Of Kuala Lumpur

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Tourism Malaysia, and Taylor’s University are inviting students in travel and tourism to participate in the 2012 PATA Social Entrepreneur Challenge, part of the 2012 PATA Annual Conference (PAC2012), April 21-22 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Martin J Craigs, PATA CEO said: “The commitment to Next Gen paradigm shifts and new thinking will be centre stage during the competition. We will discover the best student business plan. Young people will share their vision for growing the travel industry in a responsible way -- PATA Next Gen in action.”

The challenge is aimed at undergraduates in tourism, hospitality or culinary arts in higher learning institutions in Asia Pacific. They should be ready to present an innovative sustainable tourism business idea at the PATA Annual Conference, the region’s premier travel industry thought leadership event.

Students are invited to form a team (maximum three persons) and submit a video on a socially responsible tourism business idea on YouTube (maximum 5 minutes). The proposal should fit in with any one of the following themes: changes in travelling patterns; changes in tourism and hospitality sectors; innovation in tourism and hospitality products; exploration of new tourism products; the influence of technology in the tourism industry; and tourism’s extra disciplinary roles.

Three final teams will be sponsored to present their idea live in front of a panel of the judges and delegates at the PATA Annual Conference in Kuala Lumpur, April 21-22. Two awards will be granted to a champion judged by travel and tourism experts and the audience’s favourite via the competition’s dedicated Facebook page.

The deadline for students to submit their idea via video is March 31, 2012.

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/patasocialentrepreneur/
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/2012-PATA-Social-Entrepreneur Challenge/317776261603142
Email: pata.social.entrepreneur@gmail.com

Offer for Professors and Teachers
PATA strongly encourages students and academics to join the PATA Annual Conference with the following offer: eight students get one FREE registration -- professors or lecturers who bring at least eight students will have their conference registration fee waived. Academic registrations will be arranged on a group basis with the offer of complimentary registration for professors or lecturers conditional on them bringing eight or more students. For more information visit www.pata.org/pac2012 or email to events@PATA.org.

Source: www.PATA.org
March 6, 2012, Bangkok:

Malaysia will host 2012 Pacific Asia Travel Association Annual Conference

By Anthony Tan email: micemalaysiabeyond@gmail.com

Sunset view of Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia will be the venue for this year’s Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Conference to be held in Kuala Lumpur from the April 19 – 22 and will bring together delegates from all areas of travel and tourism industry from the Asia Pacific region.

The 2012 PATA Annual Conference (PAC2012) will be hosted by Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Malaysia. The conference will address the theme "Building the Business Beyond Profits" and will feature some of Asia's most acclaimed and conscientious entrepreneurs.

The conference is shaping up as a great networking, insights, and Next Gen thought leadership forum that will deliver tangible benefits to all professionals.

Martin J. Craigs, PATA CEO, said: "PATA is proud to bring the PATA Annual Conference back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, since the last conference in 2001 when the association celebrated its 50th anniversary. PATA Next Gen expresses the association's commitment to build business with all the new tools of the trade without losing our face-to-face friendships or sense of fun."

The speakers, all Next Gen thought leaders, will share their successful social entrepreneurship business models and principles.

Founder of G Adventures, Bruce Poon Tip, will address the closing session on “Building the Business Beyond Profits.” G Adventures has grown to become a world leader in adventure travel, with offices around the world, offering small group experiences in over 100 countries to more than 100,000 travelers annually.

As one of Canada's Top 40 under 40, Bruce has also won Canada's Entrepreneur of the Year twice and has been honoured as Canada's 100 Leaders of Tomorrow. In “Profit” magazine, Bruce was hailed as one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurs in Canada within the last 25 years. Bruce is a very inspiring and charismatic speaker who has presented to audiences of thousands.

Before the start of the annual conference, a number of activities will be held between April 19-20 and them is the PATA’s Annual General Meeting, the PATA Chapter Colloquium, the PATA Board & Category Committee meetings, the 2012 PATA Gold Awards luncheon, and PATA Foundation fund raising activities, will be held at The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur, the official venue.

Since this event is held in Malaysia, Malaysian travel trade and tourism industry players should not miss it.

Those interested in the 2012 PATA Annual Conference can still register and for more information about the conference, please visit www.PATA.org/pac2012

Another tourism industry related link by MICE Malaysia Beyond: http://airlinesairportsmalaysia.blogspot.com/