The highly anticipated second edition of the MAH Hospitality Leadership Conference (HLC) concluded with great success recently.

The gathering was organized by the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), the conference attracted over 300 attendees, including high-level hoteliers and senior leaders from the hospitality and related industries across the country.

The opening ceremony was graced by the esteemed presence of YB Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Malaysia, who served as the guest of honour. 

Other notable attendees included Samuel Lee Thai Hung, Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director General of Promotions (II); Dr.Rony Ambrose Gobilee, Chief Strategy Officer of HRD Corp; and Dato’ Sri Ahmad Shaberry Cheek, Chairman of FELDA.

The Hospitality Leadership Conference serves as a crucial platform for bringing together leaders from across the hospitality sector to share, discuss, and exchange ideas on the latest trends and challenges facing the industry today.

By convening industry leaders and experts to discuss these critical issues, MAH aims to contribute to the industry’s success and shape its future trajectory for the better.

“We are thrilled to have brought together so many key players in the industry under one roof,” said Datin Christina Toh, president of MAH and Organising Chairlady of HLC 2.0. 

“The enthusiastic participation and high-level discussions at this year’s conference have been truly inspiring. We are immensely grateful to all the delegates, speakers, and sponsors for their incredible support in making this event a reality. It is through such collaborative efforts that we can drive innovation, enhance service quality, and ensure the continued growth and resilience of the hospitality sector.” she said.

This year’s conference featured six tracks, each led by esteemed subject matter experts, focusing on leadership, talent retention, digital and sustainable tourism, and mental wellness in the hospitality industry. 

These tracks included – The Future Proof Leader: Beyond Competencies to Capabilities, Chasing Growth with an Empowered Workforce, Digital Tourism: Navigating the Future of Tourism & Hospitality, Sustainable Tourism & Building Capacity, Beyond the Smile: Navigating Mental Health in the Hospitality Industry and Mental Health: Illness or Weakness?

In addition to the main conference sessions, the event also featured several significant activities and announcements: 1. Announcement of the Enhanced Industrial Skills Framework (IndSF) for Hospitality 2.0 / MAH and the Malaysia Budget Hotel & Business Hotel Association (MyBHA) have collaborated with HRD Corp to provide a comprehensive guide for individuals, employers, and training providers to promote lifelong learning in the hospitality industry. Initially published in 2019, the enhanced second edition of IndSF for Hospitality features 61 job positions, 48 certification programs, and 328 soft and technical skills / Launching of MAHTEC Virtual Academy / Exchange of Memorandum of Agreement between MAHTEC and Awantec / Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between MAH and MATTA among others.