School of Hospitality, Tourism & Events - Taylor's University

Professor Gang Li from for the inspiring engagement and valuable insights on publishing in high-impact journals. Appreciation to our - Rupam Konar Vinayaraj Mothiravally Thanam Subramaniam Anshul Garg Khairiah Ismail for their support on collaboration discussion and special thanks to Rupam Konar for the research talk coordination.

✨ Congratulations to the Newly Appointed Committee of the PATA Malaysia Taylor’s Student Chapter! ✨

A new chapter of leadership, passion, and innovation begins today! 🌍✈️

We proudly congratulate the newly appointed committee members who will continue driving the vision of empowering future tourism leaders, creating meaningful industry connections, and strengthening student engagement within the global tourism and hospitality industry.

A special appreciation also goes to our outgoing committee for their unwavering dedication, commitment, creativity, and unconditional efforts in elevating the growth and reputation of the PATA Malaysia Taylor’s Student Chapter. Your hard work has created valuable opportunities, impactful events, and unforgettable experiences for tourism students at Taylor’s University. 💙

We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to Dr Thanam Subramaniam for her continuous mentorship, encouragement, and strong support in nurturing future tourism professionals and strengthening industry-academia collaborations through meaningful tourism initiatives. 🌱

As the chapter moves forward under the leadership of Dr Lazey Bhutia , we are excited to witness greater achievements, stronger collaborations, impactful tourism projects, industry networking opportunities, and transformative learning experiences for students.

🌟 To all tourism and hospitality students — this is your opportunity to grow beyond the classroom!

By joining the PATA Malaysia Taylor’s Student Chapter, you will gain:
✅ Industry exposure and networking opportunities
✅ Leadership and event management experience
✅ International tourism insights and collaborations
✅ Opportunities to participate in impactful tourism projects
✅ A platform to build confidence, creativity, and professional growth

Be part of a dynamic student community that is shaping the future of sustainable and innovative tourism. Your journey towards becoming a global tourism leader starts here! 🚀

Here’s to stronger partnerships, meaningful impact, and a brighter future ahead! 🎉👏

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐆𝐞𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬) 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

An inspiring industry engagement session for our Bachelor of International Events Management (Honours) students as we welcomed Adjunct Associate Professor Madam Gracie Geikie CMP, Co-Founder and Director of Place Borneo Sdn Bhd, for a professional consultation and sharing session.

Students had the opportunity to pitch their event ideas through the PechaKucha presentation format, followed by valuable consultation and constructive industry feedback from Madam Gracie. The session provided students with 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬.

Place Borneo Sdn Bhd is an IAPCO accredited Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) and Business Events management company specialising in conference management, media and event management, product launches, integrated PR services, music and video production, as well as music festivals. With a combined 60 years of experience in the conference management and hospitality industry, the team has successfully managed more than 70 conferences and event activities ranging from 200 to 30,000 delegates and participants.

The session gave students meaningful exposure to industry expectations and strengthened the connection between academic learning and professional practice in the business events industry.

Thank you Madam Gracie Veronica Geikie for sharing your expertise and continuously supporting the development of future business events professionals.

Coordinated by: Chor Ban Ch'ng, CMP, CEM, SEPC, DES

We are proud to share the successful completion of our voluntary learning trip to World of Coffee Bangkok 2026, where eight Bachelor’s in International Hospitality Management students accompanied by lecturer Mr. Chiew Boon Tian, gained invaluable exposure to the global specialty coffee industry.

Our students contributed as volunteers at the World Cup Tasters Championship, gaining hands-on experience in sensory evaluation, event coordination, and professional coffee practices. This opportunity also allowed them to engage with international coffee experts, enhancing their industry awareness and global perspective.

This experiential journey has significantly enriched our students’ practical skills, confidence, and professional growth, reflecting our strong commitment through the Taylor’s Barista Club to meaningful real-world learning experiences that prepare them for dynamic careers in the hospitality and coffee industry.

We look forward to more opportunities that connect learning with industry engagement.

The Sustainable Tourism Impact Lab (STIL) and the School of Hospitality, Tourism & Events - Taylor's University recently organised a Community-Based Tourism outreach programme involving homestay operators across Negeri Sembilan. The programme brought together representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Tourism Malaysia, Lembaga Pelancongan Negeri Sembilan (LPNS), and the Homestay Operators Association to engage directly with local homestay operators in understanding the challenges, issues, and areas for improvement within the sector.

The programme was officiated by Prof. Dr. Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan, who emphasised the importance of stronger collaboration between academia, government agencies, industry players, and local communities in shaping a more sustainable future for community-based tourism in Malaysia, while the welcoming speech was delivered by Dato’ Sarjit Singh Sekhon.

Spearheaded by Dr. Jeetesh Kumar, Dr Nagathisen Katahenggam and Mr. Nantha Gopal, alongside students from the Bachelor of International Tourism Management programme, the initiative reflects STIL’s ongoing commitment to serving as a bridge between communities, academia, industry stakeholders, and government authorities. The outreach programme also marked the beginning of a broader long-term initiative that will involve closer collaboration among all stakeholders through future engagement sessions, capacity-building trainings, tourism promotion initiatives, knowledge-sharing activities, and sustainable tourism development programmes aimed at empowering homestay operators and strengthening rural tourism destinations in Negeri Sembilan and beyond.

𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮 (𝐏𝐂𝐄𝐁) 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬) 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞

A meaningful industry learning session for our Bachelor of International Events Management (Honours) students as we welcomed Janice Ooi Xin En Ooi, Sales Executive from Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), for an insightful sharing on the 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 (𝐁𝐄) 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 and the 𝐏𝐂𝐄𝐁 𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞.

Students gained valuable exposure to the role of convention bureaus, destination marketing, and how industry collaboration supports the growth of Malaysia’s business events sector. The session also provided students with a clearer understanding of career pathways and professional development opportunities within the BE industry.

Adding excitement to the session, one of our students Jia Wen Looi won a special gift pack from PCEB during the Q&A session by correctly answering a question about PCEB’s mascot, Nutmeg 🐢

Nutmeg, the adorable sea turtle, serves as an ambassador for Penang by representing the state’s natural charm, balance, and harmony with nature, while also supporting turtle conservation awareness efforts. Interestingly, Nutmeg was also featured at IMEX Frankfurt, showcasing Penang’s destination identity on the global business events stage.

Thank you to Janice Ooi and PCEB for the engaging session and continued support in nurturing future business events professionals.

Coordinated by: Chor Ban Ch'ng, CMP, CEM, SEPC, DES

✨ Beyond the Classroom: BIEM Gathering 2026 ✨

The BIEM Programme Gathering 2026 was successfully held on 12 May 2026, bringing together students and lecturers across all intakes for an evening filled with fun, networking, and meaningful connections 🌌💫

From interactive games like Human Bingo and Assemble! to engaging ice-breaking sessions, the event created a vibrant platform for students to strengthen friendships and build a stronger BIEM community.

More importantly, the event also provided valuable hands-on learning opportunities for the EventSphere Club EXCO members, allowing them to experience real event planning and ex*****on while enhancing their leadership, teamwork, communication, and event operations skills.

A huge congratulations and thank you to all organising committee members, lecturers, and participants for making this student-led initiative a memorable success! 👏

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𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫 (𝐏𝐂𝐎) 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬) 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

A meaningful industry-academia engagement session today with our Adjunct Associate Professor Dee Dee Quah, CMP CED SEPC Adj Assoc Professor, who is the Founder and Director of Medical Conference Partners organised closed to 100 world class events and 400 webinars together with the Bachelor of International Events Management (BIEM) students for the Conventions and Meetings Management module.

The session featured students presenting their innovative ideas through the 𝐏𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐊𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭, encouraging concise, creative, and impactful communication skills aligned with real industry practices.

Adding even more value to the learning experience was the 15-minute "𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧", students were given limited onboarding time to engage directly with industry expert, receive constructive feedback, and refine their convention and meeting proposals in a dynamic consultation setting.

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 like this continues to 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, preparing future business events professionals with 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬.

Coordinated by Chor Ban Ch'ng, CMP, CEM, SEPC, DES

Recently, over 25 students from the Bachelor of International Tourism Management programme at Taylor’s University, led by Dr. Nagathisen Katahenggam, proudly participated in the Malaysian Women Tourist Guides Association (MWTGA) 20th Anniversary Celebration themed “Be a T.O.U.R.I.S.T – Tourism Reimagined for the Next Generation.”

The three day programme provided valuable exposure for students through industrial engagement activities, knowledge sharing sessions, and meaningful interactions with tourism industry professionals, tourist guides, and heritage advocates. Students gained deeper insights into sustainable tourism, heritage conservation, digital transformation, and the evolving role of tourist guides in shaping future tourism experiences.

The event also highlighted the importance of experiential learning beyond the classroom, allowing students to connect theory with real industry practices while strengthening their professional networks and communication skills.

A heartfelt congratulations to the Malaysian Women Tourist Guides Association (MWTGA) on celebrating 20 years of passion, dedication, and contribution towards Malaysia’s tourism industry.