Over 30 General Managers and Corporate Hoteliers Confirm Participation at GM Forum ’21

At the close of registration, over 30 GMs and corporate hoteliers have confirmed participation at this year’s GM Forum scheduled for 23rd September 2021 at Paradise Island Resort, Male’ Atoll. The participating GMs represent over 50 brands from international hotel management companies and local operators.

Launched in 2014, the fifth edition of the GM Forum was scheduled for April 2020 and consequently cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GM Forum 2021 will feature three keynote speeches, panel discussions and presentations from industry experts. Among keynote speakers are Maldives Minister of Tourism Dr Abdulla Mausoom; Emilio Fortini, chairman, Marriott Business Council and general manager, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa; Thoriq Ibrahim, founder and president, Maldives Ocean Plastics Alliance; Rajesh Mehta, director enterprise, Ooredoo Maldives.

In the opening keynote, Minister Mausoom is to highlight the sacrifices made by resort employees and the key roles played by hoteliers across the board in gaining a forward momentum on the road to Maldives’ tourism recovery.

In addition to keynotes, three panels will discuss the topics of Connectivity in the New Normal, Human Resource Challenges (in the Maldives hospitality industry) and Trends in Destination Marketing.

Panelists and moderators include Ibrahim Saleem Bandhu, veteran Maldivian entrepreneur; Mohamed Mihad, MD, Island Aviation Services Limited; Thoyyib Waheed, MD, Visit Maldives/MMPRC; Ahmed Maumoon, deputy CEO, Manta Air; Zeenath Solih, dean, Faculty of Hospitality, Maldives National University; Abdulla Ghiyas, Chair, PATA Maldives Vaibhav Garg; director for talent and culture, Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives; Hussein Aman, director and general manager, The Hawks Pvt Ltd; Shafraz Hafiz, deputy director, digital marketing and social media, Pulse Hotels & Resorts; Adam Haleem, director of programmes, Maldives Institute of Technology; and Milind Derasari, GM – Operations, The Coca Cola Company.

GM Forum ‘21 will also see two presentations: Data-driven Storytelling, from IDeaS Revenue Solutions (Singapore) and Training Needs Analysis of the Tourism Sector by the Maldives Ministry of Higher Education.

GM Forum ‘21 is scheduled for 23rd September at Paradise Island Resort. General managers and corporate hoteliers representing hospitality brands and properties operating in the Maldives are entitled for free delegates passes. As registration and sponsorships are now closed, if you wish to wait-list for a cancelled seat, please email gmf@hoteliermaldives.com or call +960 7910858 and +960 7999008.

GM Forum 2021 Sponsors: The Hawks Pvt Ltd (Title Sponsor), Villa Group (Platinum Sponsor), Euro Marketing Pvt Ltd (Platinum Sponsor), Tropical Fitness Pvt Ltd (Wellness Partner), Ooredoo Maldives (Platinum Sponsor), Maldives Petroleum Link Pvt Ltd (Silver Sponsor), MMPRC (Destination Partner), Bestbuy Maldives Pvt Ltd (Silver Sponsor), Octopus Systems (Technology Partner) and CypreaAir and Holidays (Travel Partner), Asia Group Trading (Gold Sponsor) and MAWC – Coca-Cola (Gold Sponsor)

*Note: All delegates and attendees to GM Forum 2021 are required to provide a negative PCR test result taken 48 hours prior to the event.

Featured Image: GM Forum 2019 at Baros Maldives