Pioneering Malaysian meetings professional Anthony Wong is channeling his prize winnings from an International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA) award into helping save one of Sarawak’s endangered species – the Bornean Orangtuan.
Wong, a past ICCA board member and general manager of Asian Overland Services (AOS) Convention & Events, is donating EU1,000 (about US$1,062) to Semenggoh Orang Utan Sanctuary after receiving the Moises Schuster Award 2016, ICCA’s highest honour.
ICCA honours Malaysia meetings industry pioneer
Named after one of ICCA’s founders and past presidents, the ICCA Moises Shuster award recognises an individual’s success and leadership in the international meetings business, and their contribution towards ICCA’s development.
Wong received the honour in November at the past 55th ICCA Congress in Kuching, Sarawak.
ICCA chief praises Sarawak’s congress hosting
Borneo Orangutan Project
Wong’s choice is also a strong nod of support to both ICCA and Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB), who jointly ran the 'Borneo Orangutan Project' (BOP) as the Congress' flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) project to an international audience.
"Like many others working over a lifetime to promote sustainability in this sector, I was truly inspired by Sarawak's efforts to use conferences as an excellent global platform to reawaken interest in conservation or charitable programmes; in this case, to promote the plight of our 'Man of the Forest'," said Wong.
The BOP was part of ICCA’s #RoadtoSarawak campaign, in which ICCA members had the chance to become an “adoptive guardian” for a year to young orang-utans.
"The BOP aimed to reawaken the need for conservation of endangered species, on a global scale by traversing borders and making a lasting and personal impact," said Amelia Roziman, SCB's general manager of marketing and sales.
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