AirAsia Foundation To Help Integrate AEC Via Business Event In November

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- AirAsia Foundation will organise its first public event titled 'Destination: GOOD – ASEAN Social Enterprise in Kuala Lumpur' on Nov 7, 2015. It will be a full-day affair comprising a Conference and Marketplace to feature top entrepreneurs and some of the most innovative social enterprises in the region. "AirAsia has always been about greater ASEAN integration. This time, we are bringing people together to talk about entrepreneurship and how it can be applied to address social challenges in our region," said AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Tony Fernandes, in a statement here. "We will share how we are applying inclusive values into our business and extending our networks to support social entrepreneurship growth," said Fernandes who is also a Trustee of the Foundation. Tickets for the event are now available from airasiaredtix.com at three price tiers of RM80 (Conference & Marketplace), RM50 (Student) and RM10 (Marketplace Only). Organised in partnership with ThinkCity and MaGIC Social Entrepreneurship, Destination: GOOD joins a calendar of events to mark the coming into force of the ASEAN Economic Community and Malaysia's chairmanship of ASEAN. The event aims to discuss the future of entrepreneurship in ASEAN and how big businesses and social enterprises play complementary roles in making economic systems more equitable, sustainable and inclusive. At a panel discussion on inclusive business, Fernandes will be joined by four prominent ASEAN business leaders including Group CEO of Eu Yan Sang International Ltd of Singapore, Richard Eu; CEO of Sintesa Group of Indonesia, Shinta Kamdani; and Group CEO of Premier Group of Thailand, Vichien Phongsathorn. It will be followed by a second panel of social enterprise movers and shakers to discuss ASEAN's social enterprise ecosystem. AirAsia Foundation will also be presenting 30 innovative ASEAN social enterprises in a Marketplace hall where each organisation will showcase their businesses that address a range of goals from heritage conservation to wildlife welfare. Attendees will be able to interact with the social entrepreneurs and purchase ethical products and services in support of their causes. Among the highlights at the Marketplace are AirAsia Foundation grantees including award-winning Rags2Riches, Inc. from the Philippines; Jogjakarta traditional silversmiths label group, Selaka Kotagede; and Khmer traditional arts organisation, Cambodian Living Arts. The Marketplace will also see exciting environmental and wildlife conservation initiatives from Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Capping the experience of the ASEAN social entrepreneurs while in Kuala Lumpur is a unique opportunity to attend a two-day closed-door workshop from Nov 8, 2015, that is specially designed by AirAsia Foundation to provide them with tools and ideas to grow their businesses. Content for the workshop is provided by subject matter experts and the AirAsia Group's business partners including Badan Warisan Malaysia, the British Council, Creative Move (Thailand), Liter of Light, Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage, Google, PricewaterhouseCoopers, StartSomeGood.com, National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Opendream (Thailand) and Zalora. AirAsia Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the AirAsia Group of airlines, is mandated to support the growth of social enterprises in ASEAN through grant-making and business mentorship. Established in 2012, the Foundation aims to fulfil the group’s objective of giving back to the communities of ASEAN by sharing its values of entrepreneurship, equal opportunity and innovation through its activities. The Foundation currently supports 10 social enterprises in six ASEAN countries. --BERNAMA