With the recent grand launch of DoubleTree by Hilton in Shah Alam i-City, the hotel now introduces their latest offering: the Sustainability MICE Series. The inaugural event was conducted with the central theme of food sustainability.

In 2021, Hilton was recognised for Sustainability Leadership by Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the fifth time in a row. Not one to rest on its laurels, Hilton is continuously pursuing their eco-friendly future. The first of the quarterly series, today’s carbon-neutral Hilton’s MICE Series launch showcases how sustainability can be integrated into creative ways and create the social impact necessary to meet their Travel with Purpose 2030 initiative.

On Thursday, 25 August 2022, the inaugural event was conducted with the central theme of food sustainability Hilton partnered with key food vendors to bring the story of the food served, highlighting the provenance, authenticity, and healing qualities of what was being consumed.

“It is not enough for us at DoubleTree to provide guests with top-tier quality service. The service we provide must serve a purpose greater than ourselves. That is why our advocacy for sustainability is crucial to our hospitality. We want you all to keep coming back and that means making things last,” said Gagan Talwar, the general manager of the Shah Alam i-City branch.

The event featured workshops conducted by a roster of DoubleTree by Hilton’s partnering vendors, including Benns Ethicoa, a local artisanal chocolatier that sources its ingredients from regional farmers, providing attendees with the opportunity to taste the quality of Malaysian-grown chocolate.

In addition to Benns Ethicoa, attendees participated in a Chef’s Table blind tasting session at the hotel’s Makan Kitchen, which included sustainable foods such as Tindle, a plant-based chicken product by Singapore-based Next Gen Foods, and high-value crops by Green World Genetics, a Malaysian R&D-based company specializing in high-quality non-GMO tropical hybrid seeds.

Attendees were also introduced to locally grown produce from BoomGrow, a network of Malaysian precision farmers using data to create environments that deliver consistent quality yield year-round, and Secai Marche, a Malaysia-based Japanese company providing farm-direct services that encourage sustainability for farmers.

Next Gen Foods, we are committed to building a better food system and creating delicious plant-based foods that are less harmful on the planet than the animal-based ones they’re replacing,” says Marc Jolly, Vice President, Business Development (APME) at Next Gen Foods. “As we expand and increase the presence of our first product, TiNDLE, we’re continuously seeking like-minded partners to join us on this journey – and thrilled to be teaming up with Hilton today.”

A panel was held between Linda Giebing, Hilton’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Champion for Southeast Asia, Logeetha Balakrishnan, BoomGrow’s New Ventures Manager, Thila Chandran, the Marketing Manager for Secai Marche, and Marc Jolly, the Vice President of Business Development (APME) at Next Gen Foods. The panel session was moderated by Freda Liu, Business Broadcast Presenter and the topic of discussion revolved around the future trends of food, ranging from sourcing to the interpretation of existing food with the use of alternative ingredients.

The DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam i-City features 17,157 square feet of flexible pillar-less meeting rooms and banquet facilities including a Grand Ballroom and a sophisticated multi-event hall. All meeting rooms are elevated with state-of-the-art, audio-visual equipment and high-speed internet to keep guests connected, and Hilton’s hospitality to bring every conference, reception, or seminar to life.