From Pandemic Setback to Success: Interviewing the Founder of SAM INSPIRE Cambodia
Sam, our founder of SAM INSPIRE Cambodia has given insights of his post pandemic business life journey to Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office under a title of Adapting and Giving Back: Samnang Chhon on Tourism, Events, and Community. Read the full interviewing article here
The following is the behind-the-scene article hereunder:
- You had to leave a growing company due to the pandemic but managed to start Sam Inspire. What were the biggest challenges in rebuilding your career? What kept you motivated?
The first and foremost thing to do is managing my mind by refreshing it to the right point to make a move just like our desk in the 2000s. Start placing myself to the beginning, meaning starting the life from zero but with lots of responsibilities such as families, loan and virus itself. I did not started SAM INSPIRE right away, but playing around with the market demand on different niches but still related to tourism activities. I did not have skill on the market research or employ exerts to do it. What I did was just writing blog on my website (https://www.sam-inspire.com/. This site actually was just my personal blogging site to monetized on Google AdSense.) After writing a few blogs on my interested keywords like event management services, hybrid event management, corporate travel management etc. I got several requests from the big organization like World Food Program, and private companies. I continued to write and restructure my personal website into a business-feel website with service sections. In 2022 when the Covid-19 was truly relaxed, I got promising leads which made me to register SAM INSPIRE as a company. From then, I started receiving business and the company is proudly up and running. I don’t see much challenging starting SAM INSPIRE, with my rich experiences and network in my field. As long as we keep refreshing ourself, see challenge as opportunity, and stay in the circle of your expertise while expanding it, that is the way to go.
2. What makes Sam Inspire different from other event agencies and travel planners in Cambodia?
Owner-managed and operated services is one of SAM INSPIRE’s unique business model. While most companies doing thing in the pattern, work flow, procedures in short “standard” of their companies, SAM INSPIRE use the format of our clients to execute from budgeting spreadsheet, contract, policy, execution plans, report, we adapt to the clients’ convenience way of doing. One last thing, our event team has rich and international travel hospitality background from tour operator operation, restaurant, hotel, while most event company has only event background like AV, branding production. And on the other way round, while most travel planners or DMC, tour operator have only has only travel related skills and knowledge but not event management knowledge. We are small but we are the core heartwood in our field.
3. Your company now offers hybrid conference events. Can you share how this trend has impacted your business and the event industry in Cambodia?
Hybrid Conference event management is my favorite. 2022 and 2023 when virtual conference had volumed down and live event (face to face) has increased. Hitech hybrid conference system was popular and required for almost every event. That helped our business a lot since all travel companies in Cambodia did not know what Hybrid conference is. But now, since everything is back to normal, and people enjoy travelling, virtual conference is not required anymore. Conference organizer love to just making pre-recorded videos from those speakers who could not attend in person. However, this doesn’t mean that our hybrid system equipment was mossed over. The effect from the virtual visual on the screen created a norm of having Live feeding which is practically similar way and setup to the Hybrid system. Our tech team is still busy at the console to manage the screen or Live events. And with our technical skills of the Hybrid system management, we could help our clients switch to Hybrid event swiftly on last minute request.
4. Siem Reap is known for the Angkor temples, but what are some lesser-known attractions that you think deserve more attention, and have taken your clients to?
Angkor archaeological park used to be my play field and place for keeping my herd of buffalos and cows back in 1990s. I don’t see if we missed any small temples from our sights. To me, I don’t encourage to focus on promoting the small and lesser-known to the perspective of locals. I mean temples that we are as local know a little or just found out. Since our big and grand temples are still absolutely lesser-known. To my experience, in the eyes of most of my clients, they thought Angkor temple is just a small single temple of Angkor Wat. If they lesser known or least tourist at Angkor Wat, why not bring them to South and North gates of Angkor Wat. We need to develop more activities and program in this complex not just copy and paste of those generic itinerates. Though, I do have the answer to answer to the question but it is not yet time to see this as potential to do.
5. You founded Angkor Kids Center as a way to give back to your community. What impact has it had over the years?
My village is a very secluded village, when we are saying our village name “Samrong”. Everyone in town or other where refer it to Samrong in Oddor Mean Cheay or Samrong in Dom Daek (Soutr Nikom District) closed to new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport. By having our free Education school in our village at Angkor Kids Center, every year our program empower village youth to find their career development. Many of them got degree from Universities, and many many got life skills in tourism. In which some are through our partnership program with other foundations and directly with the training facilities. We don’t control the numbers, as we are not working on numbers to raise fund or report to anyone. But we see from our eyes and sense. Everywhere I go such as hotels, restaurants, luxury Mekong cruise, airport, tour guides, drivers… I heard hello teacher.
6. Do you see a link between education and the future of Cambodia’s tourism industry? How can they complement each other? Any “alumni” of AKC that you’re particularly proud of?
The pain that I got when I started to merge myself into tourism from just a motorbike taxi rider. It was already tough. Without building connection, confidence, knowledge, and activate it, proof it. Though, we are locating in the Angkor zone itself, we don’t get benefit from it at all. On a contrary, we got shocked and shaked from different cultures and destination development. Therefore, we have to equip ourself with tourism skills, and be educated. This is education capabilities, we could serve and work for tourism well. As a result we live harmoniously and we serve tourists with the best professionalism.
As said above, we are over 20 years now, we got so many success stories from our school. Example: Mr. Hak Hien now serving as our Executive Direct at Angkor Kids Center. He got sponsorship to Paul Dubrule school, he worked at Amansara for years and graduated from University. Mr. Put Pon got sponsorship to Thailand and hold master degree there now. He work in a hospital there. Mrs. Salin NHY, got Bachelor degree in English teaching and now work for an International NGO. Mr. Cheay Krom hold degree and work for SAI airport slot management. There are many cook, chef that we are not able to count all.
7. What’s your vision for Angkor Kids Center in the coming years, and how can travelers or businesses contribute to its mission?
I want to school to stay as it is. Not growing big and not going small. The students are fluctuating between 300 to 400 learners taking their one hour class every weekdays. We have our supporters who contributed monthly on regular basic. Businesses and travellers can get inspired from our stories and contribute as they wish. Rather than supporting us, I encourage those business especially locally start doing something themselves with heart, and sustain it. Then you don’t really need to be certified by a sustainable business organization. Your work is the biggest Certificate and Proof. In stead of paying the annual fees to those institution pay to your own organization.
8. How has the tourism landscape in Siem Reap changed over the years, and where do you see it heading in the future?
I have no doubt that tourism in Cambodia is growing will grow massively. Those who travel on traditionally classic itinerary will not book with offline travel agents anymore but Online Travel Agents (OTAs). Those who need travel planners are looking for customized itinerary with special and personal cares. Siem Reap will be a hot and merging conference and event destinations. Even those overseas inhouse or event agency organizers don’t feel confident much but they will take risk. Due to the fact that they have already get bored with other ASEAN destinations. Siem Reap will become as busy as Bali with the near future. Investors should get ready with international standard event spaces and facilities.
