Chanet Ham CED+ Dr Datuk Hajah Rosmawati + Louisa Goh with Ruud Janssen #DESIGNtoCHANGE #IMEX25

At IMEX Frankfurt 2025, the #DESIGNtoCHANGE series PODcast conversation unfolded in Hall 9, featuring Chanet Ham, a Certified Event Designer (CED) from Penang, and Datuk Dr. Hajah Rosmawati, CEO of Sabah International Convention Center in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Onsite at IMEX 2025 hosts Ruud Janssen facilitated this session, which Snapsight AI analyzed for key takeaways. The speakers recounted how their chance meeting at a previous IMEX led to the development of "BE in Sabah" and other transformative initiatives in Malaysia. Dr. Rosmawati introduced Sabah's unique "augmented humanity" concept, highlighting attractions like Sipadang's scuba diving and the Danum Valley's climate change studies. She explained how the convention center drives economic growth by leveraging the region's biodiversity for international conferences. Chanet Ham shared her CED journey, including completing level 3 at the University of Amsterdam. She emphasized the Event Canvas methodology and the advanced Mastery program influenced by Paul Rulkens. The Event Design Certificate Model 3, supported by Malaysian Tourism Ministry grants, was discussed as a crucial capacity-building tool for the industry. The conversation touched on AI's impact and the industry's adaptation to virtual events during the pandemic. Fred Schindler, IEEE VP of Technical Activities, was mentioned regarding plans for a climate change conference in Glasgow 2025, underscoring the growing focus on sustainability in events. A spontaneous addition to the podcast was Louisa Go from Hot Dots agency in Kuala Lumpur, who expressed interest in CED training for her team. This unexpected participation demonstrated the organic networking opportunities at IMEX, which took place in a trade show area designed by fellow CED Tahira. The speakers stressed the importance of continuous learning and staying updated with technological trends. They concluded by emphasizing the growth potential in emerging event destinations like Sabah and the critical role of certifications like CED in shaping the industry's future. Attendees were encouraged to actively seek connections that could lead to positive changes in their careers and the broader event landscape, reinforcing the session's theme of the transformative power of conversations in the ever-evolving world of events. See the full Snapsight AI recap of the Key Takeaways, Idea Cloud and Summary in 70 languages here: https://www.snapsight.com/live-channel/288eb286-411a-4c0e-b1fd-0e07233c17a2/ad387ee1-521d-43ca-932c-64921fa6b1a5/attendee?tab=takeaways