Pontianak, January 9, 2025 – To inspire and provide insights to the younger generation, particularly in the hospitality industry, Aston Pontianak Hotel & Convention Center, together with Hotel Neo Gajahmada, successfully held a Sharing Session titled "Successful Career in Hospitality" for students of SMKN 5 Pontianak on 9 January 2025. A total of 50 eleventh-grade students from SMK Negeri 5 Pontianak participated in this event, which became an inspirational moment featuring speakers from the professional hospitality industry.
The event featured Dr. I Gede Arya Pering Arimbawa, S.Tr.Par, M.Si, CHA, CHIA, Regional General Manager of Archipelago Hotels, Resorts & Solutions, who shared in-depth experiences and insights about the hospitality industry and tips for self-development. Additionally, the event was graced by two General Managers of prominent hotels in Pontianak: Exsan, General Manager of Hotel Neo Gajahmada, and Anto W Soemartono, General Manager of Aston Pontianak Hotel & Convention Center. The Sharing Session was moderated by Endang Sri Ravina, HR Manager of Hotel Neo Gajahmada. The event was interactive, providing students with the opportunity to ask questions directly to the speakers who have proven success in their fields.
Feni Wahyuni, SE., MM, representing the Head of SMKN 5 Pontianak, expressed her appreciation for the initiative by Aston Pontianak and Hotel Neo Gajahmada. “We are very grateful for this extraordinary opportunity. This is the second time such an event has been held at our school. Moments like this are very helpful for our students to understand the real working world, especially in the hospitality industry, and to motivate them to keep learning and growing,” she said.
Through this event, Aston Pontianak and Hotel Neo Gajahmada aimed to inspire SMKN 5 Pontianak students to gain a deeper understanding of the hospitality industry, which is a significant sector within the tourism industry.
“We hope this event broadens students’ horizons about career potential in the hospitality industry. For instance, at Aston Pontianak, there are 11 active staff members who are graduates of SMKN Pontianak,” said Anto W Soemartono. The main speaker, Arya Pering, highlighted key points such as viewing challenges as opportunities, the importance of having goals and aspirations, and how personal behavior can impact career building, especially in hospitality. “I learned about the HERO theory from Fred Luthans’ book PsyCap, which explains the influence of positive thinking on self-development. Hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism – having goals, confidence in our abilities, the capability to recover from failure, and optimism – are inherent human traits,” he added.
The event began with an opening session, followed by remarks, presentations from the main speaker, and a panel discussion. SMKN 5 Pontianak students enthusiastically listened to the experiences and success tips shared and actively asked questions about challenges and opportunities in the hospitality industry. One student, Indri, shared her thoughts on the event: “I feel very inspired by the stories and experiences shared by the speakers. I now better understand the various career opportunities in the hospitality industry, and it motivates me to pursue my dreams in this field,” she said with enthusiasm.
Aston Pontianak and Hotel Neo Gajahmada demonstrated their commitment to supporting the development of local human resources through educational programs like this. By providing direct access to professional practitioners, students are expected to understand the dynamics of the hospitality industry and be motivated to take further steps in pursuing their dreams.