Small Team, Global Impact: The PATA Trailblazer Award


Title

Small Team, Global Impact: The PATA Trailblazer Award

Creator

Chen, Zekai Christopher
Qiu, Shu Ru Charlotte
Wan, Chun Wing Thomas

Advisor

Li, Neil

Faculty

School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Description

The path to the PATA Trailblazer Award was a lesson in resilience for Thomas, Charlotte, and Christopher. Managing a chapter of only six members during their final year, they faced daunting time-management hurdles and participation shortages. By adopting a "collaborative strategy," they partnered with other student societies to boost engagement for site visits to aviation and luxury hospitality hubs. Thomas’s leadership kept the team organized across time zones, while Charlotte and Christopher executed end-to-end planning for Macau and Hong Kong field trips. Supported by SHTM’s sponsorship and Dr. Neil Li’s guidance, they successfully showcased their impact in Bangkok. They learned that leadership means prioritizing the team and turning obstacles into opportunities for innovation

Learning outcome/goal

Critical Thinking and Problem-solving
Project Management and Teamwork
Communication and Presentation Skills
Networking and Collaboration

Award

Trailblazer Award, PATA Student Chapter Awards

Date

2026-03

Programme

BSc (Hons) Hotel and Tourism Management
BSc (Hons) Event and Experience Management

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Keywords

Integrated Resort Management ; MICE ; Luxury Hospitality ; Industry Networking

Subject

Students -- Awards
College students -- Societies, etc
Management
Hospitality industry -- Study and teaching (Higher)
Tourism -- Study and teaching (Higher)

Rights

All rights reserved

Language

English

Type

Feature Story

Access Rights

open access