Gareth Johnson
InterNations Phnom Penh, the Cambodian branch of the international expat networking community, welcomed more than 70 attendees from 23 different nations to its first event of 2023, organized by new Ambassador Tom Starkey.
The diverse group of participants included business executives, entrepreneurs, embassy staff, locals, and expats, creating a unique atmosphere for both socializing and networking. At the event, Tom Starkey made a brief speech in which he acknowledged Venue Penh 278 and Imagineers for their contributions to the event.
He also thanked the outgoing InterNations ambassadors and all attendees, saying “Seeing so many people, old and new faces, from different professions and walks of life is what InterNations is about, and it has resulted in a very unique and special event.”
Connecting local and international
Sokphalkun Out, Program Manager for EnergyLab, said “This event has been a great way to connect with local and international businesses and organizations based in and around Cambodia. The mixed crowd and great venue created a relaxed and nice environment to mix with new people.”
Pengheng Sreng, Head of Operations & Admin at Aquarii business consultancy, agreed, “Tonight represented a unique opportunity to meet new people in an open environment designed to spark conversation. This made for easy networking opportunities with new friends and potential business partners from around the world.”
Josh Downs of Next Step International commented, “As an expat living abroad, we know the value these events have for connecting people with not only other expats but locals as well, to create a home from home.”
“At NSI, we deal with international recruitment and relocation, so being able to attend events like this that help cement international communities is not only directly in line with our ambitions but also great fun. I applaud the efforts from the organizers and look forward to supporting future events,” he added.
Big plans for future events
Tom Starkey revealed that the organization has big plans for its future events, which will take place monthly, starting with the next one on March 3rd 2023. He said, “For the next event, we have an amazing new venue lined up which will be announced soon, and we are also planning on making the next one eco-friendlier to reduce the carbon and waste footprint of our events going forward.
Read more: Encouraging foreign talent will play a key role in the post-pandemic growth of Cambodia
“We also have plans for raffles, giveaways, potential partnerships, and more, so stayed tuned via the InterNations website to keep up to date on the next event,” he added.
