Nestled by the scenic shores of Lake Taupo in New Zealand sits the Lake Breeze Motel, custom-built by a husband-and-wife alumni duo from the Macao University of Tourism (UTM), Andy Cho and Inness Lam. A true labor of love, this boutique property has now become the tangible embodiment of their ideal lifestyle. From the meticulously curated amenities to the lake views shifting with the seasons, every detail reflects their enduring commitment and original aspiration for the hospitality sector. Recently, the couple welcomed a special guest—Newland Sun, a fellow UTM alumnus and e-commerce entrepreneur who traveled all the way from mainland China to visit them. This reunion, spanning vast mountains and oceans, unfolded beautifully by the side of the crystal-clear lake.
Though their paths from UTM have led them into entirely different industries, the three alumni discovered a surprising convergence in the foundational logic of their businesses as they reunited in the Southern Hemisphere. This reunion was far more than a simple trip down memory lane for old friends; it was a cross-border dialogue among three entrepreneurs. As they reminisced about their shared memories at UTM, their lakeside conversation centered on a deeper theme: how to translate the expertise passed down by their alma mater into the actionable power to create value in a complex world.
The “Beginner’s Mind” of Entrepreneurship
The story of Andy Cho and Inness Lam is a textbook example of taking root and remaining resilient. In 2022, facing a market still recovering in the shadow of the pandemic, they resolutely took over a long-defunct motel burdened with aging infrastructure.
“For many, it was a high-risk decision, but for us, it was the defining opportunity to bring our university learning into real-world combat”, confessed Inness Lam, a 2011 graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Tourism Business Management. She noted that her academic journey at UTM granted her a unique lens through which to scrutinise business logic, fueling her eagerness to architect the brand positioning, management systems, and SOPs from scratch. From clearing the garden to installing signs, the couple personally rolled up their sleeves for every nitty-gritty detail.
This perseverance stemmed from their deep understanding of the industry’s essence. As a 2014 graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management, Andy Cho channeled the concepts acquired from his Revenue Management course into precise, dynamic pricing strategies aligned with seasonal shifts, local events, and the competitive landscape. He proudly noted that through meticulous control over cleanliness standards and service delivery, the motel's guest review rating for staff soared to 9.2, placing it firmly within top tier of the local market.
For Andy Cho, entrepreneurship represents a transformation from execution to leadership. He referred to how he applied the HEART Model learned at UTM to handle customer complaints as proof that exceptional business education possesses lifelong relevance. Meanwhile, Inness Lam has struck a delicate balance between guest experience and commercial profitability. They funneled capital into core high-touch elements like premium mattress comfort, while infusing the service with genuine warmth through subtle and delightful touches, such as sharing fresh fruit from their backyard and crafting handwritten cards for guests celebrating anniversaries.
The Digital Mindset: Rewriting the Rules of Engagement
While Andy Cho and Inness Lam demonstrated deep operational prowess in brick-and-mortar hospitality, Newland Sun, at the helm of cross-border e-commerce and hotel franchising businesses, infused the alumni dialogue with the insights of the digital era.
As a 2018 graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Tourism Retail and Marketing Management, Newland Sun believed that physical operations and digital channels are by no means mutually exclusive. He noted that the case studies on capsule hotel service quality in his university classes actually sparked his cross-industry entrepreneurship. “The retail and tourism sectors are fundamentally aligned in their core nature; both rely on quantitative analysis to decode customers, contexts, and perceptions”, Sun emphasised. “The true essence of online marketing is to reduce customer uncertainty using limited information, thereby giving them the confidence to make a choice.”
This “quantitative mindset” serves as his sharpest tool for assessing market opportunities. Rather than relying on intuition to gauge search demand, the competitive landscape, and conversion rates, he deciphers a market’s life cycle purely through data. For alumni aspiring to venture into entrepreneurship, he offers advice that deeply echoes the UTM philosophy: “Never settle for surface-level conclusions; instead, relentlessly question the underlying evidence.” It is this critical thinking that allows him to swiftly carve out a niche for differentiation, even within the fiercely competitive realm of cross-border e-commerce.
UTM: A Global Conduit for Business Excellence
Though the three alumni have chosen divergent career paths, the indelible imprint of their alma mater remains their shared compass.
“What our alma mater instilled in us is not just professional knowledge, but a structured approach to analysing and solving problems”, echoed as a resonant consensus among them. Whether managing a motel in New Zealand or expanding an e-commerce footprint across the global market, they have learned to formulate strategies anchored by three dimensions: the competitive landscape, consumer needs, and internal resources, rather than relying solely on intuition.
As the three sat together discussing the future, they unlocked the immense commercial value embedded within the alumni network. Newland Sun envisioned that the future UTM alumni network should transcend mere nostalgic connections to become a platform for resource complementarity. “Alumni in the tourism and hospitality sector possess an intimate understanding of local markets and regulatory environments, while those in e-commerce and branding excel in digital marketing and data”, he emphasised. “This cross-regional, cross-industry exchange of experience will unleash boundless possibilities for collaboration.”
Entrepreneurship is never a solo journey. The stories of these three alumni offer a compelling microcosm of UTM’s educational excellence. Setting out from Macao, their footprints now span the globe; armed with deep industry insights and pragmatic management wisdom, they continue to champion the professional spirit profoundly instilled by their alma mater in their respective arenas.
As Andy Cho noted, the crowning reward of entrepreneurship is not merely owning a business, but evolving into a better version of oneself along the way. Looking to the future, these UTM changemakers will continue to pen their next brilliant chapters across the globe.