theceomagazine.com | 139apps that can track the movements of our
customers within the parks. This is so
we can determine the main attractions
they go to and how much time they spend
at each.”
Due to the history of the park, Calvin
ensures that all its practices keep sustainability
front of mind. “The park was built on
previous mining land. There was nothing
on it; it looked like a moonscape,” he says,
describing the former tin-mine site.
“Sunway City rose from a desolate
800-acre wasteland into an integrated and
thriving township.
“Today, we have trees,” Calvin continues.
“We didn’t take away a forest or other natural
environments to build a theme park; we
took a wasteland and converted it into a
wonderland. Sustainable development is very
important for us. We have lakes within our
park and ensure they are clean, and we have
lots of flourishing habitats.”
There is one person Calvin is inspired by
the most and that the Founder and Chairman
of Sunway Group Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr
Jeffrey Cheah. “He is always supportive and
points us in the right direction,” Calvin says.
“He has given opportunities to all of us who
serve at Sunway. Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey
Cheah established the three central values
that our purpose, vision and mission are
synonymous with throughout the group;
a solid foundation based on integrity,
humility and excellence.
“What I like the most is humility. If
we forget about this, then complacency steps
in and we stop innovating. If we think we »vulnerable to a lot of things that could
impact the business tremendously: Malaysia’s
economic situation, world stability and
inclement weather,” he explains. “So it’s up to
us to keep innovating and finding new ways
to accommodate these kinds of situations.
With Malaysia’s unexpected weather, we try
to manage guest expectations with added
indoor entertainment to address rainy days.
In terms of economic instability, Sunway
Lagoon implemented a strategy to encourage
local visitors who are struggling financially.
“The economy is pretty challenging right
now so we created package options that are
a little more affordable for Malaysians and
international travellers to still come and enjoy
the park,” Calvin notes.
But it’s not just the weather and the
economy that the parks have to deal with.
“We have wildlife parks at both Sunway
Lagoon and Lost World of Tambun” Calvin
says. “We don’t believe in having an
enormous safari and lots of animals. Instead,
we feel we could play a small role in giving
back and sharing with young children about
conservation, preservation and what not to
do in the future with wildlife.”
Like all theme parks, safety is a major
priority at Sunway Lagoon. “The good thing
about today’s world is that there is a lot
of technology, software and programming
available for tracking purposes,” Calvin
says. “Besides software, you need a lot of
visual checks and well-trained engineers
to go through the attractions. Of course,
like other attractions, we have downtime
where we shut the rides every year. Each
ride goes through this process of scheduled
maintenance and replacement.”
With technology advancing at a rapid
rate, Calvin says the company is innovating
but still has a way to go to keep up with
global trends. “We keep changing the park to
make it better every year,” he says.
“We are not quite there yet, but we are
loving some of the technology that has come
on board so far, especially in sales and
marketing,” he reveals.
“A lot of marketing channels have
switched to online and digital. The Sunway
Group is working tirelessly to look at system
Calvin (right) takes pride in the
Wildlife Park. Seen here feeding
Lola, a Malayan sun bear cub.Interview | INVEST