On the Road for WELL

Victor Maningo began working at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) as Vice President of Global Market Development for Asia Pacific in April 2021, with all work done remotely for over a year. In June 2022, together with Jack Noonan, Vice President of Asia Pacific, he undertook a business trip to Singapore and Thailand.

They spent two weeks talking to organizations interested and engaged in WELL—all face-to-face across Southeast Asia.

In a pandemic-era world, video calls have sealed their fate in the state of doing business. However, recently, more people are starting to travel and meet in person again—an opportunity to build connections, camaraderie and culture.

SINGAPORE
When Jack and I first met at the hotel lobby, there was a certain amount of warmth and familiarity. In fact, instead of us both going in for the customary handshake, we both greeted one another with arms open and into a huge hug; one similar shared with old friends that haven’t seen each other in years. And why not, we have been speaking to one another for over a year! However, it was over the next few weeks that in those moments of sharing a meal, riding in taxi cabs, or having a drink, that you really start to learn about the other person and the relationship-glue really begins to stick.

And that was the case over the next five days with all the subsequent meetings that followed. Meeting new on-the-ground stakeholders in person, like Johnson Controls International (JCI) or Earth-In-Mind, felt like catching up with old friends due to relationships forged through countless hours of video conference calls and emails. And then there were the long-standing relationships like that with Professor Lam Khee Poh at The National University of Singapore (NUS). Professor Lam has been an advocate and proponent of healthy buildings throughout his career as an educator and practicing professional, as well as serving as a co-chair on IWBI’s Task Force on COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Infections. In fact, meeting with Professor Lam was incredible, like meeting up with your favorite uncle while he showed you all the cool stuff he had and the fun things he was doing.

Then there was the business of doing business. Back-to-back client meetings, training sessions, and networking events. Nothing is more rewarding than sitting with those that are shaping the future of the built environment. For me, it was those moments of meaningful conversation, like with the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) about policy and shared advocacy positions or the engagement with property developers like Lendlease and corporate occupiers like Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) who put these practices in place to create healthy spaces and places. But the most fun was celebrating all the all the hard work and effort of the amazing achievements of our clients and partners. It was an honor to help celebrate these well-deserved achievements at WELL plaque and seal ceremonies — celebrations that were long overdue.

THAILAND
From the orderly streets of Singapore to the frenetic energy of Bangkok, Thailand. It’s amazing that a small southeast Asian country known for its beautiful beaches and boisterous nightlife is the sixth largest market for WELL in the world, according to our data. Services, including tourism and manufacturing, are Thailand’s main economic sectors, and foreign investment is driving the exponential development in the country. Large mixed-use developments like the PARQ, Dusit Central Park, One Bangkok and the FORESTIAS by MQDC are forever transforming the real estate landscape in Thailand, all of which are prioritizing health by pursuing WELL Certification.

But investment doesn’t mean anything without all the people across our community who are dedicated to the movement. I am thankful for their vision and leadership. For example, our partners, like Dr. Atch Sreshthaputra and the team at Africus, a consulting company, were the consummate hosts and active proponents of our global movement of health and well-being. Africus is the first and largest sustainability building consulting company in Thailand, however, the scope of their work in Thailand is only surpassed by their passion in this space.

In turn, the one thing that Jack and I experienced on this trip, whether you are in Singapore or Thailand (or anywhere else for that matter), is that the people behind the projects are the most important factor in the equation in how these projects were able to successfully, and authentically, deliver on the promise of people-first places.

This maiden voyage into the Asia Market in this brave new pandemic-era world was meant to re-engage the market, to lend our support and foster a deeper connectivity with our partners and clients. It was all that and more.