Penh House experience puts business preparedness at the centre of committee discussion
Valentin Hay shared lessons from the pandemic as CanCham members examined operational resilience, changing costs and future disruption.
What can businesses carry forward from the pandemic to prepare for the next disruption? That question shaped CanCham's Urban Development Committee discussion at Penh House on 8 May 2026, where Valentin Hay shared the hotel's experience of adapting through COVID-19.
The session, titled 'From COVID to the Coming Storm', brought members and guests together to examine resilience through the experience of an operating business. Hay discussed operational adaptation and the importance of preparing for difficult conditions over the longer term.
Looking beyond the last crisis
Participants also considered Cambodia's changing business and tourism environment, rising energy and fertiliser costs, and possible climate-related pressures on agriculture and economic stability. These were discussed as risks to prepare for, rather than a prediction that any single disruption would unfold in a particular way.
The connection between the subjects was preparedness. A business can draw lessons from how it responded to the pandemic while still recognising that the next pressure may come from a different direction, including costs or conditions outside its immediate sector.
By grounding the conversation in Penh House's experience, the committee created space for practical exchange about adaptation rather than an abstract discussion of crisis management. CanCham thanked Valentin Hay for sharing that experience with the group.