Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: Unlocking opportunities in a shifting landscape — A MeloCat moment

Every so often, I get to combine two of my favorite worlds — storytelling and strategy — and this event was exactly that.

I had the honor of joining Cathay’s Asia Miles 25th Anniversary Dinner as MeloCat, serving as the moderator for a fireside chat that brought together some incredibly sharp minds:Paul Smitton (Cathay), Anshul Sabherwal (Standard Chartered Bank), Helena Chen (Mastercard), and Louisa Mak, actress and co-founder of Project Melo.

The discussion theme — “Unlocking Opportunities in a Shifting Landscape” — felt like it could’ve been pulled straight from my own channel’s tagline. After all, my content as MeloCat has always been about navigating change with curiosity, whether it’s about animals, people, or how we live. This time, the focus was on how Asia Miles is transforming from a travel rewards program into a full lifestyle ecosystem, connecting everyday experiences — dining, wellness, shopping, and travel — into one cohesive story.

As moderator, I guided the conversation through five topics that shape the future of customer experience:

• Shifting spending behavior in today’s economy

• Evolving loyalty and engagement models

• Digital transformation and data-driven personalization

• Sustainability and values-driven decisions

• The future outlook of lifestyle partnerships
  

Each speaker brought their own world to the table — finance, tech, travel, entertainment — and my job was to bridge them in real time, keeping the flow natural and engaging. It reminded me a lot of how I approach my YouTube interviews and podcast episodes: find the human layer behind the strategy, and bring it to life for the audience.

What stood out most was how everyone agreed that loyalty today isn’t just about points — it’s about belonging and shared purpose. Whether it’s earning miles or building trust, people connect with brands that make them feel part of something meaningful.

For me, this experience was more than just moderating a panel — it was another chance to translate corporate insight into human storytelling, something I’ve always done on my platform. Being MeloCat isn’t only about cats (though they’ll always have my heart) — it’s about building communities through empathy, curiosity, and connection.

Here’s to Asia Miles’ next 25 years — and to continuing to bridge conversations that matter, one meaningful dialogue at a time.