Air Supply

As Song Hoi-See’s Airport Hospitality Empire Continues Its Rapid Expansion, Malaysia’s Ey Entrepreneur Of The Year 2018 Looks Back On Plaza Premium Group’s Remarkable 20-year Journey And Assures The Peak That There Are Many, Many More Surprises To Come.

- Renyi Lim

IN the two-and-a-half years since The Peak sat down with the ever-genial Song Hoi-see, there’ve been quite a few new developments that have taken place – many of which he points out with a smile. “Obviously, there have been certain physical changes: I have more white hair!” laughs the Founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group.

That could very well be due to the runaway success of his company, which is now a global specialist for bespoke premium airport services in over 160 locations, with a footprint across 44 international airports in 21 countries. Given that Plaza Premium Group serves over 14 million passengers annually, a few white hairs are more than permissible when you think of the amount of work Song must have to put in to keep tabs on everything that’s going on.

Combine that with the fact that he was named the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) 2018 Malaysia while the company was celebrating its 20th anniversary last year, one gets the feeling that things are moving at warp-speed for Song and Plaza Premium Group – not that he minds. “Oh, and did I mention that I’ve become a grandfather?” he adds.

MR WORLDWIDE

When you consider that Plaza Premium Group grew out of a single idea – to establish the world’s first independent pay-in airport lounge for all travellers, regardless of airline or travel class – it really is remarkable to see the extent to which Song has grown it into a truly global company with a diverse portfolio of services. Far from being a one-trick pony, it has numerous other brands to its name, including Plaza Premium First, an ‘elevated lounge experience for elite travellers’; Allways airport meet-and-greet services; Aerotel, a chain of airport transit hotels; and a number of health-conscious airport F&B outlets.