October 2026 – Support The Community
📖 This meetup has now taken place. Read the recap: Beyond Good Intentions: How Businesses Can Make a Real Difference in Their Communities
Support the Community: Rethinking Social Impact in Hospitality and Supply Chains
What does it really mean for a food business to support its community? It goes far beyond donations and one-off initiatives. From how businesses hire, source, and choose suppliers to the everyday culture inside restaurant kitchens, our choices have a profound impact on people and communities across the food system.
For our October Future Green Members Monthly Meetup, we are bringing together two unique perspectives on creating meaningful social impact, hosted at House of Culture.
✨ 3 Key Topics We’ll Explore:
- Redefining Kitchen Culture: Exploring how hospitality businesses can challenge toxic traditions, support staff wellbeing with balanced working hours, and build healthier, more attractive workplaces.
- The Human Side of Supply Chains: Learning from Matt Friedman of The Mekong Club on combating modern slavery, adopting “buycott” strategies for ethical sourcing, and protecting workers throughout operations.
- Local Sourcing & Character: Discovering how sourcing from traditional neighbourhood wet markets and dry goods stores can help keep local food culture and small businesses alive.
🎤 Featured Speakers
- Matt Friedman — CEO, The Mekong Club
Matt Friedman is the CEO of The Mekong Club, an organization dedicated to helping businesses fight modern slavery in their supply chains. With extensive experience combating human trafficking, Matt provides practical, actionable strategies for companies of all sizes to protect workers, eliminate exploitation, and adopt ethical sourcing practices.
- Chef Gavin Chin — Founder, House of Culture
Chef Gavin Chin is the founder of House of Culture, an Australian-Malaysian restaurant in Hong Kong focused on community-driven hospitality and local sourcing. Gavin has challenged toxic kitchen traditions by introducing fairer working hours—such as giving his entire team Sundays off—and sourcing ingredients directly from traditional neighbourhood wet markets and dry goods stores to keep local food culture alive.
👥 Who Should Attend?
This meetup is ideal for:
- Hospitality and F&B leaders
- Chefs and culinary professionals
- Procurement and sourcing teams
- Sustainability and ESG professionals
- Food brands and retailers
- Anyone working to build more responsible, ethical, and resilient food businesses
Whether your business is already implementing responsible sourcing or you’re just beginning to explore how to better support your staff and community, this is an opportunity to learn from leaders working directly on these challenges every day.
🎁 A Practical Takeaway for Every Attendee
Every attendee will receive The Mekong Club’s Modern Slavery and SMEs: An Operational Guide, a practical toolkit designed to help businesses address modern slavery risks, featuring a supplier questionnaire, sample policies, and training resources. And, of course, Chef Gavin Chin will be hosting breakfast. 😊
📅 Event Details
- Date: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
- Time: 9:00–11:00 AM HKT
- Venue: House of Culture, G/F shop B, 335-339 Queen’s Rd W, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong
- Guests: Matt Friedman and Chef Gavin Chin
- Theme: Support the Community: Rethinking Social Impact in Hospitality and Supply Chains
- Format: In-person
🎟️ Register here to secure your place: Ticket
Join Future Green and our community of food, hospitality, procurement, and sustainability professionals for a practical conversation about how ethical choices, staff wellbeing, and community support go hand in hand.
TICKETS:
All members will receive a calendar invitation—keep an eye on your inbox!
Not a Future Green Member yet? No problem!
Non-Members can enjoy a one-time trial access for just 350 HKD, giving you a taste of our vibrant community, Membership benefits, and see how we can help you in your sustainability journey.
Terms and Conditions:
1. This event is open to all working in food, including F&B, Corporates, Schools, Food Brands, Retailers, Landlord Developers etc.
2. Non-members can participate in a single tryout session only.
3. By attending this event, you agree to be photographed, recorded, and/or filmed and give permission to use your likeness in promotional and/or marketing materials.
For further information please email hello@futuregreen.global
This event is a not-for-profit gathering.
📚CPD Accredited: This Meetup is CPD accredited – earn 1 CPD point (towards professional development) by joining us.
