PHNOM PENH: On 16 December 2022, the second season of ABC’s ‘The Exceptional’ campaign reached its epic conclusion and awarded Chef Luu Meng US $20,000 for his exceptional contributions to Cambodian society. This year’s ABC ‘The Exceptional’ campaign celebrated 10 incredible individuals across five different industries in Cambodia. The finale was attended by top leaders in each industry, as well as influencers and other VIP guests, marking a truly memorable night.
HEINEKEN Cambodia’s Marketing Director, Loic de Laubriere, said that ABC is passionate about empowering a new generation of Cambodians, helping them define their own success on their own terms, and to be exceptional in everything that they do. He said ABC was honored to celebrate the 10 chosen individuals, who are bold and strong like the iconic ABC lion.
During the night of the finale, all 10 individuals were celebrated in a final showcase that split the candidates into groups of two based on their respective fields. Singer Sai, the winner of ABC’s ‘The Exceptional’ campaign last year, was there to talk about his experience and also perform. Singer Kesorrr, one of this year’s Exceptional individuals, donned a gorgeous dress designed by fellow Exceptional candidate, Nat Soknan, and also performed a number of her songs. A third Exceptional individual, DJ Maily, then closed out the night with a special DJ set.
Chef Luu Meng, the eventual winner of this year’s campaign, designed a delectable multi-course ABC-infused menu for the gala finale. Chef Pol Kimsan, a fellow Exceptional candidate, also crafted the desserts for the night. Chef Kimsan said that she was very happy to see Chef Luu Meng win, as he has been an exceptional role model for her as well.
“He definitely deserves it because has contributed a lot to society, and he has also made a lot of achievements in the culinary industry,” said Chef Kimsan. “He has helped many young chefs as well.”
Chef Luu Meng himself remarked that he was delighted to be a part of this campaign alongside nine other exceptional candidates and to hear about each of their inspiring journeys. He said he did not ever expect to hear his name as the winner, but he thanked ABC for giving him this honor and allowing him the opportunity to give more to the community.
“I was not prepared to get this [US $20,000] prize so whatever I have received, I will [make it] bigger, to give [back] to the people who will need it,” said Chef Luu Meng. “I will work with our team to create events to [raise funds] to [give] back to [the community]… we will discuss where [to distribute the money] to. We [will] make sure that this [award is] given back [to the community in a] bigger and bigger [way, so that it is a] good example for younger people.”
The second season of ABC’s ‘The Exceptional’ campaign launched on 16 November, with five judges comprising its jury, including last year’s ‘The Exceptional’ winner, Sai; his Royal Highness Prince Tesso Sisowath; digital entertainment heavyweight, Chy Sila; leading Cambodian architect, Hun Chansan; and female entrepreneur and founder of Lyly Foods, Madam Keo Mom. They had the difficult job of selecting the most exceptional candidate for 2022.
Check out the individual profiles of Chef Luu Meng, Chef Pol Kimsan, Neang Kavich, Chum Sothea, Sim Chankiriroth, Chea Langda, DJ Maily, Kesorrr, Nat Soknan, and Van Natacha on EAC News to learn more about each of this year’s Exceptional candidates, as they continue to shake up their respective fields in Cambodia.
To find out more about ABC’s ‘The Exceptional’ campaign or to watch any of the campaign videos, please visit ABC’s social media pages:
ABC’s Website: https://abcbeerkh.com
ABC’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/abcbeer.cambodia
ABC’s Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/abcbeer.cambodia/
ABC’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ABCBeerCambodia
