IF YOU were wondering what the Apec delegates got up to at night after long days wrestling with weighty matters of state, just ask Mr Michael Ma.

He was the go-to man for the entertainment side of the event after the IndoChine Group was selected for one of the official after-party events for last week's Apec CEO Summit.

With an extensive network of leading business figures and a track record of staging events for the 'who's who' in Singapore, it is not surprising that Mr Ma was the man the organisers turned to.

After a weekend of Apec partying, you would think he would be keen to put his feet up, but the energetic 41-year-old has no intention of taking it easy.

The group's chief executive and founder took time out to sit down with The Straits Times at Bar SaVanh in Club Street and outline his plans over beer and more beer.

'Where do I go? I would love to make IndoChine a global brand and continue talking about the green issue because that is very close to my heart,' said Mr Ma, a Laotian refugee raised in Australia.

From a sole bar and restaurant combination in little known Club Street in 1999, Mr Ma's chain now operates in Singapore, Hamburg, Jakarta, Phuket and Kuala Lumpur. It boasts 25 venues - from casual cafes and bars to high-end restaurants and a Phuket resort that opens fully in the new year - and a workforce of about 1,000 staff.

'With the economic downturn, we were slightly affected but that will not hinder our expansion plans to grow within the region in the next three to five years,' he said.

IndoChine Singapore has five locations with 12 different venues in prime areas - from Clarke Quay's hustle and bustle to the more laid-back Holland Village and premier venue at Empress Place.

With over 70,000 visitors coming through the doors each month in Singapore, it is hard to believe that when Mr Ma first started, friends discouraged him from opening more restaurants for fear of cannibalising his existing business.

'But by doing it - different locations - we managed to give each a different twist, and the overall end numbers we had of visitorship increased,' he said.

But even with his success, he has no plans for an aggressive expansion.

'Really, I don't care whether I have 100 restaurants. To me if you pass 20, it doesn't matter. What's the difference between 20 and 50 or 100 restaurants? More stress, more problems!'

He will likely keep his Singapore operation as it is, given the uncertainties in the food and beverage (F&B) market surrounding the impending opening of the two integrated resorts (IRs).

'I think our business model will be hugely affected by the IRs,' he said. He cited Melbourne's casino industry, which opened in the mid-1990s as an example, and pointed out that restaurants within a 20km radius lost 20 per cent to 30 per cent of their revenue.

Instead, he is focusing on the region and building a brand that promotes a lifestyle of fun and luxury. He has no shortage of options from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai, Shanghai and Bali, all expressing interest in an IndoChine presence.

What he is most excited about is taking a big step into hotel management.

'In F&B it's like this: You have cafes, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, fine dining, and catering and events. Having done all this, the next step is rooms. We've done six out of seven, so now we've got to do the seventh.'

Mr Ma, who has two children - Oscar, four, and Bianca, 18 months - with his Swedish partner Camilla Hall, acknowledges that it is a step into uncharted waters, but 'we are experimenting, creating and innovating'.

That's why he is pushing ahead with a partnership with renowned American restaurateur Tom LaTour, former chief executive of Kimpton Hotels, in a joint venture to build and manage hotels.

The first property in the LaTour IndoChine Hotel Group's portfolio is the still-under-construction IndoChine Resort and Villas in Phuket.

Mr Ma admitted that it will be one of his biggest challenges because it is about dealing with how people sleep and eat. The recession, which has affected tourism around the world, is another challenge.

Mr LaTour told The Straits Times in an e-mailed reply that he is optimistic the demand for hotels and resorts will grow.

He is also excited about the partnership with Mr Ma, saying: 'Some people watch, some people do, Michael is a 'doer'. Working with Michael is fun, because we focus on outcomes not resources. The true definition of an entrepreneur is seeing the goal without regard to the resources needed to achieve the goal.'

While building his business has seemed to come easy to Mr Ma, a former commodities trader with a degree in economics and marketing, he said the key for aspiring entrepreneurs is to do something that keeps them excited. 'You have to be totally passionate about what you do, otherwise there's no fire. There's no point if you don't have the fire in your belly; you might as well retire,' he said.

And he is confident that opportunities will continue to come knocking.

'The Asian concept is truly, truly cool everywhere. All these F&Bs always want to do it the Asian way. Look at Sushi Samba, look at Nobu. We are the biggest Asian, high-end lifestyle company, independent, not listed. So a lot of people are coming after us.'

Mr Ma is also keen to drive efforts on raising awareness of the climate change problem and is backing the International Union for Conservation of Nature and a countdown of events leading up to the Copenhagen climate talks next month.

But even with the environment and hotels on his mind, you can be sure that Mr Ma is heading into the next with one eye at least on parties and fun.

'What is IndoChine about? It's about art, it's about networking, it's about business, it's about having fun, it's about being green, it's about kids, and that's a reflection of my Asian contemporary lifestyle.'