DESTINATION | MALAYSIA
A gathering light
PM YAB Dato Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak, centre. Gets to grips with latest technology
Maybe it’s the location Maybe the warm welcome Whatever the reason international
associations are making Malaysia their first port of call when venturing east…James
Lancaster reports
M
alaysia’s bid to become one
of Asia Pacific’s top-five
international meeting hubs by
2020 is gathering irresistible
momentum. By November last year MyCEB,
the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition
Bureau, was able to announce record results
for 2013, with 42 major conventions secured
– an increase of 62 per cent from across the
whole of 2012 - including 13 international
events.
MyCEB has reported year-on-year growth
in bid wins, delegate numbers and visitor
spend since its launch in 2011 – and there
seems little to halt this upward trajectory. In
2016 the country will take centre stage in the
meetings industry calendar when Kuching
hosts the annual congress of major suppliers’
organisation ICCA, the International
Congress and Convention Association.
Its location at the crossroads of Southeast
Asia and equidistance from China and
India, makes Malaysia a compelling business
proposition for international associations who
want to connect with the Asian marketplace
and raise their profile in the world’s most
dynamic region. It helps, too, that Malaysia is
a stunningly beautiful country, with plentiful
options for pre and post-congress tours,
including - for those visiting Sarawak – the
chance to see wild orangutans.
Of course competition in the region is
tough, with China, Singapore, Japan, and
Korea amongst the big hitters, but Malaysia
is increasingly viewed as a safe bet for North
American and European associations looking
to make their first foray into Asia. Take the
2014 Toastmasters International Convention,
held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention
Centre in August, which took place outside
America for the first time in the organisations’
90-year history. Or the 25th International
Federation of Surveyors (FIG) Congress, at
the same venue, which was also making its
Asian debut. The latter, held in June, attracted
2,500 delegates from 100 countries and was
judged an outstanding success.
A spokesman for FIG was fulsome in
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