Sarawak has made a powerful entrance into the Malaysian business events scene with its inaugural stand at EVENTXPO 2024, a brand-new B2B tradeshow held in conjunction with Malaysia Business Events Week.
This significant debut features twelve exhibitors from key cities in Sarawak—Kuching, Sibu, and Miri—who have come together to advocate for the lasting impact of business events on both Sarawak and Malaysia as a whole.
EVENTXPO, organized by the Malaysian Association of Conference and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS), opened its doors on August 19 for the first time. The annual event aims to serve as a premier platform to showcase the latest in Malaysia’s business event products, services, technology, trends, and insights.
Amelia Roziman, CEO of Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), emphasized the strategic importance of Sarawak’s participation: “The long-term, positive impact of business events is not just for Sarawak, but for Malaysia to accelerate its social and economic progress. Besides monitoring and validating legacy impact, the second year of the Legacy MAP is a good time to communicate the legacy brand and embed the mindset to the Peninsular industry, thus attracting the right business events into Sarawak.”
Roziman also highlighted that Sarawak’s presence at EVENTXPO has already generated positive outcomes, with several quality appointments and excellent feedback from business event planners regarding Sarawak’s legacy direction.
Legacy Impact Master Action Plan (Legacy MAP) 2023–2025
Sarawak’s participation in EVENTXPO 2024 is part of the broader Tribe Legacy Sarawak campaign, which is currently in its second year of implementing the Legacy Impact Master Action Plan (Legacy MAP) 2023–2025. This plan is designed to monitor, validate, and promote the long-term benefits of business events, not just for Sarawak but also for the wider Malaysian economy.
EVENTXPO serves as an ideal platform for Sarawak to explore new opportunities and forge strategic collaborations within and beyond the business events industry. The Legacy MAP emphasizes the importance of embedding a legacy-focused mindset across the industry, which is seen as crucial for attracting high-quality events to Sarawak.
Datuk Dr. M Gandhi, President of MACEOS, underscored the significance of this strategic focus: “MACEOS has a very clear strategic roadmap. We want to position ourselves as an industry consultant that advocates business events as a key economic contributor while providing education to the industry. Ultimately, we want Malaysia to become the business events hub in ASEAN.”
A United Front: Sarawak’s Exhibitors
Representing Sarawak at EVENTXPO 2024 are a diverse range of exhibitors, each contributing to the region’s growing reputation as a premier business events destination:
•Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (Venue)
•Business Events Sarawak (Convention Bureau)
•Hemisphere Corporation (Grand Margherita Hotel and Riverside Majestic Hotel)
•Hilton Kuching (Accommodation and Venue)
•Imperial Hotel Miri (Accommodation and Venue)
•Meet by Deckworks (Event Management Company)
•Place Borneo (Professional Conference Organiser)
•Pullman Kuching and Pullman Miri Waterfront (Accommodation and Venue)
•RH Hotel (Accommodation and Venue)
•Sheraton Kuching Hotel (Accommodation and Venue)
•Techno Expo (Professional Exhibition Organiser)
•Waterfront Hotel Kuching (Accommodation and Venue)
These exhibitors are united under the Sarawak flag, collectively promoting the state’s capabilities in hosting impactful business events. Their participation is a key tactic under the Tribe Legacy Sarawak campaign, which aims to enhance the impact of business events hosted in Sarawak and to strengthen the region’s standing in the competitive landscape of Southeast Asia.
The Road Ahead
Sarawak’s successful debut at EVENTXPO 2024 marks a significant milestone in its journey to becoming a leading player in the global business events industry. With a focus on legacy and long-term impact, Sarawak is not only elevating its own profile but also contributing to Malaysia’s aspirations of becoming a central hub for business events in the ASEAN region.
As the event wraps up, the positive feedback and strategic connections made during the expo are expected to translate into concrete opportunities for Sarawak, driving further growth and reinforcing the importance of business events in shaping the future of the region.
Photo shows: Jason Tan Chin Foo, BESarawak’s general manager of business development and marketing, presents a token of appreciation to Datuk Dr M Gandhi, president of the Malaysian Association of Conference and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers.
