Sarawak&Sabah Sarawak and Sabah, two Malaysian states found on the island of Borneo, have carved out their own business meetings and events appeal. Sarawak Convention Bureau (BESarawak), has gone from strength to strength with a high bid-win success rate since its inception in 2006, hosting more than 940 business events. The state’s world-class facilities and infrastructure, including the ISO-recognised Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, help to attract planners from all over. Despite the pandemic, Sarawak managed to secure 95 business events in 2020, all due to take place from September this year. “The bid wins surpassed the initial target by 106 per cent which is great news. Having said that, national and international in-person events will not take place any time soon, which is why we need to put our current emphasis on hybrid and local business events first to help the business events industry restart and recover during this difficult time,” says Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah, Sarawak’s tourism minister. BESarawak’s initiative BESTribe was launched to showcase the best of the state, from culture, adventure and nature to food and festivals, making it a superb incentive destination. Its rich rainforests are home to orang utans and its thriving marine life is an
underwater metropolis for keen divers. There is adventure to be had everywhere in Sarawak and it’s just a two hour flight from Kuala Lumpur. Up on the north east coast of Borneo, again, just two hours from the capital, the Malaysian state of Sabah has recently revealed its new meetings venue, Sabah International Convention Center (SICC), adding 92,000 sqm of meeting space to the state. Sabah currently has a financial incentive of £17,000 per group specifically for meeting planners which can be granted to events up to November 2021. “MICE and business events are not new to Sabah. We have proudly hosted many international groups, and our existing venue suppliers have been creative and innovative on how to keep the clients in awe,” Sabah Tourism Board general manager, Puan Noredah Othman explains. Ultimately, Malaysia is a nation that takes business meetings and events seriously. In 2019, Kuala Lumpur welcomed three new hotels - EQ Hotel Kuala Lumpur, CitizenM Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Four Points by Sheraton, Chinatown. A further 15 opened nationwide in 2020 and 16 more are due to open their doors this year, with The Kempinski in Malaysia, The Conrad and Doubletree by Hilton among them.
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