Sabah Convention Bureau’s CEO Noredah Othman shares her vision to grow the state as a competitive business events hub.
The newly established Sabah Convention Bureau (SCB), a state agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, is on a mission to shift perceptions. Long known as a holiday haven, Sabah now aims to position itself as a competitive business events destination.
“Our immediate task is to educate local agencies and communities about the role of a convention bureau – that we’re not just another tourism body,” CEO Noredah Othman said. “There’s still a perception that Sabah is only for holidays, but business events offer consistent, high-value tourism. Our goal now is to build that understanding at all levels.”
A veteran with 33 years at the Sabah Tourism Board, Othman is aware of the challenges ahead, especially in closing the knowledge gap. “Unlike leisure tourism, business events bring long-term value, knowledge transfer and consistent year-round spending. What many don’t understand is that business travellers are not bound by school holidays or festive seasons,” she added. “They help fill the low-season gaps and bring in higher economic impact.”
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Breaking through the awareness barrier
Sabah remains relatively unknown within the business events space. “People know key cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Melaka. Even if they have heard of Sabah, many have never been. Understandably so, because we are not a manufacturing or industrial destination. Most visitors come for leisure or for conservation-related activities,” Othman admitted.
That’s changing, however. Sabah has quietly been attracting large-scale incentive groups, particularly from China and Korea, with groups exceeding 1,000 delegates, and hosting niche and specialised business events. Recent examples include the Borneo Craniosynostosis Conference 2025 and the Asia Pacific Spine Society Kota Kinabalu Operative Course 2024, which featured a live surgery at Kota Kinabalu’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
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“We were very proud of the live surgery. Our hospitals may not be as large as the ones in Kuala Lumpur, but this proves we have the capability to support highly specialised events. These conferences may be small, but they are high in value and knowledge exchange.”
SCB’s strategic push
With the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) now fully operational, SCB is intensifying its push to promote Sabah for meetings, incentives and niche conferences. “This year we brought the hoteliers to The Meetings Show APAC 2025. Most buyers already know of Sabah’s beaches and islands. What they need to see is our venues and infrastructure and how we can cater to their business needs.”
Beyond attending key trade shows such as IMEX and The Meetings Show APAC, SCB is looking at organising familiarisation trips and site inspections to let clients experience Sabah’s offerings firsthand; targeting niche markets such as medical congresses and IEEE technical events; and working with all ministries, not just tourism, to build a holistic understanding MICE’s economic ripple effect.
As the Bureau prepares to attend IMEX 2025, the focus will be on listening and learning from associations. “You can’t oversell and underdeliver in this business,” Othman cautioned. “Unlike leisure, business events demand credibility and capability. What you promise must be what you deliver.”
SCB is also closely observing the legacy impact strategies of peers like Sarawak, aiming to not just bring events in, but leave lasting benefits behind for the community.