During the pandemic, BESarawak launched its incentivised packages for planners, including the latest product: Tribespirit Teambuilding which combines sightseeing, technology and teambuilding in one. Photo Credit: Facebook/BESarawak
Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) is expecting a 2022 calendar of
93 events, which comes right after Malaysia’s first convention bureau
celebrated 15 years of legacy-centric business events totalling RM 3
billion at a gala last year.
With the resumption of events in Malaysia since November 2021,
Sarawak is looking at an estimated RM310 million (US$74 million) in
total economic impact, RM18.6 million in tax revenue, and more than
24,500 new employment opportunities for events starting 1 January this
year.
This is on top of 109 business events worth an estimated RM 365 million in total economic impact, amassed from 2020 to 2021.
Despite 34 events being converted to virtual — which meant the loss
of more than 12,000 delegates — 43,471 delegates visited Sarawak in this
period, representing RM 193.7 million in direct delegate expenditure.
These in-person meets with international attendees included the
Annual Conference on Asian Linguistic Anthropology; 2nd ICAN Malaysian
International Accountants’ Conference 2020 & 2nd International
Conference on Accounting & Finance 2020; and International
Conference on Innovative Sciences and Technologies for Research and
Education (InnoSTRE) 2020 SPECIAL EDITION: 1st Global Summit on
Viral-immunology and Anti-viral Therapy of Covid-19.
In terms of where these delegates hailed from, 65.9% (4,590) attended
from within the state, 12.6% (880) from across Malaysia, and 21.5%
(1,495) were international attendees. Destinations in the mix included
those from Southeast Asia, China, US, Poland, Kazakhstan, UAE, Italy and
Mexico.
An interesting finding to note is the difference in numbers between
estimated registered number of attendees pre-event, and the actual
numbers recorded post-event — where international and national
registered attendees were parallel (30.3%) and state slightly higher
(39.3%). This could be due to persistent Covid-related threats and
disruptions to global and local travel rules, as well as swaying views
towards picking virtual, hybrid or in-person meets.
Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) celebrated 15 years since establishment, at its crystal anniversary celebrations on 20 December, 2021.Launched in 2006 as an investment by the Sarawak Government to enter
the MICE industry, BESarawak has in its repertoire 20 national and
international awards for marketing and branding.
This includes a fun yet informative video on ‘Sarawak - New Normal
for Business Events’, and ‘Sarawak 2030’ which won the Outstanding
Recognition in Communications at the International Congress &
Convention Association (ICCA) Best Marketing Award 2021.
During
the pandemic, BESarawak launched its incentivised packages for
planners, and has carried on this track with the latest product:
Tribespirit Teambuilding for incentive groups which combines
sightseeing, technology and teambuilding in one.
The bureau has also differentiated itself as one which advocates for the legacy impact of business events.
Said Sarawak’s caretaker of Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, The
Honourable Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, “Legacy impacts of
business events are one of the key strategies to help achieve the Post
Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 goals under the tourism sector.
“We strive to secure at least 50% of the total bid wins from now
until 2030 to be legacy-driven and beneficial to our sectors, economies,
communities, environment, and policy transformations.”
Amelia Roziman, CEO of BESarawak added, "We are very proud to see how
far Sarawak’s business events sector has come, especially as it is
gaining traction as a contributing sector in the national and global
arena."
Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia located on the island of
Borneo. Apart from capital city Kuching, other business events cities
are Sibu, Bintulu and Miri.