The do’s for Sarawak’s business events

Sarawak’s MICE industry’s challenges include limited exposure to legacy impacts, limited impact case studies and literature; and knowledge of the government and BESarawak. Amelia Roziman, CEO, Business Events Sarawak, recently outlined the above, and the east Malaysian state’s unique solutions in her abstract, “The Immediate Dos for Business Events: SARAWAK 2030 Marketing Plan Development for Government Sector” for the International Journal of Business Events and Legacies.

Some of the key solutions:

· Unity in messaging - BE Sarawak constructed uniform messaging for government affiliates to use when communicating Business Events and Legacy Impact. Messages were used to pitch Legacy Impact to business events and non-business events sectors - suitable for informal meetings, events, and social gatherings.

· Hands-on Experiences - BESarawak hosted conventions and events such as the 55th ICCA Congress 2016, The Breakfast Club in Convening Leaders 2020 by PCMA, and the APRH for the 59th ICCA Congress. The CVB incorporated government affiliates as organising committee members to host national or international conventions.

· Education and Awareness - BESarawak invited government representatives to attend Business Events tradeshows, roadshows, conferences, and education sessions. It created Business Events and Legacy Impact education programmes for government groups. The CVB shared news and updates with local (Sarawak) mainstream media and internal government communication platforms.

· Producing case studies - in 2019, BESarawak partnered with Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM Sarawak campus) and international consultant GainingEdge, to systematically study the potential transformational effects of 12 conventions which took place in Sarawak that year. In addition, the CVB did a deep dive into the 55th ICCA Congress 2016 hosted in Kuching, Sarawak. Hosting this Congress was a game changer as Sarawak became the first 2nd-tier destination to host an ICCA Congress. It was also a first for ICCA to select an atypical destination. 13 in-depth case studies and videos were produced.

· Developing “Business Events Sarawak Legacy Impact Initiative (BESLegacy Initiative) 2021 to 2025 Guideline” - it was approved by BESarawak Board of Members and was the most forward-thinking design for national and international convention planners to transform Sarawak’s local communities and cultivate powerful legacies.

Outcome

Sarawak’s 2030 advocacy marketing plan influenced the Sarawak government to include Business Events as one of its aspirations in Post Covid Development Strategy 2030 for long-term economic development which goes beyond revenue to leave a lasting legacy. This resulted in securing an increment funding commitment of 60% for the next 5 years, and developing KPIs in securing a total of 640 events.

Since its inception in 2006 to 2022, BESarawak has secured 1,082 business events totalling RM3.2 billion (US$0.678 billion) in total economic impact and RM 195 million in tax revenue.