It's time for Kuala Lumpur to shine in MICE

Move over, Singapore and Bangkok. While these two cities seized significant portion of the surge in business events when borders reopened last year, Kuala Lumpur is fast coming back on the radar for MICE planners, says Gerard Walker, general manager of EQ Kuala Lumpur.

The seasoned hotelier anticipates that Malaysia will shine brighter than its regional competitors in 2023, aided by increasing connectivity, the country's competitive pricing, stable environment, and alluring mix of offerings.

"As things normalised in Southeast Asia in 2022, Singapore and Bangkok had the bulk of business last year. When I met with meeting planners in Q3 last year, many of them were looking at Singapore and Bangkok, and then Japan when the country reopened in Q4," Walker told M&C Asia.

Return of business demand for Kuala Lumpur

That is changing though, as Walker now sees Malaysia emerging as "that great alternative destination for events" in 2023.

A major driver is the improved air connectivity after a year of constraints in 2022, and airfares have come down to more acceptable levels Malaysia, observed Walker. "The equilibrium has started to shift towards Malaysia's favour now, so it's a much more cost-effective option as a destination," he noted. 

Inquiries and leads in the MICE sector have also significantly built up and turned into business for EQ Hotel in 1Q. "We see that from both the convention side as well as the smaller delegations. Everything from lifestyle events to industry related events, be it from automotive, banking, and finance, auctions to all the different sectors, are coming through."

With the combined effect of an influx of investment and corporates locating their headquarters into Kuala Lumpur, EQ Hotel has also observed an uptick in request for bespoke offsite events, an area that is serviced by the hotel's seasoned catering team.

Sustainability certification and push

Walker believes EQ Kuala Lumpur is ready to meet the growing demand for sustainable MICE events. Since reopening in 2019 as part of the Equatorial Plaza following a seven-year redevelopment, sustainability has risen to the fore for the hotel in the centre of Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle.

Equatorial Plaza, which comprises Grade A office spaces as well as the EQ Kuala Lumpur hotel, attained the the Green Building Index (GBI) Gold certification earlier this year. This means that EQ Kuala Lumpur also became the only five-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur to achieve the GBI Gold certification.

The building also features passive design features and active design measures, such as a high-efficient chiller plant, efficient lighting system, waste heat recovery system, wastewater treatment system, rainwater harvesting, and sustainable construction materials.