The event is over. The impact isn’t.

A conference lasts a few days, but its impact can last for years.

That's the philosophy driving Business Events Sarawak’s (BESarawak) approach to business events. From developing AI tools to measure legacy to bringing together governments, universities, businesses and communities, BESarawak is redefining the role of business events – not as standalone gatherings, but as catalysts for long-term economic, social and environmental impact.

CEO Jason Tan Chin Foo explains how Sarawak is turning meetings into long-term opportunities for growth.

1. BESarawak has long championed the concept of event legacy. How has the approach evolved over the years, and what does legacy impact look like for Sarawak today?

While tourism remains important, we're now much more focused on the long-term impact that events can create for people, industries and communities.

Today, we look at legacy across three areas: social, economic and environmental impact. This approach is aligned with Sarawak's Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030, ensuring that the knowledge, partnerships and initiatives generated through events contribute to the state's wider development goals.

We have also moved from discussing legacy as an idea to developing systems that can plan, measure and validate it. Sarawak’s Legacy Impact Master Action Plan 2023-2025 established a structured framework, while AI.LEGACY enables organisers to monitor and report the social, economic and environmental outcomes of their events.

Legacy for us today means that business events are no longer just standalone gatherings – they’re giving organisers and delegates the power to be part of something larger: transferring knowledge, developing solutions, creating partnerships and contributing to outcomes that can continue long after the closing session.

2. One of BESarawak’s strengths is its ability to bring together different stakeholders. How do governments, businesses, universities and local communities work towards legacy together?

No organisation can build a destination on its own. It takes close collaboration between government, industry, academia and local communities to ensure business events create meaningful and lasting benefits. Our role at BESarawak is often to bring those groups together.

Government agencies help align an event with Sarawak’s development priorities and can provide access to policymakers, public institutions and sector-specific initiatives. Universities contribute research expertise, academics, students and mechanisms for documenting or continuing the work. Businesses bring market knowledge, investment opportunities and the ability to put ideas into practice. Communities help ensure that programmes respond to genuine local needs rather than being designed in vain.

This collaboration begins before the event. Together with the organiser, we identify the desired outcomes, the relevant stakeholders and the actions needed. These may include technical visits, research collaborations, student programmes, community engagement, professional training or industry roundtables.

After the event, responsibility can then be carried forward by the most relevant local partner. A university may continue a research project, an industry association may develop a professional development programme, a government agency may explore a policy recommendation, or a community organisation may expand an initiative introduced through the event. What makes this model work is that every initiative has a local owner, which gives ideas longevity after the event.

3. Can you share an example of a particularly impactful event?

A strong example is the National Autism Convention 2023, organised by the Sibu Autistic Association. While the convention generated significant economic value, what stands out most is the difference it's making to people's lives.

The convention brought together healthcare professionals, educators, therapists, parents, policymakers and community organisations to improve understanding of autism and strengthen support systems for individuals on the autism spectrum. Through expert-led seminars and workshops, participants gained practical knowledge on early intervention, inclusive education and lifelong support. More importantly, the event created stronger collaboration between different sectors that continue to advocate for autism inclusion.

One particularly meaningful initiative saw children with autism receive performance training, which helped develop communication, confidence, social interaction and vocational skills, while demonstrating to the wider community the abilities and potentials of individuals with autism.

It helped raise awareness for the Sibu Autistic Association's plans to develop a new education block for autistic children, encouraging greater public and private sector support for long-term services. Today, that block also serves as a vocational training centre for young people with autism.

This is proof that one convention has the power to become much bigger than the event itself.

4. Sarawak has seen several infrastructural developments in recent years. Beyond these, what do you believe will make the biggest difference to Sarawak’s business events future?

Infrastructure is important because it gives us the ability to host bigger and more complex events. But buildings alone do not make a destination successful – people make a big difference too.

We continue to invest in talent development to prepare our industry for what's next. In June, we organised the AI Masterclass for Media Practitioners to help journalists use AI responsibly and effectively. In July, we launched the Sarawak Business Events Accelerator Programme in Miri to equip local industry players with practical skills to deliver international-standard events. The programme continues in Sibu this August.

We are also bringing the Sustainable Event Professional Certificate to East Malaysia for the first time. What's encouraging is that it's not just event organisers who are taking part. Government agencies are joining too.

Another advantage is that Sarawak has the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 to focus on the expertise in sectors such as renewable energy, biodiversity, healthcare, agriculture, water and digital technology. When an international conference comes here, delegates are not just meeting other delegates. They're connecting with our researchers, industry experts, government agencies and businesses who are already doing important work in these fields.

If there's one thing that sets Sarawak apart, it's collaboration. We don't see business events within an industry silo. Success comes from government, universities, businesses, associations, local communities and the media working towards a common goal. Everyone brings something different to the table, to grow industries, share knowledge, solve challenges and create new opportunities for Sarawak.

New hotels, better venues and improved facilities are only part of the story. What will shape Sarawak's future is our ability to bring the right people together, build local capabilities and work as one ecosystem – to compete for the next generation of high-value business events.

5. As expectations around sustainability and social impact continue to grow, how is Sarawak helping event organisers deliver more purposeful events?

We help organisers consider purpose from the beginning rather than treating sustainability or community engagement as an activity added at the end. With our legacy framework, organisers can identify the social, economic or environmental outcomes most relevant to their event. We then help connect them with government agencies, universities, businesses and community organisations that can contribute expertise or deliver programmes on the ground.

AI.LEGACY Intelligent Impact Management System provides another important layer by helping organisers monitor, validate and communicate their impact. This allows event owners to move beyond general claims and demonstrate more clearly what their event has achieved.

We are also investing in the people responsible for delivering events. We’ve partnered with the Events Industry Council to bring the globally recognised Sustainable Event Professional Certificate programme to East Malaysia for the first time. This gives local professionals practical knowledge to incorporate sustainability into areas such as procurement, venue operations, waste, food and beverage, accessibility, stakeholder communication and reporting.

A good example is our partnership with the 51st IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) World Polymer Congress (MACRO 2026) to launch the Zero Food Waste to Landfill initiative. From 28 to 31 July 2026, we will pilot the programme during one of Sarawak's largest international scientific congresses. With more than 700 delegates expected, including over 75% international delegates, it provides the ideal platform to test how large-scale conferences can reduce food waste without compromising the delegate experience.

We believe purposeful events don't have to start with big, complicated projects. Sometimes it's the small, intentional decisions that make the biggest difference. When many of these actions come together, they create an event that unlocks new, relevant values for society.

6. Looking ahead, what opportunities are you most excited about for Sarawak’s business events industry?

The most exciting opportunity is Sarawak’s ability to attract larger, more specialised and higher value business events. Demand is already growing. In 2025, Sarawak secured 160 business events with a total estimated economic impact of RM483.5 million. In the same year, Sarawak also hosted 159 events, attracting almost 60,000 delegates and supporting more than 38,000 jobs.

The next phase is therefore not simply about increasing the number of events. It is about attracting events that align with Sarawak’s economic and social priorities, bring influential international networks into Sarawak and create opportunities for local industries, researchers and communities.

Expanded venue capacity through Borneo Convention Centre Kuching 2, stronger regional connectivity through AirBorneo, new international hotel developments and continued investment in professional capabilities will allow Sarawak to attract larger and higher-value international business events. At the same time, our legacy approach gives Sarawak a clear point of difference. 

This article is brought to you by Business Events Sarawak.