Business Events Council Malaysia poised to boost visitor economy
KUALA LUMPUR: The Business Events Council Malaysia (BECM) is poised to boost the visitor economy, with the latter contributing to many sectors of economy beyond tourism with a multiplying effect that supports job creation, infrastructure development and community development.
The Malaysian Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) successfully organised the third Business Events Forum (BE Forum 2018) recently at Setia City Convention Centre, which also saw the emergence of the BECM, as well as celebration of the Business Events Excellence Awards and Gala Dinner.
Datuk Isham Ishak, who represented MITI Minister Datuk Ignatius Darell Leiking as guest of honour at the event, said that the ecosystem that MACEOS represents has proven to be a formidable economic multiplier contributing towards the growth of the economy in Malaysia.
Business Events are a key contributor towards the economy. In the 2015-2017 period, Malaysia hosted 5.86 million business visitors, generating direct expenditure of about RM48.8 million.
More significantly, the spillover effects of related industries – such as hotels, food and beverage (F&B), entertainment, retail and logistics, has translated to an economic impact of RM114.2 billion for the country where the visitor economy contributes to many sectors of economy beyond tourism with a multiplying effect that supports job creation, infrastructure development and community development.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between eight national associations led to the emergence of the BECM, aimed at uniting their commitments and synergise efforts to position Malaysia as a preferred Business Events destination.
Acting as an independent private and public advisory council, BECM will be headed by Alan Pryor to provide support for the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MOTAC), as well as other relevant ministries for the implementation of Malaysia’s Business Events Road Map. Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Secretary General
The national associations signing the MOU were MACEOS; Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA); Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH); Malaysian Society of Association Executives (MSAE); Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (PPKM); Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA); Arts, Live Festivals and Events Association (ALIFE); and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA Malaysia Committee).
“For BECM, our drive goes beyond the purpose of achieving our targets for the Business Events Roadmap. With thanks to all eight associations on board, we can finally look forward to continuously forge a stronger and more united Business Events industry community; a greater voice to lobby the government; as well as to groom visionary future leaders through knowledge sharing and training as we move towards the digital age and greater growth for the new Malaysia,” MACEOS president Datuk Vincent Lim said.
Adding on to the importance of the Business Events industry, Lim said that following their MACEOS research, Malaysia is ranked number three in South East Asia in terms of revenue with close to RM1 billion in the exhibition market.
“As an association representing the industry, we are committed to achieve and contribute more and as such, we are always strengthening our rapport with the relevant ministries within the federal and state level government departments, especially so with Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) given that 87 per cent of Malaysia’s trade exhibition is held in the Klang Valley.”
Meanwhile, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) chief executive officer Ir Dr Mohd Shahreen Zainooreen Madros said that business events, in comparison to generic tourism, whilst also a major contributor to tourism receipts for Malaysia, generates incremental and higher yield business revenue to businesses and suppliers, as well as contribute to the knowledge sharing and input derived from major conferences in the fields of technology, medical sciences, agriculture and many more.
“Malaysia is poised to become a favoured destination for conferences and exhibitions due to our strategic location in Asean,” Shahreen added.
The BE Forum 2018 and BECM share a common motivator, focusing on cultivating a business platform that will empower industry players to pool their resources and knowledge, whilst leveraging on shared experiences and ideas on trends and developments that will play a major role in the growth and sustainability of the Business Events industry in Malaysia and beyond.