PCMA signs publishing agreement with Sarawak at Convening leaders in Ohio

Malaysia’s regional CVB, Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) has signed a collaborative agreement with the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) as a strategic partner to develop the International Journal of Business Events and Legacies (IJBEL). IJBEL claims to be the world’s first academic journal to merge business events and legacy topics under one title. It includes research, reviews and viewpoints offering wide and varied perspectives on business events issues for the events industry. IJBEL is managed by Curtin University Malaysia and lists 48 collaborators ranging from editors and advisors to association and academic partners from Asia, Australia, Africa, North America, Europe, and the Middle East. “Sarawak is an emerging point for serious thought leadership and innovation. We have spent several years learning and facilitating business event legacies, and are the first to put social and economic progress at the forefront of Malaysian business events,” said Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak’s minister of tourism, creative industry and performing arts at PCMA’s Convening Leaders 2023 signing ceremony in Columbus, Ohio, 10 January. “Our newfound strategic partnership with PCMA is expected to open new opportunities to collaborate with their wide network of audience and members to expand the journal’s reach and make it an efficient tool for academic and practical use. We openly welcome more academicians and convention bureaux to become strategic partners of the journal.” “The agreement with Business Events Sarawak is completely aligned with PCMA’s vision of growth as both organisations share the same goal – to demonstrate how business events transform societies, businesses and communities,” said Sherrif Karamat, PCMA president and CEO. “We look forward to collaborating with BESarawak to develop the journal as it elevates the influence of business events and advocates legacy and sustainability impact globally.” “Sarawak’s business events industry is proactive in searching for new ways to deliver business events successfully and lead the way in terms of industry development,” said Amelia Roziman, BESarawak’s CEO. “We are about more than just winning bids; we want to be part of the global industry’s reset-and-recovery through education. This involves forging collaborations at micro and macro levels with local, national and international players.” On 30 November 2022, IJBEL’s first volume was launched with 11 articles published. They focused predominantly on legacy and sustainability, proving that there is a necessity to establish a platform where such topics can be discussed. Download a copy of the journal for free here: