Record-breaking year for Sarawak business events

Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) by Sarawak Convention Bureau has announced that the Malaysian state on the island of Borneo has had its best year ever in terms of number of bid wins. The announcement came at the annual BESarawak Appreciation Dinner, 9 December. Sarawak’s business events are estimated to anchor more than RM90m (US$21.6m) in direct delegate expenditure (DDE) manifested through spending on flights, accommodation, meals and entertainment. Asides from the economic value, the Legacy Impact Assessment carried out in Sarawak pointed 965 potential impacts for the state. The assessment matches the event’s theme and topic components against the Seven Key Focus Areas (7KFA) of urban development/redevelopment, social, environmental, agricultural and industry development (including Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy – SCORE) plus the service industry and digital economy. BESarawak’s Chairman, Tan Sri Dato Sri Dr. Muhammad Leo Toyad, said of business events as economic catalysts: “By the end of 2019, we are expecting to rake in 76 events and over RM90m in DDE alone. This indicates the actual strength of business events on our economy and going forward, we are confident that the figures will increase exponentially.” BESarawak also announced that delegate attendance, days and expenditure had surpassed the bureau’s expectation and target for the year. According to the survey, 72.4% of delegates extended their stay post-convention with a satisfaction scoring of 98.4%. Head of Business Development and Research, Anedia Kahar, said: “Besides the leisure factors of a destination, meeting planners place a high value on knowledge capital – which is what Sarawak’s 7KFAs are. Sarawak has provided their meetings and conventions with intangible values that are appealing to delegates from all continents and backgrounds.” BESarawak’s Chief Operating Officer Amelia Roziman points to another factor: “This industry is one of the most effective platforms to drive social and economic transformations. We want all business events to be community-conscious that instigates maximum impact. The Legacy Impact Programme will bring this message home.”