Amelia Roziman, Sarawak Convention Bureau’s new COO, talks to Karen Yue about her plans and visions for the bureau, the destination and the people involved
You are taking on a newly created role in Sarawak Convention Bureau. What does that mean for you and the Bureau?
As one of the pioneers at the Bureau since its inception back in 2006, I am deeply humbled to be appointed as its first COO. I cannot wait to get the ball rolling!
As for the Bureau, we are entering into a new era of business events after a decade of accumulative success in the professionalisation of the state.
This year, Sarawak launched its biggest campaign to date, Redefining Global Tribes, a sequel campaign inspired by the recent 55th ICCA Congress 2016: Gathering of the Global Tribes held right here in Sarawak. The success of this congress has cemented Sarawak as a formidable meetings destination.
What is the first task on your to-do list?
Employee alignment with the bureau’s goals remains on the forefront of my to-dos. My main task and goal is to ensure that our mighty team is ready for the chapter ahead, by reviewing our operational capacity needs and selecting potential new leaders to groom.
Your immediate baby to care for is the Redefining Global Tribes campaign. What is your personal favourite aspect of it?
Redefining Global Tribes perfectly encapsulates the key drivers of a 21st century business events success story: unity, community and identity. These key drivers also happen to be Sarawak’s core tribal values, and incidentally, the values we believe make up a thriving business events sector. These will naturally lead to Sarawak being the “face” of the new era of business events.
Sarawak is more than just a fresh destination. We are not just positioning Sarawak as such – instead, we are ready to lead the pack. For those who had the pleasure of getting acquainted with Sarawak will know that she is exotic and unique.
However, Sarawak’s potential is beyond being a unique destination. Our track record of over 650 business events to date, as well our reputation as the model destination for second- and third-tier destinations is evidence that Sarawak has what it takes to be a leading destination for business events and to chart the blueprint of the global economy.
To have a public sports event – the Tribal Warrior Challenge – as a highlight of a business events campaign is unusual. Can we expect more fun, unique surprises from the Bureau?
It is rather unusual but pushing the envelope of what business events mean is always fun. The Tribal Warrior Challenge is crafted to truly convey our core message of unity, community and identity. It is just an example of how we at the bureau are redefining business events. We look forward to seeing our global tribes tuning in to their inner warriors at this physical embodiment of our campaign.
I get the message the bureau’s tagline, Sarawak – Where business and adventure meet, is trying to convey. But does this also present an opportunity for Sarawak to chase after business and association events related to sports, sports medicine, wellness, adventure, nature, culture and other relevant specialisations?
We welcome all business from every industry with open arms, and are always on the prowl for potential clients or, as we affectionately call them, our convention ambassadors. We recognise that meetings are the answer to nearly everything – from solving problems to building a nation.
The representation from diverse industries is growing. The growth of New Key Economic Areas sectors will create a need for specialisation and ultimately lead to the establishment of professional associations. This equates to more conference opportunities for Sarawak.
You’ve identified empowering and grooming the next generation of leaders as one of the responsibilities of your role. How will you fulfil that? What would be your biggest hurdle?
I am a huge advocate of education, which I believe is the beginning of empowerment and success. In our dedicated partnership programme, BESarawak, we empower industry players in achieving new heights in professionalism and excellence through a three-pronged programme: Communicating, Educating and Awarding.
The struggle, perhaps, is the constant battle to raise awareness of the sector and to create a sustainable and longstanding interest in the field to encourage a genuine source of manpower and leaders for the future. It always begins with awareness, and that will gradually cultivate interest. This is also where our latest campaign, Redefining Global Tribes, comes in. The stronger identity of business events in the economy (will) pique the interest of the younger generation.
