In 2018, Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) will be introducing a conference ambassador programme to generate international business events leads and international specialised conferences.
The ambassadors will comprise local and international association leaders who have experience in organising conferences or are industry leaders in their field of expertise and strongly believe in Penang as a business events destination.
The programme comes off the back of PCEB’s efforts to attract more international, regional and national meetings to the state, especially sectors that coincide with the state’s national status as a hub for education, culture & Ideas, medical sciences, government, social sciences, economics, electronics and engineering.
Aside from the ambassador programme, PCEB will continue to engage with local universities and research institutes when bidding for regional and international conferences and congresses.
Working in Penang’s favour are Qatar Airways’ thrice-weekly flights from Doha to Penang, commencing February 6 next year.
PCEB CEO, Ashwin Gunasekeran, told TTGmice on the sidelines of BE@Penang conference last week that the flights will make the destination more attractive to Europeans and Americans.
Ashwin said: “The flights will make the destination more accessible and attractive, as well as provide another option for longhaul business events delegates who currently travel to Penang through Singapore or Bangkok. It will make it easier to promote the destination when we go to IMEX Frankfurt or IMEX America next year.”
In addition, Ashwin shared that “winning the World Seafood Congress 2019 has helped put Penang on the map” and this win will give confidence to other world associations to work with the destination.
PCEB has also set a target for the number of bids it will make next year, which will see a significant increase from 2017.
