The Sarawak Craft Council will host the inaugural BorneoCraft Global Expo and Conference (BCG2024) in November, aiming to elevate Sarawak’s craft industry on the global stage and boost the region’s creative economy.
Scheduled to take place from November 27 to December 1, BCG2024 is expected to attract around 300 exhibitors, showcasing a diverse range of local and international crafts, alongside 50,000 visitors and 300 conference delegates.
Suriya Charles Buas, manager of the Sarawak Craft Council, shared at the event briefing that embassy representatives from Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Latin America, Iran, and Zambia have also expressed their desire to participate and showcase their traditional crafts.
The five-day event will feature global pavilions at the Kuching Waterfront, showcasing crafts, food, beverages, and arts. Visitors can also participate in craft workshops at the historic Sarawak Steamship Building.
A key highlight of the event is an attempt to set a new Malaysia Book of Records milestone by gathering over 1,000 beadmakers to create beaded crafts on December 1.
Gracie Geikie, event curator, also revealed the introduction of the MasterCraft Challenge, a competition designed to discover Sarawak’s most talented crafters. While the challenge is exclusive to Sarawakians, the record-setting bead making event is open to the public.
Snowdan Lawan, deputy minister for creative industry and performing arts, expressed optimism about BCG2024’s potential to grow, drawing comparisons to the renowned Rainforest World Music Festival organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board.
This homegrown event is managed by Place Borneo and supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak and Business Events Sarawak.
