Malaysia is sharpening its focus on the Oceania market as business events from Australia and the region show sustained momentum.
Recent data revealed that 373 business events from Oceania were conducted in Malaysia in 2024, strengthening Malaysia’s status as a leading destination for corporate meetings and conferences for Australian event buyers.
Speaking at the recent Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) 2025, Mohammad Isa Abdul Halim, director of meeting and support incentives at Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), emphasised the numbers did not reflect the complete picture of event booking activity from Australia.
“There’s a good volume of Australian corporate meetings and conferences taking place in Malaysia without (direct government) support, demonstrating the confidence in our destination,” he told TTGmice.
The numbers reinforcing this trend showed that last year, Malaysia welcomed 734,638 Oceania delegates from supported events, driving a visitor expenditure of US$355 million and contributing US$820 million in economic impact.
Looking ahead, 63 business events from Oceania, mainly Australian, were confirmed for 2025 as of mid-January as a result of lead-nurturing efforts in prior years. This is expected to welcome an estimated 141,059 delegates, generating about RM760 million (US$170 million) in economic impact.
To capitalise on this growing demand, MyCEB promoted its recently launched My Triple E 2.0 initiative under the Meet in Malaysia campaign at AIME in Melbourne, offering up to RM 20,000 in support for events that meet key criteria.
The broader strategy includes leveraging Tourism Malaysia’s Sydney office and engaging in Australian tradeshows and networking events.
Malaysia’s long-term vision extends to 2030, with 216,212 delegates projected from secured events from Oceania, contributing RM790 million in economic impact.
“Presence matters. When we engage actively in the market, Malaysia stays top of mind for business event decision-makers,” said Mohammad Isa, noting that MYCEB will be returning to AIME next year with up to 10 stands, a similar size to its presence this year.
