Brought to you by Sabah Tourism Board
Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) is the game-changer which paved the way for Sabah Tourism to expand into the business events market.
The largest waterfront purpose-built convention, exhibition and entertainment facility in East Malaysia houses a gross built-up of 60,504m2 on a six-hectare site, with a total function space of 153,197m2.
The multifunctional complex with its well-designed floor plan is suited for a wide range of gatherings – from international conventions and trade shows, world-class performing arts and live music events, wedding banquets to seminars and workshops.
Hardware must be complemented by relevant soft skills too.
To prepare industry players with the necessary skills and know-how needed from bidding to pitching, digital marketing, event technology and digital event strategies, a Congress Certification Programme 2.0 Advance Masterclass was recently launched where Sabah Tourism Board (STB) aims to train 200 people by 2025.
To support Sabah’s business events industry growth and ecosystem, STB is also subsidising an advanced class for the previous participants of the Congress Certification Programme.
Since 2020, Sabah has also supported and approved about 50 business events under the ‘Sabah, BE here for you’ initiative for events happening up to 2023.
According to state assistant tourism, culture, and environment minister, Joniston Bangkuai, who is also STB chairman, there is growing interest from business event organisers to stage big expositions, bolstering the state’s status as a preferred location for trade shows.
Come this October, Sabah will welcome the Borneo Bird Festival, as well as the Asian Pan-Pacific Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Conference which is expected to attract 1000 attendees.
Sabah will also play host to the prestigious World Tourism Conference (WTC) 2022 from November 28 – 30.
An exclusive triennial event organised by Malaysia with the cooperation of UNWTO, some 700 international and domestic delegates are expected to attend, including tourism ministers, government senior officials, academicians and key leaders from the industry globally.
Held in Kota Kinabalu over 12 years ago, choosing Sabah to host WTC for the second time signifies the commitment of the state government to drive the tourism sector there.
Asia Dive Expo 2023 (ADEX 2023) is also slated to debut in Sabah next year and the event will position Sabah effectively as the ultimate dive destination, both in the region and globally.
Besides, ADEX 2023 also offers the opportunity for the Sabah dive industry and enthusiasts to participate in knowledge transfer and increase the service standards of the said industry.
Sabah’s burgeoning popularity as an incentive and meeting destination is also largely attributed to its people and geographic location. Renowned for its charming hospitality, over 30 ethnic groups live harmoniously there, offering a glimpse of a unique cultural tapestry.
Nestled in the north of Borneo Island, Sabah stands out for its exoticness, rich heritage and food for adventurous tastebuds, on top of its virgin rainforest, beautiful idyllic islands, as well as world-class conservation and wildlife sanctuaries.
Joniston said previously: “The continuous promotion of Sabah as a preferred destination not only for leisure but business travelling, especially during the pandemic, has been progressing well. This can be seen with the reopening of direct routes from major international cities and it bodes well for our hopes of a full recovery sooner than expected.”
Since the reopening of Malaysia’s border on April 1 this year, Sabah has flights coming from Singapore, South Korea, Manila, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and Thailand.
Interested to organise your next business event in Sabah?
Find out more about the incentive support for business event organisers and learn how to maximise the potential of corporate events here.
Prior to this position, he was the chief overseas development and operations officer at CTG Hotel, responsible for the development, operation and management of the company’s overseas projects and hotels.
