CIM NEWS MAGAZINE Issue 7 2016 | Page 24

SARAWAK Above: Local culture a big drawcard. Left: (L-R) Kimberly Demi (SCB executive assistant to chairman & managing director), Amelia Roziman (SCB general manager of marketing & sales), Mike Cannon (SCB managing director), Michael Toyad (SCB chairman), Chief Minister Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, and Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Amar Abang Johari. Global spotlight Sarawak is set to host possibly its most important conference to date with the upcoming 55th ICCA Congress putting Kuching on the global events map. It is no understatement to say that the upcoming International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress is a game changer for the Malaysian state of Sarawak. State capital Kuching will soon welcome 700 delegates for four days across November 13-16 for the annual global meeting. ICCA president Nina Freysen-Pretorius says the theme for this year’s conference is “the gathering of the global ICCA tribes”. “I find that so appropriate because aren’t we all representative of different tribes different cultures and different countries coming together at the ICCA Congress,” she says. exceeded its bid win targets, winning 59 events last year (off a target of 50), and on track to surpass its target of 60 wins this year. Suffice to say getting ICCA’s seal of approval has made it a destination that can host large international meetings in many people’s eyes. The congress will be held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, and with Kuching offering more than 3000 accommodation rooms across 15 hotels in the three- to five-star range it has the infrastructure to meet expectations. “Our aim again this year is to make sure the educational content is of the highest standard and that our members take away something new when they get back home.” Ultimately though it will be the surrounding regions that will inspire many ICCA delegates that stay on for pre and post touring. The local hospitality across its 27 ethnic groups and a stunningly diverse landscape that is home to the orangutan are just some of the experiences on offer. The timing couldn’t be better as the Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) is having a bumper year, boosted by the spike in interest following the announcement that it would host the 55th ICCA Congress back in 2013. Since then Sarawak has “Sarawak has more to offer than meets the eye – beyond pristine jungles, elements of adventure, and the orangutan, sits a strong foundation that helps businesses to thrive and expand,” says Mike Cannon, managing director of SCB. 24   Convention & Incentive Marketing, Issue 7, 2016    www.cimmagazine.com “The 55th ICCA Congress 2016 will set the stage to show the world that Sarawak truly is where ‘business meets adventure’ for business events.” It’s been a decade since SCB was launched during which time they have secured 424 events that attracted almost 167,000 delegates from around the world. The Bureau has also SCB supported 194 other events, equivalent to almost 56,000 delegates. “Business events was virtually uncharted territory in Malaysia until the State Bureau began a decade ago, an initiative that has resulted in the positioning of Sarawak as one of the leading second tier destinations of the Asia Pacific region,” says Michael Toyad, chairman of SCB. Cannon agrees, saying the business events sector has had much wider benefits beyond the immediate financial boost. “We are witnessing a revolution of programmes, campaigns, ideas and initiatives which create innovative changes,” he says.