Penang
Penang : PITE – in the ascendancy
THE OPENING OF PENANG WATERFRONT CONVENTION CENTRE PROMISES TO PUT PENANG FIRMLY ON THE MAP AND REPRESENTS A SEA CHANGE IN ITS MICE OFFERING . SIMON GEORGE REPORTS
H ard numbers don ’ t aways tell the whole story but , collectively , they tend not to lie . For example , business events in the Malaysian state of Penang were up nearly threefold last year , Penang ’ s chief minister Chow Kon Yeow flagged in his opening message to Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau ’ s ( PCEB ) 2023 annual review .
Hotel stays were up sharply in the first half of this year and there are new 4- and 5-star hotels ( i . e ., Harris , Marriott ) arriving in the near future , all with meeting facilities , which represents a vote of confidence in Penang as a premium events destination , according to Wong Hon Wai , a member of the Penang State Executive Council ( EXCO ).
Large venue space is still a key challenge though , PCEB ’ s CEO Ashwin Gunasekeran acknowledges . But the direction of travel made was made clear the 2024 Penang International Travel Exchange ( PITE ) – Penang is fast developing its meetings and events capacities , not least at Penang Waterfront Convention Centre , which is scheduled to open at the end of 2025 , and should be a real ‘ game-changer ’.
Add in Penang ’ s diverse cultural heritage ( Malay , China , India ), UNESCO Heritage sites , vibrant street food scene and street art attractions , and the appeal for business and leisure tourism is clear to see .
PITE on a roll Penang ’ s annual travel show , PITE ,
Left : PITE 2024 delegates putting it out there for Penang is growing in size and gaining in importance . The seventh ( 2024 ) edition saw over 84 exhibitors from Malaysia and a 50 % rise in buyers – 120 this year from 14 countries descended on Setia SPICE Convention Centre , 8-10 October , for networking opportunities and a series of one-to-one B2B meetings . As Ashwin Gunaseran commented : “ The scale of engagement in this year ’ s event has increased significantly and we are optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead . We are confident that PITE will not only continue to thrive but expand in the years to come , further solidifying Penang ’ s position as a pivotal player in the global business events industry .”
Emphasising its important role in promoting tourism and the business events sector in Penang – business travel incidentally accounts for c . 40 % of Penang ’ s tourism GDP – Gunasekeran added : “ PITE leads to tangible business opportunities and for exhibitors and buyers alike , new markets , long-term partnerships as well as a stronger foothold in Asia Pacific and other international markets .”
Picking up on this theme , Wong Hon Wai told delegates : “ Participation not only reflects PITE ’ s global reach but is testament to Penang ’ s position as a premium destination for both leisure and business tourism .”
The ‘ mood music ’ emanating from PITE may have been distinctly positive but the shortage of large event space in terms of exhibition halls and convention centres is an issue , Gunasekeran admits . He tells CMW : “ The key challenge is we need more ( large ) venues . Anything that goes above a 1,000 pax conference with more than three breakout meeting rooms , we may have a challenge . There are currently only a handful of hotels that can cater for this size . New hotels ( with MICE capacity ) are coming but they are still in the pipeline .”
SETIA is already very busy in terms of bookings for the next two years , so
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