Addressing the pain points
EW spoke to Alan Pryor , general manager Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre , about the bounce back of exhibitions at the KLCC
uala Lumpur
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Convention Centre ( KLCC ) is reporting 47 shows this year to date , albeit in smaller sizes compared to pre-pandemic times . “ There is still concern among exhibitors as borders remain closed in certain markets and recent Covid-19 variant flare ups , affecting total number of exhibitors and visitors ,” says general manager Alan Pryor .
Pryor says the exhibitions segment looks positive for 2023 , however , with a mix of postponed and recurrent shows set almost back-to-back from February to November . “ Currently , we have 35 trade fairs confirmed ,” he says .
“ Overall , we are seeing enthusiasm and keenness for the return of in-person exhibitions and there has also been a lot of movement in the international arena especially around large scale expos – which are all positive for the continued growth of exhibitions and for the Malaysian market .”
Pryor says the primary strategy now is to be flexible in addressing organisers ’ pain points , especially around required space , preferred dates , rates , suppliers and policies .
“ We are also working with international and domestic organisers to bring in new shows that are relevant to Malaysia , that have been successfully running in other destinations ,” he adds .
In terms of investments planned at the venue , Pryor says they are working to implement some pre-planned refurbishment of the centre , which was halted due to pandemic challenges and that will be implemented in stages . The refurbishment plans will include all meeting spaces , seating , and food and beverage equipment , tools and outlets at KLCC , as well as all furniture , décor and carpets .
Of this year ’ s exhibitions at the centre , 45 %, or 21 events , are
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
“ The primary strategy now is to be flexible in addressing organisers ’ pain points , especially around space , dates and rates ” international shows with most of them being recurrent . A new exhibition welcomed this year and held for the first time in Malaysia , was the International Café and Beverage 2022 which attracted about 5,000 visitors , 19-21 May .
Pryor adds that more shows are being done in the confex model ( a combination of conference and exhibition ) and in a scaled down manner – about 50 stands for exhibition and 200pax for conference .
“ There is high interest in organisers to bring international exhibitions to Malaysia due to our experienced and matured supply chain , affordability , Englishspeaking industry and having excellent air-connectivity to the rest of the world . As the sector is becoming an increasingly competitive field with surrounding regional destinations offering compelling incentives to attract new shows into their country , Malaysia ’ s exhibition market and players need to reinvent our destination proposition and positioning in order to stand out among our competitors to win more international trade shows .”
22 Issue 6 2022 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk