KUCHING, May 29: Sarawak is wasting no time in establishing the first legacy capital for business events in Malaysia and Borneo.
Hence, the launching of the Legacy Impact Master Action Plan (Legacy MAP) 2023-2025 at IMEX Frankfurt in Germany, serves as an action plan in hand to pay closer attention to events that are strategically important to the community.
“In achieving such a goal, Sarawak will actively seek events that align with the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 goals and prioritise those under the strategy’s six economic sectors (manufacturing, mining, agriculture, forestry, tourism and services) and seven enabling sectors (digital, innovation, education, infrastructure, utilities, transport and renewable energy).
“With business events industry being one of the six key priority sectors under tourism in Sarawak’s PCDS 2030, the Legacy MAP is carefully designed to support the key outcomes sought by the strategy which are economic prosperity, social inclusion and environmental sustainability and help business event planners create greater value when designing event programmes,” said Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) CEO, Amelia Roziman in the statement.
The action plan which was launched recently would dictate the course of action for the next three years developed by BESarawak alongside the Sarawak Government and consultancy group, GainingEdge, to define and drive decisions about hosting business events in Sarawak.
“It aims to leverage the relationship between business events and legacy impact and optimise this to contribute to Sarawak’s PCDS 2030 goals.
“The Legacy MAP changes the traditional narrative about business events only contributing to Sarawak’s economy via delegate numbers and expenses,” she added.
Instead, it cements the new narrative that business events — with the vast knowledge, connections and innovations it carries — can contribute to the five core legacy pillars of sectoral growth, community development, environmental sustainability and good governance on top of economic impact.
As such, a national survey conducted by BESarawak last year indicated that 93% of respondents from Malaysia’s business events industry viewed legacy as a positive move to add greater value to business events.
“We have expanded our economic-based business model to include legacy because it is more sustainable as years go by.
“Every stakeholder group in the business events ecosystem has unique areas of interests and influence and the action plan is going to speak directly to their needs and how they can impact Sarawak’s legacy goals as well as their event goals.
“We aim to create value for both sides of the table – business event planners and Sarawak’s local communities. My sincerest appreciation goes to the Sarawak Government and GainingEdge for supporting the industry throughout these years,” she pointed out.
Meanwhile, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Snowdan Lawan said with Indonesia’s new capital city in development, Sarawak is ready to seize any and all opportunities.
“The action plan is closely aligned with the government’s development policies therefore we are positioning business events as a frontline sector to facilitate strategic collaborations and open a host of economic and social opportunities.
“Legacy impact is Sarawak’s unique value proposition to the world and we believe that this transformative thinking will allow the industry to enjoy greater returns on both objectives and investments,” he said in a statement.
Among the numerous milestones achieved by Sarawak since 2019 include having the industry prioritised by the Sarawak Government in its development policies; hosting two ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) Congresses twice in four years; launching the Business Events Sarawak Legacy Initiative; creating the world’s first International Journal of Business Events and Legacies; appointing 5 business events legacy ambassadors under its Business Events Sarawak Legacy Ambassador Programme and the Legacy MAP.
In the same development at IMEX Frankfurt, Sarawak launched its first standalone pavilion themed “Business Events Support Community Development” to reflect the destination’s commitment to economic and social development.
Exhibiting at the “Tribe Legacy Sarawak” pavilion by BESarawak is Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (Venue), Place Borneo (Professional Conference Organiser), ARC Creators (Professional Conference Organiser), CPH Travel Agencies (Destination Management Company), Pullman Kuching (Venue/Hotel), Pullman Miri Waterfront (Venue/Hotel), Hemisphere Hospitality (Venue/Hotel), and The Bibber’s Tale (F&B). – TVS
