Malaysia targets international events
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The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has launched a specialist unit known as the International Events Unit (IEU) to focus on bidding for international events. The unit will look at bringing more sports, arts and cultural events to the country, and is expected to contribute MYR427 million (US$141 million) in gross national income and provide 8,036 job opportunities to Malaysia by 2020.
Zulkefli Hj Sharif, Chief Executive Officer of MyCEB, commented; “The launch of the IEU is in line with the Prime Minister’s Economic Transformation Programme, which has earmarked business tourism and international events as key segments which can contribute to the nation’s economic growth through the attraction of international visitors, with the best possible economic returns suited to Malaysia’s interest.
“Besides identifying and supporting bids for international events with high economic value to Malaysia, the IEU is also responsible to evaluate and assist homegrown and hosted events to maximise the potential for international publicity and attendances through strategic alliances. This includes identifying and supporting ‘cluster’ events designed to strengthen the global appeal of existing major events,” added Zulkefli.
Events will have to meet a number of criteria to evaluate their expected value and impact. These include the number of international participants, length of stay, publicity value and other factors, including opportunities to package and promote extended stays, and benefits for the business and local community.
“The IEU will collaborate with various private and government entities including the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Youth and Sports and Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage to attract and develop international events in Malaysia,” said Zulkefli. “The commitment from the Malaysian Government for the business tourism industry has significantly improved our position in a highly competitive market. The opening of the IEU is a positive step towards achieving another key milestone for the country.”
The IEU is also looking to hire specialists in sports, art, culture and lifestyle events, specifically business development positions, with experience in event management, marketing and sponsorship.
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