The Sabah Tourism Board has called on business event organisers to reach out for assistance in planning and holding major national and international conferences in the state.

Tourism, Culture, and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said constant engagement with the board is key to ensuring that all stakeholders work collaboratively to prepare for the return of business events.

With the Malaysian border now open, Joniston said they anticipate more business conferences and exhibitions will take place in the near future as industry players choose Sabah as a venue for business events.

“The Sabah Tourism has launched ‘Sabah: BE here for you’ campaign in 2020, targeting the Business Events industry. It is still running to this day, and the campaign involves a RM5 million grant incentive from the state government.

“Eligible applicants can apply for this grant up to RM100,000 maximum per group, for both national and international events meetings,” he said, inviting business event organisers to take advantage of the opportunity.

Joniston, who chairs Sabah Tourism Board, was speaking at the BE (business events) Get Together dinner reception here, on Thursday.

Present were Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers (MACEOS) president Francis Teo; Place Borneo Sdn Bhd director and Congress Certification Program official trainer Gracie Veronica Geikie; Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Noredah Othman; chief financial officer Julinus Jeffery Jimit; chief marketing officer Tay Shu Lan; and Sri Pelancongan Sabah general manager Zachary Mobijohn.

Joniston said the Sabah Tourism Board collaborates with the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) to market the venue for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) both locally and globally.

A state-of-the-art facility for small and large scale events, the SICC has a capacity of 5,000 people and is conveniently positioned with a seaside view. It is also strategically located closed to the city centre and airport.

Earlier, Joniston congratulated industry players for completing the Congress Certification Program 1.0 and the Congress Certification Program 2.0 Advance Masterclass.

These online courses, which are recognised and certified by the Events Industry Council (EIC) of the United States, are fully subsidised by the Sabah Tourism Board.

It was aimed at helping promote the growth and ecosystem of the industry and to support the development of human capital for the state’s business events industry.

“With the necessary knowledge, tools, and requirements needed from event bidding to digital event strategies, these courses greatly assist in sustaining and empowering the industry.

“I would like to acknowledge the trainers from the MACEOS, for constantly working together with STB in ensuring the industry is ready to welcome business event travel. Let’s together strengthen our relationship towards improving business events for Sabah,” said Joniston.

Information on the ‘Sabah: BE here for you’ campaign can be found on the Sabah Tourism Board’s Business Events website at www.be.sabahtourism.com.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by THE BORNEO POST

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