The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has launched an International Events Unit (IEU) which aims to identify and support international event bids covering sports, art, culture and lifestyle.
The IEU was assigned to MyCEB by the Ministry of Tourism in the last quarter of 2010 to oversee the implementation of the IEU and to further develop the international events industry.
Zulkefli Hj Sharif, Chief Executive Officer, MyCEB, said: “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.”
As part of the tourism sector, the International Events segment is expected to contribute RM427 million in Incremental Gross National Income and provide 8,036 job opportunities to Malaysia by year 2020.
“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,” he added “This includes identifying and supporting ‘cluster’ events designed to strengthen the global appeal of existing major events.”
A specific set of criteria has been set up to evaluate a proposed event on its direct and indirect economic value, encompassing the number of international participants, length of stay, publicity value plus other factors including opportunities to package and promote extended stays and benefits for the business 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. |