On 1st – 3rd November 2020 Kuching, Sarawak held the Asia Pacific Regional Hub congress for the 59th International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). Centred around the theme of ‘Tribe Legacy ICCA’, the 3-day conference welcomed over 25 regional and international speakers, including Gary Grimmer of GainingEdge and Soren Birkelund Pedersen from Inspiring Denmark, who shared thoughts and experiences on the importance of convention legacies in today’s business events.
Case studies from local stakeholders like Sarawakian musician, artist and community influencer, Alena Murang, and Borneo Convention Centre Kuching’s CEO, Eric Van Piggelen, were also presented featuring mainly the potential of conferences to influence policy makers and create higher quality of life for the communities. Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak)’s Acting CEO, Amelia Roziman, also revealed the results of a year-long legacy impact study of 12 participating conventions that were held in Sarawak in 2019, still proving the power of conventions beyond economic benefits.
“The regional congress theme speaks very closely to the aspirations of the Sarawak Government, which are to reduce social exclusion, economic disparities and our carbon footprint. Business events have been specially selected to lead the way for Sarawak’s sectoral, economic, political and community development under the Sarawak Economic Action Council,” stated Datuk Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture cum Minister of Youth and Sports. “The congress is fortifying Sarawak as a knowledge hub in the field of legacy which we strongly believe will be the next big topic in the global business events industry”.