Sarawak Tourism Minister, Deputy SS advocate on business events at 62nd ICCA Congress in Thailand

Abdul Karim (ninth left) and Hii (11th left) in a group photo with others at ICCA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand.

BANGKOK, Nov 14: Sarawak has geared up as a global business events advocate for the government sector at the 62nd International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress in Bangkok, Thailand from Nov 12 to 15 November.

According to a media release, Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah will be speaking in a power session called “Igniting Destination Growth in Unleashing the Power of Association Meetings” where world leaders and industry influencers dive into the business events industry’s pivotal role in driving change and sharing strategies for the industry to successfully interact with senior officials.

“What you will see from business events is one of the highest levels of advocacy and awareness of critical topics. And when there is advocacy, there is awareness. You will build support from those who believe in what you are trying to do.

“Sarawak and ICCA are advocating for the same thing—legacy impact. It is a privilege for me to represent Sarawak at the 62nd ICCA Congress on stage, showcase our successes and contribute to global knowledge on the impactful initiatives taking place in our destination,” Abdul Karim said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Sarawak Secretary (Operation) and Business Events Sarawak’s (BESarawak) deputy chairman Datu Hii Chang Kee will be the lead speaker for the exclusive “CEO of the Future” workshop.

The workshop is designed for C-suite and senior leaders to do a deep dive into critical topics facing the industry and elevate their leadership to meet future challenges.

At the same time, BESarawak was awarded the Certificate of Achievement in recognition of Sarawak’s contribution to the global business events industry at the ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter Meeting on Nov 12.

Its chief executive officer (CEO) Amelia Roziman said Sarawak’s visibility will be widespread at the 62nd ICCA Congress from the strength of the participation this year.

“We are harnessing the legacies of our collaborations with partners and supporters such as ICCA and are very honoured to be awarded as one of the leaders in the region. This shows ICCA’s genuine interest in our initiatives and their understanding of legacy impact,” she said.

Other partners joining the Sarawak delegation are Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) led by its CEO Eric Van Piggelen and Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) led by its CEO Chew Chang Guan. — DayakDaily