Sarawakians key speakers at 62nd ICCA Congress in Bangkok

KUCHING (Nov 14): Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is leading a delegation from Sarawak to the 62nd International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress taking place on Nov 12-15 in Bangkok, Thailand.

A statement from Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) said Abdul Karim is scheduled to speak 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.

The annual ICCA Congress is a prestigious global gathering of business events and thought leaders to educate on the industry’s critical matters and celebrate achievements.

The 62nd ICCA Congress has drawn a crowd of 1,000 delegates worldwide and this is the first time that Sarawak has stepped out of the delegate role and joined as key speakers.

In the statement, Abdul Karim said it is a privilege for him to present at the 62nd ICCA Congress, to showcase Sarawak’s successes and contribute to global knowledge on the impactful initiatives taking place in destinations in the state.

“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,” he said.

Deputy State Secretary and 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.

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

BESarawak 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 CEO Eric Van Piggelen and Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (Statos) led by CEO Chew Chang Guan.