“It is undoubtedly the most challenging year we have had to face and we are certain that our industry friends, globally, will agree. Despite the monumental setback, the team at the Centre together with our partners managed to spot the silver linings, develop new opportunities and build on our existing strengths. The increased industry camaraderie was very heartening and encouraging in our efforts to navigate through the hurdles posed by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Alan Pryor, General Manager of the Centre.
In May 2020, the Centre in collaboration with International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) and Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) launched an innovative professional development programme for Malaysian professional congress organisers (PCOs).
Following that, the Centre was actively involved in the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for conducting events in a safe and controlled environment based on the new norm to help re-open the national business events industry.
The Centre further entered into multiple industry partnerships to rollout collective initiatives to help stimulate the industry business recovery namely the development of new norm event videos with long-time partners and clients and to bring back live entertainment events and create job opportunities through its collaboration in Live Support: In Aid of the Live Events Industry.
These efforts hit a crescendo when MyCEB launched the Meet in Malaysia Campaign to further revitalize the national and regional business events market which the Centre also participated in as one of the 90 over partners.
The pandemic also paved the way for a few ‘firsts’ at the Centre. In February 2020, the Centre successfully organised the 1st hybrid Ottawa Conference 2020 and later in September, the 1st virtual World Tunnel Congress which was made possible by the Centre’s newly launched comprehensive virtual events solutions through its We are Here for You campaign.
When the Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers (MACEOS) recently conducted its first virtual webinar for the association sector, the Centre also had the opportunity to showcase its brand new virtual studio.
2020 also marked a major milestone for the Centre as it celebrated its 15-year anniversary in June. The venue also celebrated when Kuala Lumpur made it to the 2020 ICCA Top 10 Meetings Destinations Ranking.
“The Centre has always been an asset to the city of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia and we stand proud as the country’s premier purpose-built venue. This would not have been possible without our very dedicated and passionate team. The Centre’s team ushered in 2020 by participating in the Gelato World Cup 2020, Italy as part of Team Malaysia. Recently, the Centre also won the ICCA Best Marketing Award 2020 – Recognising Leadership in Transformation and was voted Malaysia’s Best Convention Centre by industry leaders through the inaugural World MICE Awards 2020,” continued Pryor.
During the 59th ICCA General Assembly recently, Angeline van den Broecke, the Centre’s Director of Global Business Development and Marketing was elected to the ICCA Board of Directors representing the Venues Sector.
The Centre also rolled out more initiatives throughout the year in addressing the current market landscape. Forming a partnership with Food Aid Foundation, the Centre contributed over 600kgs of surplus food and raw ingredients to help feed over 1,200 people during the beginning of Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia.
The progressive venue also launched a new website this year with an AI Chabot that is linked the webpages, making it the first venue in Malaysia to have a digital concierge, and an interactive floor plan to enhance communication and engagement with its clients and stakeholders digitally.
“We at the Centre are definitely counting our blessings even though we were posed with a very difficult time. We would like to thank all our partners for their never-ending support and we hope that the industry camaraderie will continue to strengthen our battle against the pandemic and we look forward to more collective collaborations in helping the overall industry get back on its feet in the coming year. Kudos also goes to our team for standing strong and working together to support business continuity,” concluded Pryor.
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