More than 400 of the world’s best concierges from more than 43 countries are expected to converge in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the 61st Les Clefs d’Or UICH International Congress in 2014.
Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the preferred destination by the International Board of 
Directors of the Union International Des Concierges D’Hotels “Les Clefs d’Or,” headquartered in Paris, following a competitive bid presentation by the Malaysian team in Toronto. The successful bid was initiated by Society of the Golden Keys Malaysia and supported by MyCEB, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and its hotel partners.
“This will be our chance to highlight to the world what Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia has to offer not only in the tourism aspect, but also to share our warm hospitality to further promote ourselves as the premiere choice for business events in the world,” said Ragu Kumarasamy, president, Society of Golden Keys Malaysia. “Many industry partners ranging from restaurateurs, transportation and tour service operators and even tourist destinations have stepped forward to show their support to help make this happen. We do sincerely hope more will see the benefits of this Congress that we plan to host in 2014.”
The concierge, which means “caretaker” or “keeper of the keys” in French, has been the hallmark of European hotels for centuries and quickly is becoming established in many well-known hotels in Asia. The first such association saw the light of day on Oct. 6, 1929, when 11 concierges from the grand hotels of Paris joined forces to form an association.
In Malaysia, the first known concierges started back in the 1980s in Penang and Kuala Lumpur. The unique profession has grown in Malaysia with the development of many international hotels in the country and the hosting of this conference in Malaysia will further grow the reputation of the famed Les Clefs d’Or in this region.
“Malaysia’s intention to bid was presented at the international board of directors meeting in Dubai in October 2010,” said Kumarasamy. “Even at the preliminary stages, they were very impressed with the preparation made by the Malaysian team and last year in 2011, we were officially awarded the right to host the conference after United Kingdom (2012) and New Zealand (2013).”
Among the many programs that have been planned during the six-day congress are the opening ceremony, a tour of Kuala Lumpur after dark, international board of directors meeting, street food fair, the general assembly and a shopping trip. Kuala Lumpur has been ranked second as the best shopping destination in Asia Pacific by The Globe Shopper Index for Asia Pacific while Malaysia is ranked fourth among nations by CNN Travel as the best shopping destination in the world.
Society of Golden Keys Malaysia acts as an association of professional concierges of hotels and resort hotels in Malaysia, and as an affiliate of the Union Internationale Des Concierges d’Hotels “Les Clefs d’Or.” Its objectives are to establish and promote high professional and ethical standards among concierges of hotels in Malaysia.
