Presentation of momento – L to R: Eric van Piggelen (Borneo Convention Centre Kuching), Ho Yoke Ping (Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau – MyCEB), Noor Ahmad Hamid (ICCA Asia Pacific Regional Director), Mrs. Nina Freysen-Pretorius (ICCA President), Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz (Minister of Tourism & Culture), Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (Deputy Minister of Tourism & Culture), Datuk Zulkefli Haji Sharif (MyCEB), Datuk Hj. An. Ghaffar bin A. Tambi (Deputy Secretary General – Culture) and Datuk Rashidi bin Hasbullah (Deputy Secretary General – Tourism)
At the recent ICCA Malaysia Committee meeting hosted by the newest member Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau, participants finalized their last preparations for the upcoming International Congress and Convention Association’s 55th Congress and General Assembly. This year’s Congress will take place at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching in Sarawak from November 13-16.
Pooling together resources and ideas, ICCA Malaysia members comprising corporate leaders in Malaysia’s business events industry, will offer a variety of technical study tours covering Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Putrajaya International Convention Centre, Penang and Sabah for qualified delegates. Two ICCA Malaysia members – KLCC and Sarawak Convention Bureau – are also sponsoring congress registrations for Malaysian association executives, and five ICCA Young Professional Scholarships.
The ICCA Malaysia Committee also took the opportunity to have a business discussion with ICCA President Nina Freysen-Pretorius on how to leverage on the opportunities as the host country. Mrs. Freysen-Pretorius who is from South Africa, was in Penang as a speaker at the recent World Tourism Conference.
In addition to the wide ranging congress program, which will feature the perennially popular Best Marketing Award (Sarawak won this Award in 2008) and The Copenhagen Denmark Lecture, this year’s President Choice Session is entitled “Building bridges in a broken and unequal world: What can leaders do?” Drawing on experiences as a leader on campuses and communities in South Africa after the end of apartheid, Prof. Jonathan Jansen will share actions that can be implemented to bring divided people together and how international conferences can be an effective platform for building bridges in an unequal world. Prof Jansen is the President of the South African Institute of Race Relations.
Some 800+ delegates from all over the world – from Argentina to Zambia – will converge in Kuching with many bringing a book (or two) to be donated to Sarawak’s Bookshare Program. This community project is coordinated by the Librarians Association of Malaysia – Sarawak Chapter. Books received will make their way to libraries and community centers in rural Sarawak. In addition, ICCA as the organizer of the Congress, will make a financial contribution to this year’s official CSR project. Instead of handing out speaker gifts, a donation will be made to the orangutan conservation program by Sarawak Forestry.
ICCA Malaysia Committee’s Chair is Ms. Ho Yoke Ping, who is General Manager Business Events of Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau, while Ms. Premala Danapakiam, Director of Sales and Marketing BCCK is the Deputy Chair. ICCA’s Asia Pacific Regional Office and Global Research Centre is based in Malaysia.
For more information about the ICCA Congress visit: http://www.congress2016.iccaworld.org/
