The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau launched its annual road show to India in Mumbai Jan. 13 at the Four Seasons Hotel as part of the Penang Road Show to India 2020.
Beginning the road show in Mumbai, the Penang delegation continued on to New Delhi, Chennai and Kochi with the objective of promoting Penang as the preferred destination for corporate and association meetings, conferences, incentives and leisure travel.
Penang is world-class travel destination, one that is famed for its unique offerings of a modern international island city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lush rain forests, beautiful hill station, shopping galore and fabulous food. Additionally, this Northern Malaysian state is one of the world’s top travel destinations.
Capitalizing on Penang’s rising popularity in India, the Penang Road Show will host a B2B engagement session with business events and leisure travel buyers from India, as well as a media session with the local Indian and business events media.
Led by Yeoh Soon Hin, Penang state minister for tourism, arts, culture and heritage, and Ashwin Gunasekeran, chief executive officer of PCEB, the road show is supported by a Penang delegation of 14partners, including hotels, destination management companies, attractions, professional conference organizers and event experts. Also accompanying the delegation is Satees Muniandy, Penang State Assemblyman for Bagan Dalam. Joining the roadshow as the official media partner is TIN.Media, Malaysia’s home grown B2B Travel Industry Media, and PCEB’s strategic airline partner, Malaysia Airlines.
PCEB is also launching the Penang specialist program designed for the Indian market. The program will equip select outbound travel, MICE, wedding and filming agencies with first-hand knowledge of Penang through a full day workshop conducted in each city concurrently with the B2B engagement session.
Among the incentives that the Penang specialists can qualify for are special incentive for group sales, familiarization tours to Penang and opportunities to attend training and networking program in Penang and India. The certification of the Penang specialist program is valid for three years, upon which qualifying members will be invited for recertification. The workshop is conducted by Katharine Chua, managing director of Penang’s Tropical Spice Garden.
“The number of Indian travelers to Penang has also increased in recent years,” says Gunasekeran. “India is one of the top five markets for business events in Penang, and over the past years, we have received encouraging interest from event planners and conference organizers.”
In 2019, 4 percent of business events of Asia Pacific origin was from India, contributing $65.9 million in estimated economic impact, he added.
Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) is a state bureau established to develop the Business Events and meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) industry in Penang. PCEB aims to position Penang as the preferred location for Business Events activities in the region. With its rich UNESCO heritage, thriving multicultural society, state-of-the-art facilities and vibrant natural attractions, Penang offers a truly eclectic tropical experience. For more info, visit https://www.pceb.my/penangroadshow.php
