Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Minister of Youth and Sports, Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah, officially unveiled Sarawak’s brand-new incentive packages and the new normal video for Sarawak-based business event planners and partners at Business Events Sarawak’s (BESarawak) Tribal Gathering in Kuching today.
BESarawak’s main highlight was the Tribe Homegrown Incentivised Package for Sarawak-based associations and corporate organisations. The package branches into 2 categories – Tribe Homegrown (Convention Category) and Tribe Homegrown (Corporate Meetings & Corporate Incentives Category). The Convention Category is a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Sarawak and BESarawak to help develop the local tourism, arts and culture scene via homegrown conventions. Meanwhile, Corporate Meetings & Corporate Incentives Category is encouraging corporate organisations and destination management companies, travel agents and incentive houses among other sub-sectors to organise and host such business events.
Speaking at the event, Datuk Abdul Karim reminded the industry of last year’s achievements; standing at 95 secured business events worth RM 208.8 million in total economic impact. These events – which are scheduled to take place from Q4 onwards – is estimated to attract at least RM 112.9 million in direct delegate expenditure, RM12.5 million in tax revenue which is expected to create approximately 16, 346 job placements in Sarawak when the events are held.
The Minister said that unity and collaboration were key factors in securing these figures, and also for this year’s targets. He also expressed his confidence in the quality of Sarawak’s homegrown conventions as “over the years Sarawak’s convention and exhibition segments, we have seen local business events grow into internationally recognised events that attract people and attention worldwide”.
The next incentive launched was the Tribe Collaborate Incentivised Package for Sarawak-based industry partners to help with advertising, marketing and promotional efforts. In an effort to help industry partners recover from the wrath of COVID-19, BESarawak is urging business events partners to boost existing marketing activities and leverage on digital marketing using the grant.
While homegrown events become the next focus to keep the industry moving, Amelia added that the current incentivised packages for national and international planners are being revived to give better support for hybrid events and fit the current needs of national and international planners.
Other activities that took place at the event was the launching of Sarawak’s video showcasing the new normal of business events; and sharing of BESarawak’s latest strategies and tactics which were broken down into 7 strategies: intensified destination marketing, domestic and international business development, capacity building, destination development, industry digitalisation, fortified stakeholder collaboration and increased financial support for business events.