Change business events from having tourism impact to securing capital

KUCHING: Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has called for a shift in the way business events are being hosted in Sarawak.
 
He said the traditional narrative is that business events create tourism impact; therefore, through them, international delegates will come and spend their money in Sarawak.
 
“Therefore, we must change our old narrative about business events to a new one — if we host this conference, global leaders will share their knowledge and see what we are doing here in Sarawak; corporations and investors will come too.
 
“It’s an opportunity to tap into a global network, secure venture capital, and attract new talent.
 
“This conference is a strategic way to stimulate the industry, which will help Sarawak become a high-income developed destination,” he said at the 10th Anak Sarawak Awards ceremony at the Imperial Hotel here yesterday (May 12).
 
Abang Johari further said that when Sarawak hosted the Asia Carbon Conference in March this year, it attracted 400 delegates, many of whom were carbon investors and developers.
 
“They are those who were not looking to invest but were interested to learn more about how Sarawak is developing carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) and shared what was being done in their country or region,” he said.
 
Another example, he said, is Sarawak’s achievement in developing a new technology to raise algae on an industrial scale to produce a wide range of products such as jet fuel or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products.
 
“I just launched the facility yesterday in Sejingkat, and I believe Sarawak can become a reference point for the sharing of knowledge on algae cultivation, which would certainly add to the attractiveness of the state as a business event destination.
 
“However, if we only measure ‘conference’ by the old narrative and how much delegates were spending, we would not be able to enjoy the wider benefits that it brought,” he said.
 
Abang Johari said there is no doubt delegates will spend, and this is one of the economic opportunities, but Sarawak must cast a wider net and consider additional opportunities.