KUCHING: Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) and International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) have inked an official global collaboration on the International Journal of Business Events and Legacies (IJBEL) at IMEX Frankfurt.
The IJBEL is the first journal in Southeast Asia to cover business events as a whole, and a world’s first to merge events and legacy topics under one roof.
“Its objective is to widen the knowledge capacity of the global industry, ranging from practitioners and researchers to consumers and policymakers by addressing real-world issues on business meetings, tourism, and legacies.
“There are currently 44 global advisors and expert editors from 15 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania. To add credibility, support is also given by respectable industry players such as the Professional Convention Management Association, The Iceberg, GainingEdge, Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau and many more,” BESarawak said in a statement on Wednesday (June 1).
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah described the journal as “beyond a learning tool”, stressing that the journal was a platform to innovate, improve, and inspire the sector.
“My ministry is serious about business events flourishing in Sarawak, hence the inclusion of this sector in the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 which is a 10-year policy by the Sarawak government.
“Such collaboration with ICCA is the strongest yet between the state government and the global industry as it is encouraging more associations, convention bureaus, and academia around the world to become IJBEL strategic partners,” he said.
Meanwhile, ICCA president James Rees said the world was beginning to embrace the fact that associations and destinations needed each other.
As such, he said the most effective way for these two to connect was through legacy impact.
“ICCA is more than delighted to support a destination like Sarawak as a strategic association partner in developing the journal. It is a platform and voice for ICCA members and their networks, far and wide.
“We will endorse, recognise, and actively develop the journal, share resources as well as continue supporting education goals which are aligned with ICCA objectives,” he said.
He also praised Sarawak’s adaptivity to circumstances and unique approach to collaborations that labelled Sarawak as a high impact business events destination.
Separately, BESarawak chief executive officer Amelia Roziman, who witnessed the many changes that the Sarawak business events sector went through over the last 15 years, was optimistic that the journal would connect more global partners to unite the industry.
“IJBEL will be a journal to most, but it is really a grandstand to drive the growth and possibilities of this sector.
“With enough contributions and collaborations, we’re foreseeing better professionalism from global industry partners and strong G2G and G2B support, resulting in a better experience for planners and delegates,” she said.
For the record, the Business Events Sarawak Legacy Initiative endorsed by ICCA was launched by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg on Nov 9, 2021 which marked the most significant collaboration between associations and the state government.
