MALAYSIA ALL OUT TO IMPROVE ICCA COUNTRY RANKINGS
Mr. Zulkefli Haji Sharif, MyCEB CEO, explained that ICCA, the International Congress & Convention Association, produces a yearly report of international association meetings that take place around the world. This report, which will be distributed around May 2010, will include Country Rankings by number of association meetings hosted in year 2009. In 2008, Malaysia was ranked 32nd in the world with 87 association meetings. Within Asia, Malaysia has a Top 10 placing in 2008, but MyCEB intends to improve this to Top 5 in the near future.
In order to maintain or improve the ranking, Malaysia has to submit its full list of association meetings that took place here, and submit to ICCA by 31 Jan 2010.
"We all need to work together to gather as much information as possible. Hotels, convention centres, universities, local councils, state governments, Ministries and Malaysian associations who have played the role of local host can all contribute to our quest to improve Malaysia's rankings. This will have a positive knock-on effect as being highly ranked will bolster the confidence of other international associations to consider Malaysia as their next meeting destination," Zulkefli added.
He continued, "There could have been instances where the local organiser did not inform MyCEB or Tourism Malaysia of an association meeting that took place in Malaysia. We therefore encourage anyone who has been involved in an international association meeting in 2009 to please contact MyCEB with details of the full name of the association meeting and the date and venue of the event in Malaysia."
Data collection for the prestigious ICCA rankings is strictly confined to the following criteria: (a) the international meeting must have at least 50 delegates; (b) meeting must be of rotating nature among 3 countries as least (c) the meeting must be an association meeting (corporate meetings, incentive travel and exhibitions or events and government meetings are not included) (d) national association meetings are not included.
Those with the requested information can contact Mr. Zulkefli Haji Sharif himself or Ms. Nuwal Fadhilah Ku Azmi at MyCEB's direct telephone 2614 8693 or email: nuwal@tourism.gov.my. "Even if you are not sure if your meeting qualifies, you are welcomed to contact MyCEB, and our researchers will do the necessary verification before onward submission to ICCA," Zulkefli added.
In line with this specific mission, MyCEB has scheduled three special activities in the first quarter of this year:-
- (a) A seminar on "Why Malaysia needs to host international association meetings"
- (b) A seminar targeted at Government ministries and agencies on "Why Malaysia needs a national strategy on MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) and how the government can play a role"
- (c) A briefing and round table discussion for MICE researchers: "The importance of statistics and research."
The briefing for MICE researchers is a special initiative made possible by Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and ICCA Asia Pacific Regional Office. KLCC will be sponsoring the visit and presentation by Mr. Christian MutschIechner, ICCA Immediate Past President and Director of Vienna Convention Bureau. Vienna has been regularly ranked as the world's top convention city by ICCA. He will be the keynote speaker at a KLCC seminar opened to all national association executives. This "Association Day" seminar is part of KLCC's ongoing initiative to encourage and motivate local Malaysian associations who are members of international associations, to come forward to bid for the next international association meeting to be held in Malaysia.
Mr Mutschlechner's second session, on statistics and research, will be organized by ICCA Asia Pacific as a service to their Malaysian members.
ICCA's Asia Pacific Regional Office is located in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Zulkefli is the Chair of ICCA Malaysia Committee which comprises of Malaysia's key MICE industry players - MyCEB, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, AOS Convention & Events, Putra World Trade Center, Malaysia Airlines, Sabah Tourism Board, Sarawak Convention Bureau, and Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.
"Malaysia is an active ICCA member for years. In fact, we have been a member for 20 years - in 2007 our officer from Tourism Malaysia's Convention Division, Ms. Kamilia Hani Abdul Halim, was voted "Hot Leader of the Year" by ICCA for the number of quality of association meetings information (called "leads" hence the title "Hot Leader") that she submitted to ICCA, and in 2008, Sarawak Convention Bureau won ICCA's Best Marketing Award at the ICCA Congress in Victoria, Canada. The fact that ICCA chose to locate their Asia Pacific Regional Office in Malaysia - since 1998 - also speaks volumes of Malaysia's capability to play host to international associations, be it their meetings, or their regional office/secretariat," added Zulkefli proudly.
For more information, contact:
Zulkefli Haji Sharif, telephone: + 603-2615 8551
Mike Williams, telephone: + 603-2333 2746
Nuwal Fadhilah Ku Azmi, telephone: + 603 2614 8693 or email: nuwal@tourism.gov.my.
Issued by: Communications & Publicity Division, Tourism Malaysia
Date: 8 Jan 2010
Tel: +603 2615 8188; Fax: +603 2615 8299
Email: anisramli@tourism.gov.my Website: www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my
