Kuala Lumpur, 15 May 2012 - Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) announces that GainingEdge has been appointed as their sales and representatives for the Australian and New Zealand business events market effective from May 2012

A global consultancy that specialise in the international business events industry, GainingEdge's appointment is seen as a strategic approach by MyCEB to increase its global presence in key markets and to engage dedicated business event specialists with local knowledge and expertise. This appointment adds to MyCEB's global presence with recent appointments also made in Europe and North America. GainingEdge will assist MyCEB with business development, sales promotions, media relations and marketing programmes in the Australia and New Zealand convention and incentive market. The company will provide market support towards Australia and New Zealand meeting and incentive planners considering Malaysia for their upcoming events.

MyCEB has been increasing its market presence in the important Australia and New Zealand market over the last twelve months with its inaugural Australian Sales Mission early this year and the launch of the Malaysian Twin Deal programme for the Australia and New Zealand incentive market. Malaysia's increased presence at Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME) in Melbourne and the Pacific Area Incentives & Conferences Expo (PAICE) in Auckland has helped boost the business potential from this region.

The appointment of GainingEdge is based on its excellent worldwide reputation as an expert in providing a wide range of consulting services for the meetings industry which include specialised research and marketing services designed to enhance the success of destinations, and targeted sales support through its dynamic and extensive global reach. On joining forces with MyCEB, Gary Grimmer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GainingEdge said, "GainingEdge is very excited to represent MyCEB on our home turf so that we can help realise Malaysia's full potential as a business events destination".

The Australian and New Zealand business development team, Jackie Caldwell and Faye Langley have between them 35 years experience in the business events industry including business development roles for convention bureaus, convention centres, professional conference organisers and event management companies.

Zulkefli Hj Sharif, Chief Executive Officer of MyCEB said, "The appointment of GainingEdge as MyCEB's representative in the Australian/New Zealand market will definitely play an invaluable role in developing strategies to expand Malaysia's business opportunities in this important market".
MyCEB's decision to increase its presence internationally is to build on its current success. The year 2011 saw MyCEB providing support towards 198 international business events, including 130 conventions, 62 corporate meetings/incentives and 6 exhibitions. These events accounted for 150,935 delegates with an estimated RM1 billion (EUR254 million, USD344 million, AUD344 million) in economic impact.
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For more information, please contact:
Ms Ho Yoke Ping
General Manager, Sales and Marketing
Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau
Tel: +603 2034 2090 • Fax: +603 2034 2091 •Email: pingho@myceb.com.my

NOTE TO EDITORS
About the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB)

MyCEB was established in 2009 by Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia to further strengthen Malaysia's business tourism brand and position for the international business events market. A non-profit organisation, MyCEB serves as a central hub to assist meeting and event planners to bid for and stage international business events in Malaysia and act as a conduit for national product development. MyCEB's goal is to improve its rankings as an international meetings destination within ICCA and to grow business tourism arrivals to Malaysia.

As a measure to further develop the international events industry, MyCEB has launched a specialist unit known as the International Events Unit (IEU) which focuses on identifying and supporting international event bids including sports, art and culture and lifestyle events. The IEU's goal is to identify and assist homegrown events with the potential to attract international publicity and international attendances.

As reflected in the newly coined business events tagline, ‘Malaysia - Asia's Business Events Hub', it communicates Malaysia's proposition as a gateway to Asia for meetings. Owing to its stature as an Asian microcosm, Malaysia is increasingly becoming a first port of call for international meetings and associations wanting to engage with Asia - the world's largest and fastest growing economic region.
For more information, please visit www.myceb.com.my

About GainingEdge
GainingEdge (formerly Gary Grimmer and Company), established in 2004, is a consultancy firm specializing in the international business events industry: meetings, conventions, incentives, exhibitions and events. It offers a wide range of consulting services for the business events industry with a particular expertise in destination marketing development, business development, convention bureau establishment, market feasibility studies and convention centre developments.
Its clients have included government, national tourism offices, convention bureau and convention centres located in Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America. To service its clients' needs, GainingEdge has expanded its network of consultants and business development specialists to locations in Australia, Malaysia, France, UK, USA and Brazil.

Australia / New Zealand Representatives:
Jackie Caldwell, Business Development Director (Australia & New Zealand), Melbourne
Tel/Fax : +613 9885 6932
Mobile : 0403 89 22 89 (Australia)
Email : jackie@myceb.com.my
Faye Langley, Business Development Manager (Australia & New Zealand), Sydney
Mobile : +61 432 194 669 (Australia)
Email : faye@myceb.com.my
For more information, please visit www.gainingedge.com
May 2012