Kuala Lumpur, 14 March 2013 - Supported by the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), the International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific Conference 2013 (the IB Conference 2013) will be taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 21 - 23 March 2013 and presented by the International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific Global Centre.

Acting as a platform for education leaders and decision makers in schools, universities and governments to gather and share best practices in children’s education, the IB Conference also aims to create an education system that nurtures the abilities and capabilities of children. Attended by both IB World School members and non-IB World School members, the IB Conference has registered over 1,000 participants to date.

“MyCEB is exceptionally proud to be a part of the supporting organisation that makes the IB Conference 2013 happen in Kuala Lumpur. It is indeed in line with the nation’s aspirations to be the education hub of the region. Moreover, the nation’s progressive Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) has identified the education sector as a vehicle for economic development,” said Zulkefli Hj Sharif, CEO of MyCEB. “We are estimating a total arrival of 900 international delegates which will generate approximately RM10.6 million of economic impact for Malaysia,” he continued.

The three-day conference is expecting to receive international delegates from around the world including Asia, Australasia, South America, the United Kingdom and the United States. The IB Conference 2013 will also witness key note presentations from distinguished internationally recognised champions of the education industry such as Professor Sohail Inayatullah, Mr. Ben Walden and Professor Paula Barrett. All three speakers have collectively conducted numerous studies that has significantly impacted the lives of literally thousands of children all over the world. Other programmes include forums, workshops, symposiums and a conference exhibition.

“Each year the International Baccalaureate®(IB), presents the IB Asia Pacific Annual Conference. The Annual Conference provides an excellent opportunity for educational leaders and decision makers in schools, universities and governments to come together to share best practices around cultivating the way we are educating students and creating an education system that nurtures the skills necessary for success. For 2013 the IB chose Kuala Lumpur to host Asia’s biggest gathering of IB practitioners. Kuala Lumpur’s central location in the region, infrastructure and facilities all contributed to our final decision. MyCEB’s support in facilitating the smooth organisation of the conference and providing great cultural performances for the delegates has added an extra dimension to the proceedings that is very much appreciated by all,” said Ian Chambers, Director, International Baccalaureate, Asia Pacific.

As part of the Ministry of Tourism’s target to attract 28 million tourist to Malaysia, MyCEB is a strong supporter of the Tourism Malaysia’s Visit Malaysia Year 2014 campaign. The Bureau hopes to leverage on the campaign as a platform to attract more business events and visitors to support the growth of the business events industry.

Ms Shazrina Othman

Manager, PR & Communications

Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau

Tel: +603 2034 2090 • Fax: +603 2034 2091 •Email: shazrina@myceb.com.my

Mr. Sebastien Barnard,

Regional Communications & Marketing Manager, AP

International Baccalaureate Organization (Singapore Branch)

Tel: +65 6579 5169 •Email : sebastien.barnard@ibo.org

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 International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and to grow business tourism arrivals to Malaysia.

Apart from business events, an important component of MyCEB is the International Events Unit (IEU) which focuses on identifying and supporting international event bids in the areas of sports, art and culture and lifestyle.

In November 2011, MyCEB unveiled its business events tagline, ‘Malaysia – Asia’s Business Events Hub’ which encompasses its aim to communicate Malaysia’s proposition as a gateway to Asia for meetings – where many of Asia’s diverse cultures, languages and lifestyles are represented and have merged through a long history of trade and meetings.

For more information, please visit www.myceb.com.my