Kuala Lumpur, 24 July 2012 – After an extensive selection process, Toastmasters International has decided to hold its World Convention 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which marks the first time that such event will be held outside North America.

With more than 30 percent of its global members now residing outside North America, and with the strongest membership growth in Southeast Asia, the selection of Kuala Lumpur as the host truly reflects the global nature of the organisation as well as its evolving membership.

The convention, supported by the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), is scheduled to be held from 20th – 23rd August 2014 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre). It is expected to bring together 2,000 delegates and RM32.5 million in economic impact to the country.

In a statement released on 25 June 2012, Toastmasters International Executive Director, Daniel Rex, said, “Kuala Lumpur is high on the list of international travel destinations. Known for its dazzling high-rises and rich cultural sense, the city is a prime international convention site for many reasons. It is centrally located to a broad membership population which would potentially boost convention attendance higher than it’s ever been. We’re excited to host our convention in this wonderful city”.

Malaysia is increasingly being selected as the choice destination for international meetings which is firmly supported by its positioning as the gateway for global associations to connect with the world’s largest region. Global association meetings held in Malaysia has been known to score record-breaking attendance such as the 18th World Congress of Information Technology 2008 (3,300 delegates), 18th World Congress of Accountants 2010 (5,050 delegates) and 70th Institute of Internal Auditors International Conference 2011 (3,300 delegates – largest attendance for conference outside America).

Representing the many cultures of Asia in a safe and politically stable environment, Malaysia is seen as a role model amongst emerging economies. Another strong point of Malaysia is its excellent value for money proposition. Facilities like accommodation, transportation and food are affordable and competitively priced. According to World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitive Index 2011, Malaysia is ranked third as the world’s most price competitive country. All this factors contributed to the string of successes achieved by conferences held in Malaysia in attracting delegates.

Dr. John Lau Pang Heng, a member of the Kuching Connections Toastmasters Club, Kuching Mandarin Toastmasters Clu and Oracle Advanced Toastmasters Club in Penang said, “For many of us, members of Toastmasters in Asia, this announcement is indeed a welcoming one. Malaysia is a multiracial country where English, Bahasa Malaysia and various other languages are widely spoken. In a way, the decision to bring the conference to Malaysia is a wise one considering that Toastmasters champions spoken words. I look forward to welcoming the delegates to Kuala Lumpur for the 2014 conference and we promise you that we will do everything that we can to ensure its success”.

MyCEB will provide Toastmasters with assistance under its industry partners’ subvention programme. Launched in November 2010, the programme refers to financial and non-financial incentives to support bids for targeted international business events that offers high economic value to the country. Since its launching, MyCEB have approved subvention support for more than RM20.5 million to international association meetings.

Dr. John Lau shall be installed as International President of Toastmasters International on 18 August 2012 at the Orlando International convention in USA. He is the first Malaysian to hold the highest elected post in Toastmasters International. Dr John Lau is also one of MyCEB’s appointed ‘Kesatria’ under the ‘Kesatria 1Malaysia’ programme. It is a programme introduced by MyCEB whereby leaders of key industry sectors voluntarily assist in identifying and encouraging other potential local hosts to bid for and stage international conventions.

Toastmasters International World Convention 2012 will be held in Orlando Florida while the 2013 convention will take place in Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio. Since it was founded back in 1924, Toastmasters has groomed more than four million people in oral communication which include politicians, administrators, educators, lawyers, engineers and other professionals.

For more information on Toastmasters International, kindly visit http://www.toastmasters.org/

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For more information, please contact:

International Enquiry:

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

Local Enquiry:

Muhammad Nizam Hj Khamis (Mr)
Account Manager
G2 Public Relations
Tel: +603 2178 0033 • Fax: +603 2163 4001 •Email:nizam.khamis@g2.com

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 meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) 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.

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.

In November 2011, MyCEB unveiled its new 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