Penang has created a new bureau to facilitate and assist tourism players in courting future Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) clients.
State Domestic Trade, Consumer and Religious Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim said the Penang International Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PICEB) would focus on promoting and marketing Penang effectively as a MICE destination.
“We intend for PICEB to be run by an independent team made up of members from the private sector. “Hoteliers, event organisers, venue owners and the like are invited to come and join this initiative. “We see it as a natural progression to the construction of MICE centres in Penang,” said Abdul Malik during PICEB’s launching ceremony at the 3rd Penang International MICE Conference at Hard Rock Hotel Penang on Saturday.
He said PICEB would be registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia and its pro-tem committee set up by March. “Locations for large conventions are decided up to three years before the event, so we want to be ready when the sPICE (Subterranean Pe-nang International Conference & Exhibition Centre) is completed,” Abdul Malik said.
He explained that aside from promoting Penang as a MICE hub, PICEB could also help small and medium sized convention centres to source and bid for international clients.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who opened the conference and launched PICEB, said courting MICE travellers would greatly benefit the state.
“On average, business travellers spend three to four times the amount normal tourists spend when on visits to Penang. “This can work out to be about RM6,000 and RM7,000 a traveller. “We want to tell people that they can come here not only to play and relax, but also to work and learn,” Lim said.
-thestar online.
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