The Venue Sector of the Business Events Council Malaysia has put out an appeal to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to allow purpose-built venues to resume operations and re-open the business events industry.
A similar call was put out by MAEC just recently as the climate looks desperate for the industry which has been closed for more than 18 months. Mr Alan Pryor, General Manager of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre weighed in on the situation “on behalf of Malaysia’s venue sector, we seek MOTAC’s assistance to represent us in this very difficult time to highlight the need for business events to safely operate and reopen in Phase 2, with fully vaccinated staff, fully vaccinated delegates and clients, and in line with our existing strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The council has submitted an appeal letter accompanied by Letter of Support from six purpose-built venues, he added that professionally-managed purpose-built venues with flexible space are enabled to cater to multiple events at one time in a very controlled and regulated environment. Despite no reported association with a cluster, he was venues have been closed for the majority of the year and remain unable to host even fully virtual events or command centre work. Many venues begun operating as vaccination centres which are also gradually closing or shrinking operations.
Pryor mentions that the business events sector conducts events in a highly controlled and regulated environment and are distinctly different from events that are classified as “mass gatherings” or “public events”. Business events are highly-organised and well-executed events with extreme professionalism, months of precision planning and proven SOPs.
In 2020, the industry unanimously demonstrated how business events can continue to be conducted efficiently and safely in a strictly controlled environment based on the approved SOPs, successfully distinguishing itself apart from general mass gatherings, and paving the way to industry re-opening.
With the sector now being closed till Phase 4, the likely detrimental effects which is already faltering livelihoods and survival of the workforce could get worse.
Malaysia’s venues are in crisis upon losing their means to earn revenue since March 2020. Clients, hotels and the entire supply chain rely heavily on venues to host events that generate income and guarantee business sustainability through the provision of a variety of services and products. The supply chain has been decimated – professional conference organisers, event companies, exhibition organisers and contractors, suppliers of F&B, destination management companies, audio visual and IT companies and many more are severely impacted due to the restriction on business events.
The country’s visibility as a premier business events destination is declining as many of its regional and international counterparts are actively resuscitating their business events sector, recognising how business events as an industry is a powerful and sustainable economic driver of recovery.
Around us, countries as mobilising business events to support their nations’ post-pandemic recovery agenda and Malaysia cant simply ignore as we have so much value to offer as a compelling meetings destination.
