KUCHING, 30 November 2013: The Anak Sarawak Appreciation Award (ASAA) is a much celebrated annual event. After the implementation of a new format in 2012; industry members and suppliers were acknowledged for their extraordinary passion, leadership and commitment in building up the local industry. Among the categories that were introduced included: The Anak Sarawak Outstanding Achievement Award, The Best Venue of the Year, The Best Supplier of the Year, The Best Incentive Program of the Year, and The Best Conference of the Year.
The awards were presented by YB Datuk Haji Talib Bin Zulpilip, Assistant Minister of Tourism Sarawak and YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Muhd. Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah, Chairman of SCB, amidst the pomp and splendour at the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA). Themed “The Bidayuh Feast of Triumph: Selanting Kuning and the Dragon King”, the event hall transformed into a traditional village scene, complete with villagers and recreation of the folklore. Local cultural elements and traditional icons sprung to life and gave guests an unforgettable taste of Sarawak.
In his speech, YB Datuk Haji Talib Bin Zulpilip emphasised, “The winners tonight, in tandem with SCB and its industry partners will be the driving force behind the development of Sarawak’s business events industry. The Bureau has successfully positioned Sarawak on the global map; it is up to you in the industry to propel it further.”
SCB took the opportunity to celebrate its total bid wins since 2006. To date, the Bureau has supported 276 convention bids representing 122, 047 delegates and 442, 102 delegate days, which contributed an estimated direct delegate expenditure of RM 269, 639, 341 (RM 270 million) to Sarawak. In 2012, SCB supported 46 convention bids contributing an estimated direct delegate expenditure of RM 41.6 million to Sarawak. Moreover, much of the Bureau’s focus was split between not only on winning bids, but assisting existing clients who had won conferences in the previous years.
YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Muhd. Leo Michael Toyad Abdullah, Chairman of SCB commented, “Without the strong support of the Federal and State Governments, and our industry partners, the local business events industry would not be where it is today. It is a proud moment to see Sarawak enter the global ranks and we will continue our efforts to keep the momentum going.”
Mr Mike Cannon, Managing Director of SCB added, “We are thrilled to maintain our bid win achievements. We’ve come a long way and all our team and industry members are committed to giving their full support to ensure our client’s meetings are a success. Our core focus will remain on winning new bids, however, we are pleased to see the fruits of our efforts in the years to come through the events to be held in 2014, 2015 and so forth.”
The SCB aimed to create an award night of exceptional quality and set new standards to ensure the success of international, regional and local business events to Sarawak. Themes from previous years included: Oscar Night (2007), James Bond (2008), Phantom of the Opera (2009), The Egyptian Night (2010), Rainforest Magic – Homecoming Warriors (2011) and Sarawak Hornbill Festival (2012). The theme selection for this year, “The Bidayuh Feast of Triumph: Selanting Kuning and the Dragon King”, was to highlight a Bidayuh folklore of victory against all odds in celebration of Sarawak’s business events industry.
The official partner for the event was Hilton Kuching Hotel, who provided the F&B catering during the event and graciously hosted accommodation for the award recipients.
