Image: Minister (centre) with some of IJBEL’s advisory and editorial members showing the newly published and printed Journal.
KUCHING, 1 November 2022: Sarawak has published the first issue and volume of the International Journal of Business Events and Legacies, known as IJBEL, and announced its success at a press conference today joined by international business events counterparts.
IJBEL is the world’s first international academic journal specific to business events and the legacies that such events leave behind. Its core objective is to address issues via case studies, research and viewpoints on topics such as event planning and delivery, and strategies adopted by interconnected sectors such as hospitality, tourism and economics.
Issue 1, Volume 1 of IJBEL contains six academic papers, four industry papers and one special note on today’s hot topics such as the effectiveness of hybrid events; managing sustainable events in an urban destination; hosting business events in times of crisis; optimising e-Tourism and e-Marketplaces for business events, and legacy approaches.
Speaking on IJBEL’s value to Sarawak at a press conference today, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahmah Hamzah expressed that the journal is an “important piece of literature for Sarawak” adding that “it is helping the Sarawak Government achieve a few of the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 strategic thrusts by targeting specific economic sectors and enablers.”
Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts revealed that the journal is achieving three of the strategy’s goals. “Under the PCDS enabler of Education & Human Capital, IJBEL is helping to optimise Sarawak’s human capital and produce an agile workforce that can excel globally. This also includes promoting entrepreneurship. The second is the PCDS enabler of Innovation, where the journal is leveraging research and commercialisation to drive global innovation. The third is the PCDS enabler of Sustainable Development, where research is used to make economic activities more environmentally friendly that can achieve global recognition.”
In addition to PCDS 2030 achievements, IJBEL is on track to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals of Quality Education and Partnership for the Goals.
IJBEL is a joint effort between BESarawak and the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) to raise collaborations within the international industry. Senthil Gopinath, ICCA’s CEO, expressed that “ICCA believes our collaboration with IJBEL is substantial especially in this new business events environment, giving additional and optional platforms in knowledge sharing. Together we can achieve greater results and elevate the development of the business events Industry to the next level regionally, nationally, and globally.”
Senthil added that IJBEL can furnish business events researchers and industry practitioners with a multidisciplinary perspective, real-world case studies and learnings—at the same time, serve as an additional platform for destination showcasing.
“Sarawak’s business events industry is proactive in searching for new ways to deliver business events successfully and lead the way in terms of industry development,” said Amelia Roziman, BESarawak’s CEO. “We are looking outwards to help the global industry reset and recover through empirical research and real industry experiences. This involves forging collaborations at micro and macro levels with local, national and international players.”
IJBEL is a collaboration between BESarawak, the International Congress & Convention Association as the exclusive international association partner, Curtin University Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi MARA and Sarawak Research Society. Download a copy of the journal for free at https://ijbel.businesseventssarawak.com/publication/.
