KUCHING, August 2013: Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) in partnership with the Commission of the City of Kuching North (DBKU) has secured the 13th Asia Pacific Orchid Conference and Show (APOC) to be held in 2019. The winning bid was a collaborative effort between local hosts: DBKU, Orchidwoods Company, Commercial Orchid Growers Association of Malaysia (COGAM), Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), the Malaysian Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) and the Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB).
The biggest gathering of orchid enthusiasts in the international community, APOC is held every three years with the objective to promote awareness and development of the hybridization, cultivation, science and conservation of orchids and to support research in these fields.
“We are excited to host the 13th APOC in Kuching, Sarawak as it is the ideal venue for it! With at least 300 orchid species in Sarawak, and 127 endemic to Sarawak alone, we hope to create greater awareness and develop orchid research and development for Sarawak and Asia Pacific,” commented YBhg Datuk Abang Wahap Abang Julai, Mayor of the Commission of the City of Kuching North (DBKU).
This week-long conference and show is expected to receive international delegates from around the world, in particular Asia Pacific countries. Among the activities include a lecture programme, the orchid show and social programmes that are specially designed to support the exchange and dissemination of common knowledge, recent practices and trends in orchid development, biotechnology, science, and conservation amongst orchid enthusiasts in the international community. APOC is expected to generate RM 1.3 million in direct delegate expenditure.
“SCB is proud to support the Commission of the City of Kuching North in its success to host the 13th Asia Pacific Orchid Conference and Show in 2019 in its effort towards conserving Sarawak’s remaining natural forests and their inherent biodiversity,” commented Mr Mike Cannon, Managing Director of SCB.
Among the Bureau’s recent bid wins include: 9th International Conference on Cutting-Edge Organic Chemistry in Asia 2014, International Conference of the International Vocational Education and Training Association – IVETA 2015, International Conference on Chemical Education 2016 -ICCE- and 7th International Hornbill Conference 2017, to name a few.
In line with our growth, SCB has welcomed additional team members. They are:
SALES TEAM
Mr Donny Tan – Business Development Manager
Donny is responsible for developing new business opportunities from various industries for MICE and coordinating client liaison for the Sarawak and Singapore market as well as implementing and managing bid strategies for the national and international markets.
[Contact him at [email protected]]
Mr Jason Tan – Business Development Manager
Jason is responsible for sourcing and generating sales leads, planning and coordinating sales activities and site inspections, as well as liaising with decision-makers of host committees, government departments and industry to secure conferences and meetings to Sarawak.
[Contact him at [email protected]]
Ms Tan Wei Ni – Bid Development Executive
Based in the Kuala Lumpur office, Wei Ni is responsible in generating convention leads and is the main contact point for development of international and national convention bids in the Kuala Lumpur office.
[Contact her at [email protected]]
RESEARCH TEAM
Ms Rebekah Livan Balan – Research Assistant
Rebekah assists the Research team by generating convention leads, industry research development and updating database management.
[Contact her at [email protected]]
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS TEAM
Ms Jemima Rinai Joseph – Marketing & Events Liaison Officer
Jemima acts as a point of contact and assisting the industry for Bureau’s corporate events operation, and also liaising with the local and international media.
[Contact her at [email protected]]
Mr Aloysius Sibek – Marketing & Communications Assistant
Aloysius assists the Global Marketing & Communications Director with Government and Industry Partners activities. He is also the main point of contact for Malaysia and International Chinese Media.
[Contact him at [email protected]]
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE TEAM
Ms Cho Chui Chui – Account Executive
Chui Chui assists the Director of Finance in managing the Bureau’s sponsorship and daily operation of accounts.
[Contact her at [email protected]]
Where Business and Adventure Meet!
After a successful rebranding of the Bureau’s corporate imagery, Sarawak will continue to establish itself as a destination which encapsulates our positioning: ‘Where Business and Adventure Meet’. Under new direction by managing director, Mike Cannon, who joined the bureau in April last year, the Bureau’s core foci will be on winning bids and the continued development of best practice by the business events industry of Sarawak through education. In this regard the Bureau has also appointed Ms. Elynnie Dominic Jau as Industry Liaison & Protocol Officer and takes on the role of managing SCB’s education program for industry, as well as continuing in her role as executive assistant to the chairman and managing director.
Mike continued; “We are pleased to welcome additional team members who will continue to source leads for Sarawak and drive perfection in service as the business grows here in Sarawak. With the increase in manpower, we will continue to support our good partners at MyCEB (Malaysian Convention & Exhibition Bureau) in the development of Business Events for Malaysia.”
Core strategies planned for 2013/14 include business missions to China, South East Asia, Australasia, Europe and the USA. For more information regarding the Bureau’s services, please visit www.businesseventssarawak.com.
Upcoming Events in Sarawak
In 2013, over 25 medium to large events will be held throughout the year, with most events expected to attract between 300 and 1000 delegates, most from outside Malaysia. Such events include the Tropical Peatland & Oil Palm 2013, 2013 IEEE Symposium on Wireless Technology & Applications, The 2nd World Conference on Safety in Science, Industry and Education (WorldSafety2013), IEEE Visual Communications and Image Processing (VCIP) 2013, and Asia Pacific Tourism Hospitality and Technology Conference 2013 APTHAT, among others.
