Malaysia’s capital is stepping up its game to become a major Asian meetings destination. Gigi Onag reports.
Kuala Lumpur is a city on a mission. As the main gateway into Malaysia, it carries the flag in the country’s quest to become a key Asian destination for business events. The aim is to reach the top five in Asia-Pacific by 2015 in the coveted list issued by the International Congress and Convention Association, from its current position of eighth. “The majority of meetings in Malaysia are conducted in Kuala Lumpur, where there is a huge concentration of five-star hotels and meeting facilities, such as the Sheraton, the Ritz-Carlton and Le Méridien,” says Billy Leung, managing director of destination management company BMC Travel, which has offices throughout South East Asia and has worked on events for companies such as Allianz, Canon and L’Oréal. “It also offers a lot of texture. For example, there are now many traditional Chinese clan houses that are being leased out for events. So for an authentic Chinese-themed dinner that simulates a Chinese New Year celebration, a clan house would serve as the perfect venue.” Groups also like the capital’s shopping, dining and entertainment offerings. The Pavilion, in the heart of the city, is a self-contained lifestyle district offering a surfeit of all three pleasures. It has six precincts, occupying an area of 120,000 sqm. “If you come for the shopping, there is no better place than Kuala Lumpur,” Leung says. Any activity themed around food also proves popular. “One of the things we can do is block off an entire street and invite all the hawkers in so the group can enjoy all types of street food,” he says. With the Malaysian ringgit averaging about RM4.90 against the pound, Leung points out that a budget of £3 per person gives event planners the choice of a wide range of cuisines. “The prices might be comparable with other Asian cities, but Kuala Lumpur has top quality and many more options are available,” he adds. If time permits, the company normally encourages clients to go for a multi-city itinerary to see at least one Malaysian destination outside the capital – perhaps Malacca for history or Langkawi for nature. At the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau, the events arm of Tourism Malaysia, the focus is increasingly global. “The international and regional markets for business events have the highest yield, so we are switching into proactive mode in business development and marketing,” says Zulkefli Sharif, the bureau’s chief executive. In the next five years, the bureau expects to host 120 international conventions, with visitor numbers reaching nearly 1.4 million and incentive groups totalling more than 300,000 participants. “We want to maximise the number of delegates, maximise spend and maximise the length of stay,” Sharif says.Smart deals
The impact of the global economic crisis and the H1N1 flu scare in the past year meant that meetings professionals were feeling the pinch, with many companies cutting back drastically on spending and deferring their events to a later date. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre found a creative way to bring corporate groups in without compromising quality and service standards. “We offer value creation instead of discounting,” says Peter Brokenshire, the centre’s general manager. “We give flexible, value-added options that cater to different budget sizes and types of functions.” This was done through the “We have a deal for you” campaign, launched last year, which synchronised clients’ needs with the centre’s signature meeting products, such as Ten On Call, a dedicated space of ten rooms for meetings organised at short notice, as well as day conference packages that provided additional perks for larger groups on a full- or half-day booking. The venue, which opened in 2005, has hosted in the region of 3,000 events, with the number of participants exceeding 8.3 million. These functions contributed an estimated RM2.3 billion (£470 million) to the national treasury. Tailor made Andy Soo, deputy general manager and head of the inbound division of Mayflower Acme Tours, expects a better year ahead for meetings and incentives – his team’s primary bread and butter for the past 15 years. Mayflower’s clients come mostly from pharmaceutical and insurance fields. “Budgets will be better and group sizes will be slightly bigger,” he says. “There will be more incentive groups coming because of the pent-up demand from the previous years.” His main concern, however, is putting together fresh and creative itineraries that deliver unforgettable experiences. “I think business groups will be more cost-conscious. They may save on the trip by downgrading from business to economy class or perhaps by flying on a low-cost carrier. They will cut spending in certain areas so they can spend more on the experiential element.” Budget carrier Air Asia X serves the city from London Stansted daily at 2315, arriving at 2000 the following day, on an A340. The carrier is retrofitting its fleet of A340s and A330s with angled lie-flat seats in business class this summer – for more information visit businesstraveller.com/tags/Air+Asia+X. Kuala Lumpur is a multi-faceted city gifted with a diverse landscape, as well as warm weather all year round, with temperatures between 21ºC and 32ºC. “We have everything in the city and all is within reach,” Soo says. “We have access to nature and our venue options are varied – from shopping malls to museums.” Tan Lay Teng, Mayflower’s account manager for MICE international sales, says itineraries can be tailored according to where the group is from. “Virtually all the programmes we run are custom-fit to a specific group. We always try to showcase Malaysia’s multi-racial elements. US and European groups love cultural elements in their itinerary. If it is an Asian group, we take note of the nationality because a predominantly Chinese group may not want an activity set in a Chinese temple. They would rather experience something they know of but haven’t actually seen.” UK visitors can rest assured that while Malay is the official language, English is widely spoken. The Mayflower events team makes a point of getting ideas from overseas to use locally. In one case, a group of 300 people took trains to Little India and Chinatown to experience traditional tasks such as tying a sari and making a flower garland.Hotel choice
Adam Kamal, managing director of Tina Travel and Agencies, observes that upscale hotels in the capital are on a par with their counterparts abroad in terms of quality and services. He also believes they surpass them in terms of flexibility, but accepts that where Kuala Lumpur hotels need to improve is in what they include in the meeting package. “Some items, such as LCD projectors and lapel microphones, which are part of a standard meeting package in most hotels overseas, are chargeable,” he says. Still, local meeting experts claim the breadth and depth of the country’s portfolio of hotels gives companies a lot of choices even in places just outside Kuala Lumpur. For example, the Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside hotel offers not only a range of meeting facilities but also a unique open-air amphitheatre – perfect for a creative event. For Sidney Chua, sales and marketing manager of MP Travel and Tours, hotels in the Malaysian capital offer good value for money. “You can get four- or five-star accommodation for about US$60 in Kuala Lumpur,” he says. “In Jakarta, they can charge about US$80 for a stay in a four-star hotel, while Singapore is about US$110.” Event professionals are unfazed by the increased competition posed by its neighbour Singapore, which is being revitalised by its first integrated casino-based resorts – Resorts World Sentosa launched earlier this year, while the first phase of Marina Bay Sands opened in April with the second phase to follow this month. “There is enough business to go around. I think the cake is big enough,” says Soo of Mayflower. Leung of BMC Travel agrees. “We can excel in a situation where there is competition,” he says. N FIVE THINGS TO SEE AND DO- Merdeka Square – the famous Independence Square is a good starting point to explore the city’s heritage sites.
- Petronas Twin Towers – walk across the Skybridge on the 41st floor for a breathtaking view of the city. Visit petronastwintowers.com
- KL Tower – head to the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve and eat at the Seri Angkasa revolving restaurant in KL Tower. Visit serimelayu.com
- Istana Negara – watch the daily changing of the guards at the resplendent residence of the King of Malaysia.
- Heritage Centre – join a guided tour to gain an insight into Malaysia’s architectural past.
