Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre forms strategic partnership with IAPCO

In an effort to increase cooperation and foster greater ties with international professional conference organisers and to enhance the growth and professional development of Malaysia’s business events industry supply chain, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) has formed a collaborative partnership with the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO).
 

According to Alan Pryor, the Centre’s General Manager, the partnership will see the Centre working closely with IAPCO to create greater awareness of Malaysia’s multi-cultural diversity and extensive business events offerings amongst their 114 members across 40 countries. In line with this, “we (the Centre) will be hosting the IAPCO Council Meeting to be held in September 2017 and look forward to showcasing our strategic location – right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city centre, our ‘purpose-built’ facility and world-class service delivery, and of course, Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia’s USPs (unique selling propositions) as a premier business events destination.”
 

Welcoming the Centre to the IAPCO family, Jan Tonkin, the newly elected President of IAPCO, said, “it’s a personal mission of mine to strengthen ties between IAPCO and the Asia-Pacific region. It’s a twofold opportunity: as well as profiling IAPCO to organisations, venues and bureaux in Asia Pacific, I’m looking forward to profiling the strength of the Asia-Pacific industry, and the extraordinary work being done in this region, to the rest of the world. Our existing relationship with the Centre endorses our enthusiasm for the region. The Centre are keen supporters of IAPCO, not only by being a Convention Centre Partner, but also by hosting our IAPCO Council Meeting in 2017, providing an opportunity for key opinion leaders to view their excellent facilities first-hand.”
 

“We are very excited about this partnership and commend IAPCO’s on-going efforts in raising the standard of service among its members and other sectors of the meetings industry. The alliance also reinforces our position as Malaysia’s premier convention facility and one of Asia Pacific’s leading meetings venues. We are confident this relationship will influence and encourage (IAPCO) members to come and experience Malaysia’s famed hospitality and look forward to our first IAPCO members’ get-together at IMEX Frankfurt to get the ball rolling,” added Pryor.
 

Speaking on the sidelines of IMEX (Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings & Events) Frankfurt 2016, Pryor said the tradeshow is an excellent occasion to “expand our long-standing association with our Europe-based clients.“
 

“Europe has always been, and continues to be, one of our key traditional target markets and IMEX provides an important avenue to foster and strengthen our relationships with Europe-based organisers and to share our range of flexible, innovative and value-add solutions directly with them.”
 

Pryor cited 12 confirmed high-profile Europe-based events as an indication of the continuing importance of the European market (to the Centre). “To be held between 2016 and 2019, the 12 (events) are expected to attract close to 17,000 delegates and visitors. Of these, we will welcome three – the 10th World Congress of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 2016, 13th International VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) Symposium 2016 and 34th SCAR Meetings and Open Science Conference 2016 – this year. In addition, we continue to look at every opportunity to add to this list.”