SIBU: Event practitioners in Sibu will be adding a new certification to their belt as 23 industry partners began their Congress Certification Programme Plus (CCP+) training yesterday until Feb 24.
According to Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) chief executive officer Amelia Roziman, the certification by the Malaysian Association Of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) and recognised by the Events Industry Council, will enable event practitioners to obtain the Congress Certification Programme (CCP) designation.
She pointed out that international certifications were a gateway to attracting and delivering quality business events.
“There is global recognition and value for partners with these designations which can widen their opportunities to collaborate with public and private sector stakeholders and contribute to Sarawak’s social and economic developments.
“Sibu’s business events industry is very active and will certainly benefit from CCP+,” she said in a statement.
For the record, the CCP+ is a structured four-day programme held at RH Hotel, Sibu, to master the tools, techniques and processes to execute a world-class event.
The Plus Programme is an added module focusing on initiating and building homegrown events, supporting Sarawak’s mission to raise the industry’s professionalism and nurture a new generation of congress and convention organisers.
As such, BESarawak Capacity and Digital Development acting general manager Dylan Redas Noel stated that the course and certification was a doorway for industry players to step inside the world of business events.
“Many assume that the real work begins during the bidding phase but there are the financial, marketing and management aspects to understand.
“CCP+ provides a holistic view of business events planning and management covering the A-to-Z of conference and congress programming,” he said.
Furthermore, he pointed out that Sibu was fast becoming a popular destination for business events, accounting for 41 per cent of hosted events in 2022.
“This year, the city will host the National Autism Conference 2023, Asia Pacific Conference on Zoonotic and Neglected Tropical Diseases 2023, and the International Heritage and Culture Conservation Conference 2023 with thousands from around the world expecting to attend.
“In 2024, Sibu will be the first Asian city to host the Participatory Design Conference – a conference usually held in Europe,” he said.
Adding on, he said that as of date, Sarawak’s industry partners had collected 104 certifications from international accreditation bodies.
“Another 27 are currently Certified Event Designer (CED) candidates and are expected to graduate in August this year,” he said.
For the record, BESarawak subsidised training and other professional development activities to registered business events industry partners based in Sarawak.
Hence, for enquiries on such matters, those interested may contact Ellya Emelda at ellya@sarawakcb.com.
