BUSINESS Events Sarawak (BESarawak) is set to soar to even greater heights with newly appointed chief executive officer (CEO) Amelia Roziman’s at the helm.
She was one of the pioneers when Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) was first established in 2006 starting out as a sales coordinator.
Thus with 15 years under her belt, she has become very well-acquainted with the inner workings of the organisation.
With her go-getter attitude, aspiration, sheer determination, plus the impressive collection of well-deserved awards to prove her worth, BESarawak is certainly in good hands.
In a recent exclusive interview with New Sarawak Tribune, she gave some insight into her goals, hopes, and expectations.
She also touched on how BESarawak has adapted in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
New Sarawak Tribune: How are you feeling as the new CEO of BESarawak?
Amelia: I feel humbled and recharged at the same time.
How come?
It is one thing to look at a higher job from below and think you can do so, but it is something else when you actually do it.
Let’s start off with your goals?
Well, the gist of it is, we want to go beyond the touristic base of our business, which was what we started with in 2006.
Sounds interesting … going beyond, but where to?
To turn Sarawak into a developed second-tier business events (BE) destination in the Asia Pacific region. When we started BESarawak, we were primarily into meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) with strong elements of tourism.
And you did pretty well!
Yes, thank you, and along the way we learned and observed how developed destinations built their businesses.
So, you want BESarawak to be like them?
We emulate them, but we don’t want to be like them exactly because then we would not stand out.
That’s a good point.
It is. When we bid for events, we always make it a point to show and tell how beautiful Sarawak is.
And unique too!
Of course! That’s why it’s one of our unique selling points, but we can’t depend on that sales pitch alone and forever.
So, what will you do?
This is where understanding of the business value comes in.
What does that mean?
Well, let’s say we bid for an international agricultural conference. Unlike before, we don’t immediately talk about Sarawak’s tourism assets … museums, national parks, food, longhouses, villages, etc. Instead, we talk about the agricultural industry in Sarawak in particular and Malaysia in general.
What part or aspect of the industry would you focus on?
We would need to come up with a strong business case on why having the conference here would benefit the state as well as the international audience. This is because at the end of the day, the owner of the conference wants to grow their business and industry.
Let’s say you win the bid, then what?
Then we enter the second phase, which is when lots of promotions are done to get as many delegates as possible to come. This is where and when tourism comes in.
Who does the promotion?
The organiser-owner promotes the conference on their website and other platforms. We, of course, do our part. In doing this we promote the destination, which is Sarawak.
How do you tackle potential delegates that are picky about where conferences are held?
We do our best to convince them that it would be worth their while to come to Sarawak.
What if that’s not enough?
Then we lose. It means that we have fallen short of something to offer them. We have to figure out what that ‘something’ is.
Looking back, what’s the one thing that perhaps need to be reviewed?
For instance, whenever we have a big event coming in, the focus is always on how many delegates come in. We hardly look at it in terms of how that event tends to affect and change the sector or industry it is in.
So, change happens whether or not you want or need it.
Right. Our direction cannot be the same as what it was 15 years ago, let’s say. In order to become a developed second-tier BE destination, we need to change.
Have others done that before you?
We have seen the journeys of developed BE destinations. Australia is a good example. Singapore is another one. They were like us 20 to 30 years ago. If we could develop quicker than them, it would be great. I say, why not?
What have they done differently?
They have a different approach, that is, their business events are very much in line with their economic development instead of just being a tourism product.
How are you going to achieve your goal?
We plan to target our key categories, namely, government ministries and agencies, academia, associations, industry partners, and then the general public. The earlier four categories are targeted as they can be our clients and can be hosts as well.
What about the general public?
We can’t just focus on the public because our business targets are very specific. Members of the public usually don’t host national, international, or even state-level events. But although they are not our key target, I think it is good to ensure that people in general have a solid understanding of BESarawak’s roles and functions.
Generally, what do the public think BESarawak is?
A lot of people think that we are a convention centre, a conference organiser or an event management company – which we are not.
After all these years?
Yes. Fifteen years, to be exact. We still have not overcome this misconception.
What about MICE … you know, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions?
People understand MICE, but we do not use the term anymore. Internationally, people are using the term ‘business events’ now to encompass business conventions, exhibitions, corporate meetings, and corporate incentives.
Let’s move on to the Covid-19 pandemic. How has it affected BESarawak?
It has drastically reduced the number of events.
So, will you be okay in the months or years ahead?
We predict tough times ahead but we are quite upbeat about the future. You know about the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030?
Yes. It was recently launched by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg. What about it?
Well, in that strategy we have been placed under the tourism sector. At least from that we know where we stand. Things are not looking good right now but are confident that by 2030, Sarawak will be a leading destination for ecotourism and business events in the Asean region.
How’s that going to happen?
Our journey towards that will be driven by communities empowered to conserve heritage, culture, biodiversity, and the promotion of investments and development through responsible actions.
