KUALA LUMPUR, 4 October 2018 ­– The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) recently hosted the UIA (Union of International Associations) Associations Round Table Asia-Pacific 2018. The interactive two-day programme brought together close to 200 leading business events industry players from 15 countries to learn, share experiences and knowledge, gain practical skills and tools and network with colleagues from all over the world.

UIA President, Cyril Ritchie, delivered the opening keynote address on “The role of international organisations today”, which was followed by a panel of speakers and round table discussion on the impact associations have on society and the environment, as well as the external factors that influence an association’s work. Association leaders, such as Stacey Huang, Executive Director, PARIMA – Pan Asia Risk and Insurance Management Association and Noor Ahmad Hamid, Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, International Congress and Convention Association – ICCA, to name a few, also presented case studies and shared their experience in meeting challenges.

The Centre’s General Manager, Alan Pryor shared, “We are delighted to have offered the Centre as the venue host for the UIA Round Table Asia-Pacific and to partner with MyCEB in order to demonstrate our commitment to support industry initiatives and knowledge transfer. This opportunity enabled us to connect, support and collaborate with associations.”

In conjunction with the Round Table Asia-Pacific, host partner Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), also held Malaysia Association Next (MyNext). An annual congregation of Malaysian association leaders and professionals. The conference provided participants with a platform to exchange ideas and cutting-edge insights, network, express thoughts and debate issues that impact the future growth sustainability of associations in Malaysia.

According to UIA President, Cyril Ritchie, “A big thank you to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and its team for their support, commitment and attention to detail which ensured everything ran smoothly and seamlessly. We look forward to coming back to this wonderful venue again in the future.”

He continued, “We are delighted with the outcome of this year’s UIA Asia-Pacific Round Table, a lot of thought-provoking ideas were shared and debated. Malaysia was a wonderful host and I was impressed with the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau team, who worked extremely hard together with the UIA team to make the event such a success. Malaysia’s warm and friendly hospitality and its multicultural environment was also an outstanding feature of this year’s event.”

Echoing Cyril’s comments, MyCEB Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Zulkefli Hj Sharif, said, “It was an honour to host the prestigious UIA Round Table Asia-Pacific in Malaysia for the first time and it was even more wonderful to hear that UIA and the participants were impressed with the country’s warm and friendly hospitality, as well as our rich multicultural heritage. The feedback received throughout the visit has affirmed Malaysia has many attractive propositions that make us a premier business events destination.”