April 2024

Creating Lasting Impact Legacy: Kuala Lumpur’s Whole-Destination Strategic Impact for Business Events

Discover a destination at the heart of Southeast Asia with world-class events infrastructure where its business events industry is evolving into a movement enabling positive societal impact. Business events bring together minds, capital, and technologies to the host destination. Even so, conferences today are strategically designed as a powerful mechanism which delivers local outcomes linked to the association's global mission. International associations are going beyond the four walls of the conference to create impact and legacies through positive social outcomes and inclusive communities. In Kuala Lumpur, these conferences and exhibitions can create meaningful and lasting impact legacies.

At the heart of this metropolis is the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) Precinct, Malaysia's first SDG hub. The precinct includes the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, premier purpose-built venue, 4- and 5-star on-site hotels, restaurants, and attractions, including its very own 50-acre park and premium shopping mall. Kuala Lumpur has all the right ecosystems to cater to the associations' needs.

The matured and experienced business events supply chain — including venues, hotels with over 2,000 rooms, transportation, security, event management professionals, and suppliers — boasts an impressive track record of organising international, regional, and noteworthy events involving world leaders, industry captains, and delegates from all over the world.

Kuala Lumpur's business district is home to many international, regional, and local giants from many industries, including semiconductor manufacturing, insurance, technology, plantation, and banking. Over 100 diplomatic and consular missions are based in Kuala Lumpur, which includes the United Nations in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam. The country also houses the global and regional headquarters for international organisations ranging from the sports sector, fisheries, broadcasting, finance, and aviation. They include the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), the Malaysia International Islamic Finance Centre (MIFC), the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM-WORLDFISH), and the World Organisation of the Scout Movement. The presence of these organisations signal Kuala Lumpur’s position as among the key economic hubs in the region.

Government ministries and agencies are situated in Kuala Lumpur and the nearby administrative hub of Putrajaya. This proximity enables associations and delegates to easily engage with policymakers and legislators. Additionally, local charitable and non-profit organisations have established offices in the area, presenting conference and exhibition delegates with avenues to contribute to positive change. Sustainability development goals (SDGs) continue to hold a prominent position on the country's agenda, with policymakers actively promoting the improvement of livelihoods and well-being in alignment with SDG targets. Collaborating with these organisations facilitates the allocation of resources towards achieving these positive impacts.

Becoming the driving force behind impactful business events requires a collaborative effort involving multiple parties. Just like any ecosystem, the business events industry relies on various stakeholders to introduce complementary initiatives and innovations that foster growth while meeting the needs and expectations of associations and delegates. As Malaysia’s premier purpose-built venue and a leader in the industry, the Centre places a strong focus in leading as well as bringing the business events sector to reach its greatest potential.

Recognising the importance of alignment among the stakeholders, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre recently hosted a one-day workshop. Led by Geneviève Leclerc, CEO and Co-Founder of #Meet4Impact, the workshop focused on how the business events sector can contribute to positive societal change through collaborative efforts. Participants included national associations, organisations within the business events supply chain, congress and exhibition organisers, as well as representatives from the hospitality sector. Moving forward, the convention centre is committed to supporting associations in making a lasting impact through their events. They actively seek feedback and suggestions from organisers and partners to maximise their influence on the lives of Malaysians.

"Events that leave long-lasting legacy impacts result from the symbiotic relationship between host destinations, business events supply chain players, and associations. We invite associations and business event organisers to leverage Kuala Lumpur's vibrant ecosystem to drive meaningful change through strategic collaboration and tailored legacy strategies with us," said John Burke, General Manager of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.