Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s Business Event (BE) organisation prowess and its future growth potential were praised by some speakers and delegates participating in the 3rd International Business Events Forum (BE in Sabah 2026), particularly for having consistently organised the International Business Events Forum (BE in Sabah) for the third time.
Such quality consistency augers well for positioning the state on the map of the global Business Event landscape with readiness and authenticity.
BE in Sabah 2026 started well on Wednesday Feb 4 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) themed “Global Collaboration Through Business Events” attended by hundreds of local and foreign delegates.
The Plenary Session titled: “The Global Growth Engine: Powering Trade, Investment and Confidence Through Business Events” opened the morning session moderated by International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Regional Director for Asia Pacific, Waikin Wong.
Wong set an optimistic tone for Sabah’s future trajectory, asking participants to envision where the state might stand in five years as a contributor to global trade, investment, and business confidence.
Her perspective was grounded in compelling data: with approximately 240,000 association conferences taking place worldwide annually, Sabah possesses significant untapped potential to capture a larger share of this global market.
Wong particularly emphasized how the state’s renowned natural heritage and established eco-tourism credentials could serve as distinctive assets, lending authenticity to its business events offerings and differentiating it from conventional destinations.
The panel of speakers for the Plenary Session were Datuk Dr M. Gandhi, the Founder & Chairman of Bumiati Holdings Sdn Bhd; Margaret Ma Connolly from Hong Kong SAR, the President and CEO of Informa Markets Asia; Mubarak Hamad Al Shamsi from United Arab Emirates, the Director of Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau (ADCEB) of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi; and CEO Ashwin Gunasekeran of the Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB).
Moderator Wong praised Sabah’s Business Event potential and asked the audience and her panel of speakers to think what the situation in Sabah could be in five years’ time as a BE destination contributing to the global growth engine with trade promotion, attracting investments and boosting business confidence through the forging of business ties.
Business Events play a critical role in driving national growth by enabling cross-border trade, stimulating investment pipelines and building market confidence.
She sees not just the meeting event potential but the opportunities to create value to shape the future for Sabah as a Business Event destination as the database shows there are 240,000 series of association conferences all over globally.
Sabah’s readiness can attract more such Business Events to Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) and beyond.
Wong noted that Sabah is strong in nature tourism and this authenticity can propel it to be a BE powerhouse when associated with its eco-reputation.
The first panel speaker to share his thoughts, Datuk Dr M. Gandhi, is the President Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (MACEOS).
He said: “We at MACEOS are promoting BE as a catalyst for nation building. Sabah has all the ingredients for success with its positioning within East Asean with a population of 70 million.”
Gandhi advocated for a distinctive positioning that leverages Borneo’s sense of mystery and discovery, suggesting that post-conference itineraries could extend to neighboring regions such as Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and Mindanao, thereby creating unique value propositions that competitors cannot easily replicate.
He praised the leadership of its CEO Datuk Hajah Dr Rosmawati Haji Lasuki for hosting this 3rd edition of BE in Sabah 2026, and for what she has consistently achieved for SICC attracting business visitors to boost the tourism statistics.
“Sabah has to find its unique position. Each destination has to find its unique position. The market is very important. For Sabah, after the post-event, say there is a tour to the neighbouring places – Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Mindanao, Southern Philippines. Our customers want to go to new places they have never heard before, and learn something different. That’s where Borneo has got a sense of intrigue. Sabah and Sarawak should take advantage of that, and complement each other.
“Business Event is a different product. Business Event is purpose driven. When you create a Business Event there needs to be a national, regional objective. When you do that, there has to be a long-term vision. This is where collaboration and forging understanding with the government is very important,” he said.
He noted that the Sarawak Premier himself has stressed on the important value of BE events with his top-down hands-on leadership style to get things going with a personal focus. Not only that proactive attention to detailing success, but what is also of paramount importance is the fact that traders and investors desire political stability for any BE destination and market.
“In Sarawak, the Premier himself understands the value of Business Events,” Datuk Dr M. Gandhi enthused.
Gandhi highlighted how political leadership at the highest levels can accelerate business events development, noting that investors and traders fundamentally seek stability and proactive governance.
Panel speaker Margaret Ma Connolly from Hong Kong SAR believes in viewing BE perspective from the lens of customers. Time is of the essence, especially to grow the talent pool for the BE industry to serve the various sectors.
Margaret, president and CEO of Informa Markets Asia, approached the topic from a customer-centric perspective, emphasizing the critical importance of talent development and time management in building sustainable business events industries.
Her organization’s established presence in both Sabah and Sarawak reflects a calculated bet on East Malaysia’s long-term potential. Connolly embraced the competitive nature of Asian markets, arguing that vigorous private-sector rivalry, when conducted on the basis of value rather than price undercutting, ultimately strengthens the entire ecosystem.
“We are already in Sabah, happy to report. We see a lot of potential for us in this region and we are also in Sarawak. East Malaysia is a key market for us, not only for the near term, but for the long term, how to foster investments.
“We need to invest a lot upfront with a long-term strategy for each BE sector. Competition to the extreme is part of our DNA in Asia. We actually do not mind competing fiercely in the private sector with value contributions with no undercutting of price in a healthy playground for everyone.”
