Sabah Tourism expects higher receipts from growing MICE market

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Tourism board has established the Convention Bureau Unit to tap business opportunities from the state’s growing Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) market.

In a statement on Saturday, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said that the unit was created in anticipation of the completion of the world-class Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) next year.

“The convention centre will allow the board to focus on the MICE market, which would earn Sabah more tourism receipts.

“The importance and strength of this new segment of the tourism industry must be built up from now,” he added.

Masidi also announced Gordon Yapp’s appointment as chief executive officer of the Sabah Convention Bureau.

Yapp is a long-serving officer of the board and is retiring as General Manager this month.

He will assist the owner of SICC and work towards securing more business for Sabah.

Meanwhile, Suzaini Sabdin Ghani has been promoted to become general manager, from her current post as the board’s deputy general manager in marketing.

Suzaini has more than 20 years of experience as a senior employee of an international hotel chain, and has spearheaded the transformation of the board’s marketing strategies to become more focused, results-oriented, and with lower marketing expenses.

“For the last two years, we have been working hard to transform the board, striving for excellence by embracing the (private sector’s strong) work ethics and culture.

“Information and Communications Technology is now a vital component of the board’s new marketing strategy. Marketing costs are lower, but the results are much better,” Masidi added.

Source: New Straits Times