WHERE TO
Stay
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur
This 643-room luxury hotel is only a 10-minute walk from the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, offering views of the Petronas Twin Towers and the lush Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park, and plenty of function space.
Play
Bayan Indah Cooking Classes
Groups of up to 20 should take advantage of the home cooking classes at this culinary retreat just 30 minutes outside of Kuala Lumpur’s city center. Here, students learn how to make Malaysian favorites under the instruction of owner and chef Rohani Jelani. Bayan Indah is also available to host meetings groups and events.
Eat
Local Eats
Kuala Lumpur’s most authentic eats are found at the roadside restaurants and food stalls along Jin Alor, Chinatown, or Kampung Baru, where you can feast on classic Malay dishes like char kway teow (pictured), barbecued stingray, and more. KL native and singer Amy Yeoh-Tan says the beef ball noodles at Restoran Soong Kee are a must.
When it comes to hosting major conferences on a
global scale, Malaysia has made its mark. Last year, it hosted
two major international events - the 25th World Gas Conference
in June, and the 43rd Union World Conference on Lung Health in
November - in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Major events
like these are proof that Malaysia is an ideal MICE
destination, says Ho Yoke Ping, general manager of sales and
marketing, business events, for the Malaysia Convention and
Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB). "With its fantastic value-for-money
proposition, unique blend of culture, new developments and
investment in meeting facilities, unique off-site venues, and
natural landscapes, Malaysia has the winning formula to make
your event a success," Ho says.
Last year's Union World Conference on Lung Health, says Ho, is
a prime example. The annual meeting, organized by The Union
Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, is the largest gathering
of its kind, with more than 2,600 delegates from more than 122
countries convening at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
"Malaysia provides a compelling setting for the conference that
brings together views from around the world to call for action
against lung disease," says Dr. Nils E. Billo, executive
director of the union. He adds, "We would love to come back
here."
Ho says that MyCEB will pursue more medical meetings going
forward. "Medical meetings top the list of business events in
Malaysia," she says. Other industries of interest include
energy, information technology and electronics, financial
services, and environmental sciences.
Ho is also quick to point to the ease of doing international
business in Malaysia. "Organizing events in Malaysia is easy,"
she says. "Malaysians are fluent in English as well as being
multilingual. There's easy visa access, and the location of the
country itself is strategic - right in the middle between China
and India - making it a gateway to the rest of Asia."
The MyCEB also provides qualifying organizations with financial
and non-financial support services as part of its Business
Events Programme.