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Friday July 3, 2009

New centre to tap the MICE market


KUCHING: Sarawak is set to tap the lucrative meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) market with its soon-to-be opened Borneo Convention Centre.

The specially built centre, which cost RM200mil, is almost ready to begin business.

The centre will host its first event from Aug 9 to 15 – the 2009 Executive Masterclass – followed by a charity concert on Sept 20.

State Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Michael Manyin, who visited the centre yesterday, said the MICE market had the potential to generate “big money” for the tourism industry.

He said those attending MICE events were mostly company executives and businessmen who would spend more than ordinary tourists.

Manyin said although the state’s initial investment in building the convention centre was huge, he was confident that it would reap good returns in the long run.

“The state’s tourism revenue last year was about RM4.3bil. If we can successfully tap the MICE market, we can do much better,” he told reporters.

Also present during the visit were state Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Larry Sng, Borneo Convention Centre Kuching chairman Datuk Raziah Mahmud and its executive director Dr Mohamadon Abdullah.

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