Sarawak, Malaysia, and its tourism minister, took centre stage at the 64th ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) Congress 2025 in Porto, 10 November, reinforcing the state’s position as a global force in legacy-driven business events. Led by The Honourable Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, minister for tourism, creative industry and performing arts, the Sarawak delegation championed the importance of legacy.
This year’s ICCA Congress, themed ‘Uniting the Global Business Events Community’, is spotlighting collaboration as the driving force behind innovation, resilience, and positive change shaping the industry today.
A key highlight of the day was the session ‘Dialogue between Ministers and Industry Leaders: How to Really Work Together’, where Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah made history by being the first minister from Asia to address an ICCA session on government collaboration. He spoke about the Sarawak government deploying business events through a robust partnership between various ministries.
“Long-term thinking is essential to strengthen confidence and align industry needs with national priorities,” said the minister. “We will be signing MoUs with 12 Sarawak ministries in December to reflect the government’s commitment to business events and strengthen the collaboration between the government and the industry. This will be the biggest government-industry partnership in Malaysia’s business events industry.”
Meanwhile, Datu Hii Chang Kee and Amelia Roziman also made an appearance as speakers at ICCA’s Asia Pacific Chapter meeting. When asked about Sarawak’s flawless 100% bid win since 2021, Datu Hii attributed it to the government’s support.
“Besides investing in high-impact and high-value topics, our success stems from the government’s strong commitment to collaboration,” Datu Hii said. “Every bid is backed by a unified effort across ministries, agencies, and industry partners, all aligned under Sarawak’s legacy-driven vision to create long-term benefits for communities, not just host events.”
At the same event, BESarawak received the ICCA Award of Appreciation for Sarawak’s contribution to the strong development of APAC’s industry. “We are truly honoured to be recognised as a regional leader in transformative business events. These platforms have transformed Sarawak from a passive participant in the global market to an active innovator of the future. We are turning local assets of knowledge, culture, and industries into global advantages,” said Roziman.
ICCA CEO Dr Senthil Gopinath applauded Sarawak’s approach as a living example of how government leadership and industry collaboration can drive transformative growth. “The collaboration between the Sarawak government and our industry partners through the convention bureau demonstrates how a shared vision can create measurable outcomes and meaningful impact. ICCA is proud to recognise Sarawak as it continues to grow as a capital of business events.”