Business Events Sarawak

What Business Events Sarawak does

Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) is the official destination marketing and convention bureau of Sarawak, Malaysia, operated by the Sarawak Convention Bureau under the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak. Established as a non-profit in 2006 (with annual reporting available from 2019), the organisation supports international, regional, and domestic business event planning across Sarawak's three core business events cities — Kuching, Sibu, and Miri — plus Bintulu. Its core offering is a free, impartial suite of bidding services: convention and exhibition bid preparation, financial support through the Sarawak Business Events Fund, delegate boosting and marketing, venue and vendor matching via the BEPartner Directory, and corporate meeting and incentive support. The platform is augmented by a portfolio of branded programmes including BESLegacy (legacy impact framework), LEGACY360, AI.LEGACY, BESustainability (UN SDG-aligned), BILA Awards, BESPartner, and the BESA government alliance.

BESarawak serves professional conference organisers (PCOs), professional exhibition organisers (PEOs), destination management companies (DMCs), international associations, corporate meeting and incentive planners, and Sarawak government ministries seeking to align events with the state's PCDS 2030 development strategy. Customer acquisition runs through direct sales outreach, international industry association membership (ICCA, UIA, PCMA, UFI, MyCEB, MACEOS), participation in trade shows (IMEX Frankfurt), and familiarity trips. The organisation is ISO 9001:2015 certified and holds MTCS cloud security certification.

The business model is government-funded rather than commercial: BESarawak does not charge planners for its core services, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. Approximately 11-50 staff are based at its Kuching headquarters at Level 3, Plaza Aurora, under a board comprising senior state government officials and private-sector representatives. Track record includes hosting international congresses ranging from 420 to over 4,000 delegates, anchored by infrastructure such as the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (5,000-pax plenary capacity) and an inventory exceeding 9,600 hotel rooms across Kuching and Miri combined.

Name

Business Events Sarawak

Legal name

Sarawak Convention Bureau

Website

https://businesseventssarawak.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Business Events Sarawak is the official state convention bureau of Sarawak, Malaysia, providing free bidding, funding, delegate, and venue services to international associations, PCOs, and corporate event planners across Kuching, Sibu, and Miri.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convention and Exhibition Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibitions, Trade Shows & Booth Management (HSACADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industry-Specific B2B Trade Show Organizers (THAHABAB), Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF)

Keywords

• Convention bureau services
• Destination marketing organization
• Business event planning
• Meeting facilitation services
• Legacy impact programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Kuching

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a non-profit organisation established by the Sarawak Government under the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, BESarawak operates on government funding. They provide services that are impartial and free to meeting planners and event organisers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) is a non-profit destination marketing and convention bureau operated by the Sarawak Convention Bureau under the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts. It provides free, impartial services to meeting planners covering convention bidding support, financial assistance, delegate boosting and marketing, venue and vendor selection, and business events development across Kuching, Sibu, and Miri. Its offering is augmented by legacy impact, sustainability, and industry partnership programmes.

Product overview

Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), operated by the Sarawak Convention Bureau under the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, is a non-profit destination marketing and facilitation organization — not a single software product but a portfolio of interconnected services and programmes for securing and managing business events in Sarawak. The core offering is the BESarawak platform and its suite of services including convention bidding, financial support, delegate boosting, venue and vendor connections, and business events development across Kuching, Sibu, and Miri. This core is augmented by complementary modules: the BEPartner Directory for supplier discovery, the BESPartner Programme and BESA alliance for industry and government collaboration, the BESLegacy Initiative and LEGACY360 for measuring and maximizing long-term event impact, BILA Awards for sector recognition, AI.LEGACY for sustainable events standards, and the BESustainability programme aligned with UN SDGs. The Tribe Legacy Sarawak Campaign unifies these initiatives under a shared identity. All offerings are free and impartial to planners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEGACY360: An event focused on making a lasting positive impact on business events and other industries, bringing together leaders, government officials, and experts to discuss sustainability in society, environment, and economy.
• BILA Awards (Borneo Inspires Legacy Awards)
• BESLegacy Initiative
• BESustainability
• BESPartner (Business Events Sarawak Partner Programme)
• BESA (Business Events Sarawak Alliance)

Products and services

• Convention Bidding Support Services Specialist bidding services for convention and exhibition organisers, providing end-to-end support from initial bid preparation through government endorsement and submission, designed for PCOs, PEOs, EMCs, DMCs, and associations competing for international events in Sarawak.
• Financial Support for Business Events Government-backed financial support for qualifying business events hosted in Sarawak, administered through the Sarawak Business Events Fund Committee to help organisers offset costs of hosting conventions, exhibitions, and incentive events.
• Delegate Boosting and Marketing Marketing and promotional support to help event organisers drive delegate registration and attendance for conventions, exhibitions, and incentive events hosted in Sarawak.
• BEPartner Directory An online directory enabling meeting planners to discover and connect with venues, event managers, destination management companies, professional conference organisers, and other suppliers across Sarawak's business events ecosystem.
• BESLegacy Initiative A structured Legacy Impact programme that helps event organisers measure and maximise the long-term positive benefits of business events across social, economic, and environmental dimensions, aligned with Sarawak's Post-COVID Development Strategy 2030.
• AI.LEGACY A sustainability and legacy impact tool integrated into BESarawak's offerings, designed to elevate sustainable events standards and measure the long-term social, economic, and environmental impact of business events.
• BESustainability Programme A sustainability programme aligning business events with UN Sustainable Development Goals and net-zero carbon commitments, providing guidance and a sustainability starter kit for event organisers.
• BESA (Business Events Sarawak Alliance) An exclusive alliance for Sarawak government ministries and agencies to influence the state's social and economic transformation through business events, offering PR opportunities, networking, and access to BESarawak's global media network.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• GDSI Partnership Programme – Sarawak RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2021World-first initiative for Malaysia to drive sustainable business events. Launched with 30 committee members from local government ministries, agencies, academia, associations, and industry partners to champion Sarawak's sustainable future through data consolidation, stakeholder engagement, and communication.
• Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent ministry under which BESarawak operates. Provides government backing, endorsement, and strategic direction for business events development in Sarawak.
• Sarawak Tourism Board (STB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial tourism board of Sarawak, working together to promote Sarawak as a business and leisure destination with the 'Visit Sarawak Campaign'.
• Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation representing tourism stakeholders in Sarawak, providing industry connections and support for business events.
• Tourism MalaysiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational tourism organisation supporting the promotion of Malaysia and its states, including Sarawak, as international destinations.
• Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational convention and exhibition bureau supporting Malaysia's business events industry, working with state bureaus like BESarawak.
• Malaysia Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational industry association representing PCOs, PEOs, EMCs, DMCs, and suppliers in Malaysia's business events industry.
• International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal association for the international meetings industry, providing market intelligence, networking, and education for convention bureaus and meeting planners worldwide.
• Union of International Associations (UIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent information clearinghouse for international organisations, providing databases and resources for association meetings and events.
• Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal organisation dedicated to promoting the power of business events through education, research, and networking for meeting professionals.
• UFI — The Global Association of the Exhibition IndustrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal association representing exhibition organisers, venues, and service partners, providing industry standards, research, and professional development.
• Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood DevelopmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBESA member - government ministry engaged in driving social transformation through business events.
• Ministry of Modernization of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development (MANRED)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBESA member - government ministry focused on agricultural development through business events.
• Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBESA member - government authority executing administrative functions and supporting digital transformation through business events.
• Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence (SCOPE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBESA member - performance excellence organisation supporting government transformation initiatives.
• Hybrid City AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational alliance of 24 like-minded destinations from 16 countries providing solutions for hybrid and multi-hub events. Sarawak joined to offer organisers a solution when organising multiple city hub events, streamlining interactions with multiple cities and suppliers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA): Global association for the meetings industry providing market intelligence, networking, and education for convention bureaus and meeting professionals. Comparable as a strategic partner and benchmark, though organized as a member association rather than a destination bureau.
• Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA): Global organization for convention and exhibition professionals offering education, research, and networking. Functions as industry partner and reference network for BESarawak, with strong overlap in serving meeting planner and association buyer communities.
• Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF): Federation representing tourism stakeholders in Sarawak providing industry connections and support for the broader visitor economy that BESarawak operates within. Strategic partner with overlapping government links and destination marketing scope.
• Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK): Sarawak's flagship ISO-standard convention venue (15,200 sqm, 5,000 capacity). Functions as BESarawak's principal venue partner for delivering the large-scale international congresses that anchor BESarawak's bid wins and service proposition.

Direct peers

• Korea MICE Bureau (K-MICE): Government-affiliated bureau under the Korea Tourism Organization promoting Korea for MICE with bid support, financial incentives, and FAM trips. Closely mirrors BESarawak's free-bid-service model and convention bureau structure.
• Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB): National convention and exhibition bureau of Malaysia under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Directly comparable as a government-backed destination marketing organization promoting Malaysia for MICE, with overlapping mandate and active partnership with BESarawak as the state-level bureau.
• Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB): Government-established bureau promoting Thailand as a MICE destination across conventions, exhibitions, and corporate incentives. Comparable in structure, mandate, free service model, and target customer base (international association and corporate planners).

Broad incumbents

• Singapore Tourism Board (Conferences & Exhibitions): National tourism board with a MICE promotion arm and significant government backing (STB/SACEOS). Competes for the same international association rotation cycles in Southeast Asia, though at a higher tier with a more developed convention infrastructure.
• Hong Kong Tourism Board (Meetings & Exhibitions): Government-funded tourism promotion organization with a dedicated MICE division. Competes for Asian-headquartered international association congresses using bid incentives and free services similar to BESarawak's model.

Regional players

• Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau: City-level convention and visitor bureau promoting Tokyo as a MICE destination with government backing and event support services. Comparable city/state-level mandate and free service model, although serving a far larger established destination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BESarawak
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChSkjz5r44pBoA1GmH_bXRQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/businesseventssarawak
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/besarawak
• Instagraminstagram.com/besarawak

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Business Events Sarawak