Malaysia to have largest MICE venue in South-East Asia

A model of new Malaysia Exposition and Convention (myexpo) to be built during the ground breaking ceremony in Putrajaya. MOHD SAHAR MISNI/The Star

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will house South-East Asia’s largest meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) venue following the combination of the Malaysia Exposition and Convention Centre (MyExpo) and existing Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) by 2021.

When officiating the groundbreaking ceremony of MyExpo at Precint 5 in the nation’s administrative capital on Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the convention centre with  a total gross floor area of 1.5 million sq ft would be the largest exhibition centre in Malaysia on completion in 2020.

MyExpo, which features unique design and can accommodate 60,000 people at a time, had projected a total annual revenue of RM500mil, he said. 

“As such, when MyExpo opens its doors in 2021, it will not only contribute to a rise in the number of visitors to our country but also create more jobs and strengthen Malaysia’s economic growth.

“This will help make Putrajaya a city that truly caters for both business and leisure, not only for local residents but also as the host to other nationals who are expected to live and work here,” he said.

MyExpo is the first phase development of the MyExpo City at the Diplomatic and Integrated Mixed Development enclave.  The new site of MyExpo City is located adjacent to PICC and the project is expected to complement and bring a new breath to PICC that caters mainly to conference, congress and convention since 2013.

Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said MyExpo City, which covers four million sq ft, would include parks and four- and five-star hotels.

He said the MICE sector was a rapidly growing part of the global tourism industry. Malaysia’s MICE industry attracted 111,298 delegates to 153 events and generated RM1.035bil in revenue last year.

By 2020, business tourism was forecast to contribute RM3.9bil to gross national income and generate 16,700 jobs, he said.  - Bernama