(From left) Ling, Tan, Wong, Chow, Dong-Hwan, Jae Yul and Ashwin at the signing ceremony. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
To boost meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry in Penang, the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) set to open in October, will be operated by Korea International Exhibition Centre (KINTEX).
Touted to be Penang’s largest convention facility with 340,000sq ft of gross floor area, the centre’s event calendar is rapidly filling up, said its developer IJM Land chief executive officer Datuk Tony Ling.
“Among confirmed events include the 7th Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development, Malaysia International Tech Edu, K-Brand Week featuring K-Beauty Expo Malaysia, and Water Tech Asia.
“These events are expected to draw between 20,000 and 30,000 delegates from October to December,” he said during a signing ceremony at PWCC.
The event saw the inking of the operation service agreement between IJM Perennial and KINTEX.
A memorandum of understanding between KINTEX and the Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) was also signed.
At the ceremony were Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and South Korea’s Goyang city mayor Lee Dong-Hwan.
Also present were Perennial Holdings Private Limited Singapore and Regional (excluding China) chief operating officer Dawn Tan who is also IJM perennial development director.
Alongside her were KINTEX CEO Lee Jae Yul and PCEB CEO Ashwin Gunasekeran.
With the agreements signed, KINTEX subsidiary KinMalaysia Management Sdn Bhd (KINTEX Malaysia) was appointed as the operator of PWCC.
Chow said the partnerships were a leap forward for the MICE industry.
“With this, we are not just signing documents but gearing up for bigger conventions, smarter collaborations and more international exposure for Penang.
“Last year, Penang hosted over 2,000 business events, brought in more than 300,000 delegates, and generated an estimated RM1.29bil in economic impact.
“The excitement continues to build with the opening of PWCC,” he said.
Also present were Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai, and Seri Delima assemblyman Connie Tan.
When completed, PWCC will feature an exhibition hall with 76,000sq ft in net lettable area, with a seating capacity of 5,500 people (banquet) and 8,000 (theatre).
It includes meeting rooms, VIP rooms, ease of access to retail and food-and-beverage outlets, car parking bays, and immediate guest access to the hotel.
