PCMA-ICESAP Knowledge Exchange Lands in Kuala Lumpur

August 14, 2018

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) recently hosted the PCMA-ICESAP Knowledge Exchange Kuala Lumpur.

The engaging educational programme was short and punchy, and brought together over 30 leading business events industry players, stakeholders and decision-makers to share knowledge and experience on how they are recalibrating their businesses in response to constant digital, political and economic change.

PCMA-ICESAP Regional Business Director-APAC, Antonio Codinach, said, “This was our first knowledge exchange event in Malaysia, which made us all pioneers! Being relatively new to the industry, I have noticed we are very good at talking amongst ourselves, so I am making it my mission to ‘open up’ the business events industry, which was one of the purposes of this session.”

He added, “Our industry (business events) makes a tremendous contribution to key educational and economic sectors, and this event provided us with a platform to debate, interact and share ideas on how we can evolve together and drive this important industry forward.”

Under the overarching theme ‘Evolving Your Business Model For Changing Times’, keynote speaker, CEO Co-Founder of SigMax-e Services and co-author of ‘9 Entrepreneurisms’, Srikrishna Vadrevu, posed two questions to participants, “What is changing? What is not?”

The general consensus is that, “Basically, everything is changing, but one thing that remains constant is that the customer is king and that a good way to navigate the changing landscape is to run your business with an ‘entrepreneurial attitude’ and not assume you know what consumers want.

Definitions are breaking down and people don’t care about categorisation. They want you to deliver the objective they have in mind by any means necessary.” He went on to describe the key entrepreneurship principles, such as passion, innovation, opportunism and learning, which can help drive businesses forward.

The keynote was followed by an interactive industry panel discussing and debating ideas on topics such as, education, talent development and the new age workforce, the importance of accreditation and the opening up the business events industry. Driving the panel discussion were the Centre’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Angeline van den Broecke; CEO of AOS Conventions & Events, Amos Wong and Srikrishna.

Angeline shared some key take outs relevant to the local context which included the need to go through an ‘unlearning’ process and change the language and terminologies used to help propel the industry forward.

Agreeing with Angeline, Srikrishna stated, “Unlearning is just as important as learning.”

Angeline continued, “It would be very beneficial to also connect more closely with the customer journey and experiential delivery. Ultimately we need to create a movement and engage more with those outside our industry sector to drive knowledge transfer and grow business opportunities.”

“It is critical that we can collectively and consistently demonstrate how business events drive expertise, business opportunities and knowledge exchange. The economic benefits of hosting important meetings and events can only multiply once the investment is made. This in turn, will elevate the country’s competitive advantage,” she added.

Antonio concluded, “We are extremely happy with the outcome, a lot of great ideas were shared for all to consider. PCMA is also grateful to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre for their support and hospitality in making this event such a success. This is the first of many events for PCMA in Kuala Lumpur and we look forward to more debates, knowledge exchanges, and insightful discussions in the future.”

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? 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As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. 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Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.