From L to R: Joyce Wong, Country Director of Sales and Distribution, Malaysia, Jason Tan Chin Foo, Chief Executive Officer, Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) and Chair, ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter (2026–2028), George Varughese, Market Vice President – Malaysia, Marriott International, Tan Mei Phing, Chief Executive Officer, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), Noredah Othman, Chief Executive Officer, Sabah Convention Bureau; and Zhamir Faris Zulkifli, Director, Field Marketing, Malaysia at the launch of Destination Convention Malaysia. 

(Kuala Lumpur, 9 September 2026) – As business event organisers across Asia-Pacific place greater emphasis on the experiences surrounding an event, Marriott International is working with Malaysia’s convention bureaus to present the country as a connected, multi-destination proposition for regional planners. 

The company has launched Destination Convention Malaysia in collaboration with the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) and Sabah Convention Bureau. The new platform brings together Malaysia’s convention infrastructure, hospitality capabilities and destination experiences, giving organisers a broader view of what the country can offer across different locations and event formats.

Rather than focusing on a single city or venue, the initiative pairs Kuala Lumpur’s international connectivity and established convention infrastructure with the cultural, natural and incentive experiences available across Sarawak, Sabah and other parts of Malaysia. 

The launch comes as destinations across Asia-Pacific compete for a growing pipeline of conventions, corporate meetings and incentive programmes. Organisers are also looking beyond venue capacity and accessibility to consider how destinations can support personalisation, wellness, sustainability, technology and locally relevant delegate experiences. 

For Malaysia, this creates an opportunity to position the variety available within the country as a competitive advantage.

St Regis Marriott Putrajaya 

More Choice Within a Single Market

Destination Convention Malaysia is designed to make it easier for regional organisers to identify locations and experiences suited to different event objectives and delegate profiles.

Malaysia’s offering spans major urban convention centres, resort and leisure destinations, nature-based experiences and locations with distinctive cultural identities. This gives planners the flexibility to host large-scale conventions, corporate meetings, incentive programmes and experience-led events within one national market.

"Regional planners increasingly want destinations that can provide strong infrastructure while also giving delegates a meaningful experience outside the formal programme," said George Varughese, Market Vice President, Malaysia, Marriott International. "Malaysia can offer both. It combines international connectivity and established convention capabilities with an extraordinary variety of cultures, landscapes and experiences. Through Destination Convention Malaysia, we want to make that full proposition more visible and accessible to planners across Asia-Pacific."

The initiative was unveiled during Malaysia Means Business, an industry forum convened by Marriott International at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur. The event brought together leaders from the country’s business events, destination and hospitality sectors to examine how Malaysia could capture a greater share of the regional meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions market.

Competing for Regional Business Events

A panel discussion featuring senior representatives from Marriott International, MyCEB, BESarawak and Sabah Convention Bureau explored how Malaysia could capture a greater share of the Asia-Pacific MICE market.

The discussion examined whether the breadth of Malaysia's offering is fully recognised by regional planners and how the country could build on its connectivity, infrastructure, value and destination diversity to strengthen its position.

Panellists also explored how organiser and delegate expectations are changing. Personalised programmes, wellness, sustainability, technology and experiences connected to the host destination are playing a greater role in event planning, alongside practical considerations such as accessibility, accommodation and venue capacity.

“Malaysia’s strong business events pipeline reflects the confidence organisers have in our capabilities, and our opportunity now is to build even greater awareness of the diversity we can offer across the country,” said Tan Mei Phing, Chief Executive Officer, MyCEB. 

“By bringing destinations together through Destination Convention Malaysia, we can showcase the collective strength of Malaysia’s business events ecosystem and present an even more compelling proposition to regional and international organisers.” 

As of 30 June 2026, MyCEB had secured 416 events scheduled to take place between 2026 and 2030, with an estimated economic impact of RM3.98 billion.

Connecting Venues with Destination Experiences

Marriott International currently operates 65 hotels across Malaysia, giving regional planners access to accommodation and event facilities across key business and leisure destinations. Its portfolio provides access to major convention and event facilities including Marriott Putrajaya International Convention Centre, Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel & Convention Centre, Courtyard by Marriott Kuala Lumpur South, Desaru Coast Conference Centre and Langkawi International Convention Centre.

Putraja - Malaysia's Administrative Capital

Across the portfolio, organisers can combine accommodation and event facilities with dining, wellness activities, local excursions and other destination experiences. This allows programmes to extend beyond the meeting room and gives planners greater flexibility to design events around their delegates’ interests.

Through Destination Convention Malaysia, Marriott International, MyCEB, BESarawak and Sabah Convention Bureau aim to give regional organisers a more connected view of these possibilities, and demonstrate how Malaysia can support varied event formats and experiences within a single country.

For more information on Marriott Bonvoy’s convention centres and business events facilities across Malaysia, please visit Marriott Bonvoy Malaysia – Convention Centres.

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