BEAP prepares Sibu industry to tap growing business event opportunities

A group photo of graduating participants of the Sarawak Business Events Accelerator Programme in Sibu.

SIBU, 21 August 2026: Sarawak is expanding its pool of skilled business events professionals, with 26 participants graduating from the Sarawak Business Events Accelerator Programme (BEAP) as its 2026 two-city rollout concluded in Sibu.

Together with 29 graduates from Miri in July, BEAP has now equipped 55 industry professionals with the skills to participate more actively in Sarawak’s growing business events economy. Co-developed by Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), the Miri Business Events Committee and Sibu Business Events Committee, in collaboration with the Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) Sarawak Chapter, the programme brings industry development directly to Sarawak’s business events cities.

Participants gained practical knowledge across the full event lifecycle, from developing commercially viable concepts and financial planning to operations and post-event evaluation. BEAP’s focus was on the practical use of artificial intelligence to improve productivity, creativity and decision-making in business events planning and delivery.

Chief Executive Officer of BESarawak, Jason Tan, said that continuous learning is essential in today’s evolving business events industry. “It’s no longer enough to know how to organise and deliver an event. Industry professionals need to understand the business behind it, from developing commercially viable concepts and managing resources to adopting new technologies and responding to evolving organiser and delegate expectations.

“Sibu is one of the preferred convention destinations in Sarawak, so the demand and business opportunities are there. The next step is to strengthen the local expertise, services and solutions around that demand, enabling Sibu’s industry to take on a greater share of the role, develop new business opportunities and capture more of the value generated by business events.”

BEAP also supports MACEOS’ national commitment to strengthening professional standards and developing industry talent across Malaysia. Lim Win Nee, Vice President of MACEOS Education, said “Malaysia’s competitiveness as a business events destination is strengthened when industry capabilities grow across all our destinations. Every market has a role to play, and in destinations such as Sibu, a strong and capable local industry can make a meaningful difference to the quality of events, the opportunities for local businesses and the overall destination experience.

“By making professional development more accessible, we can strengthen expertise where it is needed, raise standards across the country and build a more connected and future-ready Malaysian business events industry.”

The completion of BEAP’s first two-city rollout marks another step in BESarawak’s broader efforts to develop the people and businesses behind the business events industry, allowing greater contributions towards Sarawak’s growth.