The Asean Tourism Forum 2014 was also held in BCCK, which saw delegates from all tourism industry sectors of the 10 member nation of Asean convening in the centre to hold talks and forums on how to improve the region’s tourism industry.
KUCHING: Look no further than the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) as the designated venue for your events as the centre boasts world-class facilities and a highly trained team to support events of all types.
BCCK is the first purpose-built convention centre in East Malaysia, to boost the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) business for the state of Sarawak.
Since its inception in 2010, BCCK has put Sarawak on the business events map, having won bids and hosted various major events of international standing. As a MICE venue, it provides local event organisers a greater presence in Kuching through their use of BCCK’s ample flexible, functional meeting spaces, giving their events an edge due to the size of the convention centre.
BCCK’s core business offering of its meeting spaces and event planning expertise is complemented by its culinary offering, which BCCK is equally committed to provide to its clients.
BCCK’s chief executive officer(CEO), Eric van Piggelen, stresses that the centre’s culinary services is an integral part of BCCK’s overall offerings.
Van Piggelen said, “We’re not only committed to giving our clients value for money, exceptional service, and top-notched food, but also assure them of our high service standards which have been audited against and accredited for ISO 9001 Quality Management System, ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System and HACCP accreditations. We are also halal-certified.”
BCCK strives for these accreditation as it is committed to making the centre a preferred venue which can compete on both local and international levels.
While high standards may equate to high prices, BCCK assures that it is constantly looking to find the right mix between great food and the right price.
BCCK’s culinary production team offers a wide variety of menu options for international, Malay and Chinese cuisines, all prepared and carefully planned within any given budget.
BCCK also operates the Raintree Restaurant on its premises and the Raintree Café at Plaza Merdeka in downtown Kuching.
BCCK director of sales and marketing, Premala Danapakiam, explained that the Raintree Restaurant focuses on fine dining and high quality experience whereas the Raintree Cafe offers great value meals.
She also highlighted that BCCK offers outdoor catering services for events such as weddings, birthday parties, personal events, corporate events, and many more.
For its upcoming culinary event, BCCK is bringing back its popular annual Ramadhan Buffet from July 1 to 25.
Meanwhile, 2014 is set to be a very active year for BCCK and Kuching as a whole, as the convention centre has a wide line-up of exciting activities and events planned to entice the business and tourism activities in the city.
Van Piggelen revealed that BCCK has successfully clinched 16 international conferences for 2014 which includes Asia TEFL 2014, Soroptimist International South West (SISWP) Conference of Clubs 2014 and many more.
While for 2015, van Piggelen said that three are already on the books and for 2016, another three international conferences are expected to be held at the convention centre.
BCCK anticipates 2016 to be a very exciting year for Malaysia and Sarawak as the convention centre had successfully won the bid to host the 55th International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Annual Congress.
BCCK, which is also a member of ICCA, will see venue providers such as KLCC, PICC, BCCK, Genting Group, and other business event industry professionals convene during this 2016 annual congress for education sessions, regional chapter meetings and business exchange opportunities, Danapakiam explained.
This, Van Piggelen pointed out, would benefit the local industries greatly as the Annual Congress will be bringing in delegates from all over the world.
“All the hotels, restaurants, and industry players are going to gain economically from the events that will take place as part of the ICCA 2016 Annual Congress,” he said.
The CEO added, “The events held here, supports a lot of other players. That’s why we’re partnering more and more with the Sarawak Tourism Federation members to get better packages because at the end of the day, they will benefit from it as we’re not a standalone unit.”
On top of international businesses, BCCK is also focusing on local industries and corporate organisations with special event and conference packages to complement their business needs. The conference centre offers flexible facilities which can accommodate an intimate meeting for two persons up to a convention for 5,000 people.
With more than 3,740 square metres of flexible function space, BCCK’s facility spans across the building and is designed as a series of modules that can be combined or divided to suit the needs of any event.
BCCK also offers special wedding packages for those interested in using the convention centre as their venue to tie the knot. Its halal certification makes it an ideal venue for all types of weddings and guests of all races.
The current development boom on The Isthmus where BCCK is sited on, is a bonus to the centre and future conference visitors. A new hotel is in the offing along with new commercial centres currently being constructed. Future visitors to the convention centre will have access to public amenities without having to travel to the heart of Kuching.
Danapakiam points out that The Isthmus – deemed the ‘hub of the city’ – is located at the meeting point between the southern (MBKS) and northern (DBKU) parts of Kuching city, providing residents of both areas shorter commutes to and from Kuching city.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) occupies an important place on BCCK’s spectrum of activities. Danapakiam said the convention centre has drawn up its CSR calendar for this year.
“We will be working with charitable organisations such as the Salvation Army, Cheshire Home and the Laila Taib orphanage.”
“We’re also exploring the idea of blood donation drives and many other activities,” she said.
The centre is also committed to being ‘green’ as its staff has been given monthly key performance indicators to perform environmentally-friendly activities.
BCCK was first opened 2010 and has since, seen a myriad of international, national and local conferences and events held at the centre.
For more information, call 082-392888. Alternatively, BCCK is present on various social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Interested parties can also visit www.bcck.com.my.