CIDB postpones International Construction Week in light of Covid-19

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KUCHING: The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) will postpone the International Construction Week (ICW) scheduled for June 23 to 25 to next year in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

CIDB Malaysia chief executive Datuk Ahmad Asri Abdul Hamid said their top priority was the health and safety of the invited speakers, participants and visitors.

“Upon careful consultation and consideration with our co-organiser and key stakeholders as well as studying and evaluating the announcements and guidelines on Covid-19, we have made the decision to postpone ICW2020.

“We believe that this is a necessary move in order to curb transmission of the virus, ‘flatten the curve’, and to protect the community at large,” he said in a press statement today.

Ahmad Asri said ICW’s event components organised by CIDB such as the International Construction Transformation Conference and all other seminars and training would also be cancelled for this year.

He added that all paid participants would receive a full refund.

Should the situation improve, he said CIDB looked forward to a gathering of all construction industry players and stakeholders again for next year’s edition of ICW scheduled for June 15 to 17, 2021 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur.

He believed that the ICW 2020 theme ‘Embracing Construction Revolution’ had become even more relevant in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on world economies.

“It is now more urgent than ever for the construction industry to embrace new technologies and paradigms to ensure it maximises efficiency and resilience.

“The unprecedented challenges we are facing now make it clear that the global economy including the construction industry needs to embrace change. The construction industry needs to quickly pivot to become more efficient, productive and resilient,” added Ahmad Asri.

He said CIDB appreciated the strong support received for ICW over the last two decades and more.

“We are confident that when ICW reconvenes in 2021, it will continue to provide industry players with numerous opportunities to access technologies and ideas that will help enhance the quality and productivity of the construction industry.

“Our teams are contacting all parties involved with ICW directly with further details and information about the cancellation and steps moving forward,” he concluded.