Home » Convention Center » An exclusive interview of John Burke, General Manager, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) with Travel And Tour World
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
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John Burke, General Manager of Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) shares with the readers his vision and role of the Centre in promoting Malaysia as a preferred events’ destination in Southeast Asia.
Can you share your vision for the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and how you plan to position it as a leading venue in the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry?
John Burke: The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre’s (“the Centre”) vision is not just about hosting events but about using the power of these events to connect the world through inspiration, innovation, and imagination.
We believe that events, especially business events, are the convergence of great minds, ambitions, and resources, with the potential to leave impact legacies that benefit both delegates and the communities.
The Centre spearheaded the initiative, paving the way for the Kuala Lumpur City Centre Precinct to enhance our leading position as a sustainable venue in a sustainable destination where delegates can meet, dine, stay and play responsibly.
The collective collaboration of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Business Events Alliance (KLCCBEA) involves properties in the precinct that include our hotel and experience partners.
The involvement of the KLCCBEA towards hosting events by international societies and associations spans from the bidding stage to its successful execution.
The KLCC’s latest addition to its technological advancement is SmartConnect@301. How has the implementation enhanced connectivity and convenience for visitors and event organisers at the convention center?
John Burke: The Centre’s commitment to innovation is evident in its latest technological advancement, SmartConnect@301 meeting solution package. This cutting-edge technology has significantly enhanced connectivity and convenience for visitors and event organisers, making their experience more seamless and efficient.
The embodiment of our commitment to enhancing experiences, the SmartConnect@301 solution stands as a testament to our ongoing efforts to remain at the forefront of our industry.
Integrated into the latest phase of our refurbishments, this sophisticated technology is a testament to our dedication to providing competitive and relevant solutions that cater to meeting organisers’ and attendees’ evolving needs.
SmartConnect@301 is designed to meet the needs of organisers seeking a distinctively advanced meeting environment, complete with user-friendly and eco-conscious features.
What does it mean for the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) to be recognized as Malaysia’s first certified healthy venue? How does this certification enhance the experience for event attendees?
John Burke: Achieving the Healthy Venue’s Bronze Level accreditation from the Healthy Venues organisation recognises the Centre’s commitment to integrating wellness into events by prioritising healthier eating, movement, and workplace health.
This milestone further strengthens the Centre’s position as a world-class venue and industry leader on par with global standards.
The certification process requires the Centre to meet stringent requirements set by the Healthy Venues organisation.
These requirements included demonstrating catering practices that support national dietary guidelines, ensuring that at least 25% of menu items on offer are healthy options, providing a choice of low or no-sugar drinks where drinks are served, providing free drinking water on site, promoting active meetings to event planners and implementing a written policy to promote physical activity and healthy eating in the workplace.
This rigorous process ensures that our commitment to wellness and sustainability is not just a claim but a tangible reality.
With the KLCC set to deliver 20 conventions in 2024, share with our readers your strategic planning and operational efforts that have gone into securing these events? How do you anticipate these conventions may impact Kuala Lumpur’s economy?
John Burke: Over the years, the Centre has developed a strong reputation for delivering successful large international conventions. The Centre is a purpose-built venue covering 33,659 sq m of flexible space spanning four levels.
Complementing the meeting spaces are a range of amenities, including VIP suites, hospitality suites, organiser’s office suites, a medical room, and parenting rooms.
In addition, our ongoing refurbishment incorporates future proof technology to cater to the dynamic needs of event organisers and delegates. Besides our expertise, location significantly contributes to attracting these events.
The Centre is in the heart of the city, as part of the KLCC Precinct, overlooking the iconic PETRONAS Twin Towers and a lush 50-acre KLCC Park.
According to the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), Malaysia hosted 1.33 million international delegates over the last decade before the pandemic.
Historically, business events generated an average of RM1.52 billion per annum. Conference delegates spend up to three times more than leisure tourists, and over 60% return to Malaysia as leisure visitors accompanied by their families or friends.
How does the KLCC prioritise and enhance the customer experience for event organisers, exhibitors, and attendees? Can you elaborate on the key initiatives within this program and how they have contributed to environmental conservation?
John Burke: The Centre is committed to providing conducive event environment. As such, it has allocated ongoing investment in refurbishments and new technologies. These are rolled out in phases at both the front and back of the house to minimise servicing blind spots.
Recognising the shift towards interactive and collaborative event formats, we have strategically transitioned from traditional static layouts to more versatile, mix-and-match configurations that are also environmentally- friendly.
An additional benefit of this upgraded furniture is the significant reduction in linens required. Food and beverages is a cornerstone of any successful business event. To address this, we’ve implemented a sustainable buffet system featuring smaller serving dishes.
We have also included low-carbon and healthy menu options as part of our staple culinary offerings to accommodate the varied needs of our delegates, at the same time, assisting our clients and organisers achieve their own sustainable event agenda.
Further enhancing our sustainability efforts, we’ve incorporated an Artificial Intelligence (AI) analysis system to track food consumption patterns during events. Importantly, the insights gleaned from AI analysis enable us to advise clients on optimising their event investment.
We are currently in midst of upgrading our meeting technologies within our various function spaces. Designed with sustainability in mind, the automated meeting room controls contribute to energy conservation aligning with our commitment to reduce carbon emissions.
Can you provide insights into any upcoming projects or expansions at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) that attendees and stakeholders can look forward to in the near future?
John Burke: Future proofing the Centre is an ongoing effort considering client trends, needs, technology, and innovation. The upcoming projects and expansions at the Centre include upgrades to our F&B outlets and advanced digital offerings throughout the venue.
On the back end, we continue to upgrade our team members and our partners with the latest knowledge and skills related to analytics, customer experience, sustainability, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT).
As we look to the future, what are your long-term goals for the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and how do you envision its role evolving within the global MICE industry over the next decade?
John Burke: Our long-term goal is to remain as the market leader in Malaysia, where we continue to lead the industry, and Asia Pacific. In achieving this, we will be focusing on four key areas– legacy impact; technology integration; net zero carbon emissions and diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI).
Technology integration in events will continue to evolve with virtual reality and augmented reality expected to play bigger role in immersive experiences, venues becoming “smarter” by employing Internet-of-Things (IoT) solutions, biometric integration to streamline certain aspects of events such as registration, access control for delegates – these are just several examples as to how the future of events may look like.
Another area that will be a priority for us is achieving net zero carbon emissions. Whilst we have rolled out numerous initiatives to address Scope 1 and Scope 2 factors, we will be looking at tackling Scope 3 criteria to accelerate our progress towards achieving this goal.
Recognising that business events can catalyse positive change and impact, the Centre aims to become the knowledge hub for sustainable events in the region.
We aim to also keep up our close working relationship with MyCEB and local leaders to enhance Malaysia’s destination marketing in exhibitions abroad and bids submitted to international societies and associations.
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