KL steps up in class

The 'Malaysia Truly Asia' marketing campaign has had true global success in recent years. The branding of Malaysia as a vibrant, tolerant state with plenty to offer by way of outdoor activities as well as city highlights has brought it increased CEI business from around the region. One of the main beneficiaries has been its capital, Kuala Lumpur, which has gone from strength to strength over the past five years. KL, as the city is affectionately known, is one hot destination that is only going to get hotter over the next decade. "Kuala Lumpur is the best-kept secret in Asia," says Jane Rai, director of product development in Kuala Lumpur for Pacific World Destination East, a large regional destination management company. "Good roads, reliable public transport, world-class dining and the region's best value for five-star hotel rooms are all highlights of the city." KL's hotel rooms are certainly a regional talking point. Huge room sizes, recent refurbishments and an average room rate of less than US$80 for five-star quality means that an incentive or meeting in the city stays in the mind of a delegate for a long time. However, all of these attributes would be nothing without Malaysia's best attribute - its people. KL is a sea of smiles and genuine intentions that will warm even the most cynical visitor. Growth plans Currently the city is formulating its next strategy to move forward in the CEI market. "Malaysia realised some time ago that it needed to be 'bigger' if it wanted to attract bigger business," says Dato' Kee Phaik Cheen, deputy chairwoman of the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. "It is true our competitors are currently ahead of us, notably Thailand and Singapore. However, Singapore is heavily dependent on both Malaysia and Indonesia for its pre and post-tours. "Malaysia's aim is to be seen as a singular destination that clients can be happy with staying in for pre or post-convention tours. We have plenty to offer by way of dynamic urban environments as well as ecotours and outdoor activities. "We are confident we will have the competitive edge in the region in the near future. Malaysia is politically stable, peaceful, safe and harmonious — big factors in choosing a CEI destination today. We are also ideal in terms of infrastructure and value for money." Kee was also appointed deputy chairwoman of Pempena, the investment arm of Tourism Malaysia, in January 2005. She is also deputy chairwoman of the Malaysian Tourist Board. "Tourism Malaysia's CEI division is slightly constrained in its present form," says Kee. "A proposal is currently sitting with the tourism minister, Dato Michael Toyad, which will hopefully see the Malaysian Convention and Exhibition Bureau formed as an independent body under the board. This will be a limited company, governed by rules and regulations, which will be very good for attracting future CEI business. "We want to get the best out of a 'public-pri-vate' partnership to enhance Malaysia's CEI industry." Kee says. Shared facilities The Le Méridien Hotel is just over 12 months old and was built as part of the same block as the Hilton. It offers 1,340 sqm of conferencing and banqueting space alongside its 396 guest rooms and 26 suites. Both Le Méridien and Hilton have the unique selling point of being located directly above KL Sentral, which is the modern train station that links with KL's international airport. The journey takes just 28 minutes. By contrast, a peak-hour taxi could take more than an hour, depending on which part of town your hotel is in. By using the train service, delegates can be off the plane, through immigration and in their hotel room within an hour. The two venues also allow cross-charging between their F&B outlets — Le Méridien has four, Hilton has 10. This access to variety gives delegates the option of far more dining freedom without having to leave the premises. Conference facilities are also shared, allowing for groups of up to 930 to be accommodated, seated, fed and entertained, all between the two joined venues. "Kuala Lumpur is becoming a serious Asian favourite due to its safety and value for money," says Nils-Arne Schroeder, the hotel's director of business development. "This property will become Hilton's flagship property in Asia." The Hilton offers 510 guest rooms, including 32 suites. The 1,220 sqm pillarless ballroom can hold 1,500 for cocktail receptions and 1,200 for banquets. Downtown setting Fifteen minutes away by taxi lies the centre of KL, which is the area around the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Nearby hotels include the Concorde, Shangri-La, Crowne Plaza and Mandarin Oriental. The four-star Concorde Hotel offers 570 guest rooms and a ballroom that can be divided into four smaller events halls. It is planning to undergo a major renovation later in 2006. Its meeting rooms are located on the first floor and are easily accessible from the street. The Mandarin Oriental is situated next door to the KL Convention Centre, offering delegates convenient access via undercover walkway to the convention centre, as well as KL's most exciting Club Level accommodation. The view looks out over the convention centre and adjoining KLCC park through floor to ceiling windows and will stay in your memory long after you have left KL. The hotel's ballroom is the largest in town outside of the convention centre and can hold 2,400 theatre style. The hotel's size is also key to delegates enjoying their time there. "If you go with a group of 150 to 200 in a small hotel you dominate it," says Jonas Schuermann, the MO's general manager. "However, in a bigger property such as this your delegates will feel less isolated — you're among the general crowd." The Crowne Plaza offers 565 guest rooms and is only a five-minute walk from the convention centre and Petronas Twin Towers. A monorail station at the entrance of the hotel ensures quick access to other parts of KL. There is also a total of 2,630 sqm of meetings space across nine meeting rooms. Golden triangle The Golden Triangle is the other main area of KL and is home to exceptional shopping and dining. Two of the key properties here are the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott, which also have a sharing agreement with their meetings space. The Marriott offers 561 rooms and 22 meetings rooms. It also has a further 27 meeting rooms within the Carlton Conference Centre, which are shared with the adjoining Ritz-Carlton, which it is joined to via underground walkways. The Marriott's other key highlight is its excellent pool area and adjoining café, which can cater to groups of up to 300 people. The 248-room Ritz-Carlton is one of the city's smaller five-star properties. However, next door it also has Residences at the Ritz- Carlton, which are 110 luxury serviced apartments. These two and three-bedroom apartments are ideal for longer-stay meetings and incentive groups, with many of the same services on offer as are found in the hotel. Future projects Accor Hotels and Resorts is set to open a four- Star Novotel in Kuala Lumpur in June. Called the Novotel Hydro Majestic Kuala Lumpur, it is situated in the city centre across the road from the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The 26-storey property will have 286 guest rooms and is located close to the 'Golden Tri angle' and the KL Monorail at Rajan Chulan station, which connects with the KLIA Ekspres — the train to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), which is a short walk from the hotel. Successful start Since its opening in mid-2005, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre has already demonstrated its strength in the regional meetings and convention market. "The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is part of the city's future vision," says Jennifer Salsbury, the centre's director of sales and marketing. "We are the next generation of convention centre in the region." The facility's gross built-up area is 120,000 sqm on a 7.3-acre site. Another highlight is its 51 full-time chefs, which means that groups of all sizes can be catered to. Salsbury says that 6,000 plates can be served in one sitting. The convention centre has been designed around a 50-acre park in the city centre. The land was formerly a local horse-racing track — imagine Hong Kong's Happy Valley being converted for similar purposes — and buildings are slowly being erected around the park's perimeter, albeit in a carefully planned and aesthetically pleasing way. The park also contains a 1.3-kilometre marked jogging track, making it appealing for foreign delegates staying at any of the nearby properties as well as with the city's locals. Facilities include four exhibition halls totalling 9,710 sqm in column-free space; a 2,380-capacity grand ballroom; a conference hall that can hold 1,800 theatre style; a banquet hall that can hold 600 banquet style; and a further 20 meetings rooms over two floors with a combined area 1,920sqm. Large events Looking forward, the biggest coup the city has pulled off is the World Gas Congress in 2012. The Malaysian Gas Union will take over the presidency of the World Gas Association during this period, meaning that it is obliged to hold the congress. An estimated 15,000 delegates will converge on the city at this time. "If you're looking for true efficiency, then the KL Convention Centre can offer 15,000 hotel rooms within a 10-minute walk," says Salsbury. "The majority of these are four and five-star properties."