ONCE a colonial port linking centuries-old trading routes from Southeast Asia to China and later the world, Penang has seen a lot of changes, not least its modern-day role as Malaysia’s foremost “Silicon Valley”.
Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) is continuing this tradition of trade navigation by bringing a cargo of innovation, heritage, sustainability, and hospitality to more visitors in 2026 with its flagship business event – the 10th anniversary edition of BE @ Penang.
BE @ Penang 2025 recently came to a close at Setia Spice Convention Centre – a venue not far from many of those semiconductor and hi-tech manufacturing plants.
The conference’s theme of “Be the Wave” called on industry participants not only to adjust to change – as Penang has done commercially over the centuries – but to actively shape the MICE industry’s future across the region.
PCEB chairman and Penang State Executive Councillor, Wong Hon Wai, delivered the opening address and highlighted the state’s growing influence in the regional business events sector and the conference’s role in driving collaboration and innovation.
Wong encouraged the business events sector, including students, to be part of the “wave” that raises Penang’s profile among international organisers while also aligning with the broader Penang2030 vision.
With Penang’s expanding global connectivity and our people-centric Penang2030 vision, we continue to shape a destination that does more than host events, it transforms ideas, communities and the future of our industry.”
– Wong Hon Wai, PCEB chairman
Ashwin Gunasekeran, PCEB chief executive, told the opening ceremony that Penang continued to evolve as a “powerhouse of innovation and economic progress”.
“Often hailed as the Silicon Valley of the East, she remains at the forefront of the Electrical & Electronics sector while advancing in AI, IoT, chemistry, biodiversity, and sustainability,” Gunasekeran said.
“This reflects the same wave of progress that is reshaping the business events industry – where new technologies, creative strategies, and global connections are opening up unprecedented opportunities.”
The keynote was delivered by Hiroshi Tamura, considered the guiding light behind the popularity of the Nissan GT-R and Nissan Z, known to fans of high-speed cars as the Godzillas of motor racing.
Tamura’s talk emphasised how visionary leadership, defying convention and the power of individual passion can advance projects. The former Nissan chief product specialist drew upon his lifelong fascination with high-performance cars to illustrate how it helped in making the GT-R set records at the Nürburgring testing track in Germany.
His efforts in pushing the record attempts at drifting and other methods of proving the GT-R’s adaptability brought it to worldwide attention, including in Malaysia where Tamura – now a GT-R brand ambassador – and the Godzillas are guests at auto shows.
Dr Bona Nahyun Lee, CEO of tech consultancy BornTiger, was among the 16 speakers addressing the main conference. Lee was the organiser of Content Universe Korea 2024, which is regarded as the first non-stop 72-hour conference with AI used in event planning and floorspace formatting.
Content Universe, held at Kintex, Seoul, featured onsite camping, workshops and business meetings. It gathered AI specialists, new media content creators and industry experts over three days and two nights.
Lee’s workshop at BE @ Penang guided delegates through the stages of using AI tools such as Gamma, Perplexity and Notable LM to create presentations that can be used to pitch event proposals.
Connections were built during a pre-conference build-up event called “WAVE MAKERS: A Penang Discovery Adventure”. A PCEB spokesperson said participants had the opportunity to explore Penang through creative photo challenges, clue hunts, and team-based problem-solving.
The dates for 10th anniversary of BE @ Penang have been set for December 3-4, 2026.
