BUSINESS Events Sarawak (BESarawak) is bringing the globally recognised Sustainable Event Professional Certificate (SEPC) programme to East Malaysia for the first time, reflecting the destination’s growing commitment towards building a more sustainable and future-ready business events industry.
The collaboration with the Events Industry Council (EIC) represents a strategic investment in Sarawak’s business events ecosystem, industry capabilities, and long-term competitiveness at a time when sustainability has become one of the most important priorities shaping the global business events sector.
“As part of our strategic pillars of People and Partnerships, as well as Sustainability Leadership, we believe that investing in talent is investing in the future of the industry,” said Hii Chang Kee, Deputy State Secretary (Operation) and BESarawak chair.
“Through SEPC, we are building a common language and understanding of sustainability across the business events ecosystem while equipping industry players with the tools to create long-term impact beyond the event itself, in line with Sarawak’s legacy-driven direction.”
The agreement between Business Events Sarawak and the Events Industry Council (EIC), signed at IMEX Frankfurt 2026, marks another milestone in Sarawak’s commitment to advancing sustainable business events.
BESarawak also announced this week that Jason Tan becomes the organisation’s CEO with immediate effect.
“Having served the organisation in various leadership capacities over the past decade, Jason now leads BESarawak into its next phase of growth with a vision to strengthen Sarawak’s position as a globally competitive business events destination through purposeful collaboration, innovation and legacy-driven development,” it said.
Tan served as acting CEO following the departure of Amelia Roziman who set up a consultancy for conference organisers seeking to create social impact from their events.
“What makes SEPC important is that it is not only about making events greener. Sustainability can be integrated into decision-making, operations, partnerships, measurement, and long-term impact creation across the entire business events ecosystem,” said Jason Tan Chin Foo, chief executive of BESarawak.
“We are proud to collaborate with the EIC to make this capacity building programme accessible to our industry partners across Sarawak as part of our efforts to strengthen professional development and support the broader aspirations of the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.”
As international organisations, associations, and event owners place greater emphasis on sustainability standards and responsible event delivery, the need for skilled professionals with recognised expertise has become increasingly critical.
Through SEPC, industry players in Sarawak will gain access to internationally recognised training and practical knowledge covering sustainable event planning, social impact, supply chain management, accessibility, measurement, reporting, and responsible business practices.
The SEPC programme is scheduled for August 20-21 in Kuching. It is open to registered Business Events Sarawak Professional Partners (BESPartners). To check eligibility, email ellya@sarawakcb.com or call +6082-242516.
