The Malaysian Tourism Board hosted the International Events Symposium, bringing together leaders in the hotel, tourism and sports industries.

Conference speakers came from Australia, South Africa and the USA. IFMA General Secretary Mr. Stephan Fox was invited to speak on the challenges of “Transforming a Homegrown Event into Hallmark International Events”, providing a case study from Muaythai.

Other topics discussed included “Destination Case Study: Creating an Events Destination,” “Risk Management: Planning for Sustainable Events, and “Effective Event Marketing and Corporate Sponsorship.” The presentations were succeeded by panel discussions.

The feedback for IFMA very positive, as many in the audience were inspired by the General Secretary’s passion for sports, and the strategy of connecting with the market from an emotional point of view, rather than a commercial one. It was a interesting example of how sharing the values in a sport can be a stronger draw than a marketing strategy focused on maximising financial gain.