Malaysia’s Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau Leads Delegation of 13 to India

Launching New Incentives and Support for the India Market

The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) launched its second sales mission to Mumbai on January 10 at the ITC Grand Central as part of the second edition of its Penang Sales Mission to India.

Beginning the mission in Chennai on 7 Jan, the Penang delegation hit Ahmedabad on 9 Jan and will continue on to New Delhi on 14 Jan with the objective of promoting Penang as the preferred destination for corporate and association meetings, conferences, and incentives, and leisure travel.

Led by Ashwin Gunasekeran, Chief Executive Officer of PCEB, the mission is supported by a Penang delegation of 12 partners, including hotels, destination management companies, attractions and theme park, professional conference organisers, event experts, and PCEB’s strategic airline partner, Malaysia Airlines.

Capitalising on Penang’s rising popularity in India, the Penang Sales Mission to India will host, in each of the four cities it is visiting, a B2B engagement session with participating Business Events and leisure travel buyers from India as well as a media session with the local Indian and Business Events media.

Penang’s state executive councillor for Tourism Development, Heritage, Arts & Culture, the Honourable Mr Yeoh Soon Hin will be attending the New Delhi leg where he will be having official meetings with tourism authorities and key players in India.

“This mission is joined by some of Penang’s finest offerings in the hospitality, travel and events sectors, and will showcase the best of what Penang can offer to the Indian market,” he added.

Penang is world-class travel destination, one that is famed for its unique offerings of a modern international island city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lush rainforests, beautiful hill station, shopping galore and fabulous food. Additionally, this Northern Malaysian state is also a rising Business Events destination. Currently, Penang is the top-ranked second-tier destination in Malaysia in the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association).

“India is one of the top five markets for Business Events in Penang, and over the past year, we have received encouraging interest from event planners and conference organisers,” says Ashwin Gunasekeran, the Chief Executive Officer of PCEB.

In 2017, 13% of Business Events of Asia Pacific origin was from India, contributing RM190 mil or USD 46 million. In 2018, Penang’s largest Business Event – V Con 2018 – which saw a participation of 16,000 delegates from around the world reported that 80% of their delegates were from India.

The number of Indian travellers flying into Penang has also increased in recent years. The Penang Immigration Department reported that for the period between Jan to Nov 2018, 7,250 Indian travellers flew into the Penang International Airport, compared to 6,569 in the same period in 2017. The 10.37% increase came despite there not being direct flights between Penang and India.

To further attract the Indian outbound meetings and conference market, PCEB introduced a new support package specially tailored for India. The support packages start from as low as sponsorship of souvenirs and welcome luncheon for the organisers valued at RM2,000 (for confirmed meetings/conferences of 50 to 100 delegates) to hosted site inspections, welcome luncheon for organisers, cultural performances and souvenirs valued at RM15,000 (for incentive groups of 501 delegates and above.

Given the encouraging media coverage of the Penang Sales Mission to India last year, PCEB is also announced that it is running the #BusinessEventsPenang Media Award for India 2019. The award – four full expense paid trip inclusive of flights to Penang for 5D4N to attend PCEB’s BE @ Penang 2019 conference and the media familiarisation tour from 4th to 8th Dec 2019.

Journalists and writers interested in vying for this award must submit the published article or news coverage on the Penang Sales Mission to India 2019 to PCEB by 28th March 2019. Should the submission be in a language other than English, the English translation must be provided. A panel of judges will judge the best reporting for each city, and the announcement of the winner will be made by the end of April 2019.

In the past year, PCEB has heavily invested in marketing Penang to India, as the potential for growth from the Indian market is vast. Besides the Penang Sales Mission to India 2018 which saw PCEB leading 17 partners to Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, PCEB also joined the Global Panorama Showcase on its 8-city roadshow in 2018.

PCEB won the bid to host Global Panorama Showcase’s EDWIN Educational Programme, the first time the leading Indian travel product brought its programme to Malaysia. This saw PCEB hosting 120 Indian buyers at the inaugural Penang International Travel Exchange (PITE) 2018 from 4 – 8 September 2018.

 

PCEB, Malaysia on a multi-city sales mission to India

Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Malaysia) brings 17 Exhibitors from Penang on a 4-City Sales Mission to Woo the Indian Travel and Business Events Segment

The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) is proud to introduce the first-ever Penang Sales Mission to India with the objective of promoting Penang as the preferred and ideal destination for corporate and association meetings, incentives and leisure travel.

“India is one of the top five markets for Business Events in Penang, and over the past year, we have received encouraging interest from event planners and conference organisers” says Ashwin Gunasekeran, the Chief Executive Officer of PCEB. “This mission is joined by some of Penang’s finest offerings in the hospitality, travel and events sectors, and will showcase the best of what Penang can offer to the Indian market,” he added.

Ashwin Gunashekhran, CEO, Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Malaysia

He was speaking during the 4-city Sales Mission which kicked off from Kolkatta to Delhi, then Mumbai & Bengaluru in January, 2018. The mission led by Ashwin Gunasekeran, Chief Executive Officer of PCEB, the mission is supported by a Penang delegation of 17 partners, including the state bureau for leisure travel – Penang Global Tourism, hotels, destination management companies, event experts and PCEB’s official airline partner, Malaysia Airlines.

Penang is world-class travel destination, one that is famed for its unique offerings of a modern international island city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lush rainforests, beautiful hill station, shopping galore and fabulous food. Additionally, this Northern Malaysian state is also a rising Business Events destination. Currently, Penang is the top-ranked second-tier destination in Malaysia in the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association).

In 2016, Penang recorded 1251 events with an estimated economic impact of USD 200 million. From January to September 2017, we hosted 1731 events with an estimated economic impact of USD 230 million. This translates to a 27.7% increase in the number of events and 7% increase in the estimated economic impact.

Ashwin Gunasekeran, the Chief Executive Officer of PCEB boasted that the youth from India loves to explore Penang especially for street food & heritage architecture.

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Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) is a state bureau established in 2016to develop the Business Events and meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) industry in Penang. PCEB aims to position Penang as the preferred location
for Business Events activities in the region. With its rich UNESCO heritage, thriving multicultural society, state-of-the-art facilities and vibrant natural attractions, Penang offers a truly eclectic tropical experience. In line with its mission to incubate the growth of Business Events in Penang, PCEB serves as Penang’s focal point for the coordination of all Business Events activities, providing expert assistance to organisations and Business Events planners at every
step of the planning. PCEB’s team of industry experts work hand-in-hand with professional service providers and world-class hotels, convention centres and unique venues to ensure the smoothness and success of each event organized. PCEB’s goal is to enhance our Business Events clients’ experience and at the same time to expand
the beneficial economic impact of local MICE businesses.

For more information, please visit http://www.pceb.my and follow them on
Facebook: @PCEB.my
Twitter @PCEB_MY
Instagram @penang.unfiltered

Baisakhi di Balle Balle in Malaysia!!

Singh is King of the World!

Vaisakhi Celebrations in full swing in Malaysia

Malaysia is all set to experience the rich and colourfulbackground of the Punjabi Culture. On April 23^rd, The Malaysian Punjabi Chambers of Commerce and Industries (MPCCI) is organising a Malaysia Vaisakhi Open House in Kuala Lumpur where thousands of Malaysian Sikhs and their friends will gather to celebrate the auspicious festivities of Vaisakhi!

Aptly named MyVaisakhi Fest 2016, the day long festivities on April 23^rd, will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Malaysia ,Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib at the Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC) at Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur. The gathering is expected to be attended by over 4000 guests!

Besides bringing to life the essence of Punjabi culture, the highlight of the day will be an attempt to enter the Malaysia Book of Records for making 2000 chapattis in 3 hours! Needless to mention, one will get to see the never dying spirit of the Punjabis all set to break this record!

MPCCI President Dato Daljit Singh said that, “ We welcome one and all to be part of our celebrations. In fact all Indians visiting Malaysia during this time should be a part of MyVaisakhi 2016! You can get a taste of home here!” “We have Dhol dances, Cultural shows , go kart rides, sand art, turban tying booth, henna art booth…everything that’s Punjabi will come to life on this day!”, added Dato Daljit.

Dato Daljit Singh is also Indian Community Relations Advisor to the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia.

Tourists can also get an insight into the Punjabi culture by visiting the Punjabi History, heritage and Culture exhibition being held until April 30.  The Sikh community has existed since the 16^th century and MyVaisakhi 2016 is an attempt to showcase the Punjabi and Sikh tradition and history so that the younger generation can learn about where they come from and embrace their culture.

About Tourism Malaysia: MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2015, Malaysia registered 25.7 million tourist arrivals and RM69.1 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner.

 

MALAYSIA LURES SUPERSTARS RAJNIKANTH AND SURYA FOR THEIR NEXT MOVIE SHOOTING

Malaysia has always been a favorite destination for Indian entertainment industry. Latest to join the trend is Tamil film industry, popularly known as Kollywood, superstars Rajnikanth and Surya who are currently in Malaysia for their next movie Kabali and S3 respectively.

Superstar Rajnikath is currently in Malaysia shooting for his next movie Kabali. The movie is shot in some of the exotic locations of Malaysia over next few weeks and also stars a couple of Malaysian actors. This is the second schedule of shooting and the superstar was earlier in Malaysia last year and was astonished to see his fan following in the country. Kabali is an ambitious project which is loosely based on the life of popular don Kabaleeswaran.

Similarly, for his third movie in the Singham franchise ‘S3’, superstar Surya has chosen Malaysia as his preferred destination. Surya and his team will be shooting some rare action sequences in the next three weeks. The first two movies of the franchise were major blockbusters. The team is hopeful that with some extensive martial art sequences at the serene backdrops of Malaysia, ‘S3’ will be the biggest blockbuster to wait for in 2016. The movie also stars Anushka Shetty and Shruthi Hassan.

Malaysia has always supported international movie industries from Bollywood to Hollywood. With a large Tamil speaking population and a huge fan following for Kollywood, shooting of superstars Rajnikanth and Surya only add to the glorious relationship Indian and Malaysia have always shared.

Malaysia year end sale, make most of it with Tourist Refund Scheme

~ PlansExclusiveSchemes to Provide Maximum Benefits to the Customers~

As the last quarter of the year approaches, Malaysia gears up to boost its shopping experience with some never-seen-before shopping offers. Malaysia has three major shopping seasons in a year, including 1 Malaysia Grand Prix, 1 Malaysia Sale Carnival and the Grand Year End Sale. To boost the grand retail finish and retain customer confidence, Malaysia brings forth the exclusive Tourist Refund Scheme.

According to a survey conducted recently by Tourism Malaysia, tourists spend maximum on shopping and the country witnesses dedicated tourists for shopping across key market hubs. The survey shows that tourist expenditure on shopping took the top spot from accommodation as travel component for the first quarter of 2015, with an increase of 10.8% to RM4.9 billion against the same period last year.

Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) has appointed IRIS Global Blue TRS Malaysia SDN BHDto implement the Tourist Refund Scheme which allows the shoppers to claim refunds from the participating 400 retailers across key shopping destination. With a minimum spend of MYR 300, customers can ask for GST Refund Form. In order to avail refunds, the customer simply has to present the Refund Form along with passport and with a simple verification process, the refund can be claimed before departure from the country. Customers may combine receipts from the same Approved Outlet over a three month period prior to their departure from Malaysia.

Eligible overseas tourists are allowed to claim tax refund on goods purchased and brought out of Malaysia via airfrom these airports where the approved refund points are located:

• Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2
• International Airport in Senai, Johor
• International Airport in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
• International Airport in Kuching, Sarawak
• Bayan Lepas, Penang International Airport
• Sultan Ahmad Shah, Pahang International Airport
• Sultan Aziz Shah, Selangor International Airport (Subang Airport)

With more than 350 shopping malls offering more than 100 million square feet of nettlettable area, shopping has been the most lucrative component of Malaysia tourism. Flexible norms and favourable exchange rates have helped Malaysia become the second best shopping destination in Asia Pacific region. Among the top 10 biggest shopping malls around the world, Malaysia has three of them including 1Utama, Mid Valley Megamall & Sunway Pyramid. With such customer friendly environment, Malaysia enjoys the presence of some of the best international brands in fashion, accessories, leisure, health and beauty including Algner, Armani Exchange, H&M, Banana Republic, Burberry, Calvin Klein, DKNY, Canali, Bvlgari, Canali, Coach, Cartier, Chopard, De Beers, Pandora, Longines, Montblanc, Rolex, Tissot, Tifany& MAC to name a few,

 MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2014, Malaysia registered 27.4 million tourist arrivals and RM72 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner.

Malaysia celebrated its fourth VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY) in 2014 with the theme “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia”. The promotion of the country continues with the MALAYSIA YEAR OF FESTIVALS (MyFEST) campaign in 2015 with the theme “Endless Celebrations” emphasising the various festivals celebrated by its multicultural society. Both campaigns are key drivers towards achieving the country’s target of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in receipts by 2020, as outlined in the Tourism NKEA (National Key Economic Area).    

Through the Tourism NKEA, collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, other Government agencies and the private sector have been enhanced to help secure Malaysia’s position as a leading tourist destination. The targets set under the Tourism NKEA will be achieved through the implementation of twelve Entry Point Projects (EPPs) clustered under five themes: Affordable Luxury; Nature Adventure; Family Fun; Events, Entertainment, Spa and Sports; and Business Tourism. 

 

Tourism Malaysia unveils special tourism packages at PATA Travel Mart 2015

As part of its continuing efforts to promote awareness on the celebration of Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) 2015 in India and to boost arrivals from here, Tourism Malaysia launched special tourism packages at the PATA Travel Mart 2015 in Bangalore.

At a special media briefing session, Tourism Malaysia’s Deputy Director-General (International Promotion) Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin announced that special tourism packages have been developed in conjunction with the upcoming 1Malaysia Year-End Sale (1MYES), to be held from 14 November 2015 to 3 January 2016. Dato’ Azizan is also the Chairman of PATA Malaysia Chapter.

“India is a significant contributor to tourism in Malaysia. In fact, India is the sixth top tourist market for us. Last year, we had 770108 Indian visitors which is 18% growth from 2013 (650989). We are hopeful that MyFEST 2015 will keep Malaysia as top-of-the-mind tourist destination, encouraging Indian tourists to stay longer in order to enjoy the festival offerings nationwide,” said Dato’ Azizan. Updating the media about new tourism developments and products in Malaysia, Dato’ Azizan emphasized that besides shopping, leisure and luxury holidays are also key focus areas this year. The media briefing session included presentations by the Shopping Secretariat, Legoland and Hello Kitty Representatives.

Dato’ Haji Azizan is accompanied by Malaysian sellers who will help promote the country to the global tourism market. Among the sellers include big names in the local tourism industry, such as Tourism Johor, Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), Lexis Hotel, Tourland Travel, Borneo Nature Tours, Asian Overland, World Express, Planet Borneo Tours, Legoland Malaysia, Theme Attractions & Resorts, and Flexiroam.

The décor of Tourism Malaysia’s booth at the PATA Travel Mart highlights the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) 2015 in an effort to step up promotion of the tourism campaign. It is also in line with the Government’s efforts to promote Malaysia as a culturally rich travel destination. As part of its promotional activity, Tourism Malaysia’s booth featured Teh Tarik and Batik drawing demonstrations.

During the participation at the PATA Travel Mart, Tourism Malaysia also organised various programmes for travel trade players to meet up and network among themselves, providing Malaysia’s tourism industry players the opportunity to strengthen ties with their Indian counterparts.

This year, the 38th PATA Travel Mart attracted more than 1,000 delegates from over 60 countries and facilitating over 10,000 pre-matched appointments, as well as brought together qualified international buyers and sellers for face-to face meetings, educational forums and networking functions.

Last year, Malaysia received 27.4 million tourists, which was an increase of 6.7%. This year Malaysia is expected to welcome of 29.4 million tourist arrivals and garner RM89 billion in tourist receipts.

About Tourism Malaysia: MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2014, Malaysia registered 27.4 million tourist arrivals and RM72 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner.

Malaysia: Ultimate Shopping Destination: Survey

Shopping: Top of mind for everyone when in Malaysia

DANGA BAY – JOHOR BAHRU – JOHOR

Based on the survey by Tourism Malaysia, shopping remained as the second major activity engaged by tourists in Malaysia for the first quarter this year. The top five shopping areas for foreign tourists were Bukit Bintang, George Town – Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Petaling Street and Johor Bahru. Clothes and apparels constituted 49.6% of items purchased by tourists, followed by handicraft/souvenirs (45.5%), shoes (21.7%), cosmetic (16.4), and chocolates (13.3%).

Tourist expenditure on shopping took the top spot from accommodation for the first quarter of 2015, with an increase of 10.8% to RM4.9 billion against the same period last year.
Accommodation and shopping remained as the two top components of tourist expenditure for the first quarter, constituting 54.4%. The growth in shopping expenditure was dominated by regional and medium-haul countries, namely Brunei, Singapore, Japan, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

Factors that contributed to these positive performances included the favourable exchange rate, which was advantageous to foreign tourists and had encouraged them to spend more. Besides that, hoteliers were also offering competitive rates to tourists. As a result, tourist expenditure on shopping was higher than accommodation and they stayed longer in the country.

So what are you thinking, head to Malaysia for your Diwali Shopping!

You can have a look at these tour packages…

Posting Promotional Information Leaflet. You can connect with them on your own to find out the details. Me as Blogger take no responsibility about the content or terms and conditions offered.

Malaysiajao for IIFA Awards 5-7th June 2015

The 16th edition of the most spectacular celebration of Indian Cinema globally, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards today announced the hosts for some of IIFA’s most awaited sub-events and performances that will take place at the IIFA Weekend this year. The Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend & Awards will take place at Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 5-7 June 2015.

The IIFA Weekend this year will also see a night exclusively dedicated to fashion which will be hosted by Friend of IIFA, Neha Dhupia. IIFA Rocks, the exclusive music extravaganza will see a host of fantastic musical performances by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Mika, Ankit Tiwari, Kanika Kapoor, Jawed Ali and the Nooran sisters. Superstars Jacqueline Fernandes, Aditi Rao Hydari, Lisa Hayden and Lauren Gotlieb will also take the IIFA Rocks stage for some incredible performances.

At the 16th Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend, the IIFA Gala Screening on 6th June in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will feature the highly awaited star-studded film Dil Dhadakne Do. The film is a bittersweet comedy drama about a family that takes a trip which changes them forever. With an ensemble cast of Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Farhan Akhtar and Anushka Sharma, the film is directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar.

Speaking on the occasion, Anil Kapoor, Actor and Friend of IIFA said “Through time, IIFA has grown from a mega awards ceremony into an iconic global platform for Indian films and culture while showcasing to the world the best that Indian cinema has to offer. I am looking forward to the film media briefing of Dil Dhadakne Do which will be a part of the Weekend this year and I am delighted to see IIFA return to Malaysia, this time to the vivacious city of Kuala Lumpur.”

The event will be telecast on India’s leading Hindi entertainment channel Colors with foot prints in over 140 countries.

Tony Nagamaiah, General Manager of Malaysia Major Events said “As excitement heightens, we are proud to host the 16th IIFA Celebrations 2015 and welcome its entire contingent to Malaysia. Being host city, Kuala Lumpur anticipates the weekend’s buzz as it shall be among our biggest showcases for the year in conjunction with the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) 2015. The city’s dazzling setting will imprint the Bollywood family and fans with spectacular experiences in a truly diverse environment.”

Manoharan Periasamy, Director Tourism Malaysia said, “ The IFFA awards will definitely help keep Malaysia on top of mind to travellers planning a vacation this summer and with the o MYFest 2015 celebrations, this is an icing on the cake.”

Tickets for the biggest celebration of Indian Cinema abroad are available for sale. Log on to http://www.myticket.asia or call 03-8080 8700 or 017 2447139. Patrons wishing to purchase VIP Hospitality Tickets can send an email to viphospitality@iifa.com.

IIFA Awards 2015 will be held at Stadium Putra, the Official Hospitality Partner is JW Marriot/The Ritz Carlton, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines is the Official Airline Partner for the 16th edition of the IIFA celebrations. In Malaysia, IIFA Awards will be available LIVE on Astro First (Channel 480).
About IIFA (International Indian Film Academy)
Conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity, IIFA is the most appreciated South Asian film academy. Also, the IIFA Awards is India’s biggest media event. With a viewership of almost 800 million, it is among the world’s most-watched annual entertainment events. From a one night celebration in 2000 at the Millennium Dome, London, the last sixteen years have seen the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) movement grow into a cine-packed weekend of film- festivals, workshops, exhibitions, film-showcases and global business forums, all of which climax into the highlight of the Weekend, the IIFA Awards. http://www.iifa.com

About Tourism Malaysia: MALAYSIA TOURISM PROMOTION BOARD OR TOURISM MALAYSIA is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia at all levels. Since its inception, Tourism Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds and it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. In 2013, Malaysia registered 25.7 million tourist arrivals and RM65.4 billion in receipts, making tourism its second largest foreign exchange earner and the sixth highest contributor to its Gross National Income (GNI).

For any further query, please visit:
Website: http://www.tourism.gov.my
Join them on Facebook:www.facebook.com/malaysiajao
Follow them on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/malaysiajao

Kuala Lumpur invites foodies to showcase culinary skills at Big Kitchen Festival 2015

Showcasing Kuala Lumpur as a diverse gastronomic destination in South East Asia

The city of Kuala Lumpur is set to come alive amidst a 3-day food festival at the iconic Dataran Merdeka later this month. Kuala Lumpur City Hall in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, is proud to present the inaugural Kuala Lumpur Big Kitchen Festival 2015.Heating its way from the 29th to 31st May 2015, the food festival will bring together gastronomic delights from the 13 Malaysian states, making local and international foodies spoilt for choice with the range of over 60 food counters serving up only the best.

This was announced by Y.Bhg. Datuk Seri Hj. Ahmad Phesal Hj. Talib, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur at the media launch which simultaneously introduced its participating chefs, sponsors and partners held at Samplings on the Fourteenth in Berjaya University College of Hospitality.

According to Euromonitor International, Kuala Lumpur is ranked 9th out of 100 leading cities for tourist arrivals in its annual Top City Destinations Ranking 2013.It is no surprise that Kuala Lumpur made the Top 10 list, as one of its attractions is the variety of food it serves which has always created a lot of interest with visitors from around the world.

CHAR KOEW TIAU

Satay – (Spicy Barbecued Meat)

The Kuala Lumpur Big Kitchen Festival 2015, taglined “Bringing You the Gastronomic Experience”, is the ideal platform to introduce Kuala Lumpur as the ‘MELTING POT’ of South East Asia. The food festival will serve delectable dishes ranging from street food right up to fine dining while highlighting Kuala Lumpur as the GASTRONOMY HEAVEN to the foodies around the world.
Incidentally Kuala Lumpur Big Kitchen Festival 2015 is a walk the plan initiative under Kuala Lumpur Tourism Master Plan 2015 – 2025, positioning Kuala Lumpur as a Malaysian cuisine heaven. One of its criteria is to create a food festival in Kuala Lumpur.
Chefs on board the Festival:
Curated by UK Based Malaysian Chef and Kuala Lumpur Food Ambassador, Chef Norman Musa, the festival will also witness a host of celebrity chefs who will thrill and entertain with live cooking demonstrations and workshops throughout the Kuala Lumpur Big Kitchen Festival 2015.
The list of participating chefs besides Chef Norman Musa include:
• Chef Wan – Celebrity chef
• Chef Dato’ Ismail Ahmad – Celebrity chef
• Chef Isadora Chai – highest ranking Malaysian-born chef
• Chef Adu Amran -London-based Malaysian culinary expert

Chef Malcolm Goh – Culinary Executive & Supervising Chef of AFC‘s “Great Dinners of the World”
• Chef Firdaus Hanan – UiTM Culinary Lecturer & Host of Astro Maya’s Makan
• Chef Dr Ezani – winner of MasterChef Malaysia Season 1
• Chef Izyan Hani – winner of MasterChef Malaysia Season 2
• Chef Jochen Kern – German born Director of the School of Culinary Arts at
Berjaya University College of Hospitality
• Chef Anis Nabila – Celebrity chef
• Chef Darren Chin – Celebrity Chef & owner of DC Restaurant
• Chef Kamarul – Celebrity Chef
• Chef Martin Yan -Chinese-born American chef and food writer & host of award-winning cooking show Yan Can Cook
• Chef Will Meyrick from UK – Top Chef Indonesia judge
• Chef Claire Ptak from UK – owns a bakery and café, the Violet Bakery & her latest book named after it
• Chef Cyril Rouquet from France – French Masterchef finalist 2011
• Chef Mark Jarvis from UK – previously Head Chef of the Bingham

Visitors will get the chance to meet with local and internationally renowned chefs as they conduct cooking workshops and demonstrations, give talks and interact with them. Visitors can also learn to prepare and cook some authentic Malaysian dishes, and get some useful tips from the experts themselves during the festival.

About the Festival: The 3-day festival will transform Dataran Merdeka into 8 QUARTERS to include every facet of Malaysian food – Negeri, Warung, Manisan, Food Trucks, Warisan, Samplings, The Dulang and Mayor’s Courtyard. Each Quarter will be set up in a unique presentation serving everything from one’s favourite childhood dish to science defying “molecular gastronomy” dishes.
Negeri – This zone will feature the various signature cuisines that represent the 13 states of Malaysia.
Warung – This zone features handpicked stalls or warung that offer some of the country’s best street food fare such as Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai and Char Kueh Teow.
Manisan – This zone will have all kinds of sugary delights from traditional ice creams and candy to more localised sweet treats like cendol.
Food Trucks – food trucks have become a growing trend in modern KL’s food offerings. These mobile eateries serve up interesting fare from fusion dishes to traditional delicacies that are prepared from inside a food truck.
Warisan – This zone showcases the many traditional preparation techniques and instruments preserved for many years and recipeshanded down from the elders.

Samplings – The Samplings zone will have a list of 5-star hotels in the city serving up some of their signature menus in bite sized portions.
The Dulang – “Dulang” is the Malay word for tray,that serves “Nasi Ambeng” – a traditional communal dining and bonding experience that is popular in the southern state of Johor.
The Mayor’s Courtyard – Guests are in for a special experience in the Mayor’s
Courtyard. Set in an indoor air-conditioned space, top chefs and culinary experts will whet the palette in preparing their signature gourmet cuisines. Participating restaurants and establishments in this area will showcase nothing but the best in the world of fine dining.

The festival will also have various interesting pop-up stalls :
• The FAMA market selling tropical Malaysian fruits and fruit juices
• The Spices and Malaysian purees “on- the go” stalls
• Tuck shops selling Malaysian snacks like kerepek, coconut candy and dodol plus these shops will hold experiential demonstrations for tourists on heritage food like kuih bangkit, kuih bakar and kuih bahulu that will be made on “pangkin” with the “makciks”
With a single entry ticket, visitors will have the opportunity to attend all the cooking workshops and demonstrations (based on a first-come, first-serve basis as seats may be limited), listen to gastronomic talks and be entertained by cultural performances.
About the Festival Competitions: To create more excitement during the festival, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall has organised the Big Challenge which includes three competitions. First, the KL Big Kitchen, Big Race, a cooking competition which includes racing against time to buy ingredients at KL’s oldest market, Chow Kit Market and returning to the Big Kitchen site at Dataran Merdeka to cook a dish. The second competition is the KL Signature Mocktail Competition, open to Malaysian amateurs or professional mixologists to create KL’s signature mocktail. Finally the KL Signature Dish Competition, a competition only open to Malaysians, is in search of a unique, signature dish using local herbs and spices.The winners of each competition will receive Cash Prizes, a Trophy from the Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur and gifts sponsored by the festival’s partners.

Interested participants can download the entry forms from the festival website: http://www.klbigkitchen.com