By Sulyn Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — The Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) 2022 ended on a high note on Sunday (October 9), with both exhibitors and visitors lauding the event an impressive success for the chances it presented and a great learning experience for many.
Many first-timers to the summit enjoyed the international affair, filled with interesting new food products, innovative technologies, fascinating future developments, and informative forums.
Similarly, various product launches and numerous competitions saw winners take home valuable prizes in cash and kind.
Auditing firm administrative senior executive Crystal Yap, 31, said that SIBS has been a good experience as she could learn and explore the different systems implemented in Malaysia that help improve the nation’s services.
“The food and beverage hall was also enjoyable as I not only got to enjoy the food samples, but also learned about many Malaysian goods available in the market,” said the first-time visitor to SIBS.
The four-day long summit which ran from October 6 to October 9 saw approximately 623 companies participate, with 906 booths from 10 Malaysian states and 24 other countries.
This year’s SIBS encompassed the entire space of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre where it was held, with over 40,000 visitors in attendance, making it the perfect platform for businesses to grow and build relations.
It was also a great place where numerous opportunities for both traders and consumers were present, allowing them to understand one another and hopefully bring awareness of brands in the marketplace.
“This event really opened my eyes to the abundance of opportunities a business can find at this summit.
“Maybe, in the future, I might want to participate in SIBS as the potential to grow and learn is aplenty,” said digital sector project specialist Ahmad Khairulanwar Ahmad Kamsul, 27.
The programmes and events running concurrently with SIBS were largely informative, with participating speakers making their presentations hailing from various regions and countries.
Yet this year has been insufficient to whet visitors’ appetites, as many say they are keen to see even more participants and programmes for SIBS next year, particularly from larger industrial players since this year largely featured small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs).
“An increase in the number of large companies joining the summit would be great, as it will enable smaller businesses to explore different avenues, learn from their bigger counterparts and maybe even expand as they pull more investors from trade visitors,” he said.
SIBS 2022 exceeded its target in negotiated transaction value of RM350 million, cementing Selangor as a global trading hub.
The eighth edition of the summit was officiated by the Raja Muda of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah, and showcased six main events including the Selangor International Expo (SIE) Food and Beverages, SIE Medic, Selangor Industrial Park (Spark) Expo, the Selangor Asean Business Conference (SABC), the Selangor Smart City and Digital Economy Convention (SDEC), and the Selangor Research and Development and Innovation Expo (SRIE).
Three other events were also held concurrently, including the Selangor International Culinary Festival (SICF), the Selangor International Healthcare Conference (SIHC) and the Asian Smart City Conference: Mayors Summit and Selangor Declaration.
