ONE HAS TO WONDER what Kuala Lumpur’s original inhabitants would think if they could time-travel into the 21st century. Poor tin miners, they lived a hard-scrabble existence in wooden houses with palm frond thatching at the confluence of two muddy rivers. Who knew then that Kuala Lumpur — fondly known as KL by locals — would turn into a megalopolis of buildings reaching to the sky, ribbons of roads crammed with cars and a population in the millions?

Today this progressive, fast-moving, continually growing city is ready, willing and able to welcome meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions of all kinds from all countries. The city’s excellent infrastructure, efficient transportation and communications systems, growing economy and IT-savvy population make it a perfect fit for MICE events. And for unwinding after a long day of meetings, visitors enjoy a variety of tourist attractions, a plethora of shopping options, peaceful parks and some lively nightlife.

KL has a venue to pretty much suit any size or type of gathering, starting with the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The 2015 Asia Pacific MICE Awards winner for Best Networking Venue, this convention and exhibition center is in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, conveniently located near public transportation and hotels. Sitting on a 99-acre property designed as a city within a city, the convention center shares space with the 50-acre KLCC Park, the iconic Petronas Twin Towers and the six-story Suria KLCC high-end shopping mall, making it convenient to take a short break from business meetings for a quick coffee or a little shopping.

While the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is the largest meeting space in the city, planners will find plenty of other options. Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, for example, is located within one of the city’s most popular shopping venues, the Mid Valley Megamall. Part of the Kuala Lumpur Central Business District, the venue features numerous halls of various sizes equipped to handle exhibitions, seminars, concerts and consumer fairs.

Putra World Trade Centre, known for personal service and flexible event management, offers four exhibition halls and a large outdoor area for tented exhibitions, while Sime Darby Convention Centre includes a stunningly designed Grand Ballroom with 19,000 square feet of column-free space accommodating up to 1,000 people for a sit-down dinner or 2,600 for a theater-style conference.

Merdeka Square fountain © ELLEN CLARK

The Malaysian External Trade Development Corp., established in 2007, developed the MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre, or MECC. In an iconic 24-story building, the complex boasts more than 860,000 square feet consisting of exhibition halls, a ballroom, function rooms and an amphitheater. It’s a popular venue for MICE events, with emphasis on Malaysian Trade-centric events.

Regarding MICE-friendly hotels, the World Travel Awards declared Hilton Kuala Lumpur Malaysia’s Leading Business Hotel two years in a row. The property boasts 25,000 square feet of meeting space, overlooks the National Museum and lies only 28 minutes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport via direct KLIA Ekspres high-speed train.

The 5-star InterContinental Kuala Lumpur offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space and is conveniently located a short stroll from the Petronas Towers and the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Getting around town from the hotel is a breeze. Besides a complimentary scheduled hotel shuttle to KLCC, there’s a nearby Light Railway Transit stop and a Go KL bus that stops in front of the hotel.

Despite being a progressive and continually growing modern city filled with sparkling, glass-walled skyscrapers and state-of-the-art shopping malls, KL is not soullessly modern. The local Malay, Chinese and Indian communities support colorfully adorned mosques and temples. The variety of cuisines further reflects KL’s ethnic diversity. And Southeast Asia’s largest museum of Islamic art sits amid the leafy surroundings of Kuala Lumpur’s Perdana Botanical Garden, a lovely green space that offers soothing relief from the concrete and steel.

While the KL MICE market continues to grow, city officials continue to look for ways to speed its progress. In August 2016 a dedicated business events unit to manage KL’s MICE sector received the go-ahead. Noraza Yusof, general manager, Kuala Lumpur Tourism Bureau, said the unit will come under the bureau’s jurisdiction and will comprise a small team who, in collaboration with the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, will work to strengthen the city’s business events branding and positioning.

UNIQUE VENUES

Kuala Lumpur seeks to tempt MICE organizers with large, state-of-theart venues in the heart of the city. A number of the larger 5-star chain hotels also offer exhibition and meeting space. But planners might consider hosting an event at one of these versatile options.

For a more intimate setting, the boutique Le Quadri Hotel offers a fully equipped, 600-capacity conference hall. The space features a performance stage, advanced lighting and sound systems and a multi-style room set up with options to suit any occasion.
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For groups of 300 or fewer, event planners can rent Makespace, located in the Quill City Mall. With 8,000 square feet of event space spread over two floors, it presents a sleek, trendy, industrial warehouse look. Its location adjacent to an LRT and a monorail station makes it easily accessible.
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Just a 45-minute drive from downtown Kuala Lumpur, Lui Farm is a full-service venue in a bucolic setting. Its motto, STREAM, stands for “Seminars, Training, Retreat, Exhibitions, Activities, Meetings.” The buildings are tucked in among lush foliage and flowering plants, and a river winds through the property. This tranquil setting makes it an excellent retreat for brainstorming meetings and team building.