THE art of attracting young Asian millennials to the travel and hospitality trade, said experts, includes cultivating them early on, circulating them across functions, and motivating them with exposure and prestige.

The second edition of BE @ Penang, an international knowledge-sharing conference organised by the Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), was planned with this in mind, despite being a trade-only event.

Held at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre on December 7 and 8 last year, the conference featured business events (BE) industry leaders from the UK, Taiwan, Singapore, India and Malaysia.

The conference took stock of Penang’s assets and strategy in BE, the high-value and highly competitive sub-sector of tourism that includes meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.

Engaging youth

To raise awareness of BE among youth, PCEB awarded five scholarships and initiated a volunteer programme that gave students front-line exposure at BE @ Penang 2017.

The scholarships were awarded to two students from Sentral College Penang and three from SEGi College Penang.

They were selected based on the strength of the essays they submitted on a topic assigned by PCEB.

The scholarships, in the form of delegates’ passes, gave the students full privilege as professional participants.

Not only did they get to attend insightful, expert-led sessions, but the scholars also got to interact with the experts themselves and rub shoulders with some of Malaysia’s most prominent BE professionals during breakout sessions and break times.

It was a learning experience distinct from that of the classroom.

Scholarship recipient Aishah Mohd Shah Nizam Sherman, 18, a first-year tourism management student from Sentral College, said the event showed her how a conference worked, and boosted her understanding of the tourism industry.

“I was impressed by the speakers, and also how well the event was managed over the two days. BE @ Penang allowed me to meet and listen to speakers who have achieved so much in the business world.

“It’s a great learning opportunity for students when they get to experience a business event in real life.”

Inspiring conversations

Thirteen students also participated as volunteers.

Being part of the crew allowed the group to distinguish the particular requirements of an international business event, such as the promotion of local culture and use of English.

Shane Liew, 20, from The One Academy Penang, said volunteering was an “amazing experience”, citing the many real-world situations that would help advance her career.

“BE @ Penang was a professionally managed event with the participation of many successful international companies. There were awe-inspiring conversations with very experienced people.

“I was also able to practise my social skills and spoken English. For a young person like me, it was eye-opening,” he said.

Like Liew, Carenne Loh, 22, who is studying towards a bachelor’s degree in International Tourism & Hospitality Management at SEGi College, said volunteering expanded her knowledge of BE.

Globally engaged

“I was impressed by what I saw at BE @ Penang. The BE industry is growing and we need to give it the necessary support so that Malaysia can grow to become a preferred destination,” she said.

PCEB chief executive officer Ashwin Gunasekaran said the educational dimension of BE @ Penang reflected the bureau’s vision of nurturing globally engaged local talent.

“We want to create a variety of learning opportunities to expose our students to the full breadth of BE, and to motivate them to excel by acquainting them with the industry’s best minds,” he said.

Students, especially those enrolled in event management, tourism and hospitality courses, are encouraged to participate in activities organised or endorsed by PCEB.

Contact PCEB for details at www.pceb.my. – January 3, 2018.