Events Beyond Boundaries,Survival for the Future

Gunther Beissel， Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre （MITEC）， tells the reporter that effective 18 March 2020， the Malaysian Government has imposed a further extension to the Movement Control Order until 14 April 2020 which include general prohibition of mass movements and gatherings across the country including religious， sports， social and cultural activities， sanctions cover all Malaysians travelling abroad and for those who have just returned from overseas， they are required to undergo a health check and to do a quarantine （or self-quarantine） for 14 days， restrictions on the entry of all tourists and foreign visitors into the country and closure of schools， universities and all government and private premises except those involved in essential services （water， electricity， energy， telecommunications， postal， transportation， irrigation， oil， gas， fuel， lubricants， broadcasting， finance， banking， health， pharmacy， fire， prison， port， airport， safety， defence， cleaning， retail and food supply.

The Malaysian Government has announced an economic stimulus package worth RM250 billion （US$58 billion） on 27 March 2020 to weather the impact of COVID-19. The stimulus package comprises special allowances for healthcare providers， one-off cash aid and microcredit scheme for small- and medium-size enterprises （SMEs）， among others. Of the total， RM128 billion will be spent on public welfare， RM100 billion will be used to support businesses， while RM2 billion will be used to strengthen the countrys economy. This is an addition to the First Economic Stimulus Package 2020， valued at RM20 billion， which was announced on 27 February 2020.

Concerning how the MICE business being affected， Mr Beissel observes the Asia/Pacific region has been hit the hardest， with Malaysia being affected greatly. According to The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers（MACEOS）， Malaysia is seeing a total of 53 business events have been cancelled， while another 57 events have been postponed indefinitely. MACEOS claimed that as of 15 March 2020， the business events industry has accumulated losses of at least RM1.5 billion.

MITEC is adhering to the Movement Control Order imposed by the Malaysian Government and temporarily closed the premise for public access until 14 April 2020. However， the MITEC team is working remotely according to its Business Continuity Plan.

As a matter of fact， even long before the Movement Control Order was announced， MITEC has taken measures to ensure the safety and health of guests. The efforts are such as a well-coordinated emergency management system， an existing high standard for high-traffic areas with hygiene measures， and it is the only trade fair venue in Malaysia with its own in-house medical clinic. Moreover， with the current situation of the Movement Control Order， MITEC offers Events Beyond Boundaries package which promotes meetings and launches through live streaming， virtual meetings， e-conferences and more. “The package acts as a diversification of our usual business approach which will generate an alternative revenue stream beyond being just a venue.”Mr Beissel points out.

With global trade getting more connected each day， the MITEC team is learning to understand the full economic impact such a pandemic has on global business inter-connectivity， specifically when socialdistancing is the action to combat the outbreak. Mr Beissel recognizes that business has changed and is continue to remain changed in some way and form， with technology being pushed to the forefront and open new opportunities. He suggests that for the future， Governments and Institutions may need to take a look at their Trade Policys and Personnel Data Protection Acts， amongst a whole range of issues.“Early awareness is most important and should not be taken lightly. Effective communication to cascade down to all levels of society systematically and holistically the seriousness of a future pandemic remains highly important. ”