KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) is ready to host over 20 international events, ten conventions and 13 exhibitions from now until December 2022 following the recent re-opening of Malaysia's international borders.

General manager Alan Pryor said KLCC is now fully ready to welcome international clients and delegates back to the premier business events venue after a long break.

"We have recently hosted a few site visits for upcoming international conferences and are currently very focused on helping our clients, event organisers, visitors, and guests safely and comfortably transition into organising and attending physical meetings and events.

"While the standard operating procedures (SOP) are more relaxed now, our priority on safety and hygiene remains," he said in a statement.

The upcoming international events include International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID) 2022, International Conference on Tropical Agriculture (ICTA) 2022, International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) 2022, Asia Turbomachinery & Pump Symposium (ATPS) 2022.

Also on the list are the 3rd Asia Optometric Congress 2022, International Medical Exhibition & Conference (IMEC EXPO) 2022, International Café & Beverage Show 2022; Control World Expo, Oil & Gas Asia 2022, and International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) 2022.

"International meetings and exhibitions are important to Malaysia and its business events and hospitality sectors.

Alan said the business events industry is a vital social and economic driver that creates thousands of jobs, supports talent development and knowledge exchange, generates millions in economic impact for the country and elevates Malaysia's profile and market share globally.

He said the re-opening of Malaysia's international borders would accelerate the country's economic rebound, but KLCC is returning to a challenging business events landscape.

"The overall business pie has shrunk, making competition stiffer and price wars more aggressive.

"Malaysia needs strong, compelling policies and strategies to capitalise on the destination's attractive proposition to set itself apart from neighbouring competitors and help entice more international events to come to our shores," Alan said.