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TonyNagamaiah, General Manager ofMalaysiaMajor Events (MME), shareswith Fireflyz on
whatmakesMalaysia the unique destination for global events. Nagamaiah also shares his
excitementwith
Marrion Tan
aboutmajor upcoming events andVisitMalaysia Year 2014.
Gaining Momentum for the
Visit Malaysia Year 2014
M
ALAYSIA
Major
Events (MME), which
was established in
2011 as a division of
Malaysia Convention
& Exhibition
Bureau (MyCEB),
is an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry
of Tourism and Culture. Nagamaiah, the
captain at the helm of this major division,
works with a team of experts who focus on
identifying and bidding for international
sports, art, lifestyle and entertainment
events and also in fostering large-scale
home-grown events in the country.
MME’s activities are in line with the
Economic Transformation Programme
(ETP) set forth by the government to set
in motion the realisation of the Malaysian
economy for the years to come.
MME is constantly looking for avenues
to drive tourism into the country to support
the Ministry of Tourism and Culture
Malaysia and the promotional campaign of
Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014). By
hosting these major events, Malaysia hopes
to attract more international arrivals in the
coming years.
Collaboration for Success
The division collaborates with various
private parties and government entities
including the Ministry of Youth and
Sports, Ministry of Communications and
Multimedia, along with the Ministry of
Tourism and Culture to attract and develop
international events in the country. It’s a
one-stop centre that facilitates and liaises
with diverse event stakeholders to ensure
seamless processes and successful events.
Nagamaiah says: “MME, with its vast
expertise and successful track record in
hosting global and local events, is steering
the country in the right direction towards
attracting tourism. This has created
confidence and put Malaysia on the world
map as a preferred destination for hosting
large scale events, especially in the Asian
region.”
Successful past major events held in the
country include the Formula 1, Moto GP,
Future Music Festival Asia, MTV World
Stage, Golden Disk Awards – K Pop, and
even DreamWorks’ Shrek the Musical.
Hub for Global Events
Nagamaiah explains: “Over the past few
years, Malaysia has increasingly gained
recognition as an international events
hub with an impressive repertoire of
international artists performing across
various concerts and events here. The
availability of world-class airports, venues,
facilities, its value for money and on top
of that, the warm and hospitable spirit
of Malaysians all contribute to further
moulding the country’s identity as the
favoured entertainment destination for
Asia.”
Tony Nagamaiah … General Manager
of Malaysia Major Events (MME)
The nation also boasts highly established
venues such as The Kuala Lumpur
Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC); Kuala
Lumpur Convention Centre; Arena of Stars,
Genting Highlands; Stadium Nasional and
Putra Indoor Stadium, Bukit Jalil for large
scale seating capacities.
Besides, Malaysia’s indisputable track
record in hosting prestigious events
successfully in the past, has garnered
confidence from international events
organisers who see the benefits of hosting
events in the country.
In addition to bringing in major front-
liners to Malaysia, home-grown events such
as “Good Vibes” and “We Love Asia” also
stand testament to Malaysia’s immense
success in the entertainment scene, he says.
Research by independent bodies has
ranked the country favourably as a viable