Sarawak Convention Bureau is set to spur the Malaysian state’s agriculture sector growth with plans to leverage Business Events through its new platform feeding in to government ministries and agencies – the BESarawak Alliance (BESA).a One of BESA’s first initiatives is an agriculture-based familiarisation trip (Agri-Fam) taking place in conjunction with the inaugural Sarawak AgroFest 2018, 20–28 October 2018. “To realise our goal of becoming a net exporter of food by 2030, we are looking to work closely with alternative sectors, including Business Events, as it is a catalyst for technological advancement, upskilling opportunities for local champions and networking opportunities with global experts,” says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas. Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youths and Sports, adds: “Business Events have the unique capability in creating a neutral, yet dynamic platform to share the best practices, ground-breaking findings, and effective business models. “With initiatives such as the BESarawak Alliance, we are able to highlight Sarawak’s agriculture potential and explore future collaborations in attracting more agriculture-based Business Events,” he added. The Agri-Fam is bringing 40 experts from Thailand, Indonesia and other Malaysian counterparts, consisting of researchers, academicians and the media in a five-day expedition to explore future collaborations in agro-based Business Events. There will be a series of technical tours as well as participation at the International Conference on Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Sarawak (ICAAS) 2018 held at the Penview Convention Centre Demak. “We are more than excited to welcome our distinguished guests for the Agri-Fam, as well as the delegates for this 2nd edition of ICAAS,” said Amelia Roziman, Chief Operating Officer of the Sarawak Convention Bureau. For more information on ICAAS and Sarawak Agrofest, visit”https://sarawakagrofest.com.my/