MyCEB welcomes new Director of Convention

Azlan will draw on his global knowledge and experience to boost the number of international business events in Malaysia.

Mr Noor Azlan Abu Bakar has become the new Director of Convention & Exhibition of the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), effective 3 January 2023.

With full responsibility for the leadership and development of the business events industry, Azlan will play a key role in meeting the company’s growth goals of becoming the leading business events destination in the region. He will also be instrumental in building on the firm’s outstanding reputation with stakeholders and industry partners.

With over 32 years of professional experience, Azlan brings a strong skill set and an excellent reputation for relationship building, high performance and team leadership. He was one of the pioneers in the Convention Division at Tourism Malaysia, where he was entrusted with the planning of convention and exhibition activities including international associations such as PATA, AACVB and ICCA. He joins at a key point in the bureau’s growth, where he will be able to lead the convention & exhibition division with his vast experience in the area.

Commenting on the appointment, Dato’ Sri Dr Abdul Khani Daud, CEO of MyCEB: “The appointment of Noor Azlan is timely to help facilitate the business events sector and in securing more international business events to our shore. This is in line with the Malaysia Business Events Strategic Marketing Plan 2021-2030 alongside other initiatives to rebuild the business events industry for 2023 and beyond. His incredibly strong knowledge and experience will be vital as we continue our ambitious plans to grow and develop more propositions and programmes for our stakeholders and delegates, which will bring in more economic impact to the country.”

Before MyCEB, Azlan held prominent positions in Tourism Malaysia including Senior Deputy Director and Acting Director International Promotion Division (America, Europe & Oceania). He also oversaw global markets which include Tourism Malaysia’s offices in Taiwan and Tokyo, where he managed to set up a successful marketing plan and marketing strategies for Japan market including implementation and monitoring of the marketing and promotional activities for the market.

Azlan said, “We have learned to be flexible and adjust to the changing environment during the last two years. The resilient business events sector has seen a revolution thanks to MyCEB and its stakeholders. I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead a strong team of people who are dedicated to the recovery and transformation process of local and international business events.

“Partnerships and collaborations are crucial at this moment. Resources will be pooled, integrated, and new solutions will be used. I believe our local business events industry will experience an effective and efficient turnaround.

“Our sole focus now is making Malaysia the business events powerhouse to truly dominate the business events market and help our clients address their concerns and strategies. I look forward to building more bridges of communication and collaboration with other business events colleagues locally and overseas. I believe that together, we can create multiple new business opportunities.”