Land of spice

Penang International Travel Exchange

Attending the recent Penang International Travel Exchange (PITE) 2025, I took a 14-hour flight from London Heathrow to Singapore and then a 1.5 hour connection to Penang, Malaysia’s second busiest airport, but flights are also available via Dubai, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

An event launched in 2018 by the Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) PCEB – Business Events Penang, the latest edition was the first to include exhibition booths showcasing the suppliers in this attractive state to the 80 international buyers and media in attendance. Familiarisation tours were also arranged to showcase the island’s spices, tropical beauty and, of course, culinary delights for which it is renowned. We visited Entopia, a butterfly farm, Kampung Agong, an agro-tourism theme park with lots of outdoor spaces for meetings and events, and, my favourite, the Tropical Spice Garden. All can be used for a variety of events and tours.

PCEB is the focal point for the co-ordination of business event activities providing assistance to international association event planners and working together with service providers, hotels, convention centres and unique venues. It has introduced an Industry Partner Programme to bring together vetted suppliers and experts on one platform. It offers assistance with bid documents and presentations as well as promotional support and materials. It has also introduced the Penang Inspiring Meetings x Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, which will expand support to new sectors, fostering a more diverse portfolio of high-impact business events that align with Penang’s vision for sustainable and inclusive growth. Penang International Travel Exchange (PITE) 2026 will take place from 27-29 October 2026.

Expanding choice of large venues

The PITE exhibition was held at Setia SPICE Convention Centre, the world’s first hybrid solar-powered and South East Asia’s first Eco Green GBI-certified subterranean convention centre. Hosting a maximum capacity of 15,000, it sits on a vast site and has a 4,000 sqm pillarless ballroom seating up to 8,000 and a further 13 function rooms. A six-acre rooftop park can be used for outdoor events and there is an Arena, Aquatic Centre and Canopy, offering a range of eateries, on site. It is directly connected to the Amari SPICE Penang with 453 rooms. Many of our group stayed at the Olive Tree Hotel, a four-star property located directly opposite and whose Grand Ballroom can seat 900 theatre-style.

Spoilt for choice for large venues, the impressive Penang Waterfront Convention Centre has just opened. The largest and most advanced venue in Penang, it can accommodate up to 20,500 maximum capacity with a 10,443 sqm pillarless event space and seating up to 10,000 theatre-style. There are more than 7,000 sqm of flexible, column-free exhibition space across five halls and the spectacular 3,125 sqm Le Grand Bleu terrace. There are 19 versatile rooms and it is Malaysia’s first GreenRE Gold Certified Convention Centre.

The PICCA Convention Centre @ Butterworth Arena is another large venue option seating up to 6,000 theatre-style. Located in Butterworth, it’s convenient for reaching all the attractions of the city including hotels, nightlife and shopping.

The significant levels of recent investment is also readily apparent in the number of excellent, often new, hotels available. We visited the Penang Marriott Hotel in George Town, a stylish property that opened in 2023. Situated in a 55-storey tower, the 223-room hotel sits alongside the 90-suite Marriott Executive Apartments and 302-unit Marriott Residences Penang.  Newly opened last year, The Holiday Inn & Suites Penang Prai is another attractive property in George Town with large event space. Its Grand Ballroom can accommodate 1,350 theatre-style.

There are many lovely properties in Penang including a wide selection of international brands and gorgeous resorts situated on stunning beaches.

Fascinating George Town

There is a lot to delight visitors to George Town, capital of Penang, not least the mix of ornate and dramatic architecture. The She Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi, for instance, is one of the oldest clan houses dating back to 1810. A mixture of traditional Straits Chinese and European architecture, it can host 800 at a banquet.

Probably the most famous landmark in the city is The Blue Mansion – Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion – blending Chinese and Western architectural styles. Built in 1904, this Peranakan mansion with blue walls is very popular for tours.

Penang’s growing economic importance in the 19^th century and access to education attracted a cosmopolitan population as well as intellectuals and revolutionaries including Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham and Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic of China.

The farewell dinner for the PITE was held at the impressive Fort Cornwallis. Built in the late 18^th century when Penang was established as a British Crown colony, this historic site is an important part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of George Town. Food stations were set up, a bar, speeches, a DJ and dancing, making for a memorable last night.

Penang Hill

Day trips to the stunning Penang Hill will give visitors a taste of the tropical flora and fauna of this exotic region. One of the oldest colonial hill communities in South East Asia, it was established by the British in the 1700s when intrepid adventurers would escape the heat and traverse the route by Sumatran pony or sedan chair carried by, presumably exhausted, porters. Many of the opulent bungalows built in the early 1800s still stand. Today you can take the Penang Hill Funicular Railway, completed in 1905, up to spectacular views of the lush and abundant greenery, enjoy delicious food at one of the many excellent pitstops and take a tour of the protected Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve.