Managers at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
(KLCC) have said they want to turn the venue into a 'sustainability hub' after hosting 1,350 meetings in 2022.
They hope strategic partnerships will help them create a, ‘sustainable meetings
destination where delegates can meet and interact
in an environmentally
and socially responsible setting'.
Part of the sustainability plan is to become recognised in Asia as a hub for Sustainability Development Goals - a United Nations initiative of 17 interlinked goals designed to be a 'shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.'
KLCC general
manager, Alan Pryor, said: “With the vision of making Kuala Lumpur Asia’s SDG
Hub, we established the first public-private sector strategic partnership with
URBANICE Malaysia and formed the Kuala Lumpur Convention Business Events
Alliance (KLCCBEA) Sustainability Sub-Committee. We are working closely with
our KLCCBEA partners to develop and implement programmes, initiatives and
engagements to encourage and inspire people and stakeholders to develop the KLCC
precinct into an SDG hub.”
Most recently, KLCC invested in a
food composter machine to expand its waste management efforts and help develop
a circular economy model for the precinct. Since including composting as part
of its process, the venue has recorded a 30 per cent decrease in the overall
food waste disposed of.
One of the long-term plans for
the composter is to also provide non-chemical-based fertilisers to the 50-acre
KLCC park that is adjacent to the venue.
In addition to the food
composter, KLCC has partnered with Winnow food waste solution, an AI-enabled food waste tracking system to help
run a more productive, profitable and sustainable kitchen; smart recycling
machines to positively reinforce responsible actions through a points-system in
the venue; gravity-reliant rain-water harvesting system; and a hydroponic farm
on its rooftop to reduce carbon footprint and provide healthy food to event
delegates and guests.
“We have been receiving more
international requests for site visits which is indicative of the industry’s
strong recovery moving forward. We are proud to have recently added six new bid
wins to our calendar of events which will be held between 2024 and 2026 and are
expected to attract over 16,000 delegates from around the world,” added Pryor.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
