Event 6th World Chambers Congress
Venue Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
Organiser International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
Delegates 1,056
Date June 3-5

The brief
The World Chambers Federation and host, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, wanted to bring together global chamber of commerce executives and business leaders for the association’s biennial congress. Its motto was ‘Leading sustainable growth and change’ with a focus on coordinating the efforts of chambers, companies and governments.

Challenges
The Congress took place during the global financial crisis, which meant organisers had to encourage cooperation and reduce the temptation for countries to implement protectionist measures to isolate themselves from the crisis. This required content with a strong impact – securing a welcome message from former US president Bill Clinton was an important step towards this.

Execution
More than 1,000 delegates from 100 countries attended the congress. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre organised a Cultural Showcase during the conference for delegates to experience Malaysia’s arts and heritage first-hand. This included a set-up by Royal Selangor’s School of Hard Knocks, which proved popular with delegates.

Off-site activities included a welcome reception at the Royal Chulan hotel and a theme night at the Islamic Arts Museum. Another highlight was the Royal Gala Dinner, attended by the King and Queen of Perlis (a northern state in Malaysia) and 800 guests and delegates.Organisers presented a special old-style Malay royal setting.

Comment
Lorenzo Ysasi Martinez, president of the 7th World Chambers Congress Organising Committee, says: “The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre was a superb venue. Its central location was convenient for us to access to and from our hotel, the surrounding shopping malls, restaurants and to explore the city.

Rona Yircali, chair, World Chambers Federation, says: “This was a good opportunity to make new contacts, engage in a lively exchange of ideas and experiences to strengthen our business and chambers communities.”