AN ANNUAL EXPOSITION FOR MUSIC PROFESSIONALS AND TRADE VISITORS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC SCENE
KUCHING, Wednesday - Sarawak, the state in Malaysian Borneo will once again play host to another exciting event, the Borneo World Music Expo.
The inaugural Borneo World Music Expo will be held from the 24 to 26 June 2013 at Pullman Hotel in Kuching. The expo will enable Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) to position Sarawak as a destination for art, culture and music. The event will be a prelude to the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2013, now entering its 16th edition.
“This new event will grow the Meeting & Exhibition market segments related to music through the Borneo World Music Expo” says Dato’ Rashid Khan, CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board. “It is the ambition of the Board to grow this event into a world-recognised annual exposition for music professionals and trade visitors in the international music scene. Such key initiative is part of the Board’s transformation strategy to climb the value chain; from leisure-based events to that of business tourism ones” he reiterated.
Scheduled to be held four days before the RWMF, the expo will consist of a trade fair, musical showcases, conferences, exhibitions and networking sessions. It is specifically designed to expose Asian and ethnic musicians to the international market.
The much-anticipated expo is supported by Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency established by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia to further strengthen and position Malaysia as a major events hub for the region. According to MyCEB's Events Bureau’s General Manager, Tony Nagamaiah, the Borneo World Music Expo is a new initiative in addition to the already successful Rainforest World Music Festival. The expo would be the first of its kind to be organized in South East Asia, a melting pot of different cultures and traditions brought together through music.”
Sarawak Tourism Board has appointed Mr Gerald Seligman as the consultant for the Borneo World Music Expo. Mr Seligman is an international music industry professional with over 25 years of experience in both major and independent music and music events companies. He is the President of Caravan Arts Consultancy from which he collaborates and/or consults with events, companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations throughout the world. Until November of 2009, Gerald was
General Director of WOMEX, the largest World Music Expo. He was also co-founder and the first chairman of Freemuse, the human rights organization based in Copenhagen, Denmark. He founded and ran EMI Hemisphere, the company's premier world music label, was head of EMI's international sector for Strategic Marketing and has produced or compiled over 100 releases, including one with a Grammy nomination.
Alongside this inaugural event, Sarawak Tourism Board will continue to organize another notable fringe event of the RWMF, which is the Rainforest Waterfront Fest. This is a Talent Search contest and is opened, internationally, to eligible participants. The finals will be held on the weekend before the RWMF and the winner will share the stage with international renowned artists at the Rainforest World Music Festival.
Total visitor arrivals to the state have increased 9% to 3.27 million tourist arrivals as of 31 October 2012, when compared to the same period last year. Foreign arrivals alone have continued to increase steadily at 16% to 2.13 million during the period. By having more events in the State, STB hope to encourage more tourists to come.
The musical adventure in Borneo is here to stay. So be a part of it!