KUCHING — Sarawak is taking steps to formalise how business events measure long-term impact, introducing new tools designed to track outcomes that extend beyond delegate spending and immediate economic returns.
Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) is expanding its legacy-focused approach through AI.Legacy, a platform that combines data collection, reporting and artificial intelligence to monitor the broader effects of conferences and exhibitions over time. The initiative supports Sarawak’s wider ambition to position itself as a destination where business events contribute to knowledge transfer, industry development, community outcomes and policy advancement.
According to Acting CEO Jason Tan Chin Foo, legacy has become a central pillar of Sarawak’s business events strategy. While economic impact remains important, the organisation is placing greater emphasis on outcomes that are often more difficult to measure, including professional development, research collaboration, technology exchange and social impact.
The AI.Legacy platform is designed to help organisers define event objectives, identify desired outcomes and monitor results against strategic frameworks such as the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Data collected before, during and after events is used to generate legacy reports and track progress over longer time horizons.
One example cited by BESarawak was the National Autism Convention 2023, which brought together healthcare professionals, educators, policymakers and families to support autism awareness and intervention. Beyond the event itself, organisers said the programme helped establish ongoing networks connecting educators, healthcare providers and community stakeholders.
The initiative reflects a broader shift within the business events sector, where destinations are increasingly seeking ways to demonstrate value beyond traditional economic impact assessments. As governments and funding bodies place greater emphasis on measurable outcomes, the ability to track knowledge, social and industry impacts over time may become an increasingly important part of how destinations evaluate the success of business events.
