Kuching MICE Expansion: Bigger Halls, More Flights Ahead of 2028

Hundreds of guests in evening wear stand in rows before a stage lit with golden beams. A large "20" glows on the screen, and a gold carpet runs down the middle. White flowers sit on round tables below. This gala marks two decades of Sarawak business events, and it frames the Kuching MICE Expansion.

The photograph shows the 20th anniversary gala of Business Events Sarawak, known as BESarawak. It filled the Rainforest Ballroom at voco Kuching, which opened in June 2026. The event also marks a turning point. Kuching business events are being built for a much larger scale.

Why the Kuching MICE Expansion Is Happening Now

Kuching has spent the past 18 months rearranging its furniture, as the report by Charles Basa puts it. Pullman Kuching has given its ballroom a Sarawakian look. Hilton Kuching has finished a full renovation. The former Century Kuching Hotel has returned as voco Kuching.

For most of its 20 years, BESarawak sold the city on character. Rainforest, river and culture were the pitch. The harder sell has been scale and access. That is now changing. In 2028, Kuching is due to host the International Water Association World Water Congress and Exhibition.

More Flights Into Kuching

Access starts in the air. AirBorneo is the Sarawak owned carrier that took over the MASwings network on 1 January. It began jet operations on 20 July with flights between Kuching and Kuala Lumpur. Two days later it launched its first international route, to Singapore. These AirBorneo Kuching flights are central to the plan.

The airline plans to grow from two leased Boeing 737-800 jets to five by the end of the year. It aims for 17 aircraft by 2030. CEO Megat Ardian Aminuddin told The Star that more aircraft would allow double daily service. "Maybe by the first quarter next year, we will see a third daily flight," he said.

A third daily flight would make same day business trips between Kuching and Singapore possible. Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has also said a Kuching to Jakarta route will launch this month. Other airlines are adding seats too. AirAsia will lift its Kuala Lumpur route from 63 to 77 weekly flights from November. Firefly moves to 14 weekly flights from February 2027.

The airport is under strain. Kuching International Airport handled 5.7 million passengers in 2025. Its design capacity is five million. A proposed new airport at Tanjung Embang remains a long term project.

More Rooms and Refreshed Ballrooms

On the ground, the city has gained new supply. Voco Kuching is IHG's first voco hotel in Malaysia. It adds 321 rooms and more than 2,400 sqm of event space. The Rainforest Ballroom holds up to 1,350 guests. Ivan Chai, director of sales, said the mix "allows us to support larger groups and more complex programmes under one roof."

Pullman Kuching chose a different route. Its 389 rooms and Colosseum Grand Ballroom were not enlarged. The ballroom seats up to 1,000 for a banquet and 2,000 theatre style. Instead, the design draws on the limestone formations of Gunung Mulu. Director of sales Elisha Bibiana said the aim is to give organisers "a more distinctive sense of place."

Hilton Kuching completed its renovation in 2025. Sheraton Kuching has a pillarless ballroom for up to 700. The Waterfront Hotel, Imperial Hotel Kuching and Riverside Majestic Hotel add more options. Citywide room supply of more than 9,000 should reach about 10,000 before the SEA Games in September 2027. This Kuching hotel expansion also widens the list of Kuching event venues.

BCCK2 Doubles the Campus

The biggest change is still under construction. The Borneo Convention Centre Kuching is getting a sibling. BCCK2 Kuching is a timber framed building due for completion in March 2028. It costs RM550 million, or US$134 million. It is designed as one of the world's largest single floor timber structures.

It offers 15,500 sqm of covered space and a 42m clear span. It can hold up to 9,500 people. Together, the two buildings form one campus with two main halls and a multipurpose hall. There are 34 meeting rooms. The total capacity reaches up to 15,000 people at one time. This is the heart of the Kuching convention centre plan.

Abby Beti Philip, marketing manager at BCCK, described how it could work. "A major congress could be taking place in one part of the campus while another event runs at the same time," she said. Forward bookings have begun. The World Water Congress is confirmed for 2028. This is why Kuching events 2028 are already drawing attention.

She said the gap has been felt. "From 2028, that conversation changes," Philip said. The line matters because it admits that some events once passed Kuching by.

A Fair Look at the Timeline

A balanced reading is useful. Much of this growth arrives later, not now. The biggest gains in capacity come in 2028. Kuching's hydrogen powered Autonomous Rapid Transit system begins pilot operations only this quarter. Full service is planned for 2027. A new airport is years away.

Planners should also expect tight room availability around the SEA Games. The airport is already above its design capacity. Most claims in the report come from hotels, airlines and venue operators with an interest in the story. Jason Tan Chin Foo, CEO of BESarawak, offered a useful caution. "They need to sell the destination together," he said.

Even so, the direction is clear for Sarawak business events and Kuching MICE tourism. Hospitality builds capacity to match ambition everywhere, as in the plan for The Almer Porto Alegre Hotel in Brazil.

What a Larger Room Allows

A city is rarely judged by its ballrooms alone. Delegates remember the flight in, the walk to the venue and the evening meal. A larger hall only helps if everything around it keeps pace.

That is the real test of the Kuching MICE Expansion. If flights, rooms and transport arrive together, Kuching can compete for events once out of reach. The gala in the photograph shows a city proud of 20 years. The next chapter will be measured in thousands of delegates.

Find out more on the official website: https://www.businesseventssarawak.com/