september-0ctober . 2020 | Glam Halal

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WHOLE 2020 was the first trade exhibition to run during the Recovery Movement Control Order ( RMCO ) and the first hybrid event ever to be held in Penang .

After almost four months of the Movement Control Order ( MCO ) or “ lockdown ”, it was the time for businesses to revive , rejuvenate and reconnect with their customers and buyers .

The much-awaited event gathered companies and trade visitors from the entire hospitality ecosystem , including Food & Beverage ( F & B ), Hotel , Travel and Tourism under one roof for business rejuvenation .

The Tourism industry in Malaysia was one of the worst sectors to be impacted , particularly the airlines and hotel businesses , tour agents and all tourists ’ spots .

All events , exhibitions , conferences , seminars , forums , meetings etc . were either postponed or cancelled from March until the rest of the year and even for the first quarter of 2021 .

With a redesigned mission of helping the government revive the economy , WHOLE 2020 collaborated with Tourism Malaysia and the Malaysian Association of Hotels ( MAH ) to super-boost the Domestic Tourism & Travel sectors .

The hybrid event consisted of both the live physical exhibition as well as a virtual version running at the same time , to cater to the international participants and visitors from wherever they were , keeping the connection to the foreign markets going .

As the first trade event to run during the RMCO , Standard Operating Procedures ( SOPs ) were strictly adhered to with safety , hygiene and security being the number one priority .

All exhibitors and attendees were required to keep their facial masks on at all times , hand sanitisers were placed everywhere at exhibition booths , registration counters and entrances , and maintained physical distance .

Whole 2020 was attended by 1,357 visitors and 106 companies participating in 92 physical booths and 80 virtual booths .

The engagement with international participants was not only through the virtual exhibition platform but also through a dedicated B2B platform that organised sessions between Malaysian companies and over 50 companies from Indonesia , Philippines as well as 30 key buyers from the Middle East .

There have been more than 20 forums , talks , presentations , B2B sessions , networking sessions , cooking demonstrations and other activities which have been organised

to complement and enhance the exhibition , making it not only an exhibition but also a business summit .

WHOLE 2020 was officially opened by the Minister of Tourism , Arts & Culture , Dato ’ Sri Nancy Shukri on Sep 10 where the minister shared the Malaysian government ’ s post- CMO and CMCO Recovery Plan , Initiatives , and Strategies through the Ministry of Tourism , Arts & Culture .

On Sep 12 , the show was officially closed by the Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow .

The closing ceremony was observed by all

the exhibitors and visitors of WHOLE 2020 where the chief minister announced that WHOLE will be held again in September of 2021 and will be collaborating with Food & Beverage Expo 2020 . The two events will be held alongside . Food & Beverage Expo has been held in Penang for five years already , and this year , it will be on Oct 2-4 at the SPICE Arena in Penang .

The WHOLE 2020 Virtual Exhibition ran until end September to enable visitors , exhibitors and key buyers to engage virtually , via chat , audio call or video calls .