Standing as Malaysia’s pioneer and leading convention and exhibition centre for over 30 years, World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTC KL) has come a long way since its completion in 1984 and its official opening the following year on 2nd September 1985. Formerly known as Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), WTC KL boasts 13,456 square metres of event spaces,
with variety of halls, meeting rooms in modern settings and open spaces.
In 2016, WTC KL has brought a new image and fresh look to its elegance after its renovation and upgrading of several major areas. The two main halls, Dewan Tun Hussein Onn and Dewan Tun Dr. Ismail, meeting rooms and common area on level 2 have been upgraded with a modern concept for the comfort and convenience of visitors to WTC KL.
The two main halls are well equipped and fitted for a wide variety of events from conferences, exhibitions, product launches, opening ceremony, corporate dinners, weddings and many more. There is a foyer area in front of the main halls, ideal for breakout sessions, hi-tea gathering, small booth exhibitions and guest reception. WTC KL is known for its high level of personal service and flexible approach, making it popular with event organizers and meeting planners alike.
WTC KL’s Strengths
World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur has its strengths that enable it to remain as one of Malaysia’s leading convention centres despite its existence over three decades amidst the upcoming of many newer business venues. Among the distinctive factors that contribute to its success today are:
Strategic Location
WTC KL’s location close to the capital and city centre of Kuala Lumpur makes it conducive for events, meetings and exhibitions to be held there. Its location places it just opposite the Sunway Putra Mall, one of Malaysia’s most established shopping centres, and adjacent to hotels of varying degrees of luxury. This gives the event attendees easy access to ample choices of food and beverages, entertainment and accommodation with the closest being the Seri Pacific Hotel and Sunway Putra Hotel Kuala Lumpur, which are connected to WTC KL by a walkway.
Also, WTC KL being in the city centre does not limit its guests to options in the vicinity. The venue is just next to KL’s Golden Triangle where a plethora of dining, shopping and entertainment options which are a short distance away by an extensive coverage of public transportation. Taxis ply route frequently and the STAR LRT and KTM Commuter trains make a stop at the WTC KL and Putra stations. As Malaysia’s network of trains is interconnected, WTC KL is also accessible via Putra LRT and KL Monorail. It is also through this network of public transport that international guests can come directly from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), which is situated 45 minutes away, into WTC KL. Driving to the location is also easy as there is ample parking space in the building.
Facilities and Infrastructure
WTC KL boasts of a plenary hall, two main banquet halls, four exhibition halls and 17 meeting rooms spanning over 24,000 sqm. The largest, Dewan Tun Razak 1, is the only indoor hall in the city centre of KL that has the capability of hosting 10,000 guests. This hall is supplemented by a mezzanine floor, which can hold another 4,000 people should a need arise to expand the exhibition space. The main plenary hall, with its fully retractable seats, has played host to banquets, conventions and concerts.
All halls are capable of seating guests either in theatre, banquet or classroom seating arrangement. The spacious halls come with the latest state-of-the-art audio visual facilities, light and sound systems and wireless network, on top of a myriad of other infrastructure that makes hosting an event at WTC KL a fuss-free experience.
Within the WTC KL’s premises are banks, a post office, a convenience store, money changers, an Islamic gallery, boutiques, Surau Ar-Rahman, florists and other commercial outlets. There is also a wide range of cuisine to choose from the in-house restaurants – the Riverside Restaurant, Riverside Cafe, Tanjung Lounge and Bzbay Bistro.
Unique Feature
What differs World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur from other players in the field, besides its core strengths, are its unique features that play a part in making an event successful. For instance, WTC KL offers automobile ramps that allow vehicles to be driven into and exhibited in the venue, contributing to the repeated success of the KL International Motor Show 2013. WTC KL also boasts of a custom bonded area where customs inspection and clearance can be facilitated, as well as a translation booth, a modular moving stage and a giant projection screen in its plenary hall. There is also a cargo elevator to ease the transportation of heavy machinery, whose safety can be assured by the around-the-clock security at all of WTC KL’s entry and exit points.
Success and Recognition
Having hosted an event year after year indicated satisfaction from the customers. The World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur has hosted the ever popular Malaysian Travel Trade Association (MATTA) fair, attracting hundred of thousands of visitors seeking travel bargains each time. Another crowd-puller is the Perfect Living fair, Malaysia’s largest one-stop home and lifestyle expo, which brings interior decor enthusiasts together annually.
Events held at WTC KL are not limited to consumer exhibition corporate exhibitions hosted year after year include Defence Service Asia, a leading defence trade exhibition in South East Asia that draws participation from at least 25 countries annually. However, the most important event WTC KL has hosted is the 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Summit and Related Meeting (1st – 6th August 2015), which was attended by the governing heads and leaders of the South East Asian Nations.
WTC KL’s success in organising and hosting these events has not gone unrecognised. For its excellence, WTC KL was awarded the title of Iconic Landmark for Country Branding by Asia Pacific Brand Laureate, an organization that recognises a company’s branding excellence. WTC KL has also been ISO-certified for Management of Facilities for Events and Exhibitions and in the year 2012, WTC KL added two more awards to its bag by receiving the regional title of Best Destination 2012 Travel Awards for Best Meeting and Conference Centre for Asia and the local Malaysia’s Prominent Brand at the Anugerah Merdeka 2012. These recognitions only reaffirm the capability of the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur in hosting business conventions, meetings and exhibitions seamlessly.
Moving Forward
There are no signs of the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur losing its popularity; in fact, it is here to stay for many more decades to come especially with the Malaysian government’s initiative in bringing many large-scale business tourism events as part of its Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). WTC KL has already begun its preparations in anticipation for the surge in demands for its venue. The venue will continue to cater government-related events but also going for businesses which are outside of the traditional segment such as corporations, associations and financial institutions, as well as concerts and weddings.
Gallery
41, Jalan Tun Ismail, Chow Kit,
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-2614 6999
Email: reservation@pwtc.com.my