S P Setia is investing in venue enhancements and sustainability initiatives across its two convention centres in Penang and Selangor.
At the Setia SPICE Convention Centre in Penang, demand for association-led conferences and international congresses has grown steadily since the pandemic.
Oh Kin Tat, head of Convention Centres at S P Setia, said: “Today, medical congresses and healthcare conferences have become one of our fastest-growing segments, particularly in the scientific and medical sectors.”
Demand also remains strong for trade exhibitions in automation, advanced manufacturing, automotive technologies, and artificial intelligence.
“Organisers are seeking venues that offer the best overall value – where world-class facilities, sustainability, accessibility, and destination appeal come together,” Oh added.
To support this demand, Setia SPICE has upgraded its venue infrastructure by replacing ballroom carpeting and improving its lighting, audiovisual systems, and sound quality. The venue also plans to install new acoustic panels to enhance sound insulation between adjacent halls, allowing simultaneous events to run with minimal interference
On the sustainability front, Setia SPICE has launched a food-waste circular economy initiative in partnership with Universiti Sains Malaysia and waste management firm Al-Ansar Integrated. The project uses black soldier fly larvae to process food waste into animal feed and organic fertiliser, advancing the centre’s goal of achieving zero food waste.
Over at Setia City Convention Centre (SCCC) in Selangor, financial institutions, automotive companies, and large corporate organisations remain key markets for conferences, annual gatherings, dealer conventions, product launches, and training programmes.
The venue is also seeing rising demand for smaller, targeted gatherings.
Oh noted: “We observe that organisers are increasingly seeking venues that can accommodate private networking sessions, executive briefings, workshops, business matching programmes, product showcases, and intimate social events in a more personalised setting.”
In response, SCCC is building a new event space for up to 100 guests, targeted for completion by late 2026. Designed to complement existing facilities, the space will give organisers greater flexibility for standalone functions or side events during larger conferences.
SCCC has also installed rooftop solar photovoltaic systems across its venue. The hall system is fully operational, while the ballroom system is undergoing final energisation, expected to wrap up by October.
To curb paper use, the venue introduced digital menus, saving roughly 4,450 printed sheets in 2025 and avoiding an estimated 22kg of carbon emissions. Other green measures include in-house reverse-osmosis water production to minimise single-use plastics, textile recycling, food waste composting, and maintaining its Green Building Index certification.
