Kuching: a venue shortlist with entry and arrival questions
You chose Kuching and need a venue shortlist that suits delegates travelling in.
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Hi, I'd like to discuss support for an upcoming event. Help needed: Not decided Event type: Not decided Event area: Kuching, Sarawak Date: Not decided Approx. attendees: Not decided Reference: EV-1134 / en Page: https://eventconsultant.com.my/areas/sarawak/kuching/
The short answer
The Sarawak page helps you choose between cities. Start once you choose Kuching. Build a shortlist of venues and put the same entry and arrival questions to each.
Score the answers in the venue shortlist matrix. A venue is shortlisted when it has answered in writing, not when it is named in a brochure.
Two decisions in one shortlist
The first decision is which venue suits the programme. The second is how delegates will enter Sarawak and reach that venue.
Ask both together. A venue that fits the programme but is awkward to reach may not be the best choice.
What to verify for Kuching
- What halls does the convention centre have, and what are the capacities, address and reservation steps? Ask Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK). Its site lists event reservations but shows no hall details, so do not print any capacity until BCCK confirms it. Figures from Business Events Sarawak are its own description.
- Which other venues could host you? Ask Business Events Sarawak, which offers venue and supplier connections, then ask each venue directly.
- Which city council covers the chosen site: Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) or Kuching South City Council (MBKS)? Ask both councils with the full address. The name of the area is not a reliable guide.
- Which permit applies to signage, road use or a temporary activity? Ask the council that covers the site. DBKU lists a temporary activity permit.
- When can you reach the council? MBKS says its office is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, so plan permit questions for working days. Ask DBKU for its own hours.
- What do delegates from the Peninsula show on arrival? Ask the Immigration Department and read its page on the internal travel document, which is issued at arrival-hall counters. See Sarawak.
- What do visiting speakers on foreign passports need, and does a visit pass cover paid speaking? Ask the Immigration Department.
- Which airport do delegates use, and what are its hours? Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd operates Kuching airport, and the Sarawak government page says it operates 24 hours. Confirm with the airport operator and the airlines for your dates.
- How do delegates get from the airport to the venue entrance? Ask the venue to write the steps, and do not copy a time or distance from a map.
- Which dates fall on the Sarawak weekend or a public holiday in Sarawak or a delegate's home state? Use the host-city date checker, then confirm with the host.
What is different about Kuching
Kuching is the only Sarawak city in the published sources with a named convention centre. It also has two city councils, so a permit question can go to the wrong office if you guess.
The table shows what the published sources say, and what to ask.
| Party | What the source says | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| BCCK | Describes itself as the first international purpose-built convention centre in Sarawak and lists event reservations. | Hall list, capacities, address, reservation steps, load-in rules. |
| Business Events Sarawak | Offers venue and supplier connections and publishes support criteria. | Venues it can connect you to, and whether your event meets its criteria. |
| DBKU | Kuching North City Hall; lists a temporary activity permit. | Whether the site is in its area and which permit applies. |
| MBKS | Kuching South City Council; office closed on weekends and public holidays; lists facilities booking. | Whether the site is in its area and which permit applies. |
How to build the shortlist
- Write your needs: delegate numbers, sessions, rooms, audio-visual needs and dates.
- List the venues from BCCK and from Business Events Sarawak.
- Send the same entry and arrival questions to each venue.
- Ask for answers in writing, with a date.
- Score the answers in the matrix and mark unconfirmed items.
- Ask the right council about permits for the site you prefer.
Coverage and travel
Planning support covers Malaysia, including Kuching. Planning can be done remotely, and on-site support and travel can be arranged when the scope needs it. We work most in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Seremban.
Travel and accommodation are charged when they are part of the agreed scope. For the wider picture, see planning across Malaysia.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional association shortlists Kuching venues
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
The Persatuan Fiktif Jurutera Pembinaan plans a two-day conference in Kuching for about 200 delegates, many from the Peninsula. Its draft names one venue and nothing else.
After asking BCCK and Business Events Sarawak, the committee holds three venues in the matrix. It adds the arrival-hall step to the delegate guide, asks both councils which one covers the preferred site, and schedules permit questions for working days.
Use this yourself
Kuching venue shortlist with entry and arrival questions
Copy into a spreadsheet. A row stays open until the answer is in writing.
| Venue | Halls and capacity (in writing) | Address and council (confirmed by) | Reservation steps | Airport to entrance steps (venue wrote) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue A | Open | Open | Open | Open | Not confirmed |
| Venue B | Open | Open | Open | Open | Not confirmed |
| Venue C | Open | Open | Open | Open | Not confirmed |
Use the free tool: Professional-event venue shortlist matrix
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- You already know the venue and its booking steps.
- Delegates are few and mostly from Sarawak.
- One person can make the calls and file the answers.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Delegates travel in from several places and nobody has asked Immigration.
- You are comparing venues and the sources leave gaps.
- The committee is far from Kuching and wants one person to hold the shortlist and the permit questions.
Would you like someone to run the enquiries?
A conference project lead can send the question list to the venues and councils, collect the answers in one matrix and keep the comparison in one place. We can also manage the whole event and coordinate the specialists it needs, where that suits your scope. Planning can be done remotely, and on-site support and travel to Kuching can be arranged when the scope needs it. Travel and accommodation are charged when part of the agreed scope. Send your dates, delegate numbers and where delegates travel from, and we will reply with the level of support that fits and what it would cover.
Questions organisers ask
Which venues in Kuching can host a conference?
BCCK describes itself as a convention centre. Ask it and Business Events Sarawak for the hall list, then ask each venue in writing.
Which council do I contact for a permit?
It depends on the site. Kuching has North and South city authorities, so ask both with the full address.
Can I print the capacity of the convention centre?
Not until BCCK confirms it. Published figures come from other parties and can differ.
Is there an office in Kuching?
No. We plan remotely and arrange on-site support and travel as agreed in your scope.
Related resources
Sources and check dates
- About BCCK, Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (checked 2026-10-09). BCCK describes itself as the first international purpose-built convention centre in Sarawak and lists event reservations
- Conventions and Exhibitions: Kuching, Business Events Sarawak (checked 2026-10-09). Business Events Sarawak offers venue and supplier connections and publishes support criteria
- Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara, DBKU (Kuching North City Hall) (checked 2026-10-09). DBKU is one of two Kuching city authorities and lists a temporary activity permit
- Majlis Bandaraya Kuching Selatan, MBKS (Kuching South City Council) (checked 2026-10-09). MBKS is the second Kuching authority; its office is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, and it lists facilities booking
- Airports in Sarawak, Ministry of Transport Sarawak (checked 2026-10-09). Kuching, Miri and Bintulu airports are operated by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd
- Document in Lieu of Internal Travel Document, Immigration Department of Malaysia (checked 2026-10-09). Document for Malaysians from West Malaysia entering Sabah and Sarawak, valid for one journey, obtained at arrival-hall counters
Content record: Written by the EventConsultant team to our editorial rules. Sources are listed on pages that rely on them.